Summary

If we only serve G'd out of love, it could eventually bring us to slack in our observance. We ask G'd to assist us to focus on both loving Him and being in fear and awe of Him. This balance of combining our love for G'd with being in fear and awe of Him is especially important when we educate our children. We must strive to develop awe for G'd, Who on the one hand is so exalted, and on the other hand does so much for us throughout our lives. When a person repents, it makes a major difference whether he repents out of fear or awe for G'd or whether he repents out of love for G'd. When sins are instrumental to bring one to appreciate G'd's kindness, the sins themselves are considered like merits. The combination of serving G'd with love as well as fear and awe is a central theme in the upcoming Holidays from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur and Succos till Simchas Torah. May we be able to utilize the coming Holidays to repent for our past and get closer to G'd and His Torah.

Serve with fear and awe

Last week we discussed how we can show and express our love for G'd. However, the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 5:5) teaches that it is insufficient just to serve G'd with love. We must serve Him with fear and awe as well. "For", says the Talmud, "the one who loves does not hate and the one who fears and is in awe does not slack." If we only serve G'd out of love, it could eventually bring us to slack in our observance. Someone may rationalize that our loving Father in Heaven will let us get away with it. On the other hand, if we only serve G'd out of fear and awe, sooner or later it may bring us to hate observing the commandments.

Serve with full heart

Every morning in the blessing before Shema we actually ask G'd to assist us to focus on both loving Him and being in fear and awe of Him. For only in this way can we serve G'd with a full heart.

Educate children

This balance of combining our love for G'd with being in fear and awe of Him is especially important when we educate our children. This is the only way we can ensure that they will continue to be careful to practice Judaism and enjoy fulfilling the commandments. On the one hand, we must teach them that we are responsible for every act we do, and that there will be Divine consequences in the form of reward and punishment. On the other hand, we must instill in them a love for G'd who has created such a beautiful world for us and Who provides us with all our needs.

Combine love and fear

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto (Path of the Just Chapter 19) discusses the importance of combining our service of G'd with both love and fear and awe. He explains that when we serve G'd with love it will make us happy. It is like any relationship between two people. If they feel a mutual love for each other it brings happiness into their lives. He further explains (Chapter 24) that it is not ideal if we refrain from transgressing the commandments because we are scared of G'd and fear His punishments. Rather, we must strive to develop to be in awe of G'd, Who on the one hand is so exalted, and on the other hand does so much for us throughout our lives. If we keep this in mind, it will help us not to do anything against G'd's will and upset Him, so to say.

Repentance

The Talmud (Yuma 86b) teaches that when a person repents, it makes a major difference whether he repents out of fear or awe for G'd or whether he repents out of love for G'd. When a person repents because he is in awe of G'd, his intentional sins are not totally forgiven. Rather, they will be considered as if they were done without intent. But when a person repents because he loves G'd, says the Talmud, this person's sins will be turned into merits.

Love makes sins like merits

The obvious question is what is the reason for this difference? Rabbi Dessler elaborates on this and explains that even when a person decides to do teshuvah and repents out of fear or awe, he regrets his past sins. He now realizes what he did wrong, and in his present situation his sins are therefore considered as unintentional mistakes. But when a person does teshuvah out of love for G'd, it is a totally different situation. This person is aware of the exalted greatness of G'd and understands the tremendous love G'd shows him by being ready to forgive him. He realizes how he contaminated himself with his sins and made himself dirty. And by forgiving him it is as if G'd himself takes the person and cleans him of all his dirt and purifies him (see Isaiah 4:4). This person obviously wants to reciprocate and express his appreciation and love for G'd. And since his sins were instrumental to bring him to appreciate G'd's kindness more than he ever did, therefore the sins themselves are considered like merits.

Special closeness to G'd

The combination of repenting and serving G'd with love as well as fear and awe is a central theme in the upcoming Holidays from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur and Succos till Simchas Torah. The great Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, writes that on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur we can reach high levels of teshuvah out of fear and awe. But when we realize that on Yom Kippur G'd is ready to forgive our sins, it should bring us to the higher level of teshuvah out of love for G'd. This love comes to a full expression on the festival of Succos. We spend seven days in the succah and experience a special closeness to G'd, as we move out of our regular houses and dwell in the shadow of His Divine presence in the succah.

Higher level

May we be able to utilize the coming Holidays to repent for our past and get closer to G'd and His Torah. In this way, we will be ready to rejoice with the Torah on Simchas Torah and start the new cycle of Torah reading with Bereishis on a higher level.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett