"Moses went up to God..." (Ex. 19:3)
...Our duty to serve our Creator exists in two modes, those of love and awe, as is well known. Even the angels live with these two forms of service. The prophet tells us that "the holy beings ran back and forth" (Ezek. 1:14), which RaSHI explains as their running closer, to gaze upon the shekhinah that hovers directly over them, and then moving back and hiding, out of awe. Thus running back and forth can be interpreted as referring to love and fear...
As we start to serve, we begin by drawing forth a sense of awe. This means true awe before our exalted Creator, not a fear of punishment, which is merely superficial. Such real awe does not come to a person easily, but requires a regular determined effort, concentrating on the Creator without moment's ceasing. This will get you through the first gate, that of awe. "This is the gateway to Y-H-W-H" (Ps. 118:20). It is "with this that Aaron shall enter the holy place" (Lev. 16:3)...But once you have already attained such a sense of awe, it is easy to add the quality of love. Love is called the inner gate. The same is true in an earthly kingdom. A person who wants to come in to the king, having crossed through the outer courtyard, will have an easier time getting through the inner gates. The guards at those gates will see that their compatriots at the outer gates have already let him through...
Thus it says first that Moses went up to God (elohim), and afterwards: "To Moses He said, 'Ascend to Y-H-W-H'" (Ex. 24:1). The name elohim is mentioned first, followed by the Tetragrammaton. This is because elohim refers to judgment, the realm of din or the awesome. Y-H-W-H refers to pure compassion, leaning toward hesed, which is the side of love. The verses mean that first Moses went up to God, the quality of awe. He reached it on his own, by dint of great effort and concentration. Once he was there, he was told to "ascend to Y-H-W-H," to the place of love, which then came easily to him...
...Our duty to serve our Creator exists in two modes, those of love and awe, as is well known. Even the angels live with these two forms of service. The prophet tells us that "the holy beings ran back and forth" (Ezek. 1:14), which RaSHI explains as their running closer, to gaze upon the shekhinah that hovers directly over them, and then moving back and hiding, out of awe. Thus running back and forth can be interpreted as referring to love and fear...
As we start to serve, we begin by drawing forth a sense of awe. This means true awe before our exalted Creator, not a fear of punishment, which is merely superficial. Such real awe does not come to a person easily, but requires a regular determined effort, concentrating on the Creator without moment's ceasing. This will get you through the first gate, that of awe. "This is the gateway to Y-H-W-H" (Ps. 118:20). It is "with this that Aaron shall enter the holy place" (Lev. 16:3)...But once you have already attained such a sense of awe, it is easy to add the quality of love. Love is called the inner gate. The same is true in an earthly kingdom. A person who wants to come in to the king, having crossed through the outer courtyard, will have an easier time getting through the inner gates. The guards at those gates will see that their compatriots at the outer gates have already let him through...
Thus it says first that Moses went up to God (elohim), and afterwards: "To Moses He said, 'Ascend to Y-H-W-H'" (Ex. 24:1). The name elohim is mentioned first, followed by the Tetragrammaton. This is because elohim refers to judgment, the realm of din or the awesome. Y-H-W-H refers to pure compassion, leaning toward hesed, which is the side of love. The verses mean that first Moses went up to God, the quality of awe. He reached it on his own, by dint of great effort and concentration. Once he was there, he was told to "ascend to Y-H-W-H," to the place of love, which then came easily to him...
Love is indeed a gift, but one that comes only as a reward for our struggle to stand before God in awe.