Thus, in summary so far, we have explained here that there is an argument between the Sefer HaChinuch and the Rambam if the purpose of the mitzvah of yiras Hashem (fearing Hashem) is for having emunah in Hashem, or if it is solely for the purpose of avoiding sin. The Rambam’s view is that yirah is all about emunah in Hashem, whereas the Sefer HaChinuch’s view is that yirah is entirely for the purpose of avoiding sin.
We have also explained here another dispute, between the Rambam and the other Rishonim, if the mitzvah of fearing Hashem’s name is part of the mitzvah of fearing Hashem (the view of the Rambam), or if it is an entirely separate mitzvah (the view of the other Rishonim).
AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE ARGUMENT OF THE RAMBAM AND SEFER HACHINUCH
Now let us consider the two different levels of yirah, fear of punishment (yiras ha’onesh) and fear of Hashem’s exaltedness (yiras haromemus), in light of what we have explained here.
According to the Rambam’s view, fearing a Torah scholar has nothing to do with fearing Hashem, because the mitzvah of fearing Hashem includes fear of punishment, and there is no need to fear being punished by the Torah scholar. This is because fear of punishment can only be for the purpose of increasing one’s emunah in Hashem, and it has no other role.
Thus, according to the Rambam, when one fears Hashem because he has emunah in Hashem’s existence, he fears Him not because he is afraid of getting punished for sinning, but because this will serve as a vehicle to bring him to greater awareness of Hashem. The Rambam’s description of yirah is essentially an intermediate level between simple yiras ha’onesh (fear of punishment for sins) and yiras haromemeus (being in awe of Hashem’s exaltedness), because by having emunah in Hashem and desisting from sin as a result of one’s belief in Hashem, one increases his emunah and he is brought to a sense of Hashem’s exaltedness.
Thus, the Rambam’s view is that the purpose of yirah is not to fear the punishment of sin, but to fear punishment as a result of increasing one’s emunah in Hashem. Fearing punishment serves to increase one’s emunah in Hashem, and as a result of increased emunah, one graduates from fear of punishment to awe of Hashem’s exaltedness.
On a subtler level, the Rambam’s definition of yirah is really containing three levels: Lower yiras ha’onesh, higher yiras ha’onesh, and yiras haromemeus. The bridging point between higher yiras ha’onesh and yiras haromemus is emunah - to fear Hashem because one believes in Him. And, according to the Rambam, emunah is also the root of the ability to have yiras haromemus, because the entire mitzvah of yirah according to the Rambam is to fear Hashem for the purpose of believing more in Hashem.
According to the Sefer HaChinuch, however, one needs to fear punishment solely for the purpose of avoiding sin. How would a person come to level of yiras haromemus, then? How would a person rise from the level of fear of punishment to an awe of Hashem’s exaltedness? For this reason, the Sefer HaChinuch does not include yiras haromemus as part of the mitzvah to fear Hashem. Instead, the Sefer HaChinuch would hold like the other views of the Rishonim, that there is a separate mitzvah to fear Hashem’s Name, and yiras haromemus would be included in this mitzvah, according to the Sefer HaChinuch.
Thus, according to the view of Sefer HaChinuch, the mitzvah of fearing Hashem includes only yiras ha’onesh (fear of punishment), while the Rambam’s view is that the mitzvah includes both forms of yirah, both yiras ha’onesh and yiras haromemus, as a result of increasing one’s emunah in Hashem.
IN CONCLUSION
In summation, there are three levels of yirah: The lower use of fear of punishment, the higher use of fear of punishment, and the fear of Hashem’s exaltedness. Within fear of exaltedness, the Rambam has also said that there are two different aspects (the fear that results from being embarrassed in front of Hashem, and the fear of angering Hashem).
