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A: This question was asked before to our first Reb on the Web (Rabbi
Jeremy Schwartz), so you can read two answers for the price on one! Here's mine. Trying to explain "fear of
the Lord" as an English expression of various Hebrew verses and
phrases brings to mind a statement from one of the sages of the
Talmud: "if one translates a verse literally, he is a liar; if
she adds [i.e., embellishes for the sake of understanding] to
it, she is a blasphemer and a libeller." {Kiddushin 49a)
So, with that in mind, I'll try to navigate the fine line between
lying and libelling! The problem is that there are several Hebrew
words which often get translated as "fear," yet the common meaning
of "fear," ie, to be afraid or scared of some kind of danger or
harm, isn't really what "fear of the Lord" seems to be about.
Rather, it seems to be about feeling awe for God, and simultaneous
anxiety about one's worthiness and ability to fulfill God's commandments,
and a general sense of reverence for God and God's creation. Now,
that's a mouthful, so it gets reduced, I suppose because in English
it's our customary translation, to "fear of God," or "fear of
Heaven," etc.
The most common Hebrew word translated as "fear" is "yirah," which
appears all over the Hebrew Bible in various contexts. For example,
the Book of Proverbs opens up with the famous line that "the fear
of God is the beginning of knowledge; foolish ones scorn wisdom
and tradition." Here, "fear," [yirah], seems to mark a pious,
careful and holy way of living. Contrast that with the story of
the Hebrew leader Gideon in Judges 6; when Gideon realizes that
he has met an angel of God "face to face," God calls out to him
not to be afraid [al-tirah], for he will not die or be overcome
by this revelation. Moshe had the same reaction of being "afraid"
of the burning bush (Exodus 3:6)- it seems to be a kind of humbling
oneself before God's awesomeness, not just a frightful experience.
Scholars of religion have called this aspect of God the "mysterium
tremendum," or experience of the Holy.
This emotion doesn't seem to be a negative thing, but a positive
character trait: the Psalmist tells us to "serve God with fear,"
(Psalm 2:11) and the Book of Deuteronomy reminds us that "fear"
is to be held in balance with love: "Now, O Israel, what does
the Lord your God ask of you? Only that you fear the Lord your
God, walk in God's Ways and love God, to serve God with all your
heart and soul." (Deuteronomy 10:12). Love and fear of God are
not opposites, apparently, but complementary to each other; we
feel small in comparison to God and the work of being a holy person-
that's part of "yirat shamayim," the fear of Heaven- but we also
feel intimately connected to God, and feel God's love for us,
and want to create a world of religious values and holy actions
because it is beautiful and right to do so- that's part of the
love of God.
What I keep learning over and over again as I study and mature
is that Judaism usually asks us to hold apparently conflicting
values in tension- not either/ or, but both/ and. Love of God
is not superior to fear of God, nor vice versa, but they are both
part of a complex and mature spiritual outlook. Occasionally,
one will find statements that either love or fear is the preferred
way of being in the world, but I think when one looks at Judaism's
overall collection of teachings, it emerges that the challenge
is to find the balance, and to know which to apply in which situation.
This could be compared to God's attributes of justice and mercy,
which we must emulate- both are good and necessary, and must be
held in balance at all times.
The most comprehensive discussion of "fear of God" that I found
was in The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible; a shorter essay, just a page long, is in the excellent new book
from Arthur Green, These are the Words: A Vocabulary of Jewish Spiritual Life. The former, a four-volume set, is probably in many public libraries,
as it dates back to the 60's and includes considerations of the
New Testament and other ancient Near Eastern texts; the latter
is newly published, and probably available in bookstores, or through
the link above. (By the way, books ordered from Indigo.ca through
Kolel links here or in the library, earn us a small percentage,
which is a mitzvah for you.)
NJL |
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