The Interplay between
the Commandments
to Love and Fear
God
R. Yaakov
Bieler
פרשת
ואתחנן, תשס"ט
Two of the
most basic Commandments appearing in Parashat VaEtchanan that per force speak
to the internal commitments and devotions of the religious individual are:
Devarim 6:5
And you will love
the Lord, your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your might.
Ibid., 13
And the Lord, your God you will fear, Him you
shall serve, and by His Name you shall swear.
RaMBaM lists
each of these Commandments individually, in his Sefer HaMitzvot:[1]
Sefer
HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment #3
The third
Commandment is that He, the Exalted One, has Commanded us to love Him.
And this is (fulfilled) when we reflect and think about His Commandments and
His Actions to the point where we comprehend Him, feel the ultimate of pleasure
as a result of comprehending Him. And
this is the love in which we are obligated…
And they have
already stated[2]
that this Commandment also includes that we seek out and call to humanity as a
whole to engage in His Exalted Service and to believe in Him. And this is
because when you love someone, you will focus your heart upon him and you will
praise him and you will desire that others will love him. And applying such a
parable, if you truly love God to the extent that you can in terms of your
comprehending Him, you will without a doubt seek out and call to the atheists
to know the truth of your knowing Him…
Ibid.,
Positive Commandment #4
The fourth Commandment is that He has Commanded us to believe
(in) His Exalted Fearfulness and to be afraid of Him, not to be like the
atheists who live inconsistently/without feeling accountable, but rather we
should fear the coming of His Punishment at all times…
Intuitively,
we think of love and fear as very different, even opposite emotions, i.e., when
one loves, he does not fear and vice versa. Furthermore, love is viewed more
positively than fear, as in the following two examples from the classical
commentaries:
RaShI on
Devarim 6:5
(And you will
love the Lord, your God with all of your heart and all of your soul and all of
your might.)
Carry out His
Words/Matters from love.
One who does
things out of love is not comparable to one who does things out of fear. One
who does things on behalf of his master due to fear, when his master proves
burdensome to him, he (the servant) leaves him and goes on his own way.
(The implication is that one who performs actions out of love, would never
abandon his master, regardless of how difficult he finds carrying out the tasks
assigned to him.)
RaMBaN on
Shemot 20:7
…And it is
also true that the attribute of “Zachor” (lit. remember; the first word of the
Commandment to observe Shabbat in the version of the Ten Commandments appearing
in Shemot) hints at the entire category of positive Commandments (actions to be
done, in contrast to negative Commandments, actions to refrain from doing), and
it (the impulse associated with carrying out positive Commandments) emanates
from the Divine Attribute of Love, which corresponds as well to the
Attribute of Kindness.[3]
One who performs the Commandment of his master, is beloved to him and his
master has compassion for him/shows him kindness in return. The attribute of
“Shamor” (lit. observe, the first word of the Commandment to observe Shabbat in
the version of the Ten Commandments appearing in Devarim 5) hints at the entire
category of negative Commandments, which emanates from the Divine Attribute of
justice which corresponds to the Attribute of Fear. For one who avoids
doing something that is disagreeable in the eyes of his master, does so out of
fear of him. Consequently positive Commandments are of greater religious
significance than negative Commandments, because love is superior to fear,
for one who fulfills and performs with his body and possessions the will of his
master, is greater than the individual who simply avoids doing what is
objectionable in his master’s eyes. Therefore they said, “A positive
Commandment can come and push aside a negative Commandment.”[4]
For the same reason the punishment for the violation of negative Commandments
is more severe[5]
and a trial can result in execution or lashes, whereas with respect to positive
Commandments there is neither trial nor corporeal punishment, except for those
who publicly demonstrate their rebellion against fulfilling Commandments, e.g.,
“I will not perform the Commandments of Lulav or Tzitziyot; I will not dwell in
a Sukka,” that under such circumstances the Sanhedrin beats him until he either
accepts to carry these out or he dies.[6]
If we accept the
assumption of the superiority of love over fear, and hence the Commandment to
love God is a higher manifestation of religious feeling and accomplishment than
fearing God, then the two Commandments being discussed are obviously mutually
exclusive and cannot be fulfilled simultaneously, but rather would constitute
two separate options or perhaps reflect unique modalities that are relevant in
different times and circumstances, but never at the same moment. One section of
a Talmudic passage indeed suggests such a strict dichotomy:
Sota 31a
What is the
difference between one who does so (performs Commandments, serves God) out of love,
and one who does so out of fear? There is the following: We learn in a
Baraita: R. Shimon ben Elazar says, “‘One who does out of love is greater than
one who does out of fear, for this one has ramifications for 1000 generations,
while this one has ramifications for 2000 generations. Here (re love) it is
written, (Shemot 20:5) ‘And He does Kindness for Alafim (lit. thousands;
the minimal plurality is 2, consequently 2000), to those that love Me
and observe My Commandments.’ And there (re. fear) it is written, (Devarim 7:9)
‘And you know the Lord, your God that he is God, the Faithful God, Who Keeps
the Covenant and the Kindness to those who love Him, U’LeShomrei (lit. and
to those who observe; such terminology is usually associated with avoiding
transgressing negative Commandments, a mindset that RaMBaN for example [see pp.
