"fear your Elohim"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon opens with, "You shall fear Hashem your Elohim; Him shall you serve," and, "but you shall fear your Elohim (lit. 'from your Elohim')." He says that 'from your Elohim' means from that place that is connected to and surrounds the inner brain from inside. We read that this is the Shechinah named Elohim, and there is a fire around it. There are three kinds of fire. The first receives fire gladly, and they love each other. In the second the brightness, the Shechinah, is seen; this fire gladly dwells within the first one. The third fire surrounds that brightness, and in it lies the fear of judgment. On the left side is the fear of punishment, but this must be joined with love that is drawn from the right. Rabbi Shimon says that we should not be afraid of strange deities. After this he talks about love, saying that He who worships with love joins the high place above, the holiness of the World to Come that is Binah and the right side that is Chesed of Zeir Anpin. Nothing has power over the level of fear but love.

412. The precepts of the Torah you spoke of in relation to prayer, are assuredly so. He opened with the words: "You shall fear Hashem your Elohim; Him shall you serve" (Devarim 10:20) and "but shall fear your Elohim (lit. 'be afraid of your Elohim')" (Vayikra 19:14). The second verse should have been read "your Elohim," for it is written: "fear Hashem your Elohim" AND NOT "OF HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM." What is meant by "of your Elohim?" HE ANSWERS: The secret meaning is that "of your Elohim" surely refers to that place that is connected to and surrounds the inner fruit from inside. IT IS THE SHECHINAH NAMED ELOHIM, AND THE FIRE AROUND IT IS THE MYSTERY OF THE FIRE SURROUNDING THE BRIGHTNESS, FROM WHICH JUDGMENT IS DRAWN UPON THE WICKED AS WILL BE EXPOUNDED LATER. This is what is meant by "of your Elohim," THAT IS, THE SURROUNDING FIRE. He should be feared, for Judgment prevails there, drawn from the higher Judgment in that place.

412. פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא דְּאָמַרְתּוּן בִּצְלוֹתָא וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, כְּתִיב אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא אוֹתוֹ תַעֲבוֹד. וּכְתִיב, וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְמֵימַר הָכִי, וְיָרֵאתָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, בְּגִין דְּהָא כְּתִיב אֶת יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא, מַהוּ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ. אֶלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ, מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ וַדַּאי, מֵהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִתְחַבָּר וְסָחֲרָא לְמוֹחָא דִּלְגוֹ, וְדָא אִיהוּ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ, דְּחִילוּ דָּא לְמִדְחַל לֵיהּ, דְּהָא תַּמָּן שַׁרְיָיא דִּינָא, וְאִיהוּ דִּינָא דְּאִשְׁתְּאִיב מִגּוֹ דִּינָא דִּלְעֵילָּא, בְּהַאי אֲתָר.

413. There are three kinds of fire here. The first is the fire which receives fire gladly, and they are glad, and love each other. Upon the second fire it is written: "and there was a glowing brightness to the fire" (Yechezkel 1:13), for the brightness, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, is seen in it. This fire gladly dwells within the inner fire, as said, NAMELY, THE FIRST FIRE. The third fire surrounds that glowing brightness, and in it lies the fear of judgment that smites the wicked.

413. תְּלַת גְּוָונֵי אֶשָּׁא הָכָא. אֶשָּׁא קַדְמָאָה, אִיהוּ אֶשָּׁא דְּקַבִּיל אֶשָּׁא בְּחֵידוּ, וְחַדָּאן דָּא בְּדָא בִּרְחִימוּ. אֶשָּׁא תִּנְיָינָא, אִיהוּ אֶשָּׁא דִּכְתִּיב בֵּיהּ וְנֹגַהּ לָאֵשׁ דְּאִתְחָזֵי בֵּיהּ נֹגַהּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ אֶשָּׁא, דְּקַיְּימָא גּוֹ אֶשָּׁא פְּנִימָאָה בְּחֵידוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר. אֶשָּׁא תְּלִיתָאָה, אִיהוּ אֶשָּׁא דְּסַחֲרָא לְהַהוּא נֹגַהּ. וּבְהַאי אֶשָּׁא שַׁארִי דְּחִילוּ דְּדִינָא, לְאַלְקָאָה חַיָּיבַיָּא.

414. And though we learned that there are four colors to fire, NAMELY, WHITE, RED, GREEN AND BLACK; and these four are one, EACH CONSISTS OF THESE FOUR COLORS, WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT; nevertheless this DOES NOT APPLY TO the fire mentioned before, WE ARE ONLY REFERRING TO THE AREA which is where lies the fear of judgment. THEREFORE WE PARTICULARLY EXPOUNDED AS REQUIRED UPON THREE FIRES ONLY AND NO MORE. About this speaks the verse "And you shall be afraid of your Elohim," MEANING, of His punishment. THIS IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN "OF YOUR ELOHIM."

415. One should concentrate with love and fear together, to fear on one side, DRAWN FROM THE LEFT, and love on another side, DRAWN FROM THE RIGHT, with the said aspects, FOR MALCHUT TOO HAS THE FOUR ASPECTS: CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. That fear would be fear of punishment, THE LOWER FEAR, for whoever transgresses the precepts of the Torah is punished by the LEFT side. And once this side starts to strike, it never ceases until it exterminates him from this world and the World to Come. Therefore one should fear that fire, for there is fear within it.

