BS’D
Rebbe Nachman ztk’l teaches, “Kol ha’olam kulo gesher tsar m’od v’haikar lo l’fached klal – that the whole world is a narrow bridge, but the essence is not to be afraid”.
Whether or not we realize it, we are all traveling along a narrow bridge. Where are we heading? The constricted pathway leads one to find the ‘real me’. The task of the Jewish people is to discover our G-dliness and reveal our potential – an awesome task indeed!
But Rebbe Nachman teaches that we must continue along the bridge of life despite its narrowness. We should not let fear stop us crossing. This narrow bridge is confined, slender and even cramped, yet it is the road to happiness and must be crossed.
Fear is an emotion that can lead to a number of negative consequences, including:
- Defensiveness
- Resistance
- Anger and blame
What do we fear? Fear may take many forms, including such things as fear of:
- failure
- hardships and difficulties and pain, and
- a lack of assistance.
Why do we fear?
In its essence, fear in anything is a lack of trust and fear in Hashem.
What can we do to overcome fear?
Fear can be overcome through trust in Hashem.
The Rebbe advises us while we are crossing the narrow bridge we should not to look down (symbolizes one’s shortcomings). Rather, we should look up and increase our Yirat Shamayim. As our emuna in Hashem increases, our fears naturally subside.
Ultimately, when we shed our fear, we can more easily achieve our lifetime journey of crossing over our narrowness, insecurities and downfalls in order to reach our G-dly side and bring it out into the world.
