Facing a massive and powerful enemy naturally triggers deep anxiety. Rather than simply demanding bravery, the Torah offers practical psychological and spiritual guidance on how to overcome the paralysis of fear. A natural question arises: how can a person be ordered not to feel afraid? Fear is not a conscious choice, but an automatic reaction when a person feels weak against a superior force [מלבי״ם]. The solution lies not in forcing the fear away without reason, but in utilizing a specific tool to dispel it: memory. When a person actively remembers that a great King, vastly more powerful than any opponent, stands beside them and offers His help, the terror naturally fades.
An additional layer of confidence comes from the promise that foreign nations will never conquer the Israelites, provided they avoid sin and refrain from making treaties with those enemies. If the people held absolute trust in this reality, fear would have no place to exist [העמק דבר].
To put this into practice, the people are instructed to reflect on what God did to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. One might wonder why Moses points back to a historical event from the previous generation instead of highlighting the fresh, recent military victories over kings like Sihon and Og. The reason is that during the plagues in Egypt, the divine miracles were entirely open and undeniable. Focusing on Egypt also introduces a sense of humility. It directs the people's attention exclusively to God's absolute power, rather than allowing them to take credit for the recent battles where they actively fought. By speaking to the younger generation as if they had personally lived through the Exodus, Moses deeply reinforces their sense of security [ברכת אשר על התורה].
Interestingly, this specific instruction to remember is not included among the standard daily remembrances in Jewish tradition. It is not a constant daily requirement, but rather a situational remedy. It serves as a medicine for fear. If anxiety about surrounding nations enters a person's heart, they must recall the downfall of Egypt. However, if they are not afraid, there is no active requirement to invoke this memory [ברכת אשר על התורה].