2-3] has defined as emanating from fear rather than love) His Commandments
for 1000 generations.’”
If we would
insist that love and fear of God are intertwined, then how could there ever be
such a differentiation? The extended influence of all Divine Worship would have
to be either “2000 generations” since inherently there would always be a love
dimension, or “1000 generations” because fear would always be present as well!
The Talmud then suggests that whether one worships out of love or fear might be
a function of a difference in personalities:
Ibid.
These two
students who were sitting before Rava (learning from his teachings.) One said,
“In my dream they read to me, (Tehilim 31:20) ‘How great is Your Goodness that
You have Saved for them that fear You.’” The other said, “In my dream
they read to me, (Tehillim 5:12) ‘But let all those who place their trust in
You rejoice, let them shout for joy, because You Defend them; let them who Love
Your Name be joyful in You.’” He replied to them, “Both of you are righteous
Rabbis, but one is activated by love and the other by fear.”
While such an
insight might resonate with some of our personal experiences interacting with
various types of individuals, i.e., there are people who overflow with warmth
and effusive positive emotion in their religious expression while others are focused
upon being punctilious about their observance and extremely cautious about not neglecting
even the seemingly most minor aspect of the tradition, insisting on such a
split also suggests a certain fatalistic assumption that the degree to which
one is motivated by either love or fear is innate and unchanging over the
course of a person’s lifetime. If it is assumed that acting out of love is
superior to acting out of fear, are some individuals “doomed” to an inferior
level of Divine Service due to their being “hard wired” for a particular and
idiosyncratic emotional response and orientation? Furthermore, how are we then
to understand the ubiquitous Talmudic principle,[7]
“R. Yehuda said in the name of Rav: A person should always study Tora and
perform Commandments even for ulterior motives, since by doing positive actions
for ulterior motives, one can eventually come to do them for pure/idealistic
reasons.” According to Rava’s interpretation cited above, can a state of acting
out of fear of punishment, and/or conversely desiring reward, ever evolve into
acting purely for the sake of Heaven, if one’s personality does not allow for
such a development?
A related question arises from the oft-cited comment of RaMBaM in
Mishneh Tora with respect to how love and fear of God can be developed.[8]
RaMBaM, Mishneh Tora, Hilchot Yesodei HaTora,
2:2
And what is
the way to achieving His Love and His Fear?
When a person
reflects upon His amazing and great Actions and His Creations, and he
recognizes in them His Wisdom which cannot be measured and is infinite,
immediately he loves and praises, and glorifies, and is consumed with a great
passion to know the God of the Great Name, as it is stated, (Tehillim 42:3) “My
soul thirsts for God, the Living God.”
And when he
reflects upon these very things, immediately he stumbles backwards and is
fearful and realizes that he is a tiny, lowly, insignificant creature standing
with extremely limited intelligence before the most Perfect of Intelligences.
As David said, (Tehillim 8:4-5) “When I see Your Heavens, the Works of Your
Fingers, (I think to myself) what is man that You (bother to) Remember him?”…
The
assumption that love and fear of God are antithetical to one another and occupy
different rungs along a hierarchy of religious experience, when applied to this
passage in RaMBaM, engenders the conclusion that deep contemplation of nature
causes us to ultimately backslide, from an initial state of love and attraction,
to one of fear and an overwhelming sense of inferiority vis-à-vis the Divine. Why
shouldn’t the principle “Ma’alin BaKodesh VeEinan Moridin” (one ought to rise
in holiness and not retrogress)[9]
be possible with respect to fear and love of God? Yet RaMBaM appears to assume
that phenomenologically, a “Yerida” (descent) in terms of ending up with an
emphasis upon Fearing God is inevitable for anyone with a proper sense of
humility and perspective. Additionally, is what RaMBaM describes happening over
and over with Sisyphus-ian frustrating regularity, i.e., one is always
initially entranced, intrigued, and attracted, only to almost immediately stagger
backwards, appalled at his personal impudence and worthlessness, with the
process repeating itself throughout one’ s lifetime, or is this a
one-time description of a person’s sensibility, and once he experiences stage
two, he can never again return to stage one, but is rather perpetually locked
into the fearing God mode?
