In 1684, a group of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who fled the Inquisition (see "Today in Jewish History" for Tevet 22) held a Rosh Hashanah service in New Amsterdam, thereby founding congregation Shearith Israel ("Remnant of Israel"). On this 17th of Tevet in 1728, the congregation purchased a lot in Lower Manhattan to erect the first synagogue in New York.
Rabbi Aaron Zelig ben Joel Feivush of Ostrog, Russia, author of Toldot Aaron, passed away on Tevet 17 of the year in 5515 from creation (1754).
Tevet 17 is also the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yaakov Wolf Krantz (1740-1804), the Maggid (preacher) of Dubna, particularly known for the parables (meshalim) he employed in his sermons and writings.
Moses was afraid…and Pharaoh sought to kill him. (Exodus 2:14–15)
Shouldn’t it be written the other way around? Because Pharaoh sought to kill him, therefore Moses was afraid.
But no. Only because Moses experienced fear was Pharaoh empowered to seek his blood. Were it not for his fear, no harm could ever have befallen him.
Banish any thought of fear that may be lurking in your mind. To dwell on such a thought even for a moment is to surrender yourself into the hands of your inner Pharaoh, that he may destroy you.
Replace such thoughts immediately with healthy thoughts, positive thoughts, thoughts that lift you up. Think good thoughts and your thoughts will allow good things to happen.
Trust is the inverse of fear. Hold on tightly with trust of steel and nothing in this world can harm you.