(יב) וְעַתָּה֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מָ֚ה יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ שֹׁאֵ֖ל מֵעִמָּ֑ךְ כִּ֣י אִם־לְ֠יִרְאָ֠ה אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לָלֶ֤כֶת בְּכׇל־דְּרָכָיו֙ וּלְאַהֲבָ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ וְלַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃
Last week between Parshat Va'etchanan and T"u B'Av (and Shabbat Nachamu) there were so many elements of love in our readings: comfort, unity, consolation, renewal of relationship...This week's reading (in our Triennial reading cycle) opens with a statement that includes both YIRAH (awe? reverence? fear?) and AHAVAH (love)
(י) רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית חׇכְמָ֨ה ׀ יִרְאַ֬ת יהוה שֵׂ֣כֶל ט֭וֹב לְכׇל־עֹֽשֵׂיהֶ֑ם תְּ֝הִלָּת֗וֹ עֹמֶ֥דֶת לָעַֽד׃ {פ}
(10) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD; all who practice it gain sound understanding. Praise of Him is everlasting.
(ז) יִרְאַ֣ת יהוה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חׇכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ {פ}
(7) The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and discipline.
רבי חנינא בן דוסא אומר כל שיראת חטאו קודמת לחכמתו חכמתו מתקיימת שנא' (תהילים קי״א:י׳) ראשית חכמה יראת יהוה. הוא היה אומר כל שמעשיו מרובין וכו' שנא' נעשה ונשמע. אמרו לפני רבן יוחנן בן זכאי חכם וירא חטא מה הוא אמר להם הרי זה אומן וכלי אומנתו בידו חכם ואין ירא חטא מהו אמר להם הרי זה אומן ואין כלי אומנתו בידו. ירא חטא ואין חכם מהו אמר להם אין זה אומן אבל כלי אומנתו בידו. ראב"ע אומר אם אין תורה אין דרך ארץ וכו' הוא היה אומר אדם שיש בו מעשים טובים ולמד תורה הרבה למה הוא דומה לאילן שעומד על המים ענפיו מועטין ושרשיו מרובין אפי' ארבע רוחות העולם באות ונושבות בו אין מזיזין אותו ממקומו שנאמר (תהילים א׳:ג׳) [ירמיהו י״ז:ח׳] והיה כעץ שתול על (פלגי) מים וגו'. אדם שאין בו מעשים טובים ולמד תורה למה הוא דומה לאילן שעומד במדבר ענפיו מרובין ושרשיו מועטין כשרוח נושבת בו עוקרתו והופכתו על פניו שנא' (ירמיהו י״ז:ו׳) והיה כערער בערבה וגו'. רבן גמליאל אומר עשה לך רב וקנה לך חבר. רב לחכמה וחבר ללמוד והסתלק מן הספיקות ואל תרבה לעשר אומדות:
Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa would say: Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure, as it says (Psalms 111:10), “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Eternal.” He would also say: Anyone whose actions are greater [than his wisdom, his wisdom will endure], as it says (Exodus 24:7), “We will do, and then we will understand.” They asked Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai: A wise person who fears sin – what is he like? He replied: Like a craftsman with his tool in hand. Then they asked: A wise person who does not fear sin – what is he like? He replied: Like a craftsman who does not have his tool in hand. Then they asked: A person who fears sin but is not wise – what is he like? He replied: Like someone who does not know the craft, but has a tool in his hand. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah would say: If there is no Torah, there is no common decency. [If there is no common decency, there is no Torah.] He would also say: A person who has done good deeds, and has learned a lot of Torah – what is he like? Like a tree that stands near the water, whose branches are small, but whose roots are so strong that even if the four winds of the world all came and blew at it, it could not be moved from its place, as it says (Psalms 1:3), “He is like a tree planted by (streams of) water.” But a person who has not done good deeds and studies Torah, what is he like? Like a tree that stands in the desert, with small branches and small roots, and when a wind comes and blows at it, it uproots it and flips it over on its top, as it says (Jeremiah 17:6), “You will be like a bush in the desert.” Rabban Gamliel would say: Make for yourself a teacher. Acquire for yourself a friend. A teacher for wisdom and a friend to study with. Remove yourself from all doubts, and do not get used to tithing by estimation.