A related problem arises in this
week’s Parashat HaShavua as well as in the earlier description of the Jews’
experience during the Revelation at Sinai found in Shemot. In Devarim 5:19-25,
Moshe reprises the events of forty years before, which originally were
described in Shemot 20:14-16. In both passages the people come to Moshe after
experiencing the thunder, lightning, smoke, earthquakes and the sound of the
Shofar that accompanied the Revelation of the Ten Commandments and said that
they were too afraid to continue to remain in direct communication with
God. And just as Moshe responds in the earlier account:
Shemot 20:16
And Moshe
said to the people, “Do not be frightened, because for the sake of testing you
did God Come, and in order that His Fear be on your faces so that you will not
sin,
so too in
Devarim he tells the people that it is the fear of God that the Divine Intended
to all along elicit from the people by means of this experience:
Devarim
5:24-25
…And God Said
to me, “I Heard the voice of the words of this people that they spoke to you, and all that they spoke is
good.
If only it
were so if their hearts will be to them to fear Me and to observe all of My
Commandments all of the days in order that I will Do good for them and their
descendents forever.
If an
attitude of love of God is the ultimate ideal, wouldn’t one have expected
HaShem not to have been Ready to “settle” for the people’s fear, but rather
Looked for ways for them to aspire to the level of loving Him, particularly at
Sinai, the quintessential religious experience, when the Tora was given? Keli
Yakar on Devarim 5:23 accounts for God’s Approval of the people’s fear of Him
in light of His “low expectations” religiously for a people whom He had Called
“Am Keshei Oref” (a stiff-necked people).[10]
[11]
Consequently, what might have been the case at Sinai shortly after the Exodus
from
RaShI on Devarim 5:23, however, while
appearing far less charitable than Keli Yakar with respect to God’s
Expectations of the Jewish people at this point in their history, opens a line
of thinking that allows for asserting that all forms of fear and love are not
necessarily mutually exclusive. RaShI interprets the need for God to Assure
Moshe that what the people had said when they were too fearful to continue
receiving Revelation was a positive thing, as a response to Moshe’s personal disappointment
in his understanding of their request:
RaShI on Devarim 5:23 d.h. “And you (Moshe) speak to
us (as an intermediary between God
and ourselves”—
My strength
was weakened…because I was troubled for your sakes, and my hands were weakened
for I saw “SheEinchem Chareidim” (that you were not trembling) to approach Him out of love. Wouldn’t
it have been preferable for you to learn directly from the mouth of the Divine,
as opposed to learning from my mouth?[13]
[14]
RaShI
apparently distinguishes between the visceral and physical fear that led the
people to urge Moshe to represent them in dealing with HaShem, and a “trembling
love” that marks those that opt to attempt to come as close to God as possible,
while never losing sight of how terrifying such a closeness by definition may
be. RaShI attributes to Moshe the realization that loving God is not merely the
ability/opportunity to converse with Him as one friend to another (Shemot
33:11), but also the simultaneous and ever-lasting realization of the human
being’s finitude and incredible limitations. Consequently, love of the Divine
without a certain type of existential fear and trembling cannot be
contemplated.
An earlier passage in the discussion
in Sota cited above supports the “trembling fear” concept that RaShI attributes
to Moshe:
Sota 31a
We learn in a
Baraita: R. Meir says: It is said “God Fearing” with respect to Iyov,[15]
and it is said “God Fearing” with respect to Avraham.[16]
Just like the “God Fearing” said with respect to Avraham is an outgrowth of
love, so too the “God Fearing” with respect to Iyov is an outgrowth of love.
And regarding Avraham himself, from where do we know this? As it is written,
(Yeshayahu 41:8) “The seed of Avraham who loved Me.”
R. Meir therefore asserts that it is the love of God that
causes one to strive to position himself in close proximity with HaShem, which
in turn results in considerable fear and dread.
Applying
RaShI and R. Meir’s approach to the sources previously cited, 1) RaMBaM’s
positive Commandments #3 and #4 are not mutually exclusive; 2) the fear that
RaShI discusses in Devarim 6:5 is a physical fear of retribution rather than the
fear that perforce accompanies being in the presence of Greatness; 3) when
RaMBaN suggests a rationale for positive Commandments trumping negative ones,
it is not because the positive ones are exclusively an extension of love, but
rather they entail a combination of love and fear, whereas negative
Commandments are exclusively based upon fear; 4) R. Shimon ben Elazar is
contrasting the love/fear combination with a perspective only based upon fear;
5) perhaps Rava’s interpretation of the students’ dreams was a further
refinement of the love/fear dialectic, with one student placing greater
emphasis upon love while the other focused more on fear, but neither to the
exclusion of the other; and 6) RaMBaM’s description of the feelings arising
from the contemplation of the Creation are in fact two sides of the same coin,
constantly vacillating from one pole to the other. (With respect to the latter
point, is it possible that for some people, like one of Rava’s students, the
initial sensibility would be fear only to then revert to love and back again?)
