Q: Although thank God, nothing negative has taken place in our neighborhood, our children are frightened – and frankly – so are we. How can we restore calm to our home?
A: It is important for you to project happiness and trust in God in your home.
To overcome fear, one must cling to God, Who is eternal life. "And you who cling to Havayah your God, you are all living today." (Deuteronomy 4:4). It is also helpful to always remember what the Ba'al Shem Tov's father told him before he died, to fear nothing but God. Also remind yourselves constantly, until it becomes second nature, that God is everywhere! He is in every place in the world around us, as well as in every place in the world within, which is our own psyche.
The main way to strengthen faith and not to be afraid is to continuously think of joy, as in the verse in Psalms 100:2, "Serve G-d with joy." Contemplate on the fact that the letters in Hebrew that spell "marah shchorah," which literally means "black bile," – referring to "dark thoughts," can be turned to spell "hirhur sameach," "a happy thought."
