About this episode
Rivka Kahan and Mali Brofsky explore the relationship between fear and faith in religious life, discussing frameworks from Jewish thought and the implications for moral humility.
What is the relationship between fear and faith? This question is explored in Rivka Kahan’s recent essay, “Fear and Faith in Religious Life” (TRADITION, Spring 2026). In this episode Kahan discusses these topics with our podcast host, Mali Brofsky. Together, they think through their strategies to show their students that emotions such as fear are not only acceptable but are actively explored and embraced within our tradition. Kahan outlines three primary frameworks for understanding fear within Jewish thought: Malbim posits that faith acts as a source of strength that helps a person overcome fear, serving a “buoy” to faith by providing inner strength. Abravanel suggests that fear is necessary for true faith, which is understood as the commitment to follow God’s will despite experiencing fear. Finally, the Midrashic approach holds that maintaining a level of worry reflects moral humility. Brofsky notes that these models are not mutually exclusive; rather, individuals may cycle through them depending on their circumstances. The speakers discuss how extreme confidence, even when based on faith, can inadvertently lead to hubris, and argue that experiencing anxiety or…
People in this episode
Host: Mali Brofsky
Guest: Rivka Kahan
Topics covered
- fear
- faith
- Jewish thought
- emotions
- moral humility
- national challenge
Keywords
- fear
- faith
- Jewish thought
- Malbim
- Abravanel
- Midrash
- moral humility
- anxiety
- hubris
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: TRADITION
Books & works: Fear and Faith in Religious Life
More episodes of Tradition Podcast
- Halakhic Mind · June 8, 2026 · 46 min
- Reconceiving Conceptualism · May 26, 2026 · 56 min
- A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E8): The Content of the Covenant of Egypt – The Jewish Existential Community · March 11, 2026 · 1h 47m
- A Jewish Philosophy of Man (e7): Prophetic Loneliness as the Solution to the Problem of Jewish Loneliness · March 4, 2026 · 1h 39m
- Rav Moshe’s Legacy · March 2, 2026 · 19 min
- A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E6): Judaism’s Glorification of the Anonymous Person · February 25, 2026 · 1h 53m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Tradition Podcast podcast page.