The Rambam says that the mitzvah to fear Hashem also includes not saying His name in vain, and the Rambam brings proof to this from a teaching of the Gemara, that fear of Hashem means that one is afraid of uttering His Name in vain. The Rishonim, however, define the very mitzvah of yiras Hashem as “to fear His Name”, by not uttering His Name in vain. In the view of the Rishonim, not saying Hashem’s name in vain is more than just an example of the mitzvah to fear Hashem – it is the very definition of the mitzvah to fear Hashem. What does fearing Hashem’s Name in vain have to do with fearing Hashem?
Also, the Rishonim include fear of a Torah scholar in the mitzvah to fear Hashem’s Name. The Rambam does not mention anything about fearing a Torah scholar. What is behind this dispute?
Furthermore, the Rambam explains that fearing Hashem includes not saying Hashem’s name in vain, because if one says His name in vain he doesn’t fear Him. Why isn’t saying avoiding saying Hashem’s name in vain considered part of fearing Hashem, and how is it different than any other sin? Why aren’t all other sins included in the mitzvah of fearing Hashem?
In order to know the answers to this, we will need to know: When the Torah says “Fear Hashem your G-d”, does this refer to fearing Hashem or fear from uttering His Name?
The Rambam defines yiras Hashem as “fearing Hashem”, to fear Hashem Himself, and as a result of fearing Hashem, one should not say His name in vain. According to the Rambam, the mitzvah of yiras Hashem, in essence, is to fear Hashem Himself, and the mitzvah is not defined as fearing His name. (It is similar to the Gemara that says that the mitzvah to fear the Beis HaMikdash is not to fear the Beis HaMikash, but to fear Hashem.)
There are many different terms of yirah, such as yiras Hashem, yiras shomayim, yiras havayah, yiras Elokim, etc. But what is the simple meaning of yirah? What is the simplest definition of fearing Hashem? The Rambam is saying that it is defined as a fear of Hashem Himself, while the other Rishonim are describing it as a fear of Hashem’s Name.
The Rishonim’s view is that fearing a Torah scholar is a result of fearing Hashem’s Name. This is because the letters of havayah of Hashem’s Name are on a Torah scholar. For this reason, one should fear Torah scholars, because the name of havayah is upon them. The Rambam, however, is of the view that the mitzvah to fear Hashem is solely because one needs to have emunah in Hashem – and this would not include fear of a Torah scholar.
The Rishonim are understanding that just as one should fear Hashem Himself, so is there a separate mitzvah to fear His name, on the same level of fearing Hashem. The Rambam, however, says that fearing Hashem’s Name is a result of fearing Hashem, but it is not on the same level as fearing Hashem Himself. It is an aspect of fearing Hashem, but it is not the same thing as fearing Hashem. The Rishonim, however, are understanding that fearing Hashem’s Name is on the same level as fearing Hashem Himself.
Thus, according to the Rishonim, the mitzvah to fear Hashem, which they defined as fearing His Name, includes fear of a Torah scholar, and this is because the Gemara expounds from the verse “Fear Hashem your G-d” that this includes fearing a Torah scholar. The Rambam, however, does not discuss fear of a Torah scholar when discussing the mitzvah to fear Hashem. This is because according to the Rambam, the mitzvah to fear Hashem is defined as fearing Hashem alone.
Editor’s Note: Although the Gemara learns from the verse “Fear Hashem your G-d” that this mitzvah includes fearing a Torah scholar, the Rambam’s view is that the Gemara’s intention is not to include fear of a Torah scholar in the mitzvah of fearing of Hashem, but that it is an additional mitzvah. The Rishonim, however, are understanding the Gemara’s teaching to include fearing Torah scholars in the mitzvah to fear Hashem.
