יראה

Someone who is not wise in his own eyes is able to come to fear of G-d. Someone who draws close to an elder and withstands his anger, through this he merits fear of G-d.

When someone has the opportunity to do kindness and he does not bestow it, through this, he falls from his fear of G-d. Someone who minimizes conversation will merit fear of G-d. Someone who speaks and motivates his friend to fear of Heaven -- all the words that leave his mouth at the time that he speaks with his friend get made into a book.

Someone who has fear of Heaven, his words are heard. Crying over the death of a kosher person is considered like fear of Heaven. Fear of Hashem increases for a person beyond what his mazal (fortune) mandates, and the opposite is also true. Through serving righteous people, one comes to fear of Heaven, and the opposite is also true.

Shame leads to fear of sin. The merit of fear of G-d lasts for a thousand generations. One who has fear of G-d will certainly listen to the voice of the righteous. He will also come to the attribute of trust [in G-d].

Someone who does not leave behind a son or a student, this is called "not fearing Elo-him". Through haughtiness, there is no fear of G-d. To [acquire] fear of G-d, go to the ritual bath.

Through sanctifying the Name [of G-d], you will come to fear of G-d. Intentional sins remove the fear of G-d from before his eyes.

Covering the head brings one to fear of G-d. A person from whom the populace is blessed (go to for blessings, or bless others that they should be like him) certainly has fear of Heaven. Someone who does not pay attention to the day of death, through this, he has no fear of G-d. When a person falls from his fear of G-d, it is known that they are judging him Above.

Through the gift that one gives to the righteous, one merits fear of G-d. Also, 310 immersions in a Mikveh (ritual) bath are a segulah (conducive) to fear of G-d.

Desire -- that a person desires to perform a Torah commandment -- is a sign that he has fear of G-d. Through fear of G-d and kindness, one is saved from fire and merits a livelihood.

A place of [Torah] decision (i.e. where the scholars study, decide, and teach the proper Torah conduct) is helpful for fear of G-d.

Through learning the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), one comes to fear of G-d. Someone who has fear of Heaven can break the heart of the haughty ... Also, the seducer is not able to deviate him. Through the outstanding and sharp ones of the generation, fear of G-d is illuminated, and through fear of G-d, the merit of the forefathers is sparked, and through the sparkling of the forefathers, repentance is aroused in the world.

One who constantly clings to the fear of Hashem, may He be Blessed, the Holy One, Blessed be He, does miracles for him. There is power in the hand of the individual to cast off the yoke of Heaven, but it is not within the hand of the masses to cast off the yoke of Heaven.

One who is constantly connected to the fear of G-d and does not forget about it -- all of his sins are pardoned. The voice that emanates from an intelligent, holy person is a segulah (conducive) to fear of G-d. Through confusion of the intellect, fear of G-d is ruined.

Through fear (of Heaven) the Holy One, Blessed be He, gives him peace. Also, through confusion of the intellect, one's authority falls. Monetary interest causes a loss of fear of G-d.

And behold, very shortly after his passing, o.b.m., we saw this with our own eyes — that immediately great heresy began to spread in the world the like of which there had never been since earliest times. For although this plague had already begun to sprout in distant lands — the notorious heretics there, as is well known — and they composed evil writings, in particular the newspapers,[403] etc. But the plague had not yet spread to our region until in our days, after his passing, o.b.m., and the passing of other great and holy Tzadikim, o.b.m., the plague of this evil spread also in our region. And already the righteous and upright in these our generations cried out without ceasing and no one listened to them — for their hand grew strong due to our many sins. Oy to us for what has befallen us in these our generations. And through this was brought about the evil decree in our days that was caused through them,[404] oy, what happened to us. And it was fulfilled — because of our many sins — as our master, teacher, and Rabbainu, o.b.m., the awesome one, foretold beforehand through his holy spirit. And they continue to spread at every time. Oy, who knows what will be in the days to come. 402. RAK: See above, sections 35 and 126.

And we have already written what he, o.b.m., said[405] — that all our prophets prophesied about this, especially Daniel who said (Daniel 12:10): "Many shall be purified and cleansed and refined" — that all their intention was that in these latter days Israel would be tested and refined in faith — that many would rise up and wish to mislead them from the holy faith, namely the heretics and investigators of our days. And since he already made this known beforehand — that this would be the test — it was fitting to stand firm in the test certainly. Even so it will be a great test to the point where many will stumble greatly. But even so, we write all this so that those who truly desire the truth and the holy faith should know that he, o.b.m., already made all this known to us beforehand — so that it should be a reviving of their soul to strengthen their heart in Hashem and His holy Torah as we received from our fathers, the Sages, o.b.m., in the Gemara and the later decisors. 403. RAK: The first Hebrew literary journal, put out by enemies of Torah. Printed regularly between 5544–5546, and irregularly until 5571. Their entire purpose was to spread assimilation among Jews.

Someone who does not have fear of G-d, does not walk in the way of Hashem. Through fear of G-d, one comes to truth. 404. RAK: Possibly referring to the Russian decree of compulsory military service of 5587 and the censorship laws.

