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With God on Our Side We Have Nothing to Fear |
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In Memory of Joelle Lewandowski z”l
In Parshat Ekev, when B’ani Yisrael were about to enter the Land of Israel
they were told (Devarim 9:3): Listen,
Israel! You are
crossing the Yarden to come inherit nations greater and more powerful than you;
cities great and fortified to the sky. A great and powerful people, descendents
of the Anakim (commonly translated as giants, translated as heroes by Rav
Saadya Gaon) about whom you know and heard “who can stand up to the descendents
of Anak”? You know that HaShem, your God is the one crossing before you, a
consuming fire, He will destroy them and he will subdue them before you; you
will expel them quickly, as God promised for you.
Ramban points out that the enemies who were already in the
Land were frightened of Israel.
With a trembling heart, low spirit and feebleness of hands they went out
against them in battle. Although the Anakim had might and height, their hearts
were more humbled than those of the rest of the people and they did not go out
into battle at all but were rather hiding in the mountains and in the fortified
cities. Yehoshua later destroyed the Anakim in their cities- proof that they
didn’t go out to battle.
We see from here that our enemies were cowards and with God
on our side, we were able to destroy them.
Unfortunately, yesterday, our enemies attacked innocent
civilians in a number of terror attacks. We hope and pray to see the prophecy
at the end of our Parsha speedily in our day (Devarim 11:23-25): God will expel
all these nations before you, and you will inherit nations greater and more
powerful than you. Every place that the soul of your foot steps on will be
yours, from the wilderness of Lebanon,
from the river- the Euphrates
River- up to the ultimate
sea, will be your boundary. No man will stand up to you; fear of you and awe of
you will God place upon the surface of the entire Land that you are stepping
into as He promised you.
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