By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
Why don’t we automatically feel afraid of committing an aveirah, if we believe that there is reward and punishment for everything we do? Rav Itzele Peterburger explains this at length.
This world was created in order to give human beings an opportunity to have a share in Olam Haba. In order to rightfully earn it, we must have what is known as “free will.” This means that the Creator does not control what the individual does and, as the Rambam states, there is nothing pulling him one way or the other, to good or evil. Although Hashem controls everything in this world, it is His will to leave the ability to choose exclusively in each individual’s hands. Then, if the person makes the right choices, he will be deserving of the great and unimaginable happiness of Olam Haba.
But if a person would fear Hashem naturally, as we do fire and weapons, there could not possibly be any free will. Would a driver speed in full view of a police officer? Would a person who hears the cry of “fire” not exit the building?
Hashem created us with a natural instinct to fear anything that could bring harm—with one exception. Yiras shamayim is the only form of fear that does not come to us naturally. Even someone who is a sincere maamin can go through life ignoring his emunah, doing that which is contrary to what his seichel tells him is the truth.
Every day in Aleinu, we recite the words “Veyadata hayom vehasheivosa el levavecha ki Hashem hu haElokim”—you shall know today, and answer to your heart, that Hashem is G-d. To “know” is to understand with one’s intelligence, logic and seichel. But to “answer to one’s heart” is to internalize that knowledge until it is felt in the emotions as well. Rational emunah does not automatically penetrate to one’s feelings. But it can be done.
Based on this idea, Rav Yisrael Salanter founded the mussar movement. The study of mussar sefarim like Mesilas Yesharim and Shaarei Teshuvah, using a tune that arouses one’s emotions, can help one internalize emunah into the heart. A similar effect can be gained through a passionate recital of brachos and tefillos every day. As Rav Shmuel Kamenetzky used to say, the best mussar sefer is a siddur.
