Vanquishing Fears
Rebbe Nachman explains that the first pasuk (verse) in our parashah begins to outline the travels of B’nei Yisrael that they experienced because of sinning with “others gods.” Idolatry leads to exile. But at the same time, when we travel, we have the opportunity to rectify a blemished faith. By elevating fears to the fear (awe) of Hashem alone, we can vanquish all other fears. We read; אֵ֜לֶּה מַסְעֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצְא֛וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן.׃ These are the travels of the Jewish people who went out of the land of Egypt according to their legions, under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. Reb Natan teaches that wherever B’nei Yisrael traveled in the desert, they subdued the kelipah (forces of evil), and transformed the spaces and places from a spiritual wasteland into an oasis of Torah. What began as …