If someone were to ask you, “What’s the worst possible curse?” what would you answer?

Of course, none of us want to hear that question or worry about an answer. But one of this week’s sedros, Bechukosai, gives us an answer, and it is something we can and should live by.

The first of the punishments — i.e., curses — in the Tochacha is: “I will assign upon you panic.” Rav Yaakov Meir Schechter, a tzaddik who has lived through many personal tragedies, writes (Venichtav Basefer) that behalah (panic or fright) is the first of the curses because it is the worst.

Our gedolim have told us that we are in the middle of the period known as ikvesa d’Meshicha, the frightening period just before the arrival of Moshiach (see Rav Elchonon Wasserman’s classic by that name). The rebbe of Grodzisc, who was murdered al kiddush Hashem by the Nazis ym”sh, was one of those who gave everyone around him chizuk at the last moments of their lives. He quoted the great Amora Ulah in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) as saying, “Yesei velo achminei. I want Moshiach to come, but I don’t want to be there.” However, he taught his fellow kedoshim that “now that it is here, let us die al kiddush Hashem properly prepared.”

Rav Elchonon, too, was as good as his word. Just before he was murdered by the Nazis at the Ninth Fort, he calmly, as if giving a shiur on Bava Kamma, reviewed with his family, talmidim and other Yidden going to their death the halachos of perishing al kiddush Hashem. I had the zechus of repeating these last words of the rosh yeshiva of Baranovitch at that spot and I tried to force myself to speak with the same menuchas hanefesh as did Rav Elchonon. I failed miserably. How do we do better?

One of the most important lessons of Sefiras Ha’omer is preparation. Slowly, but surely, day after day, we prepare for Mattan Torah. Instead of worrying or even panicking if we would be able to live up to the new reality, we looked forward and counted up to the great moment. This was not only our finest hour. It was perhaps our best 49 days. We patiently extracted ourselves from the 49 levels of tumah and worked our way up to the 49th level of kedusha so that we would be worthy of the Torah. Of course, looking forward to a moment such as Maamad Har Sinai is not the same as worrying about death and suffering. However, human nature is such that any change in what we think should be happening can be devastating and traumatic.

That is exactly what happened after Mattan Torah. The Soton and other evil forces, from within and without, in the form of behalah, duped us into thinking that Moshe Rabbeinu had died. We panicked and “lost it,” causing us to lose almost everything. We would never be the same again until the final redemption (Sanhedrin 102a). How do we counteract this terrifying process?

The answer is to avoid the often self-imposed curse of behalah. When Rav Chaim Kanievsky had some kind of brain-related event — perhaps a stroke — he didn’t lose his equanimity at all. Realizing that something was occurring that could disturb his ability to learn, he quickly completed his daily chovos (learning obligations) and allowed his son to take charge of the medical situation.

Although I wasn’t there, I have heard from reliable people that my rebbi, Rav Yitzchok Hutner, was on his deathbed in Yerushalayim when a kindly nurse asked him, “Ha’im noach l’harav? Is the rav comfortable?” With one of his last breaths, he commented with a smile, “She’s asking me about Noach, but I’m holding by Lech Lecha.” It was certainly not a jest, perhaps a typical line of his to bring a smile to nervous faces, but even in death, he never panicked.

Rav Yisroel Salanter, too, was in his last moments on earth, attended to by a young bochur who had never been in the presence of death. The great founder of the Mussar Movement soothed the young man’s worries and calmed his nerves. As the Alter of Kelm, one of Rav Yisroel’s prime talmidim later commented, “Rav Yisroel was what he taught to the very end.” Undoubtedly, he would have preferred spiritually to prepare properly — viduy, teshuvah — at such a time. But there was a chesed to be performed, for there was an agitated young bochur who needed consolation and not to panic.

It has been pointed out that throughout history, if panic had been avoided, the world would be a much better place. The Arizal taught that had Adam Harishon waited another two hours, he would have been allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadaas without consequences. He “jumped the gun” and the rest is tragic history: ten curses for him, ten for Chava, ten for the primordial serpent, parnossah will never again come easily, death for all living things, difficulty in childbearing—all because of precipitous haste.

