{"id":1157,"date":"2020-11-08T15:18:08","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T15:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/?page_id=1157"},"modified":"2020-11-14T21:12:05","modified_gmt":"2020-11-14T21:12:05","slug":"the-journey-of-the-soul-yirah","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/soul\/the-journey-of-the-soul-yirah","title":{"rendered":"The Journey of the Soul – Yirah 4"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Journey of the Soul 4<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Part 4<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e4\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e4\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d3 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b6\u05da\u05b8<\/span><\/p>\n

A-dnai sifatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilatecha<\/em>\u2014<\/span><\/p>\n

G\u2011d, Open my lips, that my mouth can declare Your praise<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea<\/span><\/p>\n

Yirat (Fear\/Awe)<\/span><\/p>\n

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What of man?\u00a0 He is weak like a worm, overwhelmed with toil and an unending workload.\u00a0 Because of this, his mind is confused and his intellect thick and he gratefully slumbers in the beckoning arms of laziness.\u00a0 Through the siren call of base desires, he is stricken with blindness and confusion.\u00a0 How can he face his enemy and not fall slain at his feet in the heat of battle?\u00a0 What is the strategy to end the raging war against the evil inclination, and the secret to stop the spirit of desire that roars unendingly like a churning sea?\u00a0 Man\u2019s only hope is to fortify himself with the Fear of the Almighty G-d and His Punishment.\u00a0 This fear is an impregnable fortress that can deliver him from every enemy and attack.\u00a0 It is mighty enough to bind his desires and prevent the evil intentions of his heart from bursting into a destructive rampage.\u00a0 Only it can serve as a valorous right arm to still the wild tempest of the evil inclination and allow man to emerge victorious in battle.\u00a0 All of this was revealed to us by the wisest of men, Shlomo HaMelech.\u00a0 It was he who taught us that the only effective weapon in the battle against the yetzer hara is the FEAR OF HASHEM, like arrow in an archer\u2019s quiver.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ohr Yisrael\u00a0 The classic writings of Rav Yisrael Salanter and his disciple Rave Yitzchak Blazer\u00a0 Targum\/Feldheim Page 70<\/span><\/p>\n

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The word YIRAT in Hebrew links two English words.\u00a0 One is Fear.\u00a0 The other is Awe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iyov (Job) 28.28<\/span><\/p>\n

\u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b8\u05d3\u05b8\u05dd \u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05d9\u05b4\u05e8\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05ea \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b4\u05d9\u05d0 \u05d7\u05b8\u05db\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b0\u05e1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e8 \u05de\u05b5\u05e8\u05b8\u05e2 \u05d1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d4<\/span><\/p>\n

And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the L-rd, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. Iyov (Job) 28.28<\/span><\/p>\n

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The sum of the matter when all has been considered:\u00a0 Fear (Yirat Elokim) G-d and (everything from Alef to Tav) keep His Mitzvotav (Commandments).<\/span><\/p>\n

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Job chose to challenge G-d demonstrating his loyalty to G-d.\u00a0 As we studied before<\/span><\/p>\n

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Learning, studying Torah opens our hearts and minds to the\u00a0 TRUTH.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fear (Awe) of G-d and the determination to turn from evil and do good are necessary prerequisites for the acquisition of wisdom and understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So how does one acquire Awe of HaShem?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Everything is in the hand of heaven except the fear of heaven \u2013 All man\u2019s qualities are fixed by nature, but his moral character depends on his own choice.\u00a0 Talmud Berachot 33b<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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If children are brought up with some spiritual training it is easier for them to understand right from wrong.\u00a0 When my grandson was young and participated in sports there were no winners or losers.\u00a0 Everyone got a trophy.\u00a0 That just teaches the wrong message.\u00a0 Some children today have no concept of right and wrong so they would not be afraid to do something that is morally wrong.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Is G-d a god of Judgement?\u00a0\u00a0 YES!!!\u00a0 Look at the Torah. Adam and Chava were expelled from Gan Eden because they disobeyed the command to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and because the fruit they ate was not theirs, they stole it.\u00a0 Enoch walked with G-d; G-d took him from this sinful world.\u00a0 Noach and his family were saved from a depraved generation who only thought of themselves and their pleasures.\u00a0 The world was destroyed because G-d Judged it to be unredeemable.\u00a0 Abraham lived during a time when Noach was still alive yet he had a heart that sought TRUTH.\u00a0 He was not satisfied with the answers he was given about who were actually the creator of creation.<\/span><\/p>\n

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We need to become like Abraham and seek Truth.\u00a0 Abraham began the world of Tikkum.\u00a0 Tikkum Olam means to fix or repair<\/em><\/strong> the world as we know it.\u00a0 The Torah contains both an internal and external aspect.\u00a0 The internal of the Torah deals with the spiritual worlds and our souls.\u00a0 These mitzvoth have the power to unify (repair) the spiritual worlds.\u00a0 They have the power to draw down G-dliness.\u00a0 The external deals with the physical world we live in.\u00a0 Each person and object has the potential of godliness.\u00a0 We are tasked with finding those sparks of godliness and elevating them by transforming evil to good.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If we have not fear<\/em><\/strong> of G-d why would we even care to start such a journey?\u00a0 Fear of punishment, Divine Judgement in this world and after death must be part of each and every moment we live.\u00a0 Only then can we understand and acquire awe<\/em><\/strong> of G-d.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In Parshah Lech Lecha Abraham was told to go, get out of from your country, and from your family, and from your father\u2019s house, to a land that I will Show you<\/em><\/strong>. Bereishit (Genesis) 12.1<\/span><\/p>\n

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We must do the same.\u00a0 We must get out of ourselves and place ourselves in front of HaShem each and every day to do Cheshbon ha Nefesh.\u00a0 We must do an accounting of our soul for that day in order to acquire Fear and Awe<\/em><\/strong> of G-d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bereishit (Genesis) 9.2<\/span><\/p>\n

\u05d5\u05bc\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b7\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d7\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05b6\u05dd<\/span><\/p>\n

And your fear \u2013 and dread \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Bereishit (Genesis) 9.2<\/span><\/p>\n

Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 4.34<\/span><\/p>\n

\u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05d0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b9\u05ea \u05d5\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e4\u05b0\u05ea\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd<\/span><\/p>\n

And in wonders(awe) \u2013 and in war\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 4.34<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Blessings and Peace<\/span><\/p>\n

Rebbetzin Revi<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Journey of the Soul 4 Part 4 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u05d0\u05b2\u05d3\u05b9\u05e0\u05b8\u05d9 \u05e9\u05b0\u05c2\u05e4\u05b8\u05ea\u05b7\u05d9 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e4\u05b0\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05d7 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e4\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b7\u05d2\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d3 \u05ea\u05b0\u05bc\u05d4\u05b4\u05dc\u05b8\u05bc\u05ea\u05b6\u05da\u05b8 A-dnai sifatai tiftach, ufi yagid tehilatecha\u2014 G\u2011d, Open my lips, that my mouth can…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":1155,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1157","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-mussar-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1157"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1253,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1157\/revisions\/1253"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/jewishpath.org\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}