Afraid to Fly? What the Torah Says About Fear
הרב שי טחןב חשוון, תשפז13/10/2026Let’s examine a question that touches all of us: When is fear appropriate, and when does it become a problem
תגיות:פחדמוסרחשש
צילום: AI
After recent events involving a Flydubai airplane, many people have become more nervous about getting on an airplane. Let’s examine a question that touches all of us: When is fear appropriate, and when does it become a problem?
The Gemara in Berachot (60a) relates that Rabbi Yishmael encountered a man who was afraid and told him, “You are a sinner.” His proof was the pasuk, “פחדו בציון חטאים”—“The sinners in Zion are afraid” (Yeshayahu 33:14).
The man challenged him with another pasuk in Mishlei: “אשרי אדם מפחד תמיד”—“Praiseworthy is the person who is always afraid” (Mishlei 28:14). So which is it? Is fear a virtue or a failing?
Rabbi Yishmael answered that the latter pasuk refers to divrei Torah. Rashi explains that a person must constantly be concerned that he may forget what he has learned.
Forgetting Torah is a serious matter. The Mishnah in Avot teaches that one who forgets his learning through neglect is held accountable, based on the pasuk, “Only beware for yourself and greatly guard your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw” (Devarim 4:9).
The Vilna Gaon offers a slightly different explanation: a person should always be concerned that perhaps he has not accomplished enough in Torah.
These are examples of fear directed toward spiritual matters. But what about ordinary physical dangers? Should a person constantly worry about getting into an accident, being attacked, or boarding an airplane?
There is a distinction between appropriate caution and unfounded anxiety. The fact that a person can imagine something terrible happening does not mean he must live in fear of it. The question is whether the fear serves a constructive purpose or merely causes unnecessary worry.
A Gemara That Seems to Say the Opposite
There is, however, another Gemara that appears to teach the opposite.
In Gittin (55b), while discussing the events surrounding the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and other tragedies, Rabbi Yochanan applies the pasuk “אשרי אדם מפחד תמיד”—“Praiseworthy is the person who is always afraid”—to people who failed to anticipate danger. Because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Yerushalayim was destroyed; because of a rooster and a hen, Tur Malka was destroyed; and because of the shaft of a carriage, Beitar was destroyed.
These tragedies illustrate the danger of becoming so secure in one’s circumstances that one fails to recognize the consequences of one’s actions.
Tosafot in Gittin raises the apparent contradiction: In Berachot, the Gemara seems to teach that fear belongs in spiritual matters, while in Gittin, it appears to praise fear of physical danger. How can both be true?
Tosafot explains that the people involved had relied on their prosperity and tranquility: “בטחו ברוב טובתם ושלוותם”—they trusted in their great prosperity and tranquility. They felt secure and failed to consider the danger their actions could bring upon them.
The lesson is that there is no fundamental difference between spiritual and physical dangers. When a genuine danger exists, a person must take it seriously and act accordingly. But when the danger is remote and unlikely, he should not allow it to dominate his life.
The people involved in these tragedies had become so confident in their circumstances that they failed to recognize the consequences of their actions. They should have considered the calamities their behavior might bring upon themselves.
Tosafot then makes a crucial distinction: “ולא דמי לאדם המתפחד בחינם”—this is not comparable to a person who is afraid for no reason.
That distinction lies at the heart of the discussion. There is a difference between recognizing a genuine danger and becoming consumed by possibilities that have little basis in reality.
Harlem at Night Versus a Flight
Let’s bring this distinction into everyday life.
If you go to a place that is genuinely dangerous, such as a neighborhood where there is a real risk of crime, you have to be on the lookout and take reasonable precautions to keep yourself safe.
When a danger is real, caution is sensible. A person should avoid unnecessary risks and use good judgment.
On the contrary, walking through a safe neighborhood while constantly imagining that someone will attack you is a different matter. The same applies to boarding an airplane and becoming consumed by the thought that the pilot might hijack it.
A pilot undergoes extensive training and works hard to reach a professional position. The possibility of a pilot deliberately endangering the passengers is extremely remote. To live in constant fear of such a scenario is not the same as taking reasonable precautions.
The point is not that danger never exists. Rather, we must distinguish between a risk that calls for practical action and a remote possibility that only feeds anxiety. We cannot eliminate every risk from life, and attempting to do so can prevent us from living normally.
When Fear Becomes Dangerous
There is another important point to consider, based on Rabbi Yosef Nachmias’s commentary on Mishlei, (printed in Mikraot Gedolot). Fear can be useful before danger arises because it motivates a person to take precautions. But when a crisis is already unfolding, panic can prevent a person from responding effectively.
If something has already happened and an airplane has been hijacked and is in immediate danger, giving in to panic will not help. Fear can overwhelm a person and prevent him from thinking clearly. At such a moment, he must try to remain calm and act as the circumstances require.
The distinction is between fear that prepares a person to respond and panic that overwhelms his ability to do so. In an emergency, we need to remain as calm as possible, follow appropriate instructions, and take whatever reasonable action the circumstances permit.
Three Levels of Fear
Bringing these sources together, we can distinguish between three situations.
First, when a danger is remote and unlikely, we should not allow the possibility to dominate our lives. Driving a car carries risks, too, yet we drive every day. We take reasonable precautions, hope and pray that nothing happens, and continue with our lives.
Second, when a danger is real, we must recognize it and act accordingly. We should avoid dangerous places and reckless behavior, and we should not provoke confrontations in the street without considering the consequences.
Third, when a crisis is already unfolding, we must not allow fear to paralyze us. We should remain calm enough to respond sensibly and take the appropriate steps to protect ourselves and others.
