Torah Portion

Fear No Evil
When God Is With You

forefathers had in maintaining and
deepening their relationship with
other tribes. In each of these
instances, God assures his interlocu-
tor that there is nothing to fear. It
could have been possible to believe
that their faith in God and their
allegiance to their particular way of
n this week's Torah portion,
life would in some way be threat-
we continue with the saga of
ened by meaningful contact with the
the progenitors of the Jewish
"outside world." God assures the
people with the story of Isaac
forefathers that their life of sanctity
and his family. About midway
and commitment to morality and
through the portion (Genesis 26:24),
righteousness would not suffer: they
God appears to Isaac and tells him,
need not be afraid.
"I am the God of Abraham,
From the very begin-
your father, do not fear, for
ning of Abraham's call by
I am with you. I will bless
God, he is told (Genesis
you and multiply your
12:3) "... through you will
descendants for the sake of
be blessed all of the fami-
Abraham, my servant."
lies of the land." This
When we look at the
blessing, of course, would
context of this assurance, it
come through the contact
seems rather puzzling. Isaac
of the "families of the
has finally found a well
land" with Abraham and
over which there is no dis-
RABBI ELIEZER his descendants. If any-
pute and immediately after
thing, the Torah indicates
COHEN
this promise of God's pro-
that such contact is not
Special to the
tection and blessing, he
only not a threat; but it is
Jewish News
enters into a treaty of peace
the proper behavior to pro-
with the king of G'ror.
mote in order to bring
Why should he be told, "Do not
such a blessing upon the nations.
fear"?
With such an understanding, one
Similarly, Isaac's father, Abraham,
can further understand another
and his son, Jacob, are assured by
rather perplexing part of our Torah
God not to be afraid. In Genesis
portion. There is a famine in the
15:1, the Torah tells us, "After these
land and Isaac and his family must
things, the word of God came to
relocate to G'ror. Fearing that the
Abram (later changed to Abraham)
men of G'ror would kill him to take
in a vision saying, 'Don't fear,
his beautiful wife, he tells them that
Abram, I will protect you; your
Rivka is his sister. Not only is this
reward is very great.'" Again the
story replete with a variety of diffi-
context seems strange, for it imme-
culties, but it is the third time that
diately follows (and is referred to in
such a story is told in the Torah.
the phrase of the verse, "After these
Isaac's father, Abraham, had to leave
things ...") With Abraham's defeat of
Canaan for Egypt during a previous
the four kings and the rescue of his
nephew, Lot, and his refusal to take
the spoils of conquest, why should
he need to be told not to be afraid?
Likewise with Jacob, God appears
What reasons would one have
and tells him (Genesis 45:3), "I am
to fear meaningful contact with
the God of your father; do not fear
people
of other beliefs and
going to Egypt because I will make
practices? Are such fears valid?
you a great nation there." This time,
In what ways has Judaism and
Jacob's fear is understandable: he is
Jews brought blessings to the
about to leave his home and relocate
world? Has the world truly
with his entire family to Egypt. Such
improved in its treatment of
a move is certainly fraught with
others, particularly strangers?
uncertainty and doubt, and thus
How has the State of Israel ful-
God's promise seems well placed.
filled the responsibility of the
What all three of these assurances
Jewish people to exemplify the
have in common is that they come
highest standards of morality to
apparently to allay the doubts the
the rest of the world?

Shabbat Toldot:
Genesis 25:19-28:9;
Malachi 1:1-2:7.

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Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
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