When Yaakov and his family left the area of Shechem to continue their journey, they were vulnerable to the nations around them. However, the Torah tells us that the “terror of G-d” rested on the people around them and they didn’t attack.
Where did this fear come from?
One explanation is that Yaakov’s family created it. It was not because two adolescent boys, Shimon and Levi, had wiped out the city of Shechem and the surrounding populace was afraid of their might. Rather, this Divine terror descended on the surrounding people because the family of Yaakov accepted fear of Heaven upon themselves.
The previous verses tell us how they prepared to go to Bais Kail, where Yaakov had vowed to return and offer sacrifices to Hashem, tells us they got rid of all foreign gods as well as any material items related to them.
When the people saw this, they were impressed and inspired. That a family could value their principles more than their wealth was awe-inspiring. There was something more to this group and it was G-dly, and they would not seek to harm the people of G-d.
Not only did they note this intellectually, but when Yaakov’s family elevated their level of Yiras Shomayim, it spread and had a profound influence on the fear of Heaven of those around them.
