ואֲמִין בְחַיֶיךָ (דברים כח, סתָ לַיְלָה וְיוֹמָם וְלֹא תַ וְהָיוּ חַיֶיךָ תְלֻאִים לְךָ מִנֶגֶד וּפָחַדְ
The life you face shall hang in doubt; you shall be in terror, night and day, with no assurance of survival.
Shekalim 9a
Rav Bibi was sitting and related this incident. Rabbi Yitzchak bar Bisna said to him: Until a revi’is it is tahor; more than a revi’is it is tamei? Rav Bibi became upset at him. Rabbi Zerika asked him: Just because he asked you a question, you become upset with him!?
He replied: I became upset at him, for my mind was occupied with another matter, for behold Rabbi Chanan has said: It is written: “And your life shall hang in doubt before you.” refers to one (who does not own a field) who buys grain from year to year (and he does not know if he will have money for the next year’s purchase);” and you shall fear night and day” refers to one who buys grain from a merchant (week to week); “and you shall have no assurance of your life” refers to one who has to rely upon the bread baker. And I (Rav Bibi) have to rely upon the bread baker (and thus can not focus).
Any doubt is called suspended. This is the simple meaning of the Pasuk is that one’s life is always in suspense, that at any time one is in doubt about what could possibly happen.
In Galus sheer endurance will be a challenge. In the morning the difficulties will increase until one will wish for a return to the previous night. As the day continues, the troubles will also mount to the point that one would desire for the morning to return (Rashi).
Alternatively, our desire to live will become very short-sighted. In the morning one will pray to survive till the evening. In the evening one will pray to survive till the morning (Saadyah Gaon).
The Medrash (Esther Rabbah) interprets morning and evening in terms of the rise and fall of the governing nations. As Bavel begins to ascend to power, the Jews pray for its descent. As Persia rose to world dominance, the Jews anticipated its fall.
Baal haTurim states that this verse alludes to the period between Rosh haShana and Yom haKippur for the “beinonim” whose judgement hangs in balance, depending on their Teshuvah or not.
Chazal as explained in Shekalim (above) and in Menchanos (103b) explain that the suspense and fear of the future are connected to the supply of food (material existence). Torah relates of three levels:
(1) the well-to-do person who can but enough supplies for an entire year yet must worry whether he would have enough money to purchase the next year or even if an ample supply would exist to buy;
(2) the average person who only has enough money to purchase a small amount of grain at a time and worries if he has enough money for the next purchase or if the prices will rise and;
(3) the poor person who lives day to day must go to the baker to buy bread with no stockpile, constantly faces starvation.
Rabbi Shimon Raphael Hirsch relates that the word תלאים is from the word תלא which has the same meaning as the word תלה swaying or hanging per the verse in Hoshea 11,7, “My people are wavering whether to renew to Me” (hovering between Baal and HaShem). The verse is conveying that one’s life will always be unsettled; you will have no firm, sure basis for your existence. The word מנגד implies it will always be something not attained, yet still far off. One will always fear ופחדת for one’s very life.
