The Rambam writes that the mitzvah to fear Hashem is that “We are commanded to have a belief in yirah (fear) of Hashem and to have a sense of dread (pachad) of Him, and we should not be like the disloyal heretics who deny G-d.”
What is the definition of yirah? Is it the same thing as pachad, “fear”? Also, why is being disloyal to Hashem an absence of yirah (fear of Hashem)? What does a lack of emunah – heresy - have to do with a lack of yirah?
And, why is the Rambam saying that the mitzvah to have yirah of Hashem is included in our beliefs of emunah? What does being afraid of Hashem have to do with emunah? We know that the opposite of emunah is to deny Hashem’s existence - if a person doesn’t fear Hashem, then it shows he doesn’t have emunah, because he is denying Hashem’s existence. But why indeed is a lack of yirah considered to be like denying Hashem?
This is what is upon us to understand here.
TWO LEVELS – FEAR OF PUNISHMENT AND FEAR OF HASHEM’S EXALTEDNESS
When a person doesn’t fear Hashem, the Rambam equates this with denying Hashem. This is a new kind of denial towards Hashem which differs from the regular kind of “denial of Hashem” that we are more familiar with. We will try to understand the Rambam’s words.
The mitzvah to have “yirah” of Hashem, itself, is a matter of debate. Some opinions say that the mitzvah to have yirah is to have yiras ha’onesh, fear of punishment. Others say that the mitzvah of yirah is to have yiras haromemus, to be “in awe of the exaltedness of Hashem”. The Rambam’s language implies the first opinion, that the mitzvah to fear Hashem is to have yiras ha’onesh, to fear punishment, and in addition to this, the Rambam also writes that the mitzvah to fear punishment applies at all times.
What about yiras haromemeus, being in awe of Hashem’s exaltedness? When does it apply? How often should a person make use of yiras haromemus? The Ramchal writes in Mesillas Yesharim that yiras haromemus applies only at certain times.
As for yiras haonesh, the Rambam is saying that yiras haonesh applies at all times. The Rambam maintains that yirah is one of the six mitzvos which applies at all times, and since the Rambam is of the opinion that the mitzvah of yirah is yiras ha’onesh (fear of punishment), that would mean that fear of punishment applies at all times. Therefore, yiras ha’onesh is not only a concept that should be used when a person feels like committing a sin, so he awakens fear of punishment in order to prevent himself from the sinning.
THE RAMBAM’S VIEW - FEAR OF PUNISHMENT IS PART OF HAVING EMUNAH
According to the Rambam, a person needs to use fear of punishment all the time. Why, then, is there a special obligation on a person to awaken fear of punishment when he feels like sinning?
