Summary

When G'd challenges us with tests and difficulties, we must always keep in mind that our tribulations are custom-made to help us achieve our personal purpose in life. The Heavenly Court judges every individual on Rosh Hashanah and decides our future based on our past performance and our undertakings for the New Year. A person conducts himself very differently when he is in the presence of royalty than when he is by himself, or with family and close friends. The fact that G'd sees everything that we do does not stop us from sinning. Chofetz Chaim said to the wagon driver, "G'd was watching you from above." Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur inspire us to repent our past and undertake to improve every aspect of our lives out of awe. The combination of awe and shame is so fundamental in observing the laws of the Torah that it is hinted at right at the beginning of the Torah. May we be inscribed to a year full of Divine blessings for everyone.

Custom-made tribulations

We discussed last week that we must serve G'd both with love as well as with fear and awe. We have many reasons to love G'd. He created the world for our benefit, and He provides us constantly with all our needs to live and function. Even when He challenges us with tests and difficulties, we must always keep in mind that our tribulations are custom-made to help us achieve our personal purpose in life, and that in the World to Come we will be richly rewarded even for minute efforts. This should be a great catalyst to ensure that we observe the commandments and do not transgress any of the laws in the Torah. When we love another person, we are inclined to do everything possible that will make the other person happy, and refrain from doing anything that might upset the one we love. This should be our approach to observing the laws of the Torah, if we truly love G'd.

Heavenly court judges

But in reality, this is not sufficient. We all have an inborn challenge in the form of our evil inclination, and we therefore need additional tools to help us not to sin and only do what is right in the eyes of G'd. This is why the Torah often warns us of the dire consequences if we transgress G'd's instructions. In addition to this, once a year we are reminded of the Heavenly Court that judges every individual on Rosh Hashanah and decides our future based on our past performance and our undertakings for the New Year. When we internalize these facts, it will helps us to avoid any wrongdoing.

In presence of royalty

However, as we quoted last week from Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzatto, fear is not the preferred deterrent to keep us from any wrongdoing. As mature and intelligent people, we must strive to combine our love for G'd with being in awe of Him. We must try to develop a sense that we are constantly in the presence of the all-powerful and omnipotent Creator of the World Who is in total control of everything that happens in the entire universe. As King David says in Tehillim (16:8): "I constantly set G'd before me." The Rambam (Guide to the Perplexed 3:52) quotes this verse and explains that this is a fundamental Torah principle. A person conducts himself very differently when he is in the presence of royalty than when he is by himself, or with family and close friends. King David here teaches us, says the Rambam, that we must constantly remember that we live in the presence of the King of Kings, Who observes our every movement and listens to every word we say (see also Rema Orach Chaim 1:1).

G'd sees everything

The Talmud (Berachos 28b) relates that when the great scholar and leader of his generation, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, was lying on his death bed, his disciples asked him for a blessing. Rabbi Yochanan responded and said, "May your fear of HASHEM be as strong as your fear of human beings." The startled students asked, "Is that all?" "Would it only be so", said the rabbi. "Be aware that when someone sins he hopes that no other person sees him." This is human nature. We are ashamed of our wrongdoings and want to hide them from others. But the fact that G'd sees everything that we are doing does not stop us from sinning.

G'd watching from above

The story is told how the Chofetz Chaim once travelled by himself with a wagon driver. At some point during the trip the driver stopped for a rest. The driver spotted an apple orchard and decided to help himself to a few apples. Not knowing who his distinguished client was, he asked the Chofetz Chaim to watch out and tell him if anyone appeared and could see what he was up to. He just about entered the orchard when the Chofetz Chaim called out, "Quickly come, someone is watching." The driver immediately ran back to the wagon. As he looked around, he said to the Chofetz Chaim that he could not see anyone. To this, the elderly sage said, "G'd was watching you from above."

Awe and love

Next week we are entering the holiday season commencing with the celebration of Rosh Hashanah followed by Yom Kippur. These Days of Awe inspire us to repent the sins of our past and undertake to improve every aspect of our lives out of awe. But as soon as Yom Kippur is over, we start preparing in earnest for Succos, the time of our rejoicing. The Kabbalists explain that Succos is the time to repent out of love for G'd. As we sit in our succos, we have the opportunity to develop a special closeness to G'd. We leave the comfort of our regular homes and dwell outdoors in the succos, thus expressing our complete trust in G'd's protection. The awareness that we can rely upon G'd, our loving Father, to provide for us and take care of all our needs, brings out strong feelings of love as well.

Awe and shame

The combination of awe and shame is so fundamental in observing the laws of the Torah that it is hinted at the very beginning of the Torah. On Simchas Torah we return to our homes invigorated with our strengthened bond with G'd. On that day, we start reading the Torah again. Says the Vilna Gaon, the very first word in the Torah, "bereishis", hints at the two concepts of awe and shame. If we rearrange the letters of "bereishis" it forms the two words of "boshes" (shame) and "yerei" (awe). The fear and shame we feel in the presence of G'd, our King, go hand in hand to start us off on the path of Torah observance. And the love for our Father in Heaven when combined with the awe will help us to grow and develop further in fulfilling the commandments.

Inscribed for blessings

May we be able to fully utilize the opportunities that this season presents us, and in this merit may we, together with all Jews worldwide, be inscribed to a year full of Divine blessings for everyone.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett