It is stated in the Gemara (Shabbos 31b): ‘Rebbe Yannai proclaimed: ‘Woe to one who has no dwelling but makes a gate for the dwelling.’’ In other words, woe to one who has no house but builds a gate for a house. We seek to understand: What is the house, and what is the gate that Rabbi Yannai refers to? To clarify, let us look a few lines earlier in the Gemara: ‘Rabba bar Rav Huna said: Any person who has Torah but lacks fear of Heaven is comparable to a treasurer to whom the keys to the inner chambers were given, but the keys to the outer chambers were not given—how will he enter?’ Rashi explains there: ‘Fear of Heaven is like the outer doors, through which one enters the inner chambers. Likewise, if a person fears Heaven, he becomes meticulous in observing and fulfilling [the Torah]; but if not, he is not concerned with his Torah.’ For the ultimate purpose of Torah study is to lead to its fulfillment and to attachment to Hashem.
In our parasha—the parasha of the giving of the Torah—we read about Yisro, who gives advice to Moshe Rabeinu. Many wonder about the meaning of Yisro’s “interference” in Moshe Rabeinu’s leadership, and even more so about Moshe Rabeinu accepting his words. According to our approach, we can interpret it as follows: Yisro saw that Moshe Rabeinu was occupied from morning until evening solely with Torah and legal matters. Therefore, he told him (18:17), ‘עשה אתה אשר הדבר טוב לא’ - “The thing that you are doing is not good,” because you must leave time to engage in fear of Heaven and in cleaving to the Creator. Yisro continues and tells him that if he persists in this way, ‘עמך אשר הזה העם גם אתה גם תבל נבל’ - “You will surely wear yourself out, both you and this people who are with you,” for, as we have seen, if there is no fear of Heaven, the entire Torah that one learns cannot be upheld. And even if you think that you are great and strong enough to always remain attached to Hashem Yisbarach, it is not sufficient, because ‘לבדך עשהו תוכל לא - “You cannot do it alone,” as the people need to see and learn from you how to conduct themselves.
It is no coincidence that these words appear in such an important parasha, for fear of Heaven is the gateway to Torah study. Therefore, every person must set aside time to reflect on the fear of Hashem and engage in seforim that deal with the subject of awe. The Nefesh HaChaim wrote: “It is fitting for every person to contemplate repentance in his heart before engaging in Torah study. By doing so, he will study Torah with a sense of attachment to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And if, in the midst of his learning, he feels that his fear of Hashem has weakened, he is permitted to pause his studies and reawaken his awe of Hashem. This is not considered a neglect of Torah, for through his fear, his learning will endure.”
