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A Message from the Torah: Respond to Fear with Faith
People wave Israeli flags following the release of hostages who were seized during the Oct. 7 attack by Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and held in the Gaza Strip, in Ofakim, Israel, Nov. 30, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko
As we complete the book of Genesis this week, Jacob has died, and his remaining sons now turn to Joseph and say, “Our father asked us to beg you to forgive us for what we did to you” (Genesis 50:15-21 ).
There is no evidence that Jacob actually said that, and it may simply be the brothers’ sense of guilt because Joseph had treated them well and showed no signs of bearing a grudge, after the initial tough encounter in Egypt. Joseph replied, “Have no fear, I’m not a substitute for God” and I guarantee I am going to take care of you.
I’ve always been interested in the way the word fear, is used in the Torah. The Hebrew word for fear is Yira. But like many words in the Torah, it has multiple meanings. It could mean the fear of someone or something. Or it could mean the fear of saying something wrong, inappropriate, or doing something wrong morally. This latter usage is associated with the word when the Torah talks about fear of God or fear of your mother and father. It doesn’t mean to be frightened as in scared; it means one should be bound by the constraints either of morality or of a relationship with God.
Looking at the way the word is used in the Torah, illustrates these differences. When Lot escapes from Sodom and flees to the town of Tsoar, it says he was frightened to stay there (Genesis 19:30). When Isaac is frightened for his safety he says, “I was frightened lest they kill me because of my wife” (Genesis 26: 6). And Jacob says to Laban, “I was frightened that you were going to steal my daughters away from me” (Genesis 31:31). And again, before his encounter with Esau, he says, “I am frightened that he will come and kill me and my children” (Genesis 32:12). These are all examples of physical fear.
And there is another example that refers to fear of God or moral dereliction. The two midwives in Egypt did not kill the Israelite boys because they feared God, nor because they feared Pharaoh (Exodus 1:21). Twice in the context of the Sinai Revelation the word fear is used. The first time (20:17) is when Moses tells the people not to be afraid of the powerful phenomenon of Sinai on fire. And the second is when he comes down the mountain with the second set of tablets and his face is shining so brightly that the people are afraid to approach him, and he wears a mask (34:30). What kind of fear was that? In Genesis, the phrase “Pachad Yitzchak” is used twice. It could mean “fear of Isaac,” or “Isaac’s fear of God.”
I have always thought it unsatisfactory to translate the word Yira as fear in every case. When applied to God, I believe that we should not translate it as fear at all, but as respect or even awe. Particularly in our mystical tradition, the relationship with God is seen as something comforting, reassuring, and caring, rather than frightening and distant.
The Book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph. When Jacob died, he was given a state funeral in Hebron. Yes, Israel has a long association with Hebron going back thousands of years.
In the case of Joseph, we are told he was placed in a box in Egypt. The contrast is striking. The lives of the fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were ones of constant challenge, danger, and difficulties. They struggled in every area, and yet still prospered. In the case of Joseph, after the initial struggle that he had with his brothers, he ends up in a position of complete safety, of power, authority, and respect. And yet within a short time, things changed so dramatically as we see in the book of Exodus, and he is forgotten.
The message that resonates with the present moment is that we have always to be worried about the challenges and the threats and the dangers that we face — and not take our safety for granted. We should be examples of Pachad in one sense, insecurity. We never know what challenges we will have to face. But the way to respond is by having faith, a belief in the future, and a relationship with God that is better described as one of respect and devotion rather than fear.
The author is a writer and rabbi, currently based in New York.
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Washington Warns UK, France Against Recognizing Palestinian Statehood
Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy leaves Downing Street, following the results of the election, in London, Britain, July 5, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Toby Melville
i24 News – The United States has warned the UK and France not to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference scheduled for June 17 in New York, the Middle East Eye reported Tuesday.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-host this conference on the two-state solution, with Paris reportedly preparing to unilaterally recognize Palestine. France is also pressuring London to follow this path, according to sources from the British Foreign Office.
