In this week’s Parsha, Lech Lecha, we are introduced to Avraham and Sarah. One of the defining aspects that we see in Avraham life is that God tests him. We are introduced to him in the context of a huge test:
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Leave your family
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Leave your community
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Leave your country
The tests continue and and the Torah explicitly tells us , in the case of the binding of Isaac, that he is being tested. Why is Avraham being tested and why is that such a significant aspect of his life?
So we need to fast forward to chapter 22 to the end of the binding of Isaac where God tells us why Avraham was being tested: “And he said, “Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me.”
Avraham needed to learn Yirat Shamayim, Fear of Heaven/Hashem. According to the following, it’s actually what we all need to learn: And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you? Only to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to worship the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul (Dvarim 10:12). It starts with Yirat Shamayim.
If there is any aspect of Judaism which isn’t talked about, it is this concept… Fear of Hashem (a basic form of which is Fear of Sin whereas a higher form is Fear/Awe of Heaven.) We talk of love, we talk of connection, we talk of inspiration… but not, Yirat Shamayim. So what is it and why is it so important?
Our sages emphasize the significance of Yirat Shamayim as essential for the preservation of wisdom (Shemot Rabbah 30:11): A person learns midrash, halachot, and aggadot. If he does not have fear of sin (considered the most basic level of Yirat Shamayim) — he has nothing! This is comparable to a person who said to his friend, “I have a thousand measures of grain; I have a thousand measures of oil and a thousand of wine.” His friend said to him, “Do you have storehouses to put them into? If you do have, everything is yours; if not — you have nothing!” Fear of Sin and Awe of Heaven help us ensure that we don’t just enjoy the pleasure of knowing God but that we also live with Him and are willing to give up of ourselves for Him. It ensures that we have the courage to take what we learn and actualize and practice it. Which relationship, if to be intimate and real, doesn’t require us to do so?
In the story of Avraham, we learn that this is not just his test, it is the essential test that we all face. Avraham, like all our forefathers and mothers, and by extension, like all of us, is constantly faced with challenges. Through these challenges, we are often forced to learn, grow and perhaps gain a bit of wisdom. As we touch the surface of a conceptualization of Yirat Shamayim, we see that it is an essential ingredient in ensuring that we can sustain and internalize the wisdom that we attain. Yirat Shamayim helps us “keep it real” and that we can walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Shabbat Shalom!
Virtual Weekly Classes
1. Sunday at 10 am- Contemporary Issues in Jewish Thought (this week: a look at Human dignity)
2. Tuesday at 1 pm- A Parsha Conversation
3. Thursday at 4:30- The Stories of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (this week: The Seven Beggars)