Finally,
it would be interesting to consider whether this love/fear nexus might apply to
human interpersonal relationships as well. After all, aren’t we all created
with “Tzelem Elokim” (the image of God)?
[1] The fact that these two Mitzvot immediately follow in RaMBaM’s compendium Positive Commandment #1 To believe in God’s Existence, and #2 To believe in God’s Unity, demonstrate how fundamental Commandments #3 and #4 obviously are. Whereas the first two Commandments are cognitive, the next two are affective, suggesting the need for engaging both o f these realms in the religious experience.
[2] This is a possible reference to Siphre on Devarim 6:5, wherein Avraham is cast as the exemplar of the fulfillment of the Commandment to love God—see my essay “Abraham: Pioneer Religious Educator, Paradigm for Contemporary Teachers of Judaism,” in Rav Chesed: Essays in Honor of R. Dr. Haskel Lookstein, ed. Rafi Medoff, Ktav, Jersey City, NJ, 2009, pp. 29-51.
[3] RaMBaN suggests that the imposition of positive Commandments rather than constituting a burden or a loyalty test, is actually an Act of Kindness, positioning those who fulfill such Commandments to be treated exceptionally kindly by God. This parallels the statement of R. Chanania ben Akashya in Makot 3:17: The Holy One Blessed Be He Wished to benefit the Jewish people. Therefore He Made great quantities for them of Tora and Mitzvot, as it is said, (Yeshayahu 42:21) “HaShem Wishes for the sake of his (the Jewish people’s) righteousness, therefore He Increases Tora and He Glorifies it/him.”
[4]Such a scenario would involve both a positive and negative Commandment simultaneously coming into play. One such example is when one wishes to fulfill the Commandment to attach Tzitziyot to a four-cornered garment (a positive Commandment) by using cotton Tzitzit for a linen garment (Sha’atnez, a negative Commandment.) See e.g., Yevamot 4a.
[5] It is as if the negative Commandments are a type of minimum standard while the positive Commandments reflect greater commitment and devotion. While performing Commandments out of fear is acceptable, failure to comply vis-à-vis negative Mitzvot is not and therefore more dire are meted out in order to serve as either a deterrent for future actions or a public example of what happens to a transgressor.
[6] The RaMBaM’s approach with regard to “Mordin” (individuals publicly displaying their rebellion) parallels his discussion of what is done to a husband who refuses to grant a divorce after it has been decided that he ought to do so—see Mishneh Tora, Hilchot Geirushin 2:20.
[7] E.g., Pesachim 50b.
[8] Whereas in Sefer HaMitzvot quoted above, RaMBaM seems to direct the individual intent upon developing these qualities to contemplating God directly, i.e., study theology, a markedly different approach is advanced in Mishneh Toram emphasizing a contemplation of nature—the study of science?.
[9] See e.g., Megilla 9b.
[10] Shemot 32:9; 33:3, 5; 34:9.
[11] Although the instances of this appellation on God’s Part all follow the sin of the Golden Calf which took place 40 days after the Ten Commandments were given on Sinai, therefore after the people’s request that Moshe serve as their intermediary and before Moshe ascended the mountain alone to be given the rest of the Tora, there had already been ample opportunity for the people to display their stubbornness and substantiate such a Divine Evaluation: 1) when a significant percentage chose to remain in Egypt; 2) the recalcitrance of the people just prior to the miracle of the splitting of the Reed Sea; 3) the difficulties that arose with respect to first the bitter water and then the absence of water; and 4) the complaining regarding the lack of solid food.
[12] BaMidbar 14:20-23.
[13] Whereas RaShI is usually eclectic and bases his comments upon Rabbinic insights that appear in the Talmud and Midrash, critical editions of RaShI do not cite any previous source for this comment, leading to the conclusion that this is an original observation on the part of the commentator.
[14] Given Moshe’s exalted spiritual standing, it is not difficult to understand how he might have trouble empathizing with the people who were simply not on his level. Such a disconnect is similarly suggested in the Rabbinic commentary to Devarim 10:12, “And now Israel, the Lord, your God Requires nothing of you other than to fear the Lord, your God, to walk in all of His Ways, to love Him and to serve the Lord your God with all of your heart and all of your soul.”
Berachot 33b
Is the fear of God such a minor matter (the language in Devarim 10:12 sounds like Moshe is viewing “Fear of God” as something trivial, easily accomplished)?...Yes, with respect to Moshe it is a minor thing. As R. Chanina said: A parable—It is like a person who is asked for a large utensil and he possesses one. To him it seems like an insignificant utensil. However if a person is asked for a small vessel and he does not possess it, it seems to him like he has been asked for a large untensil.
[15] Iyov
1:1
There was a man in the
[16] Beraishit
22:12
And He Said: Do not extend yoru hand towards the
youth, and do nothing to him, because now I Know that you are God-Fearing,
and you did not hold back you son, your only one, from me.