Rising Up to the Demand of the Borei Olam

Rising Up to the Demand of the Borei Olam

We will now delve deeper into the concept of Yiras Shomayim. Most people are reluctant to explore it, because it is rooted in the fact of punishment, and understandably, this idea does not evoke excitement. However, we find that R’ Yisroel affirms that Yiras Ha’Oinesh is based on understanding that your actions have severe consequences. Sadly, I don’t think people are too keen on contemplating this matter.

In an attempt to avoid such contemplation, some have devised a more modern approach to what is called Gehenom. They think it is a terrible thing to say you will be thrown into the flames. So they say Gehenom represents a state of being far from truth. 

Although that’s a very nice way to say it, I doubt it will have a significant impact on anyone. I am now also distant from the truth – yet still very happy and content. Perhaps it is a good thing to be far from the truth… I might even reach the conclusion that Gehenem is quite enjoyable, and I will continue living as I do now. 

I can’t accept such a thing. We must strive to understand Yireh as it was originally intended and endeavor to adopt it in our lives. Unfortunately, this task seems insurmountable, unlike in former generations.

We see that by the unbelievably deep p’shat of R’ Hutner in the Igeres Ha’Mussar. He quotes:

האדם חפשי בדמיונו, ואסור במושכלו. דמיונו מוליכו שובב בדרך לב רצונו … 

He omits a section (of the Igeres Ha’Mussar) and continues the quote:

ומה נעשה, הדמיון נחל שוטף, והשכל יטבע, אם לא נוליכנו באוניה, היא רגשת הנפש וסערת הרוח.

But in the section he skipped R’ Yisroel says:

 אחד הוא, עושה העבירה והנענש. מרה היא, בל יאמר האדם זה חלי ואשאנו: פגעי התבל מצערים המה, למכביר, מול ענשי העבירות; תגעל נפש האדם למדי, יום לשנה יחשב. אוי לדמיון 

The main point of the Igeres Ha’Mussar is that Aveirahs will result in suffering, it will just hurt; you will be thrown into the flames. Therefore, the question arises: why did R’ Hutner omit this essential point when quoting the Igeres Ha’Mussar?

When he would explain it in that way, everyone would just run away from the Yeshiva. And if I was to say things like that here – all of you would escape, with me not far behind you. So perhaps It’s really not for us; maybe we have to make a new kind of Yireh, perhaps a more motivational approach.

For me, that’s not acceptable. I don’t want to accept that. However it does pose a big problem, as there must be a significant reason why we can’t deal with the oinesh, and dismissing it is probably ill advised.

The Gemoro in Brochos (22.a) says:

מָה לְהַלָּן בְּאֵימָה וּבְיִרְאָה וּבִרְתֵת וּבְזִיעַ, אַף כָּאן בְּאֵימָה וּבְיִרְאָה וּבִרְתֵת וּבְזִיעַ 

Just as Moson Torah was in reverence, fear, quaking, and trembling, so too Torah must be studied with reverence, fear, quaking, and trembling.

We see it’s not merely about learning more or diligently studying. Rather, Chazal learned from Moson Torah that it is about how one learns—with reverence, fear, quaking, and trembling. 

On the other hand, R’ Yisroel emphasizes the need to be so free in your thinking that you don’t even concern yourself with whether something is true or not. The pursuit of knowledge should be enjoyable, interesting, and approached with an open mind. Otherwise, your ability to comprehend will be hindered. True learning can only occur when approached with this freedom.

There seems to be a contradiction here, as learning under pressure inhibits our ability to think. It appears that we must learn with fear and reverence while also maintaining our freedom and openness of thought. How is that possible? 

It must be that Yireh doesn’t mean pressure, although pressure can arise when severe consequences are attached to our actions. Let’s examine how Yireh is built according to R’ Yisroel. We will discover that we have been interpreting it incorrectly, rendering it inapplicable to our lives.

In Michtav Vov, Rabbi Yisroel discusses this concept of Yireh. The essence of a person lies in their ability to experience both tremendous pain and oneg – pleasure. This holds true even after one’s soul has departed from the body. It serves as the foundation for שכר ועונש.

At first glance, Yiras Ha’Oinesh is necessary because we struggle to identify with Kiyum Mitzvahs or not doing Aveirehs. However, we must do it anyway, otherwise we will be punished and thrown into the blazing fire. Now you say ”Ah, this is something I can relate to. I can feel this. It is unpleasant, and I do not desire it.”

