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Parent Post: Erasing Bad Memories?
seraphima
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9/2/2026, 3:10:16 PM
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Great discussion, Tikvah! I’ve struggled with worry/anxiety since I can remember. I used to think that was a bad thing or some kind of illness but I’m seeing things differently now… Here’s a video that really helped me to understand the Hebrew “deagah/da’ag” versus the Greek “merimnao/merimna” more:  Philippians 4:6–7: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” So, I know that the Bible has no controlling authority for Jews but it does for me. What this tells me, with the use of “Be” is that anxiety is connected to a state of being. Humans are programmed to be anxious because there are real threats in the world and fear, etc. is a mechanism, I think, that allows us the ability to survive. The problem comes in when it controls us, takes over, and we see only through that lens…much like how the Bible tells Christians to not fear (365 times). It’s not that fear doesn’t exist or that it’s a sin but that there is something (Someone) in control Who is protecting us so the fear doesn’t have to be our motivation and or distraction anymore. Anyway, I really love your way of focusing on “returning” rather than only on repentance. Repentance is a key tenet of Christianity, you know. But the focus of repentance is always on something wrong, something bad, destructive, and causes shame and guilt. Contrition and feeling genuinely sorry for offending God and others is a good thing but we know that there is no condemnation so we have to forgive ourselves too for what we’ve done wrong. The Jewish notion of returning is so helpful to me because it changes my perspective because it changes the focus. Instead of criticizing myself all the time for sinning, now, I’m beginning to see that it’s an opportunity, a blessing, to become closer to God. I am keenly aware of what I do wrong and sometimes I get stuck in that. God makes me want to change not because I’m so horrible but because He loves me so much. Worrying about my relationship with God and not wanting to cause conflict and pain is a good thing. But, from now on, I’ll try to put what is most important first and that’s God and His feelings instead of focusing on me and my feelings so much. 🙏
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tikvah
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9/2/2026, 6:08:26 PM
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Thank you for sharing this so openly. 🙏 I really appreciate your insight that fear itself isn’t necessarily the problem—it is what happens when fear becomes the lens through which we see everything. There is a profound connection here to \*emunah\*: we can acknowledge the reality of fear without allowing it to become the source that directs our lives. And I especially love what you said about \*teshuvah\* becoming an opportunity rather than a condemnation. \*\*Teshuvah means return\*\*, and returning to Hashem is ultimately an expression of love, not self-hatred. We recognize where we have wandered, but we don't have to remain trapped there. Perhaps the most beautiful part is exactly what you said: \*“God makes me want to change not because I’m so horrible but because He loves me so much.”\* That shift—from shame to relationship, from fear to trust—is deeply transformative. 🙏
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