Yaakov was afraid that the Canaanim would gang up against Bnei Yaakov and go to war against them, and this is exactly what happened. The Medrashim are loaded with the war stories of Yaakov Avinu against the Canaanim. Despite Yaakov’s complaint against them, and despite his expressing his fears about potential wars, Shimon and Levi didn’t seem impressed.
They just said: וּנֵתוֹחֲא תֶא הֶשֲׂﬠַי הָנוֹזְכַה אל דל “Shall we allow our sister to be treated like Hefker?” They stood their ground even against their father! They felt that they did the right thing and all they cared about was the Kavod of their sister and they had Bitachon! And indeed, despite this story, it says later: ˄ֱא תַתִּח יִהְיַו ִק לַﬠ םי בֹקֲﬠַי יֵנְבּ יֵרֲחַא וּפְדָר אֹלְו םֶהיֵתוֹביִבְס רֶשֲׁא םיִרָﬠֶה ה הל that the Canaani neighbors suddenly became petrified of Bnei Yaakov. This is the Schar of a Baal Bitachon; i.e., that Hashem causes his enemies to fear him.
I have seen this many times. I have a friend who is by nature very gentle and he has lots of respect; but also fear, fear of people. He was taught to become a macho personality. This was very much against his grain. But it worked wonders, and it helped him work on his own weaknesses. He once had a serious court case, but his fearlessness caused his enemies to fear him!
RSRH Zatzal points out from Shimon and Levi that a Jew is: ְבּ ֶﬠ ֶצם essentially a tough person, and it’s no Mitzva to always be soft and Eidel. There is a time and place for: ַא ִמיצוּת courage, which Novardok was famous for. So much Zikkui HaRabbim is lost because of fear of humans. Usually, your meekness and softness can be overcome if you work on it. It will make you a “free” person, and it gets you out of your self-imposed lifetime “jail”.
I once discussed working on: ַא ִמיצוּת courage with R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal, and he told me that my Avodas: ַא ִמיצוּת courage depends upon how much I want to spend my life all locked up with fear of other people’s opinions. I counted 14 Pesukim where Yaakov Avinu defended himself and praised his own integrity and decency (to Lavan and to his wives).
Many, many of us have imaginary “Lavan’s” and internal voices, who keep reminding them of their shortcomings and sins, and this is a major obstacle in Shteiging. Feelings of guilt are rampant, with so, so many of us; and they are almost total-lies of the Yetzer Hara who doesn’t want you to have Simcha and Shteig and engage in Zikkui HaRabbim. R' Yerucham Levovitz Zatzal says that the reason people don’t do Zikkui HaRabbim is because they don’t work on their weakness of having fear of people.
Just like Yaakov Avinu said many Pesukim (14) where he defended himself against Lavan, so should we do, and we’ll Shteig much more, with Hashem’s help. I recommend writing all the complaints which the “Lavan” inside you is always telling you, and to defend yourself with: היֵרְטַפּ אָנָמְחַר סֵנוֹא ב חכ ק"ב (It was beyond my control, for which I am not responsible). / “I had a difficult youth” / “I’m being too Machmir on myself” / “I’m ignoring so many of my Maalos, so I can’t function properly” / “I never had a real chance, or the proper Chinuch.”
