Now, therefore, each individual Jew, whoever he may be, i.e., whatever his spiritual state, when he ponders upon this for a considerable time each day—how G-d is truly omnipresent in the higher and lower [worlds], and that the actual heaven and earth (i.e., not only the spiritual heaven and earth, the supernal sefirot, but the actual heaven and earth itself) is truly filled with His glory,
וְהִנֵּה, כָּל אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, יִהְיֶה מִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, כְּשֶׁיִּתְבּוֹנֵן בָּזֶה שָׁעָה גְדוֹלָה בְּכָל יוֹם, אֵיךְ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מָלֵא מַמָּשׁ אֶת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְאֶת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, וְאֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ מַמָּשׁ, "מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ" מַמָּשׁ,
and that He looks, seeks, and searches his “kidneys and heart” (i.e., his inner thoughts and emotions) and all his actions and words and counts his every step—
וְצוֹפֶה וּמַבִּיט וּבוֹחֵן כִּלְיוֹתָיו וְלִבּוֹ וְכָל מַעֲשָׂיו וְדִיבּוּרָיו, וְכָל צְעָדָיו יִסְפּוֹר,
then fear will be implanted in his heart throughout the day, even when he is occupied with other matters and cannot contemplate the above, when he will again meditate on this, even with a superficial reflection that does not demand a particular effort and a set time;
אֲזַי, תִּקָּבַע בְּלִבּוֹ הַיִּרְאָה לְכָל הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ, כְּשֶׁיַּחֲזוֹר וְיִתְבּוֹנֵן בָּזֶה אֲפִילוּ בְּהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת קַלָּה,
at any time;) or moment, he will thus turn away from evil and do good (i.e., he will refrain from transgressing negative commands and perform positive commands) in thought, speech, and deed so as not to rebel, G-d forbid, in the sight of His glory, whereof the whole world is filled.
בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה – יִהְיֶה "סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב" בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה דִּבּוּר וּמַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁלֹּא לַמְרוֹת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם עֵינֵי כְבוֹדוֹ, אֲשֶׁר מָלֵא כָל הָאָרֶץ,
This is in accord with the statement of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai to his disciples, quoted above, viz., “May it be G-d’s will that the fear of heaven be upon you [and keep you from sinning] like the fear of a human being [who by observing your actions keeps you from sinning].”;)
וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי לְתַלְמִידָיו כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
This, then, is the meaning of the verse: “[G-d demands of you] only to fear the L-rd your G-d, to walk in all His ways.”;)
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: "כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו",
The question arises: Is attaining the fear of G-d such an easy thing that the verse says “only to fear Him”? The answer which is given (“For Moses, it is a simple matter”) is difficult to comprehend, for the verse speaks of what “G-d demands of you”—of every Jew. The explanation is as follows: the verse is referring here to a level of fear which is indeed simple for every Jew to reach, that level being fear that leads one to “walk in all His ways.”
For this is the fear that leads to the fulfillment of G-d’s commandments, which involve turning away from evil and doing good. This is the “lower-level fear” which has been discussed earlier.
שֶׁהִיא יִרְאָה הַמְּבִיאָה לְקִיּוּם מִצְוֹתָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּ"סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב", וְהִיא יִרְאָה תַּתָּאָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת לְעֵיל,
Accordingly, the Gemara ’s answer (“For Moses, it is a simple matter”) is now understandable. It means:
As it applies to “Moses,” that is to say, in relation to the quality of daat that is in the divine soul of every Jew, this quality being the quality of Moses found within “you,” within each Jewish soul, this is indeed a minor thing, as has been stated above—that when a Jew reflects with his daat upon matters that arouse fear of G-d, he will surely succeed in attaining it,
וּלְגַבֵּי מֹשֶׁה, דְּהַיְינוּ, לְגַבֵּי בְּחִינַת הַדַּעַת שֶׁבְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל – הָאֱלֹהִית, מִילְּתָא זוּטַרְתִּי הִיא, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
(;)for daat is [the faculty] which connects the hidden understanding of the heart with revelation in actual thought, as is known to the students of the Kabbalah).
[שֶׁהַדַּעַת הוּא הַמְקַשֵּׁר מַצְפּוּנֵי בִּינַת הַלֵּב אֶל בְּחִינַת גִּילּוּי בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה מַמָּשׁ, כַּיָּדוּעַ לְיוֹדְעֵי חֵן].
As mentioned earlier, all Jews possess a “hidden treasure of fear of heaven” in their hearts. Through the faculty of daat, this fear of heaven is revealed and felt in one’s thought and also affects his speech and actions.
Footnotes
24.
Note by the Rebbe: “At first glance, it would seem that there is no compelling evidence as to whether ‘at any time or moment’ is connected to the earlier clause (‘when he will again meditate…even with a superficial reflection at any time or moment’) or whether it is connected to the following clause (‘at any time or moment, he will turn away from evil and do good…’). “However, since ‘any time or moment’ is mentioned in ch. 14 with regard to a person’s ability to become a beinoni, and the Alter Rebbe explains there that this phrase refers to his thought, speech, and deed, it follows that here, too, ‘at any time or moment’ relates to the following clause—‘he will turn away from evil and do good, in thought, speech, and deed.’”
25.
Berachot 28b.
26.
Deuteronomy 10:12.
27.
Parentheses are in the original text.