As Fear Arises

In this week’s Torah portion Shelach lecha,
We witness what happens among our ancestors
As fear arises and takes hold of the community.

We watch as the heart constricts and perspectives narrow,
As anxiety obliterates possibilities
And stories woven by doubt and insisting on doom
Are perceived as the only truths.
Panic ensues
And there is a grasping for anything
That will relieve dread and terror.

As we know,
It can be difficult to break the stranglehold of fright
Because fear is contagious and strengthens itself.
And fear is, at times, a reasonable response
To all we encounter as we make our way through our days.

We need help to see beyond fear’s certainty
And not let fear guide our thoughts and actions.

How do we meet fear with awareness
And develop the capacity to respond to fear
With patience, forgiveness and compassion?

The tradition says, engage in actions that create experiences of connection:

Give thanks.
Listen well.
Offer help.
Seek guidance.
Engage with ritual.
Speak words of blessing.
Act with generosity and love.

These actions shift our perspective,
Bring us into relationship
And loosen the bonds of fear.

These actions help us see that fear isn’t all there is
For the sake of each other and all earth,
Let us engage in acts of connection
And deny fear the power to shape our perceptions
And determine our behavior.

May love and healing grow from our words, our deeds and care.

Shalom,

Rabbi Yael

THIS WEEK'S AUDIO TEACHINGS: Torah portion Shelach Lecha

Listen to the recording of this week's Torah Study and today we sit together practicing holding whatever arises with an expansive, loving perspective, in the Morning Meditation Sit with Rabbi Yael Levy.