415. וּבְהַהוּא יִרְאָה בָּעֵי לְשַׁוָּואָה רְעוּתֵיהּ, בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ כַּחֲדָא, לְמִדְחַל בְּהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְמִרְחַם בְּהַאי סִטְרָא. וּבְאִינּוּן גַּוְונִין דְּקָאָמְרָן, וְהַהוּא דְּחִילוּ לֶהֱוֵי לְמִדְחַל מֵעוֹנְשָׁא. דְּמַאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִתְעַנָּשׁ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְּכַד שַׁארִי הַהוּא סִטְרָא לְאַלְקָאָה, לָא שָׁכִיךְ עַד דְּשָׁצֵי לֵיהּ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וּמֵעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. וּבג"כ בָּעֵי לְמִדְחַל מֵהַאי אֶשָּׁא, דִּדְחִילוּ שַׁרְיָיא בֵּיהּ.

416. From THE THIRD FIRE a fire is spread outwards to strange Elohim. Upon this says the verse "you shall not fear the Elohim of the Emorites" (Shoftim 6:10), because one must not be afraid of them. This fire of fear we mentioned, NAMELY, THE THIRD FIRE, is holy and takes part in holiness. It is that which surrounds the brightness. But the other fire outside is sometimes connected TO THIS FIRE OF FEAR, and sometimes separates from it and disconnects. And when SINS cause the fire outside to be joined with the fire OF FEAR, then the fire becomes dark, darkens and covers the other lights WITHIN THE BRIGHTNESS. This may be derived from the expression "a fire flaring up" (Yechezkel 1:4), for it is not ALWAYS burning, as was already explained.

416. וּמִנֵּיהּ אִתְפָּשַׁט אֶשָּׁא לְבַר דְּדַחֲלָא אַחֲרָא, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, לֹֹא תִּירָאוּ אֶת אֱלֹֹהֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי, דְּאָסִיר לְמִדְחַל מִנֵּיהּ. וְהַאי אֶשָּׁא דִּדְחִילוּ דְּקָאָמְרָן, אִיהוּ קֹדֶשׁ וְאִשְׁתָּתַּף בִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְהַאי אִיהוּ דְּסָחֲרָא לְהַהוּא נֹגַהּ דְּקָאָמְרָן. וְהַהִיא אֶשָּׁא אַחֲרָא דִּלְבַר, אִיהוּ דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּהַאי לְזִמְנִין. וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְעַבָּר מִנֵּיהּ, וְלָא אִתְחֲבָּר בַּהֲדֵיהּ. וְכַד גָּרִים דְּאִתְחַבָּר בְּהַאי, כְּדֵין הוּא אֶשָּׁא דְּחָשׁוּךְ, וְאַחְשִׁיךְ וְכַסֵּי נְהִירוּ דְּאִלֵּין אַחֲרָנִין. וְסִימָנִיךְ וְאֵשׁ מִתְלַקַּחַת, וְלָא דְּקַיְּימָא תָּדִיר, וְהָא אִתְּמַר.

417. After this there is love, as explained that love dwells after ATTAINING fear. The secret of the matter is that once fear dwells upon the head of man, WHICH IS FROM THE LEFT, love is awakened from the right, THAT IS, FROM CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. He who worships with love, cleaves the high place above, and joins the holiness of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH; for he rises and bedecks himself and joins the right side, WHICH IS CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, UPON WHICH DWELLS BINAH.

417. לְבָתַר אַהֲבָה, כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ דְּאַהֲבָה שַׁרְיָיא לְבָתַר יִרְאָה. וְרָזָא דְּמִלָּה, כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁארִי יִרְאָה עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, אִתְּעַר לְבָתַר אַהֲבָה, דְּאִיהוּ יְמִינָא. דְּמַאן דְּפָלַח מִגּוֹ אַהֲבָה, אִתְדַּבָּק בַּאֲתָר עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, בְּגִין דְּהָא סָלִיק לְאִתְעַטְּרָא וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּסְטַר יְמִינָא.

418. And if you say that worship out of fear is not considered worship, THIS IS NOT SO. For it is precious worship, though it does not rise to be joined above TO ZEIR ANPIN. And when one worships with love, one rises and bedecks oneself above and cleaves to the World to Come. This man is summoned to the World to Come. Happy is his portion, for he has power over the place of fear, and nothing has power over the level of fear but love, which is the mystery of the right, THE MYSTERY OF UNITY OF ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT.

418. וְאִי תֵּימָא דְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּאִיהוּ מִסִּטְרָא דְּיִרְאָה לָאו אִיהוּ פּוּלְחָנָא. פּוּלְחָנָא יַקִּירָא אִיהוּ, אֲבָל לָא סָלִיק לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא לְעֵילָּא. וְכַד פָּלַח מֵאַהֲבָה, סָלִיק וְאִתְעַטָּר לְעֵילָּא, וְאִתְדַּבָּק בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְדָא אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִזְדָּמָן לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּהָא שַׁלִיט עַל אֲתָר דְּיִרְאָה, דְּהָא לֵית מַאן דְּשַׁלִּיט עַל דַּרְגָּא דְּיִרְאָה, אֶלָּא אַהֲבָה, רָזָא דִּימִינָא.

419. רָזָא דְּיִחוּדָא דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דְּאִתְחָזֵי לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, לְיַחֲדָא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְיַיחֲדָא שַׁיְיפִין וְדַרְגִּין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, לְאַכְלְלָא כֻּלְּהוּ, וּלְאַעְלָאָה בַּאֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְקַשְּׁרָא קִשְׁרָא. וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא דִּכְתִיב, שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ' אֶחָד.