## Ba'al Shem Tov, Vayishlach

###### Ba'al Shem Tov, Vayishlach 4:1
[Ba'al Shem Tov, Vayishlach 4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Ba%27al%20Shem%20Tov/s/Vayishlach/r/4:1)

**ויירא יעקב מאוד וייצר לו וגו'.**כתיב (תהילים צ׳:י״א) וכיראתך עברתך, פירוש, שתהיה היראה לאדם מהשם יתברך תמיד כמו בשעה שבאה לו ח"ו איזה צרה שאז יש לו יראה גדולה כן תהיה לו היראה תמיד: וכן הפירוש להיפוך גם כן, היראה בשעת צרה ח"ו לא תהיה רק יראה שראויה לאדם תמיד ליראה מהשם ית' ברוך הוא וברוך שמו:
(ליקוטים יקרים ד"ד ע"ג)

**Ami Silver, 2020:**
**The messengers returned to Jacob with the report: “We came to your brother Esau, and he is also heading toward you. He has 400 men with him.” And Jacob was very frightened and distressed…** (Genesis 32:7-8)
It is written: “And like the fear of You, so is Your wrath” (Psalms 90:11). That is, a person should always fear G-d, just as when he is in distress¹ and he fears G-d greatly.
The verse can also be interpreted in reverse. In a time of distress, do not merely be afraid [due to the situation], for it is proper to feel the fear of G-d always.²
*Likutim Yikarim*, p. 4c

footnotes:
¹ I.e. in a time of G-d’s wrath.
² Even when a person is afraid of a mortal danger, he should realize that the situation is being orchestrated by G-d; thus, it is G-d whom he should fear, not the situation itself.