Receiving the Torah with Love and/or Fear

(2) The worshiper because of love, engages himself in the study of the Torah and the observance of precepts and follows the paths of wisdom on no account in the world, neither for fear of evil nor in order to inherit the good; but he does the true thing because it is true, and in the end the good comes because thereof,. That degree is a great degree, indeed and not every scholar attains it; for such was the degree of Abraham our father, whom the Holy One, blessed is He! called His beloved, because he worshiped not, save because of love, and it is, furthermore, the degree concerning which the Holy One, blessed is He! commanded through Moses, saying: "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. 6.5); for, when man will love the Lord with a proper love, he will momentarily perform all of the commandments because of love.

(1) It is mandatory to love and fear this Glorified and Awe-inspiring God, for it is said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. 6,5); and as it is said: "The Lord thy God thou shalt fear." (Ibid. 6, 13).

(2) But how may one discover the way to love and fear Him? When man will reflect concerning His works, and His great and wonderful creatures,¹But he must make thorough study. C. and will behold through them His wonderful, matchless and infinite wisdom, he will spontaneously be filled with love, praise and exaltation and become possessed of a great longing to know the Great Name, even as David said: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God," (Ps. 42,2); and when he will think of all these matters,²Sifre, Deut. 6.5; Shabbat, 30–31. G. he will be taken aback in a moment and stricken with awe, and realize that he is an infinitesimal creature, humble and dark, standing with an insignificant and slight knowledge in the presence of the All Wise, as David said: "For when I see Thy heavens, the wonderful works of Thy fingers, of what use is man that Thou mayest remember him?" (Ibid. 8,4). And, in harmony with these matters, I elucidate great, general principles of the works of the Lord of the universe, so that they might serve as an opening for one who understands by which to love the Name, as some sages said on the subject of love: "Out of it thou wilt recognize the One who spoke, and the universe was called into existence."

(1) Since our previous discussion in the ninth gate dealt with clarifying the subject of separating from this world, and our intent in it was to unify the heart and free it for love of the Creator, and for yearning to do His will, I saw proper to follow with a clarification of the ways of love of G-d, because it is the purpose of all the steps, and the final stage in the levels of the men who serve G-d. I will begin, and I seek from G-d to help me.

(2) It is proper for you, my brother, that you understand and that you know, that everything we previously mentioned of the duties of the heart and limbs, and the volunteering of the soul, they are all rungs and steps leading to this sublime matter, which is our intent to clarify in this gate. It is also proper for you to know that every duty and every good quality, whether it comes through reason, scripture, or tradition, are all steps and stages by which one ascends to this matter, and it is their ultimate purpose and destination. There is no level above it or after it.

(3) Therefore, because of this, the prophet (Moshe), peace be upon him, placed it immediately after the unity of G-d, in saying: "Hear, O Israel: The L-ord is our G-d; the L-ord is one; And you shall love the L-ord, your G-d..." (Devarim 6:4), and he exhorted on it, and returned to it many times, as written: "To love the L-ord your G-d, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave to Him" (Devarim 30:20). The meaning of cleaving is: faithful love, and wholehearted devotion, as written: "there is a friend who cleaves closer than a brother"(Mishlei 18:24).

(4) Frequently the torah places fear of G-d before love of Him, as written "And now, Israel, what does the L-ord your G-d require of you, but to fear the L-ord your G-d, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him" (Devarim 10:12), and it says: "You shall fear the L-ord your G-d; and to Him shall you cling" (Devarim 10:20). It is correct to place fear of G-d before love of G-d because [fear of G-d] is the final purpose and furthest end of abstinence, which in turn is the nearest level approaching the lowest level of love of G-d, and the first gate of its gates, and it is impossible for a man to reach it without preceding fear and fright of G-d.

(5) And therefore, we have preceded the gate of abstinence, because it is impossible to establish love of G-d in our hearts if the love of this world is established there. But when the heart of the believer is empty from the love of this world and free of its lusts, out of recognition and understanding - the love of the Creator will establish in his heart, and it will be set in his soul according to his yearning to Him, and his recognition of Him, as written: "In the way of Your judgments, O L-ord, have we waited for You [the desire of our soul is to Your Name, and to the remembrance of You]" (Yeshaya 26:8).

(6) It is fitting that we clarify of the subject of love of G-d seven matters:

(7) 1. What is the matter of love G-d?

(8) 2. How many kinds of love of G-d are there?

(9) 3. What is the path to it?

(10) 4. If it is possible or not for a human being to love G-d

(11) 5. matters detrimental to it

(12) 6. Its marks, through which it is identified in a believer

(13) 7. The practices of those who love G-d.

(2) However, we must first introduce that there are two types of fear which are effectively three types. The first type is very easy to attain, there being nothing easier. The second is difficult, while the second part of the second type, is more difficult than everything.

(3) It's perfection is likewise, a very great form of perfection. The first type is fear of punishment, and the second is fear of G-d's exaltedness (Yirat Haromemut), of which Fear of Sin is the second part therein. We will now explain their matters and differences.

(4) Fear of punishment, as its name implies, is for a person to fear transgressing the word of the L-ord, his G-d, due to the punishments incurred for the transgression, whether to body or soul. This [type of fear] is certainly easy to attain. For every man loves himself and fears for his soul and there is nothing which keeps a person from doing something more than the fear that this thing might bring harm to him.......

(6) The second type of fear is fear of G-d's exaltedness (Yirat Haromemut). It means that a person distances and refrains from sin because of G-d's great honor, blessed be His Name. For how could his heart of flesh and blood, lowly and petty, allow or dare do something against the will of the Creator, blessed and exalted be His Name?!

(7) This type of fear is not so easy to attain, for it will arise only out of knowledge and thought, [namely] by contemplating G-d's exaltedness, blessed be He, and the lowliness of man. All these things are outgrowths of the intellect which understands and attains insight. This is the fear we described previously in Piety, setting it as the second part of one of the divisions of Piety.

(8) When experiencing this fear [of G-d's exaltedness], a person will feel shame and tremble when standing before his Maker to pray or when performing any divine service. This is the praiseworthy fear which the pious great men were praised for. It is what Moshe referred to when he said: "to fear this glorious and awesome Name, the L-ord, your G-d" (Devarim 28:58).

(9) The Fear of Sin, which we are here explaining, is like a branch of the "Fear of G-d's exaltedness" (yirat haromemut) mentioned above, but also like a separate, independent type of fear. It's matter is for a man to constantly fear and worry on his deeds lest some impurity or sin mix in with them, or lest there be some matter, small or big, which is not befitting G-d's great honor, and His exalted Name.

(10) You can see the close relationship between this fear and the "Fear of G-d's exaltedness" we mentioned. For the aim of both is for one to not do something contrary to G-d's exalted honor, blessed be He.

(11) But the distinction between them for which Fear of Sin is considered a separate type and called by a different name is that "Fear of G-d's Exaltedness" is only during performance of a deed, during divine service or during refraining from sin, namely, at the time one stands in prayer or engages in divine service, that he should feel shame and abashed, tremble and quake before G-d's exalted honor, blessed be He; or at the time an opportunity to commit a sin presents itself before him, and he recognizes that it is a sin, that he refrains from doing it in order to not do something to provoke the eyes of His glory, G-d forbid.

(12) But "Fear of Sin" is at all times and moments. At every moment he is afraid, lest he stumble and does something or half-something which will be against the honor of His Name, blessed be He.