If that’s the case, what does it imply about our current state? I can only relate to the punishment. In the Kiyum Mitzvahs I don’t find myself. The punishment is there to compel me to engage in something that feels foreign, even when lacking a sense of connection. That’s what is called Yiras Ha’Oinesh. Truthfully, we know for sure that the mitzvahs do fit us, but that will only reveal itself in the Olam Ha’Bo. For now we just better do what we are told and don’t think about anything, only about our Yiras Shomayim. You must do it, and that’s just the way it is.

However, this reality can be unpleasant, as we may find ourselves forced to act in ways that seem incongruent with our nature. These actions may feel unfitting, and we may lack the motivation to carry them out. It is possible that our aversion to Yiras Shomayim stems from our perception that punishment is used as a means to enforce certain behaviors despite our reluctance or lack of connection.

And now comes R’ Yisroel with an unbelievable revelation. He says, you know what? You have to work first on what you’ll be punished the most – which are the places where it’s the easiest for you to do. That is what קשה עונשו של לבן יותר מעונשו של תכלת means. The Borei Olam is stricter with you in these areas – you’ll be thrown into the furnace with a hotter fire or for a longer time. Therefore, we should focus on the areas that are easier and closer to us. 

It sounds like he wants to motivate those who are overwhelmed by the difficulty of fulfilling all the mitzvahs. Who is able to do all of that? So don’t despair because I found out this astounding revelation, this unbelievable epiphany that fell into my head from shomayim: where it’s easy for you, there is the biggest punishment; therefore, focus your work on these areas. 

If you learn R’ Yisroel like this, then all these things are basically unconnected. Where are you? In the punishment – which is very unpleasant – but not in the mitzveh. And out of the blue R’ Yisroel comes and says, I have a chidush. The main punishment is where you are close. So it’s more worthwhile to work there because you’ll save yourself from the biggest punishment. 

So I don’t accept it. I’m not accepting that it is only motivation and encouragement for the despondent. I want to learn R’ Yisroel in a way which could help us in our work, even though it might be a new way of looking at it. 

R’ Yisroel doesn’t give us a simple eitzeh; it is actually a very deep insight about Yireh. Yiras Shomayim doesn’t want your performance. Yiras Shomayim wants you. Where are you? You are in the lovon of the tzitzis. In the Techeiles is your money. Why don’t you make the Techeiles? Because it’s expensive, and in the current economic climate it’s just not relevant; I can’t afford Techeiles now. So where is the problem? The problem lies with your money. 

But if you say, I don’t do tzitzis at all – even the lovon – because I don’t feel like it; then you get the oinesh. Because lovon is very easy, to the extent the Rashbo says it’s enough to just take one string out of your clothes, and that’s it. Even though we don’t hold like the Rashbo, it still highlights how cheap and easy it is. You’re not going to have to put in a lot of money. So why don’t you put the lovon? Because you are not interested in the mitzvos.

Now this is the Yireh. Yireh wants you. You see, that’s a מהפכה. It is a revolutionary concept, as we typically perceive Yireh as a force that compels us to engage in actions that are alien to us, actions that we do not identify with. 

However, according to our current understanding, Yireh operates differently. Yireh motivates us to explore and find ways to connect to the mitzvehs. That’s what the true demand of Yireh is. It urges us to establish a mehalach, a personal approach to each mitzveh, even if we currently perceive it as strange and distant, lacking any relevance to our lives. Yireh seeks to unearth our shayches, our inherent connection to that which we deemed unfamiliar. It is not about forcing us to work in a manner that feels foreign; rather, Yireh seeks to unveil our inherent connection to those aspects, and that might be in the easy part of the mitzveh – the lovon of the tzizis for example.

R’ Yisroel emphasizes that the core essence of Yiras Shomayim lies in the areas that are close to us, not those that are distant. What is wanted is our mehalach and keilim – a unique approach with our personal abilities and connection to the mitzvos. This is what is truly wanted by Yiras Shomayim, nothing else.

That’s why Yiras Shomayim does not impose pressure or create pain. On the contrary, it is a genuinely sincere concept. It is so sincere that when we fail to fulfill our obligations, we will inevitably experience the consequences. However, this does not create pressure because we have a way to deal with it.

[Truthfully, this insight brought me the greatest simcha. Why? Because I have discovered the method to genuinely and earnestly confront the demand for Yiras Shomayim without deceiving myself constantly. Admittedly, the consequences of our actions may be severe, but this does not paralyze me, as I have developed my own approach where it is close to me.]

The whole point of the demand is that you should find a way to deal with it. But it seems like our generation is weak in this regard. When a demand is placed upon us, it often induces only one response: pressure with all that it implies.

It could be that former generations dealt with demand successfully because they were very creative people.  One cannot deny their immense creativity especially when it came to their approach to learning Torah and kiyum mitzvos. They were incredibly innovative thinkers in Torah, despite being educated in a very rigid manner. That is how a healthy individual responds to demand, you find your own way to deal with it.

Unfortunately, we have lost that. When demands are placed on us, we react inappropriately, succumbing to the pressure and immediately trying to fulfill the entire demand. We neglect to seek our own mehalach, a personal approach to handling it. 

To illustrate that, I occasionally encounter individuals who, instead of listening, are always taking notes and writing the whole time. I’m not a big fan of that. I hold that when you focus on taking notes, you don’t really listen. Your ears are good enough, that what I speak should go in and stick there for half an hour – at the very least. After half an hour you can write, if you really feel the need; not throughout the va’ad. You can listen. There’s a hole there. And this hole means that it goes into somewhere where you have a brain, I hope.So people today write, and write, and write, but I hate it. So once in a while I might say, I think all the people who are writing during the va’ad are worthless. I can say something like this. 

So I have very religious people listening to me. And when they hear that I don’t hold of writing, they make a point to sit near me during the va’ad, ostentatiously abstaining from writing anything. You know what happens then? Then I really hate them. People nowadays tend to just take things at face value. 

Do you really think I want to make anyone strictly follow the rules? I want you to reflect on why you feel compelled to write instead of listening, and contemplate what you can do about it. With time, you will discover your own approach to listening to shiurim without losing anything. But it should be your way, a path that you find for yourself. 

But today that’s gone, for reasons I’m not sure of yet. Not only by the punishment for our actions, even when someone demands something of you. You can’t accept that there is an option that he demands something, but not immediately, because then you feel like you are not religious. No, then you are religious. If you do it immediately, then you are stupid. You have to find out and contemplate what is the drisha – the demand, and you find your way to address it. 

Ideally, that should be our response. However, demands often lead to pressure or other misguided reactions. For example, when one is in a kollel or among bochurim, he is sometimes required to present a chabureh, a shiur. It is a common occurrence that someone who is scheduled to deliver one might claim  “I have nothing worthwhile to discuss.”

Now let’s say that I refuse to accept that. I demand that even if you have nothing to say, you will stand before the group and simply read the Gemoreh and Rashi. Let that be your chabureh. I don’t care if you feel embarrassed; you must say something for at least half an hour. 

So now, you are pressured by me. Otherwise, I’ll throw you out of the kollel and won’t pay you anymore. This is a big pressure. You have to begin to write your chabureh. As time goes on, the pressure intensifies, from 500 kilos to a ton, and then two tons, and three tons. And you still don’t know what to say. And it’s a hard sugya and the pressure becomes four tons and then five tons. 

Suddenly this heavy load produces a nonsensical idea. You don’t have enough time to really think whether it’s correct or not, but you fix it up a little before giving it over. And then there is usually a nudnik in the crowd, who will ask the simple question you didn’t see out of pressure, and then your whole chabureh just falters, finished. That is a very familiar scenario. Demand does these things. Either it creates pressure or it creates nonsense.

However, that is not how it should be. Demand should not create neither pressure nor nonsense. Demand creates a הכרח – a sense of obligation, and that obligation should naturally inspire you to rise up to the challenge and find your personal way to deal with it. That’s what קשה עונשו של לבן יותר משל תכלת means according to R’ Yisroel. it is where it’s close to you is the biggest הכרח, because that’s what is expected from you. 

But in our case, demand doesn’t evoke that – we do not operate in that way. This is our predicament, and perhaps it is our deepest problem: demand no longer leads to results. We have lost our creativity. We no longer think in a creative manner. That is a very weak position for us to be in.

We can see that In the various approaches to education today. As we want to educate with Torah, we must recognize that we cannot simply import external methods. However, it may be worthwhile to examine certain experiments to gain insights into the present reality.