To return to Mattan Torah and the Eigel for a moment, had Klal Yisroel just waited a bit, just a drop of patience, Moshe Rabbeinu would have returned and all would have been perfect.

The Arizal added that even Korach, had he not rushed into rebellion, would have been named “Levi Gadol” and would have happily fulfilled what could have been a glorious destiny. Instead, he is forever associated with discontent, hubris and overextension.

Even Dovid Hamelech, who lived such a glorious life, sinned because he couldn’t seem to wait for the right time. The Gemara (Sanhedrin 107a) reveals that Bas Sheva was actually destined to marry Dovid properly, for Uriah would have died on his own, freeing Bas Sheva for Dovid. Instead, he had to fight thirteen wars, live through numerous revolts and insurrections, in addition to the agonizing decree that he could not be the one to actually complete his beloved plan to build the Bais Hamikdosh.

Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman (Ayeles Hashachar, Bechukosai) notes that Rashi comments about the curse of behalah, “Vetzivisi—I will command upon you.” He asks: Why does this klalah need a special command?” Since he doesn’t offer an answer, perhaps we can suggest that, as Rav Yaakov Meir Schechter pointed out, this is the worst of the curses because it has such far-reaching ramifications for Klal Yisroel and individuals. It may be that it therefore required its own commandment.

One of the major sources for achieving such levelheadedness is the Chovos Halevavos’ introduction to Shaar Habitachon. This section has become a bulwark for many people to make sure that they don’t lose their composure and sanity because of adversity in their lives.

Rabbeinu Bachya quotes there from “one of the chassidim” the prayer, “May Hashem save us from pizur hanefesh, having a fragmented soul.” He explains that “this is a seemingly minor matter but actually everything in our lives depends upon doing this right ” Rav Asher Zev Weiss, Belzer rosh yeshiva in Ashdod (Otzar Hamaamarim, page 315), adds that without yishuv hadaas — a settled, calm mind — a person cannot even be called a human being. He makes the amazing statement that one who has no yishuv hadaas is no better than a plant. The vicissitudes of life are always difficult to navigate, but if someone is thrown by every obstacle or adversity, he is no better than an animal, which simply reacts to stimuli such as danger by rote or instinct at best. A human being must learn to think, consider and make decisions based upon his intellect. For a Yid, as he points out, we also have a holy mesorah to look to for guidance and precedent in reacting to any situation.

We will conclude by returning to an amazing ruling from Rav Yisroel Salanter. One of his major talmidim was the Alter of Kelm. The Alter was known to be a profound thinker, who carefully considered every word and action in his life. However, this itself put him in great medical danger and he was often thrown into a true sakanah. The doctors tried to convince him to think less about everything, but he refused. Finally, the exasperated family turned to the Alter’s rebbi, Rav Yisroel, to help. He listened with a surprised look on his face. “You want me to help save his life by stopping him from thinking? Don’t you understand that the definition of a human being is that he uses his brain? If you deny him the ability to consider, think and make decisions, he will be in more danger than he is from thinking.” Chazal (Nedorim 41a) say that if a person has daas, he has everything. If he doesn’t, he has nothing. Let him be” (Otzar Hamaamarim, page 317).

Rav Yisroel was teaching us that thought is never bad. It is when panic results that there is true danger. The lessons about behalah almost seem contradictory until we realize that they must be taken together. Thus, as is often the case, there is a tightrope for all of us. To act thoughtlessly is not to be human. If we panic, the consequences and ramifications can be long-lasting and even eternal. We must think carefully and have emunah and bitachon that we are not just in good hands, but in the best of Hands, when we rely upon Hashem. We should ask daas Torah, try to understand what is wanted of us, and then relax and trust in Hashem.

It is well known that the Alter of Novardok taught his talmidim by example to act but never to worry. He would wait for a train even though he didn’t have a ticket. He would go shopping with no money in his pocket. This may not be for everyone, but we must learn from both Alters. The Alter of Kelm taught us to think deeply before we jump and the Alter of Novardok taught us to rely totally upon Hashem. These two imperatives are not all contradictory. The common denominator is: Never panic.