By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
Last week, we posed a startling question. This, Shabbos we will bentch Rosh Chodesh Elul. Although the Yamim Noraim are weeks away, few people are overcome with anxiety over the life-and-death judgment they will soon undergo. How can we understand that logically?
Rav Itzele Peterburger asks this question in an all-encompassing manner. Why is it that when we believe that we are in danger, we are afraid, but even solid emunah that Hashem sees all that we do and rewards or punishes our deeds does not seem to cause people to live in a state of perpetual fright?
Imagine someone sitting and learning in a beis midrash. Suddenly, he hears the voice of the rav yelling “Fire! Fire! Everyone out!” Adrenaline immediately begins pumping, and he runs from the building as quickly as possible.
Does he know with certainty that there is actually a fire in the building? He has not seen any flames or smelled smoke. Why is he afraid? Because he believes that there is a fire somewhere in the building.
Do we truly believe in our mesorah? Certainly! Most of us we would give our lives al kiddush Hashem if called upon to do so. So we surely do believe. We are confident that our every deed is witnessed by the Creator, with infinitely great consequences. Yet somehow we manage to sin, failing to feel the awesome fear of Gehinnom or the infinite reward of Olam Haba. Why?
The answer is complex, and would not lend itself well to a quick explanation in a few lines of a column. We will begin to explore some factors in the coming weeks, b’ezras Hashem. However, it is important to know that it is possible to develop a level of yiras shamayim that results in one fearing Hashem as one fears fire.
To be continued.