405. RAK: See above, section 35.

He mocked greatly those calendars — theirs and ours, to differentiate — which write the events and changes such as cold and heat, etc. And generally they do not accurately predict their words at all. He answered and said: If so, if they know — let them then say the changes that occur in the world every single day by itself. For on almost every single day there occur in the world very many changes — in one day there is cold and heat and rain and snow and wind and clear air, and similar endless changes that generally occur in one day. And who can accurately predict and know this? "How great are Your works, Hashem, how very deep are Your thoughts! A brutish man does not know, and a fool does not understand this" (Psalms 92:6–7) — through their external wisdoms all the changes that occur in one day. (And also in the astronomical books themselves it is explained that this matter of those calendars mentioned is not at all clear — as it is written at the end of the book "Nechmad veNa'im."[406] See there.)

406. RAK: Authored by Rabbi Baruch Kosover (passed away in 5542), one of the great disciples of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk. Famous primarily for his book "Amud HaAvodah."

One who has fear of G-d does not fall from his greatness, and keeps getting greater. One who has the wisdom of Elokim (G-d) in his heart, the people will be afraid of him. I heard in his name that he spoke with a certain man who had confusions of faith. And Rabbainu, o.b.m., encouraged him and told him that it is brought that the entire creation of the work of Creation was only because Hashem Yisburach foresaw that there would be people who would have sufferings regarding the holy faith from the confusions and heretical thoughts that arise in their minds, the Merciful One protect us, and they would overcome those thoughts and strengthen themselves in faith. And only for this sake did Hashem Yisburach create all the work of Creation. And through these words that man was greatly strengthened always at every time when those confusions would come upon him. And likewise it is explained in the words of Rabbainu, o.b.m., several times[407] that the essence of Creation was in the merit of faith — as it is written (Psalms 33:4): "And all His work is in faith."

407. RAK: See Chayai Moharan, Service of Hashem, section 76; Alim LiTerufah, letter 37.

On the matter of people relating before Rabbainu, o.b.m., and praising greatly the commentary of Rashi, and saying that one does not need to learn any other commentary on Scripture according to the plain meaning — because most of the other plain commentators go according to the ways of philosophical investigation, etc.[408] (The meaning is: there are some plain commentators who contradict the words of our Sages o.b.m., and they follow a somewhat philosophical approach in several places. And those plain commentators need not be learned — only the commentary of Rashi, o.b.m.) He answered and said, Rabbainu, o.b.m.: This you do not know — that Rashi, o.b.m., is like a brother to the holy Torah.[409] For all the children in the elementary schools [beis raban] and all of Israel learn the written and oral Torah with the commentary of Rashi. And from this the greatness of Rashi's stature, o.b.m., is understood.

408. RAK: See Chayai Moharan, On Distancing from Philosophical Inquiry, section 3.

Someone who has fear of G-d, when fright comes to the world, he will not be afraid. 409. RAK: See Proverbs 7:4; Shabbos 145a; Sanhedrin 7a.

Rather, he will even be happy. Someone who has fear of G-d will certainly humble himself before the Tzadik. Those who draw close to G-d fearing people, they also merit fear of G-d and knowledge.

410. RAK: See Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Washing of Hands, Law 6, section 79.

When Rabbainu, o.b.m., was in Uman, someone asked him if it is possible to know the wisdom of Kabbalah without fasts and ritual immersions — for someone had said it is impossible to know Kabbalah except through those means. He replied: It is possible to know this wisdom without those mentioned. For it is a wisdom, etc. And he said then that the reason it is difficult to understand the book Eitz Chaim, etc., is because it was not written in order.

And he said: Where the wisdom of philosophy ends — there the wisdom of Kabbalah begins (which is the wisdom of truth).[411] (The explanation: for the philosophers investigated only as far as the spheres, and from there upward they know absolutely nothing. And also in the wisdoms below the spheres they are very confounded in most matters — as they know themselves. But the wisdom of Kabbalah begins from the root of Asiyah in its spirituality, and from there upward. For all of the world of Asiyah together with the spheres is encompassed in Kabbalah in a single word — the world of Asiyah. And all the wisdom of Kabbalah speaks of its higher dimensions — Yetzirah and Beriyah and Atzilus, higher and higher, etc.[412] And even within Asiyah itself, in the inner dimension of Asiyah — meaning the spirituality of Asiyah — the philosophers have absolutely no knowledge at all. But the wisdom of Kabbalah speaks only from the root of Asiyah in its spirituality, and from there upward. It is found that where the wisdom of the investigators ends — there the wisdom of Kabbalah begins.) I myself also heard from his holy mouth regarding his awesome attainments — he spoke of this several times and said: Is it not the case that among the investigators their knowledge ends at the spheres? And it seems to them that from there upward it is only the pure essence of the G-dliness Yisburach. But in truth all the study of Kabbalah is of worlds and levels that begin from there upward. So too: even one who has well attained the wisdom of Kabbalah, which is the wisdom of truth — even so, there is no measure to His understanding, for there is still higher above higher, etc. And once he saw a book compiled from the writings of the Ari, o.b.m., that are not commonly available — which speaks of the progression and levels before Atzilus, which is the world of Malbush,[413] etc., as written in the book "Vayakhel Moshe," etc.[414] And he spoke with me about this. And I was very astonished — that there is study in Kabbalah even above Atzilus, and it seemed to me there was nothing higher. And he laughed and said then as well: But among the investigators it seems that knowledge ends at the spheres, etc. — as mentioned above. And his intention was: similarly, even in the knowledge of truth — higher and higher — there is still higher above higher without measure or reckoning, etc. For His greatness is beyond all investigation. And this matter is impossible to explain in writing.