(כג, כא)“לֹא הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא רָאָה עָמָל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל ה’ אֱלֹקָיו עִמּוֹ וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּוֹ”
He has seen no iniquity in Yaakov, nor perceived any perversity in Yisrael; Hashem their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them. (23:21)
The holy Chiddushei HaRim interprets this pasuk in the context of yiras Shamayim. As long as a Jew possesses even a small measure of yiras Shamayim, the Almighty forgives their transgressions, granting them Divine assistance and abundant mercy.
The pasuk alludes to this: He has seen no iniquity in Jacob, nor perceived any perversity in Yisrael. Even if a person sins and is filled with iniquity, having succumbed to the evil inclination and transgressed, Heaven does not focus on their sins or scrutinize their wrongdoings—but only if Hashem their God is with them. This means that they have not completely severed their connection with the Divine.
As long as a Jew maintains a connection between this soul and their Creator and retains even a small measure of yiras Shamayim, the pasuk assures: Hashem their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.
The Chiddushei HaRim adds that even if a person has fallen and is buried in sin, if he still harbors a slight measure of yiras Shamayim that prevents him from descending further into worse transgressions, there is still hope. This restraint, born from his yiras Shamayim, can become the basis for a transformation that will ultimately return him to his Father in Heaven.
This principle is reflected in the pasuk (Shmuel I 2:6), ‘... מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל ה - Hashem... brings down to the grave, and raises up. Sometimes, when a Jew has fallen and cannot awaken on his own initiative, Heaven deepens the “grave” before him. By making the person perceive himself as higher than the pit open before him, he feels elevated and is saved.
Thus, Hashem brings down to the grave—He deepens the grave itself to prevent further descent and raises up—helping the Jew perceive himself on a higher level. As the world appears to sink lower, the Jew standing above that pit has already begun to rise with the perception that he could fall so much lower, bringing him closer to Torah and yiras Shamayim.
One of the holy talmidim of the Baal Shem Tov zt”l, used to plead in his prayers that if chas veshalom he were ever at risk of succumbing to sin, Hashem should take him from this world immediately to spare him from transgression.
This talmid feared deeply for his soul, lest the physical temptations of this impure world lead him to ruin, distancing him from reward and bringing him closer to loss. His fear of corruption was so great that he prayed to sacrifice his life rather than falter in even the slightest sin. Indeed, this talmid passed away at a young age, as he had requested.
This story demonstrates the potential intensity of yiras Shamayim. It was embedded so deeply within this talmid that he preferred death over the slightest chance of falling into sin, a truly astonishing level of fear and devotion.
Rav David Deutsch zt”l, author of Ohel David and one of the great ge’onim of Hungary in a generation rich with talmidei chachamim, shared a unique friendship with the Chasam Sofer zt”l. Their mutual respect and correspondence are evident in the Shu”t Chasam Sofer, where Rav Deutsch is frequently mentioned.
Rav David’s extraordinary fear of Heaven was renowned. He maintained strict personal stringencies to avoid even the appearance of transgression. One notable example involved the use of flour. A well-known halachic concern is the potential presence of insects in flour, which requires sifting before use. Rav David, however, did not trust anyone else—not even his closest talmidim — to sift his flour. He insisted on personally sifting it multiple times and refused to eat any baked goods made from flour he had not sifted himself. He adhered to this stringency for many years.
On one occasion, Rav David visited the illustrious city of Pressburg and stayed as the guest of the Chasam Sofer. The Chasam Sofer, deeply honored to host such an esteemed scholar, welcomed him with great joy. The two sages sat together in an atmosphere of love and respect, engaging in profound halachic discussion, as is the way of talmidei chachamim.
This exchange between the two giants of Torah reflected not only their erudition but also
