Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
What things frighten you? What do you think are some reasons to be scared?
In Lekh Lekha, God tells Avram not to be afraid.
אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר
אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם
אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ
שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד׃
Some time later, the word of God came to Avram in a vision. God said,
“Fear not, Avram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”
What was making Avram scared?
רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם מִתְפַּחֵד וְאוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר אוֹתָן אֻכְלוּסִין שֶׁהָרַגְתִּי שֶׁהָיָה בָּהֶם צַדִּיק אֶחָד וִירֵא שָׁמַיִם אֶחָד…
וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי חָדָא, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם מִתְפַּחֵד וְאוֹמֵר יָרַדְתִּי לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ וְנִצַּלְתִּי, יָרַדְתִּי לְמִלְחֶמֶת הַמְלָכִים וְנִצַּלְתִּי, תֹּאמַר שֶׁנִּתְקַבַּלְתִּי שְׂכָרִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְאֵין לִי כְּלוּם לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא?
R. Levi said he was afraid that, in the battle he had just fought, he might have killed one innocent and God-fearing person…
The Rabbis give a different explanation. They say he was afraid because he said to himself, “God has already saved me from the kivshan ha-eish (fiery furnace), and God just saved me from this war, too. Is it possible that I’ve already received all of my reward in this world, and there won’t be any reward left for me in the next world (after I die)?”
- Both R. Levi and the Rabbis connect Avram’s fear to the war that he just fought (and won). Do you think it’s surprising that winning a war could make a person feel less confident, not more? Why or why not?
- What is scary about having possibly hurt an innocent person? How does it feel to be wondering if you might have accidentally done that? What is this midrash telling us about how we should look at war, even if it’s a war we have to fight?
- What do you think about the idea that Avram is worried he might have “used up” all his reward? What might you tell him, if this is his fear?
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