“Let the Fear of Heaven Be Upon You” (Avos 1:3)
The holy Rebbe who authored Shomrei Emunim zt”l, once recounted: “A group of chassidim who sought the guidance of their holy Rebbe discussed avodas Hashem among themselves. They concluded that they had sufficiently worked on serving Hashem through yiras ha’onesh, the lower level of fear. They decided it was time to ascend to a higher level and serve God through yiras haromemus (awe of His majesty).
When they presented this resolution to their Rebbe, he dismissed it outright and said: “Know with certainty that you have not even attained the proper level of fear of punishment! If one truly possesses fear of punishment, he would be afraid even to drink a drop of unnecessary water out of awe of the Creator. Therefore, do not delude yourselves into thinking you have reached the first level while rushing to ascend to the next.”
My teacher and master, the Admor of Mishkanos HaRo’im, Rav Binyamin Rabinowitz zt”l, often said: “It is the way of the righteous, even after they have reached lofty levels of love for Hashem and awe of His majesty, to begin their daily service anew from the foundational levels—first instilling fear of punishment in their hearts before ascending step by step to awe of His majesty and love of His blessed Name.” As the holy Zohar states (3:56), one does not attain the level of love until fear precedes it.
A wondrous story was related to me by the sons of Rav Meir HaKohen, shlita, author of Tiv HaHalachah. He recalled an awe-inspiring event from his childhood days in the Talmud Torah Shomrei HaChomos in Yerushalayim.
One of the classes was taught by the renowned melamed, Rav Shmuel Weisenshtain zt”l, who deeply influenced his young talmidim with a profound yiras Shamayim.
On one occasion, the talmidim committed a wrongdoing. In his rebuke, Rav Shmuel instilled within his six- and seven-year-old pupils the principles of reward and punishment as vividly as if they were received at Mount Sinai.
At the end of his powerful derashah, the melamed instructed all the children to stand in line, announcing that they were now being taken to Gehinnom to receive their punishment because of their sin.
The children, overwhelmed with fear and trembling, began to cry, tears streaming from their eyes as their cries rose to the heavens. They wholeheartedly repented for their misdeeds. At that moment, Rav Shmuel said: “Since you have repented with a full heart, your sin has been forgiven. We will not go to Gehinnom, and you may return to your seat in peace.”
For many years, this penetrating lesson and vivid experience left an indelible impression of yiras Shamayim on their young hearts.
This story is but one of countless examples from a generation that truly breathed and exemplified yiras Shamayim and how the fear of Heaven and the fear of sin were instilled into the hearts of the youth with purity and sincerity.
