Description: Yiras Shamayim 04
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 105-107
We generally associate fear with anxiety, stress, and sadness. Fear is something which leads to depression, and is repressive. The word for that emotion in Lashon Hakodesh is ‘pachad.’ Pachad is being frightened or panicked. There’s nothing positive that comes out of that.
However, fear of Hashem brings to joy – simchah. The pasuk says, ‘v’gilu bi’readah,’ you should rejoice with trembling. How can those two emotions coexist? How can we be happy, joyful, and at the same time be fearful? It seems highly contradictory!
The answer is that fear of Hashem is a method of discovering Hashem. In the process of understanding why we should fear Hashem, we become aware of His presence, and how He is a part of our lives. Fear of Hashem brings us closer to Hashem, and is the foundation of our relationship with Hashem. All closeness to Hashem is wonderful, as the pasuk says, ‘Va’ani kirvas Elokim li tov!’
We can think of it in this way. There are people that we have a healthy respect, even a dose of fear of. When you are driving on a highway and you see flashing lights behind your car, and you see a police car, although you are wearing your seatbelt, and you are driving the speed limit, our hearts go into our throats! It’s a natural reaction – unavoidable. So, seeing a policeman in position to cast judgement inspires fear. But if we are in a dark alley, and three large men start converging on us, and don’t seem to have friendly intentions, and all of a sudden, the alley lights up with blue and red flashing lights, from a police cruiser that just pulled up. How do we feel about the policemen then? Intense relief, gratitude, respect, and – Joy! The fear we have of policemen and what they can do hasn’t diminished, yet we are overjoyed for their presence.
If we wouldn’t have fear of the policemen, what in essence that means is that the policemen mean nothing to us. We don’t understand what they can do, what they represent, what power they have. If we have absolutely no respect for them, we won’t feel any comfort having them around in a dangerous situation – they are nobody.
Knowing Hashem, appreciating the power Hashem has, the judgement He passes and carries out – all for our protection and good – creates a healthy fear, a tremendous respect, and awe. That clarity, that understanding – creates a powerful closeness between us and Hashem – because He is with us always and is there for us! Hashem offers us much more protection than a policeman in an alley! Thus, working on fear of Hashem, recognizing that He is always looking, brings us to great simchah, great joy. For the tzaddikim who can truly feel Hashem’s presence always, and clearly live the life of being in the presence of Hashem, true – they will act accordingly, with respect, but what a comfort and beautiful relationship they enjoy! That’s how Yirah, fear of Hashem brings to simchah – v’gilu bi’readah.
This is the depth of what Chazal say, that the people who are ‘Semaichim be’yesurim,’ the rejoice in suffering, are referred to as ‘vi’ohavav c’tzais hashemesh bi’gevuraso,’ those who love Hashem will shine as the sun in all it’s power. How does one rejoice in suffering? Yesurim bring tzaddikim to Ahavas Hashem, devaikus in Hashem, and thus – simchah! Rav Shach Zatzal once said, that even when a person is in Gehinnom he can be ‘davuk in Hashem!’ Although this is a deep concept, we find this in Chazal, that the children of Korach did teshuvah at the last moment, and they had an outcropping in Gehinnom where they sat (and were saved from the punishments,) and there they said Shirah – the perakim in Tehillim that begin Lamnatzeiach li’vnei Korach! In the depths of punishment, we can find Hashem, and when we find Hashem, we only become closer, greater, and better.
Every mitzvah is ‘tzavsah,’ brings us companionship and closeness to Hashem, and this mitzvah – of fearing Hashem is no different!
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 105-107
We generally associate fear with anxiety, stress, and sadness. Fear is something which leads to depression, and is repressive. The word for that emotion in Lashon Hakodesh is ‘pachad.’ Pachad is being frightened or panicked. There’s nothing positive that comes out of that.
However, fear of Hashem brings to joy – simchah. The pasuk says, ‘v’gilu bi’readah,’ you should rejoice with trembling. How can those two emotions coexist? How can we be happy, joyful, and at the same time be fearful? It seems highly contradictory!
The answer is that fear of Hashem is a method of discovering Hashem. In the process of understanding why we should fear Hashem, we become aware of His presence, and how He is a part of our lives. Fear of Hashem brings us closer to Hashem, and is the foundation of our relationship with Hashem. All closeness to Hashem is wonderful, as the pasuk says, ‘Va’ani kirvas Elokim li tov!’
We can think of it in this way. There are people that we have a healthy respect, even a dose of fear of. When you are driving on a highway and you see flashing lights behind your car, and you see a police car, although you are wearing your seatbelt, and you are driving the speed limit, our hearts go into our throats! It’s a natural reaction – unavoidable. So, seeing a policeman in position to cast judgement inspires fear. But if we are in a dark alley, and three large men start converging on us, and don’t seem to have friendly intentions, and all of a sudden, the alley lights up with blue and red flashing lights, from a police cruiser that just pulled up. How do we feel about the policemen then? Intense relief, gratitude, respect, and – Joy! The fear we have of policemen and what they can do hasn’t diminished, yet we are overjoyed for their presence.
If we wouldn’t have fear of the policemen, what in essence that means is that the policemen mean nothing to us. We don’t understand what they can do, what they represent, what power they have. If we have absolutely no respect for them, we won’t feel any comfort having them around in a dangerous situation – they are nobody.
Knowing Hashem, appreciating the power Hashem has, the judgement He passes and carries out – all for our protection and good – creates a healthy fear, a tremendous respect, and awe. That clarity, that understanding – creates a powerful closeness between us and Hashem – because He is with us always and is there for us! Hashem offers us much more protection than a policeman in an alley! Thus, working on fear of Hashem, recognizing that He is always looking, brings us to great simchah, great joy. For the tzaddikim who can truly feel Hashem’s presence always, and clearly live the life of being in the presence of Hashem, true – they will act accordingly, with respect, but what a comfort and beautiful relationship they enjoy! That’s how Yirah, fear of Hashem brings to simchah – v’gilu bi’readah.
This is the depth of what Chazal say, that the people who are ‘Semaichim be’yesurim,’ the rejoice in suffering, are referred to as ‘vi’ohavav c’tzais hashemesh bi’gevuraso,’ those who love Hashem will shine as the sun in all it’s power. How does one rejoice in suffering? Yesurim bring tzaddikim to Ahavas Hashem, devaikus in Hashem, and thus – simchah! Rav Shach Zatzal once said, that even when a person is in Gehinnom he can be ‘davuk in Hashem!’ Although this is a deep concept, we find this in Chazal, that the children of Korach did teshuvah at the last moment, and they had an outcropping in Gehinnom where they sat (and were saved from the punishments,) and there they said Shirah – the perakim in Tehillim that begin Lamnatzeiach li’vnei Korach! In the depths of punishment, we can find Hashem, and when we find Hashem, we only become closer, greater, and better.
Every mitzvah is ‘tzavsah,’ brings us companionship and closeness to Hashem, and this mitzvah – of fearing Hashem is no different!