What do our commentaries say about this?
(א)ועתה ישראל. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעֲשִׂיתֶם כָּל זֹאת, עוֹדֶנּוּ רַחֲמָיו וְחִבָּתוֹ עֲלֵיכֶם, וּמִכָּל מַה שֶּׁחֲטָאתֶם לְפָנָיו אֵינוֹ שׁוֹאֵל מִכֶּם כי אם ליראה וגו': (ב)כי אם ליראה וגו'. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ מִכָּאן הַכֹּל בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם חוּץ מִיִּרְאַת שָׁמַיִם (ברכות ל"ג):
(1) ועתה ישראל AND NOW, O ISRAEL, [WHAT DOTH THE LORD THY GOD ASK OF THEE] — Although you did all this, yet His mercy and His love are extended over you, and in spite of all that you sinned against Him, He asks nothing of you EXCEPT TO FEAR [THE LORD YOUR GOD, etc.]. (2) כי אם ליראה וגו׳ EXCEPT TO FEAR [THE LORD YOUR GOD, etc.]. — Our Rabbis derived from this (“and now, what does God ask from you”) that everything is in the hands of God except the fear of God (Berakhot 33b).
וְאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: הַכֹּל בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם, חוּץ מִיִּרְאַת שָׁמַיִם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה יהוה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שׁוֹאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה״.
Tangentially, the Gemara cites an additional statement by Rabbi Ḥanina concerning principles of faith. And Rabbi Ḥanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven. Man has free will to serve God or not, as it is stated: “And now Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you other than to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all of His ways, to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The Lord asks man to perform these matters because ultimately, the choice is in their hands.
הכל בידי שמים – כל הבא על האדם ביד הקב"ה כגון ארוך קצר עני עשיר חכם שוטה לבן שחור הכל בידי שמים הוא אבל צדיק ורשע אינו בא על ידי שמים את זו מסר בידו של אדם ונתן לפניו שני דרכים והוא יבחר לו יראת שמים:
Everything that happens to a person comes from God - for example: if they will be tall or short, poor or rich, wise or foolish, white or black [skin color] - everything is in God's hands --- However, whether one is righteous or evil does not come from heaven -- this is given over to humanity, and humanity has two paths to choose from [one of which] is awe of heaven (Rashi)
"God does not ask these things because God is in need of them, seeing the whole earth and all of the celestial regions are all Hashem's. כי אם ליראה, you can do this by simply realising God's greatness..."(Sforno)
Kav HaYashar 41:3
One must also cleave to fear of Hashem, for love and fear go together. This is explained in Reishis Chochmah (Sha’ar HaYirah; Sha’ar HaAhavah; Preface; Ch. 1) and in Seifer Chareidim (Mitzvas HaTeshuvah, Ch. 1) commenting on the verses, “To fear the honorable and awesome name” (Devarim 28:58), “and to love Him” (Devarim 10:12). The basic idea is this: Whenever a person mentions Hashem’s name his entire body should be filled with trembling. And every time he recites a blessing he should enunciate it clearly and feel it with his entire body. He should certainly not spit out the words of the blessing hurriedly, Heaven forbid. I have often witnessed the following scenario among the masses. A person is holding some item of food or drink in his hand. What he would really like to do is just to toss it into his mouth but he realizes that he must recite a blessing. However, since his main goal is to enjoy his food he rattles off the blessing as quickly as he can without enunciating the words clearly. As I have already mentioned in Chapter Eighteen, the punishment for such conduct is very great. Recall the incident that is cited there from Seifer Chassidim. The same punishment awaits one who recites the Songs of Praise (Pesukei DeZimra) at the beginning of the service hurriedly, swallowing the letters and words. Most people are careless about this.