One such experiment involved two groups of children who were presented with progressively challenging problems across four stages. However, the two groups were exposed to these problems using different approaches. The first group was told, “Since you successfully completed stages one, two, and three, you can certainly handle stage four as well. You must be capable of doing it.” This approach emphasized demand and pressure.

On the other hand, the second group was presented with the idea that by successfully navigating the first three stages, they had already demonstrated the ability to find solutions. Therefore, it encouraged them to explore and find their own approach to tackle problem four.

The results of the experiment were remarkable. The first group, subjected to pressure, quickly gave up and made little progress. Conversely, the second group persisted and made significant advancements because they were empowered to create their own methods. 

I believe that this experiment demonstrates where we stand today. Many years ago, under pressure, we acted similarly to the second group. We tried harder. However, in our present context, pressure does not yield the same results. If pressure leads to increased creativity and progress for some individuals, that is commendable. However, based on what I have observed, pressure often produces discouragement and mediocrity. I found that pressure tends to create individuals who merely perform tasks, rather than nurturing true human growth.

What is the eitza then? Giving up on Yiras Shomayim is not the answer; I disagree with that 100%. No, the eitza is to create the mehalachim – the strategies – beforehand. You have to think about your personal approach to learning, to davening. You have to know what actions one should take to create something meaningful in learning. 

How do you approach learning? Do you simply wait for inspiration to strike you from shomayim, or do you know how to approach and engage with a sugya so that something constructive can come out? Doesn’t matter big or small – as long as something emerges. There are people who know how to do that; they know how to learn.

The first posuk of Krias Shemah is a good example. It is a big demand, as you have to be מכוון, otherwise you are not yotzei and must repeat the Krias Shemah. How does one usually go about that? You are just forcing yourself to be מכוון here. You push yourself to only think about the Kiras Shema and nothing else. Yet, it is unbelievable how weak we are; by the middle of the posuk we already lose the kavoneh. It’s unbelievable. Once in a while you think: “What’s happening with me? Why can’t I be mechaven for even one posuk?!”

We approach the demands of the Borei Olam like little children. The only tool we have is forcefully deciding to have kavoneh, and that will not help us at all. The way to deal with it is to contemplate what are the actions you have to take in order to cultivate kavoneh. Maybe you have to be מצייר את המילים – to visualize the words, or sit and position your feet in a certain way. There are many different things you might do.

And when you know what to do, then there is absolutely no pressure. There is an incredible joy in presenting your keilim – your abilities, your mehalchim – your personal approaches, and working with them to grow. And then Yireh becomes a source of personal growth, not a crushing force. 

You see? It’s completely the other way around. Normally, you would think Yireh crushes you in order you should perform the task which is not מתאים for you. Please just forget everything and put yourself aside, and focus solely on the punishments of Gehenom; if you need some inspiration on how terrible it is, Hieronymus Bosch painted it with an unbelievably terrifying and dreadful imagination only a goy could have…

So it’s better to perform the task even if it doesn’t come naturally to you. You set yourself aside and act mechanically or in any way you can. It doesn’t matter if you hold by it or not. The main point is, you do it to avoid that terrible furnace.

No, that’s not what the Borei Olam wants from you. The Borei Olam wants you. That’s exactly what he wants. But he wants you to grow your keilim, your abilities. This is what demand should achieve. 

You see this is the point missing today because according to our modern educational system, anyone educated 150 years ago and before should have been crushed or mentally ill; there were only machines going on. However, you simply can not say that. They were creative, innovative, healthy people. They were great, even though they were educated rigidly with an iron stick, because that created constructive and creative answers. 

By us, it no longer does that. So we have to put the creative answer beforehand. We have to be aware of that own creative mehalech before the mitzveh and before the chiyuv kicks in. You have to learn, but you have to know what to do. And then this demand does not create any negative pressure, only simcheh.

The Rabeinu Yona in Brochos [21.a] says:

אע”פ שאצל בשר ודם היראה והשמחה הם דבר והפכו, שבשעה שהאדם מפחד מזולתו הוא עומד נרתע ודואג, [יראת] הקב”ה איננו כן אדרבה כשהאדם מתבונן בגדולתו וירא מפניו ישמח ויגיל באותה יראה מפני שבאמצעותה מתעורר לקיים המצוות 

The difference between Yireh from humans and from the Borei Olam is that fear from humans makes you נרתע – paralyzed and דואג – bewildered and befuddled. But the Yiras Hashem doesn’t do that because when you are really in fear of the Borei Olam you’ll be b’simcheh because the Yireh will make you do the right things. 