French media reports indicate that French authorities believe they have the agreement of the British government. Meanwhile, Arab states are encouraging this move, measuring the success of the conference by the recognitions obtained.
This initiative deeply divides Western allies. If France and the UK were to carry out this recognition, they would become the first G7 nations to take this step, causing a “political earthquake” according to observers, given their historical ties with Israel. The Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer threatened last week to annex parts of the West Bank if this recognition took place, according to a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary David Lammy publicly opposes unilateral recognition, stating that London would only recognize a Palestinian state when we know that it is going to happen and that it is in view.
However, pressure is mounting within the Labour Party. MP Uma Kumaran, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the government was elected on a platform that promised to recognize Palestine as a step towards a just and lasting peace. Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, believes that there is no legitimate reason for the United States to interfere in a sovereign decision of recognition, while highlighting the unpredictability of US President Donald Trump on this issue.
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Police, Shin Bet Thwart Suspected Iranian Attempt Perpetrate Terror Attack
A small number of Jewish worshipers pray during the priestly blessing, a traditional prayer which usually attracts thousands of worshipers at the Western Wall on the holiday of Passover during 2020, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 12, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Ronen Zvulun.
i24 News – The Shin Bet security agency and Israel Police thwarted another Iranian attempt to recruit Israelis, according to a statement on Tuesday, arresting a resident of East Jerusalem for allegedly carrying out missions for the Islamic Republic.
Iranian agents recruited the suspect, who in turn recruited members of his family. He is a resident of the Isawiya neighborhood in his 30s, and is accused of maintaining contact with a hostile foreign entity to harm the state by carrying out a terrorist attack against Jews.
The suspect had already begun perpetrating acts of sabotage and espionage, including collecting intelligence about areas in Jerusalem, including the Western Wall and Mahane Yehuda Market. He also hung signs, burned Israeli army uniforms, and more in exchange for payment totaling thousands of shekels.
He was also charged with planning a terror attack in central Israel, including setting fire to a forest, and was told to transfer weapons to terrorist elements in the West Bank.
The suspect’s sought the help of family members, including his mother. A search at his home revealed sums of cash, a spray can used in some of his activities, airsoft guns, suspected illegal drugs, and more.
His indictment is expected to be filed by the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office.
The statement said that the case is yet another example of Iranian efforts to recruit Israelis. “We will continue to coordinate efforts to thwart terrorism and terrorist elements, including those operating outside Israel, while attempting to mobilize local elements in order to protect the citizens of the State of Israel,” the Shin Bet and Police said.
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Pro-Russian, Anti-Israeli Hackers Pose Biggest Cybercrime Threats in Germany
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt holds a chart showing the development of antisemitic crime, during a press conference on Figures for Politically Motivated Crime in the Country, in Berlin, Germany, May 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Cybercrime in Germany rose to a record level last year, driven by hacker attacks from pro-Russian and anti-Israeli groups, the BKA Federal Crime Office reported on Tuesday as the government said it would boost countermeasures to combat it.
“Cybercrime is an increasing threat to our security,” said Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt. “It is getting more aggressive but our counter-strategies are also becoming more professional,” he said.
Some 131,391 cases of cybercrime took place in Germany last year and a further 201,877 cases were committed from abroad or an unknown location, a BKA report said.
The actors behind the hacker attacks on German targets were primarily either pro-Russian or anti-Israeli, said the BKA, adding targets were mostly public and federal institutions.
Ransomware, when criminals copy and encrypt data, is one of the main threats, said the BKA, with 950 companies and institutes reporting cases in 2024.
German digital association Bitkom said damage caused by cyberattacks here totaled 178.6 billion euros ($203.87 billion) last year, some 30.4 billion euros more than in the previous year.
Dobrindt said the government planned to extend the legal capabilities authorities could use to combat cybercrime and set higher security standards for companies.
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