yarei v'rach ha'leivav (II)

 ר׳ עקיבא אומר: כשמועו, שאינו יכול לעמוד בקשרי המלחמה ולראות חרב שלופה.

ר׳ יוסי הגלילי אומר: הירא מעבירות שבידו. 

Yesterday I posted one approach to understand the nekudas ha'machlokes; today I want to offer another.  

The Chovos haLevavos writes that someone who is a true baal bitachon has no worry.  If you trust that G-d is in complete control and will do what is best for you, then what is there to be worried about?  However, a long time ago we discussed an amazing Abarbanel, who comments on "Va'yira Yaakov va'yetzer lo" that Yaakov's fear of Eisav does not mean Yaakov lacked bitachon.  Worrying about the future is a normal human reaction to stress.  Bitachon means that by putting one's trust in G-d one is able to overcome that worry and lead a normal life.

חֶרְדַּ֣ת אָ֭דָם יִתֵּ֣ן מוֹקֵ֑שׁ וּבוֹטֵ֖חַ בּה׳ יְשֻׂגָּֽב (Mishlei 29:25)  The Shem m'Shmuel (Zechor Bris [section on Slichos] 5675) explains the beginning of the pasuk to mean that fear itself is the מוֹקֵ֑שׁ which can ensnare a person (see Rashi who explains that aveiros which are a מוֹקֵ֑שׁ give rise to fear).  The end of the pasuk, בוֹטֵ֖חַ בּה׳ יְשֻׂגָּֽב, he writes, does not simply mean to tell us that a baal bitachon will not have those same fears.  Peshita, mai ka mashma lan that a person like that has nothing to worry about?  Rather, what it means is:  אך ובוטח בה' ישוגב היינו שאין הפירוש שאיננו חרד אלא בוטח בה', זה לא נצרך להאמר דפשיטא דמהיכא תיתי לחשוב שח"ו יצמח לו ממה שבוטח בה' רע ח"ו, אלא הפי' אף שהוא חרד מ"מ אם עם חרדתו הוא בוטח בה' הוא ישוגב כי מאחר שהוא בוטח בה' דבקה בו השמירה מהש"י וישגב בו מפני האויב הם כחות החיצונים כנ"ל:  Even though the baal bitachon is also afraid, is also worried, nonetheless, because he has bitachon he can move forward and Hashem will help him out.  

R' Akiva maybe held like the Chovos haLevavos, and therefore if someone was afraid of the enemy, he should return home, as his bitachon is lacking.  R' Yosi on the other hand, held that fear of the enemy was a normal reaction to war, and is not a contradiction to being a baal bitachon.  The only reason for such a person to go home is if his fear was caused by aveiros.