Description: Yiras Shamayim 08
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 113-115
What other methods are there to boost our ratzon, our desire to improve in Yiras Shamayim? The Zohar says, ‘Gufa delo nahir batshin laih,’ a body which doesn’t shine, you beat it up! Meaning that if a person’s guf, his gashmiyos, his connection to the physical world is a little too intense and doesn’t allow for ruchniyos to shine through, it’s necessary to beat it down. How is that done?
There was a time in history where this was done through fasting and other forms of self-deprivation. This is not an option anymore, and hasn’t been for hundreds of years, only perhaps for unique individuals. Other great tzaddikim, the Chafetz Chayim was known to do this, would lock themselves in a room and talk to themselves, give themselves mussar, and actively try to beat down their physical self. This isn’t for most people as well. If we’d try this, it wouldn’t be authentic.
What can we do? We can certainly put time aside, when we are alone, and start talking to Hashem! By talking to Hashem, little by little, we can make ourselves aware of His presence, the foundation for Yiras Shamayim. By asking Him for assistance and inspiration in Yiras Shamayim, we can daven and daven, and this way make it something we really want.
If you keep your eye open during davening, you will see that we daven for Yiras Shamayim multiple times during davening. Everybody notices when we mention it twice during Rosh Chodesh Bentching, as we just did this past Shabbos. But we say it every day. In Mah Tovu we say, ‘eshtachaveh el haichal kodeshechah biyirasechah.’ We say in Ahavah Rabbah, ‘vi’yachaid livavainu lahavah u’liyirah es shemechah.’ We finish Shemonah Esray by saying, ‘Elokay netzor leshoni mi’rah,’ which essentially is a request for Yiras Shamayim. In U’vah letzion we say, ‘Hu yiftach libainu b’soraso, v’yasaim bilibainu ahavaso v’yiraso v’laasos retzono u’liavdo bilaivav shalaim.’ Lastly, in Al Kain we say ‘viyekablu chulum ol malchusechah.’
It’s also important to look for inspiration in other places. Listen to shiurim of people who are full of Yiras Shamayim! Simply hearing tzaddikim like that speak, fills the heart with Yiras Shamayim and love of Hashem. When a person speaks from the heart, it has an inevitable effect on our hearts.
Lastly, if we do want to be more spiritual people, we have to literally beat down the gashmiyos, our physical selves, and find some way to distance ourselves from gashmiyos. This means different things by every person. But by everyone the idea is, if we find ourselves a little too immersed in this world’s pleasures, if we are getting too into it, talking about it, thinking about it, having our whole day revolving around achieving pleasure, this is not conducive to Yiras Shamayim. If we can find some small way to reduce our attachment with this world, so that it’s not excessive, this will go a long way to us becoming more spiritual people, more aware of Hashem, and ultimately, greater Yarei Shamayim.
In summary, to work on Yiras Shamayim, we must first work on our desire to be Yarei Shamayim. To do that, we have to find time to think and learn about Yiras Shamayim, read about tzaddikim that lived lives of Yiras Shamayim, and hear tzaddikim speak about Yiras Shamayim. We have to move beyond our complacency and seek to grow. We have to daven and talk to Hashem so that we find Him and truly desire to be close.
When a person lives with Yiras Shamayim, it’s not a pressure-filled existence, constantly thinking about Hashem and what we should or shouldn’t do. Being that it is something that we really want and desire, every moment of Yiras Shamayim is achieving a goal and is immensely satisfying. Just as someone who is an entrepreneur and works crazy hard to build his business, doesn’t find it pressure-filled as much as very fulfilling and successful, as he achieves goal after goal, likewise in Avodas Hashem, at no point is it, nor should it be something which feels like a yoke and a pressure. It’s synonymous with simchah!
We B”H have just finished the chapter entitled ‘Yirah’ – fear of Hashem. We will now begin the chapter entitled ‘Ahavah,’ – love of Hashem. This is a gateway to the higher levels of Yiras Shamayim, which is Yiras Haromemus, the awe of the greatness of Hashem.
Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh
Volume I Pages 113-115
What other methods are there to boost our ratzon, our desire to improve in Yiras Shamayim? The Zohar says, ‘Gufa delo nahir batshin laih,’ a body which doesn’t shine, you beat it up! Meaning that if a person’s guf, his gashmiyos, his connection to the physical world is a little too intense and doesn’t allow for ruchniyos to shine through, it’s necessary to beat it down. How is that done?
There was a time in history where this was done through fasting and other forms of self-deprivation. This is not an option anymore, and hasn’t been for hundreds of years, only perhaps for unique individuals. Other great tzaddikim, the Chafetz Chayim was known to do this, would lock themselves in a room and talk to themselves, give themselves mussar, and actively try to beat down their physical self. This isn’t for most people as well. If we’d try this, it wouldn’t be authentic.
What can we do? We can certainly put time aside, when we are alone, and start talking to Hashem! By talking to Hashem, little by little, we can make ourselves aware of His presence, the foundation for Yiras Shamayim. By asking Him for assistance and inspiration in Yiras Shamayim, we can daven and daven, and this way make it something we really want.
If you keep your eye open during davening, you will see that we daven for Yiras Shamayim multiple times during davening. Everybody notices when we mention it twice during Rosh Chodesh Bentching, as we just did this past Shabbos. But we say it every day. In Mah Tovu we say, ‘eshtachaveh el haichal kodeshechah biyirasechah.’ We say in Ahavah Rabbah, ‘vi’yachaid livavainu lahavah u’liyirah es shemechah.’ We finish Shemonah Esray by saying, ‘Elokay netzor leshoni mi’rah,’ which essentially is a request for Yiras Shamayim. In U’vah letzion we say, ‘Hu yiftach libainu b’soraso, v’yasaim bilibainu ahavaso v’yiraso v’laasos retzono u’liavdo bilaivav shalaim.’ Lastly, in Al Kain we say ‘viyekablu chulum ol malchusechah.’
It’s also important to look for inspiration in other places. Listen to shiurim of people who are full of Yiras Shamayim! Simply hearing tzaddikim like that speak, fills the heart with Yiras Shamayim and love of Hashem. When a person speaks from the heart, it has an inevitable effect on our hearts.
Lastly, if we do want to be more spiritual people, we have to literally beat down the gashmiyos, our physical selves, and find some way to distance ourselves from gashmiyos. This means different things by every person. But by everyone the idea is, if we find ourselves a little too immersed in this world’s pleasures, if we are getting too into it, talking about it, thinking about it, having our whole day revolving around achieving pleasure, this is not conducive to Yiras Shamayim. If we can find some small way to reduce our attachment with this world, so that it’s not excessive, this will go a long way to us becoming more spiritual people, more aware of Hashem, and ultimately, greater Yarei Shamayim.
In summary, to work on Yiras Shamayim, we must first work on our desire to be Yarei Shamayim. To do that, we have to find time to think and learn about Yiras Shamayim, read about tzaddikim that lived lives of Yiras Shamayim, and hear tzaddikim speak about Yiras Shamayim. We have to move beyond our complacency and seek to grow. We have to daven and talk to Hashem so that we find Him and truly desire to be close.
When a person lives with Yiras Shamayim, it’s not a pressure-filled existence, constantly thinking about Hashem and what we should or shouldn’t do. Being that it is something that we really want and desire, every moment of Yiras Shamayim is achieving a goal and is immensely satisfying. Just as someone who is an entrepreneur and works crazy hard to build his business, doesn’t find it pressure-filled as much as very fulfilling and successful, as he achieves goal after goal, likewise in Avodas Hashem, at no point is it, nor should it be something which feels like a yoke and a pressure. It’s synonymous with simchah!
We B”H have just finished the chapter entitled ‘Yirah’ – fear of Hashem. We will now begin the chapter entitled ‘Ahavah,’ – love of Hashem. This is a gateway to the higher levels of Yiras Shamayim, which is Yiras Haromemus, the awe of the greatness of Hashem.