Captivity begins once you concede that you are small and the world is big.
Once you believe that, next you are likely to believe it will step on you, and so you fear it.
And then you come to obey it, then to run after it. And then you are its slave, thirsting for water for the soul yet unable to remember where to look for it.
To fear the world is to deny the Oneness of its Creator.
We are living in a politcal period that is,indeeed, fear provoking.
Leaders today are asking full compliance and no personal thinking !
It seems to me that the fragment of this advice is: don't feel small in front of human leaders because they are like you, and their vision is also slanted and partial; only H" know exactly what is going on and why.- not us !
Therefore, never follow a leader blindly because it is you who is making yourself smaller than you are in comparison with no reasoning of you own. Yes, the power of H' is infinte, and that of humans more limited but if you trust in H' you really have one step forward ...and whatever is destined we should be able to go kadimah because we only trust H' : therefore fear is vanquished. If you live your life that way you live in peace even when the world is going crazy politically. Stand by yourself and say Hineni!
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The fear of the unknown can be a paper tiger, I know from experience that 90% of all I was afraid would happen never came to fruition. I now take everything into consideration, I call it being cautious, which is a good rule of thumb. I have "trusted" and had faith in G-D but, He being in control, there are still a lot of unknowns. It seems I'm thinking one thing and He's doing another, then I'm left with ?'s. Even in my 80's I'm asking why sometimes. Regardless, I always value my relationship with G-D Almighty. And I value al the doses of wisdom that keeps me on my toes. Reply
There is a spiritual and material reality. Each of us must at some level recognize their existence. Fear is a component of the material reality. It is not a component of the spiritual. With faith one can remove fear. Reply
Fear
Very Very Powerful.
I think it has to do with being honest with oneself at the deepest level..
I will think and feel on this for a long time.
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There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. With G d one must believe there is no fear because G d is near. An with G d all things are possible, that’s to believe with G d I’m everything, who can accomplish everything. However, without G d I’m nothing, who can’t accomplish nothing. Believing in G d is the key that opens the door to a new life. Reply
Strength comes by knowledge , to do good for all Reply
Thank you, I needed this reminder. Reply
Faith and Fear, Two Side of a Coin
When choose faith or fear
only one side can win
battle will go on forever
between your holiness and sin
Pick up coin with fingers
and then spin it around
faces will become a circle
where unity can be found
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just what I needed today It is easy to be fooled that the oneness of the creator is as limited as the world's (our ego's) scope of possibility. To get from here to a distant galaxy, it seems impossible, but only because we are observing the universe with senses built only for the size of our existence. Our lives are larger than the present challenges, the encompass a totally that invisible to us. Sometimes, to see that largeness of possibility we must not believe in the fractured understanding of our senses but instead feel within what we are part of...We are all part of the One Creator. Reply
Thirsting for more knowledge
We are always thirsting for more knowledge from G-d.
Thank you
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Fearless and insaity Embarking on a new life can make someone fearful...that is suppost to be there...I have always respected Rabbi Freeeman for all his writings but I am confused as to why you picked this one because when you cross the street and there is a giant truck there...are you telling me that one does not have to fear the truck moving closer and closer to you? You got a little fraudulant there...to me never should you tell people to not fear...maybe you are using your powers to be a little bit destructive...anyway you can slways cpunt on me to comment on you voice....thanks always....and remember...some fears are good fears...if we didn't have fears we would be run over by trucks coming at us al the time....One more thing...you are nnot allowed to use your powers against those weaker than yourself Reply
Love and fear
We love and fear the Creator, but fear nothing of this world, for all is Elokim. The world simply is, as is the creator. Go inward, confront your fears, and let them pass over you. Travel deeper to the place of silence where love and fear is replaced by oneness. To be a great Torah warrior you must go into battle daily, always knowing that when you have faith, and know who side you are fighting on, that you can never be defected. One will beat one hundred, and one hundred ten thousand.
Do you think that anything that happens is not by G-d's design. ALL fear is simply a lack of faith. You will get everything that He wishes you to have, and that is important for you to have, and not give you a life that you cannot handle. B"H" Have faith!
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Fearless I disagree with this passage. To Fear the World is essential to accept the Oneness of the Creator. Reply
Fear I want to make sure I write here that I take notes and I take these writings very seriously-I consider fear an illness. That I battle with every day of my life. New york was the last real real time I was terrified when looking back that is what comes to mind. Tall sky scrapers and rushing cars and feeling engulfed...I had only gone there to see my painting in an exhibit years ago. I remember I saw it ate and went to sleep in the room and that was it. Fears like that make you lose the rights to your memories and the tools to look back. To me that is the worst because you cannot see the Creator in charge in the first place-terrifying fears stop you from helping in developing a covenant . Or a onesness within yourself to believe the Creator is always there. Reply
Fear It is astonishing how so few words can express such deep truths... and light up so much darkness and confusion. Even when I struggle to understand or accept the words in Rabbi Freeman's Daily Doses, they still heal and enlighten. They still give me hope. So I just wanted to say, Thank you. Reply
comment good one; I needed that. Reply
No Fear, another poem by Dr. Harry Hamburger
My soul is immortal
there is no fear
my body is a vessel
only my soul is dear
I am not alone
even in darkest night
illuminated and always protected
by G-d's holy light!
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I don't fear the world,
I fear the effects of my yet not completely known shortcomings, that yet take me over without my consent.
These I fear more than the world, because when "these" will be dominated and subjugated, so will be the world.
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Fear Thank you for your warm response Reply
I often weep as I pray.
It’s one thing to convince yourself when disappointments arise, that Hashem loves us and has a larger objective.
But what do I say…& how can I rationalize when my 19 y/o daughter leaves the US, goes to study at an Orthodox seminary in Jerusalem, gets raped & beaten by an Arab boy (because she “looks” Jewish), suffers head injuries from him smashing her head against the concrete, and emotional scarring (that's lasting her lifetime)? What do I say to myself (and to her)? That Hashem loves her and has a bigger plan that we just can’t imagine? I wouldn’t believe that myself. And so… I struggle with this notion of absolute faith. Thanks for reading this.
To Penny, Sooo sorry about your daughter. I wish I could answer your questions but I have some myself. Maybe God works through good people to let us know His grief for us. I'm so sorry that happened to you.