The lesson is not that a Jew should never feel afraid. Fear can protect us, alert us to danger, and push us to take responsibility. But fear must be guided by judgment. We should take real dangers seriously without allowing imagined dangers to control our lives. And when circumstances demand action, we must strive to respond with a clear mind rather than surrender to panic.
The Gemara in Berachot (60a) relates that Rabbi Yishmael encountered a man who was afraid and told him, “You are a sinner.” His proof was the
צילום: AI
The man challenged him with another pasuk in Mishlei: “אשרי אדם מפחד תמיד”—“Praiseworthy is the person who is always afraid” (Mishlei 28:14). So which is it? Is fear a virtue or a failing?
Rabbi Yishmael answered that the latter pasuk refers to divrei Torah. Rashi explains that a person must constantly be concerned that he may forget what he has learned.
Forgetting Torah is a serious matter. The Mishnah in Avot teaches that one who forgets his learning through neglect is held accountable, based on the pasuk, “Only beware for yourself and greatly guard your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw” (Devarim 4:9).
The Vilna Gaon offers a slightly different explanation: a person should always be concerned that perhaps he has not accomplished enough in Torah.
These are examples of fear directed toward spiritual matters. But what about ordinary physical dangers? Should a person constantly worry about getting into an accident, being attacked, or boarding an airplane?
There is a distinction between appropriate caution and unfounded anxiety. The fact that a person can imagine something terrible happening does not mean he must live in fear of it. The question is whether the fear serves a constructive purpose or merely causes unnecessary worry.
A Gemara That Seems to Say the Opposite
There is, however, another Gemara that appears to teach the opposite.
In Gittin (55b), while discussing the events surrounding the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash and other tragedies, Rabbi Yochanan applies the pasuk “אשרי אדם מפחד תמיד”—“Praiseworthy is the person who is always afraid”—to people who failed to anticipate danger. Because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, Yerushalayim was destroyed; because of a rooster and a hen, Tur Malka was destroyed; and because of the shaft of a carriage, Beitar was destroyed.
These tragedies illustrate the danger of becoming so secure in one’s circumstances that one fails to recognize the consequences of one’s actions.
Tosafot in Gittin raises the apparent contradiction: In Berachot, the Gemara seems to teach that fear belongs in spiritual matters, while in Gittin, it appears to praise fear of physical danger. How can both be true?
Tosafot explains that the people involved had relied on their prosperity and tranquility: “בטחו ברוב טובתם ושלוותם”—they trusted in their great prosperity and tranquility. They felt secure and failed to consider the danger their actions could bring upon them.
The lesson is that there is no fundamental difference between spiritual and physical dangers. When a genuine danger exists, a person must take it seriously and act accordingly. But when the danger is remote and unlikely, he should not allow it to dominate his life.
The people involved in these tragedies had become so confident in their circumstances that they failed to recognize the consequences of their actions. They should have considered the calamities their behavior might bring upon themselves.
Tosafot then makes a crucial distinction: “ולא דמי לאדם המתפחד בחינם”—this is not comparable to a person who is afraid for no reason.
That distinction lies at the heart of the discussion. There is a difference between recognizing a genuine danger and becoming consumed by possibilities that have little basis in reality.
Harlem at Night Versus a Flight
Let’s bring this distinction into everyday life.
If you go to a place that is genuinely dangerous, such as a neighborhood where there is a real risk of crime, you have to be on the lookout and take reasonable precautions to keep yourself safe.
When a danger is real, caution is sensible. A person should avoid unnecessary risks and use good judgment.
On the contrary, walking through a safe neighborhood while constantly imagining that someone will attack you is a different matter. The same applies to boarding an airplane and becoming consumed by the thought that the pilot might hijack it.
A pilot undergoes extensive training and works hard to reach a professional position. The possibility of a pilot deliberately endangering the passengers is extremely remote. To live in constant fear of such a scenario is not the same as taking reasonable precautions.
The point is not that danger never exists. Rather, we must distinguish between a risk that calls for practical action and a remote possibility that only feeds anxiety. We cannot eliminate every risk from life, and attempting to do so can prevent us from living normally.
When Fear Becomes Dangerous
There is another important point to consider, based on Rabbi Yosef Nachmias’s commentary on Mishlei, (printed in Mikraot Gedolot). Fear can be useful before danger arises because it motivates a person to take precautions. But when a crisis is already unfolding, panic can prevent a person from responding effectively.
If something has already happened and an airplane has been hijacked and is in immediate danger, giving in to panic will not help. Fear can overwhelm a person and prevent him from thinking clearly. At such a moment, he must try to remain calm and act as the circumstances require.
The distinction is between fear that prepares a person to respond and panic that overwhelms his ability to do so. In an emergency, we need to remain as calm as possible, follow appropriate instructions, and take whatever reasonable action the circumstances permit.
Three Levels of Fear
Bringing these sources together, we can distinguish between three situations.
First, when a danger is remote and unlikely, we should not allow the possibility to dominate our lives. Driving a car carries risks, too, yet we drive every day. We take reasonable precautions, hope and pray that nothing happens, and continue with our lives.
Second, when a danger is real, we must recognize it and act accordingly. We should avoid dangerous places and reckless behavior, and we should not provoke confrontations in the street without considering the consequences.
Third, when a crisis is already unfolding, we must not allow fear to paralyze us. We should remain calm enough to respond sensibly and take the appropriate steps to protect ourselves and others.
The lesson is not that a Jew should never feel afraid. Fear can protect us, alert us to danger, and push us to take responsibility. But fear must be guided by judgment. We should take real dangers seriously without allowing imagined dangers to control our lives. And when circumstances demand action, we must strive to respond with a clear mind rather than surrender to panic.
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