You see? The Yireh makes you do the right things. It does not paralyze or alienate you. It impels you to find your connection to the mitzvos. We are missing this very basic and fundamental concept, and that’s why we are not able to relate to Yiras Shomayim in the way it is mentioned in the seforim. But according to what we speak today, it is the biggest simcha in the world because I am able to relate to what the seforim say without having to make some artificial construct that is some sophisticated idea, and not literally pain. 

No. When the seforim say pain it means real pain, the way Chazal and all the Rishonim say. But what is wanted from that? It’s there where I know what to do – where I am close. That is the location I have to contemplate, and it will make me grow. 

I think we see this concept in Rashi [Bereshis 1:6]:

“יהי רקיע”. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲדַיִן לַחִים הָיוּ וְנִּקָרְשׁוּ מִגַּעֲרַת הַקָּבָּ”ה.

Rashi explains that the רקיע was initially created with a degree of flexibility, like jelly. It was moist and pliable, lacking a distinct form. However, the phrase “נקרשו מגערת הקב”ה” suggests that the rakia later congealed.

It is important to note that it does not say that the rakia was created through the גערתו של מקום. Instead, it uses the term “נקרש” to describe a transformation to a solidified state. This implies that a form was present initially, albeit in a flexible and not fully defined manner. The גערתו של מקום – hearing the powerful rebuke of the Borei Olam, which according to R’ Yeruchem will result in Yiras Shomayim – strengthens and solidifies this existing form. 

However, it is crucial to recognize that a form must exist beforehand. Without a pre-existing form, there can be no solidification. The term נקרשו typically denotes a substance similar to jelly. It signifies the presence of a form, indicating that the previously flexible entity has now lost its pliability. Thus, your form must be present before hand, and the גערתו של מקום defines and provides it with strength. 

This is the essence of Yiras Shomayim. In a healthy torahdig individual, this tremendous rigidity of the Borei Olam, this unbelievably strong and unwavering demand – is there in order to create your own personal response. All the seforim emphasize that Yiras Shomayim creates keilim. It forces you to create new abilities to deal with the demands of the Borei Olam. 

So in our generation, we can’t rely on the demand alone to do so, as that leads to pressure which is counterproductive. But we don’t want to create pressure, we want to create a mehalach. So we have to contemplate the mehalach beforehand. Once we have found our own personal approach, then the demand and pressure makes it strong and defined. 

You have to find your strategies on how to deal with mitzvos or torah. This is particularly relevant in torah learning where you have to understand, there isn’t an easy way out in torah. Torah is an endeavor that demands sincerity, fear and reverence, and must be taken with the knowledge that it is something way above us. We cannot treat it lightly, as it is something beyond our reach. However, it should inspire us to develop our own method of engagement, and then we can approach it in an easy way while still respecting its significance.

[Question from the crowd: Does Yireh demonstrate the importance of the reality you engage with?]

That could be one aspect of it—the realization of its importance. The measure of the oinesh always reflects the significance of an action.

Question from the crowd: Even without considering importance, does Yireh reveal the reality of what you engage with?

Rabbi Yisroel explains that every aveirah carries a corresponding oinesh, which indicates its importance in the eyes of the Borei Olam. Shabbos, for example, is highly esteemed by Hashem, resulting in severe consequences such as kores or even misseh. The severity of punishment reflects the importance attached to the aveirah.

And it’s the most important thing where it’s the closest to you. That’s the R’ Yisroel. You see, it’s like a new way of thinking. I always thought that this R’ Yisroel is a way to take you out of the yiush. No, it reveals what the Borei Olam wants.]

When Yiras Shomayim becomes a source of growth rather than a force that crushes us, we realize the profound wisdom of Chazal. It is a cause of immense simcheh that we have regained this crucial element of Avodas Hashem, as nothing could be more significant. It is regrettable that we had prematurely given up on it, and we cannot afford to continue down that path. Therefore, this holds tremendous significance for our own personal growth and the education of our children. It is a whole sugya that requires careful and extensive contemplation.