Chapter 3
Now, this is all the idea of ‘ן ב ואְר-Reuven,’ seeing, which corresponds to the first paragraph of the Shema, which is the aspect of “yearning” for Hashem. The first paragraph of the Shema focuses on the love of Hashem, how it should be with all our heart, soul, and might, without any limitation.
However, the second paragraph of the Shema corresponds to the idea of ‘ש ִמְעוֹן-Shimon,’ who represents ‘ש ְמִּ יעָּ ה-hearing,’ as it says in the second paragraph of Shema “and it will be if you will listen carefully to My mitzvos...,” which is the aspect of “returning” to reveal Hashem in ourselves and in the world.
Because “seeing” something is only possible when it is nearby, which represents how “seeing” something brings one emotionally close to it and causes love for it. However, “hearing” is possible even from far away, and this distancing causes fear.
To see something there cannot be anything obstructing the person from what he is seeing. However, one can hear someone talking even when he is blocked from his view. This ability to hear someone without seeing them implies a certain separation, that he is receiving the message of the person without seeing the person.
