Below is the teaching of Chaplain (soon to be Rabbi) Adam Ruditsky in conjunction with the book Preparing yourself for the High Holidays.
רפואה מן התורה
If an army shall encamp around me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should wage up against me even then I shall be confident … (Ps. 27:3)
In the Torah we read a story about Moses who needed to
keep his arms raised toward the sun to ensure Israel’s victory, whereas if they
fell, Israel would be defeated. Fear of
losing was why the text says that Moss was “constant” in his determination to
keep his arms extended upwards. I am
sure he was afraid not only of the battle but of his inability to succeed in
his task. In the story Moses fulfilled
his destiny although he would require the help of his brother and nephew for what
he could not accomplish alone. When war
rose up against Israel Moses might have looked to the heavens to be rescued from
the hands of their enemies, but it came from an unexpected source. In other
words, Moses’ battle was not his own, it was a collective effort. Often times when we enter life battles we
take them on alone, which does not always turn out the way we may want. Fear is a human emotion; isolation is another
matter. Seeking isolation when things
get tough seems to be the human way, but fear should be an emotion that reaches out
for help. War is apart of life, battling
it ourselves in another matter completely.
God’s miracle of deliverance comes in the package of relationships, and
sure we have all be disappointed, but in those connections we can be confident.
Miracles can be found
only when we are ready to look for them
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