"God does not ask these things because God is in need of them, seeing the whole earth and all of the celestial regions are all Hashem's. כי אם ליראה, you can do this by simply realising God's greatness..."(Sforno)
Kav HaYashar 41:3
One must also cleave to fear of Hashem, for love and fear go together. This is explained in Reishis Chochmah (Sha’ar HaYirah; Sha’ar HaAhavah; Preface; Ch. 1) and in Seifer Chareidim (Mitzvas HaTeshuvah, Ch. 1) commenting on the verses, “To fear the honorable and awesome name” (Devarim 28:58), “and to love Him” (Devarim 10:12). The basic idea is this: Whenever a person mentions Hashem’s name his entire body should be filled with trembling. And every time he recites a blessing he should enunciate it clearly and feel it with his entire body. He should certainly not spit out the words of the blessing hurriedly, Heaven forbid. I have often witnessed the following scenario among the masses. A person is holding some item of food or drink in his hand. What he would really like to do is just to toss it into his mouth but he realizes that he must recite a blessing. However, since his main goal is to enjoy his food he rattles off the blessing as quickly as he can without enunciating the words clearly. As I have already mentioned in Chapter Eighteen, the punishment for such conduct is very great. Recall the incident that is cited there from Seifer Chassidim. The same punishment awaits one who recites the Songs of Praise (Pesukei DeZimra) at the beginning of the service hurriedly, swallowing the letters and words. Most people are careless about this.
A prayer for Yamim Nora'im - Unetaneh Tokef
Let us now relate the power of this day’s holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seats, (counts and calculates); Who remembers all that was forgotten. You will open the Book of Chronicles – it will read itself, and everyone’s signature is in it. The great shofar will be sounded and a still, thin sound will be heard. Angels will hasten, a trembling and terror will seize them – and they will say, ‘Behold, it is the Day of Judgment, to muster the heavenly host for judgment!’- for they cannot be vindicated in Your eyes in judgment.
Let us now relate the power of this day’s holiness, for it is awesome and frightening. On it Your Kingship will be exalted; Your throne will be firmed with kindness and You will sit upon it in truth. It is true that You alone are the One Who judges, proves, knows, and bears witness; Who writes and seats, (counts and calculates); Who remembers all that was forgotten. You will open the Book of Chronicles – it will read itself, and everyone’s signature is in it. The great shofar will be sounded and a still, thin sound will be heard. Angels will hasten, a trembling and terror will seize them – and they will say, ‘Behold, it is the Day of Judgment, to muster the heavenly host for judgment!’- for they cannot be vindicated in Your eyes in judgment.
Chazzan:
All mankind will pass before You like members of the flock. Like a shepherd pasturing his flock, making sheep pass under his staff, so shall You cause to pass, count, calculate, and consider the soul of all the living; and You shall apportion the fixed needs of all Your creatures and inscribe their verdict.
Congregation then chazzan [in some congregations this is recited only by the chazzan]:
On Rosh Hashanah will be inscribed and on Yom Kippur will be sealed how many will pass from the earth and how many will be created; who will live and who will die; who will die at his predestined time and who before his time; who by water and who by fire, who by sword, who by beast, who by famine, who by thirst, who by storm, who by plague, who by strangulation, and who by stoning. Who will rest and who will wander, who will live in harmony and who will be harried, who will enjoy tranquillity and who will suffer, who will be impoverished and who will be enriched, who will be degraded and who will be exalted.
Congregation aloud, then chazzan:
But REPENTANCE, PRAYER and CHARITY
Remove the Evil of the Decree!
Congregation and chazzan:
For Your Name signifies Your praise: hard to anger and easy to appease, for You do not wish the death of one deserving death, but that he repent from his way and live. Until the day of his death You await him; if he repents You will accept him immediately.
Chazzan:
It is true that You are their Creator and You know their inclination, for they are flesh and blood. A man’s origin is from dust and his destiny is back to dust, at risk of his life he earns his bread; he is likened to a broken shard, withering grass, a fading flower, a passing shade, a dissipating cloud, a blowing wind, flying dust, and a fleeting dream.
Congregation aloud, then chazzan:
But You are the King, the Living and Enduring G-d.
THE ARK IS CLOSED
Congregation then chazzan:
There is no set span to Your years and there is no end to the length of Your days. It is impossible to estimate the angelic chariots of Your glory and to elucidate Your Name’s inscrutability. Your Name is worthy of You and You are worthy of Your Name, and You have included Your Name in our name.
https://www.ou.org/holidays/full_text_of_unetaneh_tokef/