It is the case, as we see empirically, that as soon as a person wants to follow the path of the upright, he is beset by harsh judgments. Reason would dictate otherwise.
However, fear of God has two forms: fear of punishment and fear of [His] exaltedness. Fear of punishment is called justice. Fear of [His] exaltedness is called faith; he fears Him because he believes wholeheartedly that God is “Master and Ruler and the Supreme Source of all the worlds” (Zohar I, 11b) .
Now, it is known that faith cannot be attained except by means of fear of punishment. Because he fears punishment, he believes that God is powerful, masterful and omnipotent. And through this he attains greater faith.
Thus it is that as soon as a person wishes to follow the path of the upright, he must possess the fear called justice. <Justice is an aspect of harsh judgments, as in> “He judges the world with justice” (Psalms 9:9). Therefore, harsh judgments are aroused against him. Nevertheless, <afterwards, once he has progressed from level to level and attained the aspect of > faith, all the harsh judgments are then <eliminated and> mitigated at their source.
6
וְזֶהוּ:
2. This is the meaning of [the opening verse]: {“Give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham.”}
Give truth to Yaakov—In other words, to fear. For YaAKoV signifies fear, as connoted by “The ÆKeV (end product of) humility is fear of God” (Proverbs 22:4), <i.e., fear of [His] exaltedness>. Then certainly:
This is as it is written: “Justice will be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his waist” (Isaiah 11:5). [Yet this would imply that] justice is identical to faith. However, as long as it does not have truth bound to it, it is called justice. Once truth is bound to it, it is called faith. And then all good and all light reside in it (Zohar III, 198b) .
תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם (מיכה ז׳:כ׳):
“Give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham.” (Micah 7:20)
הָעִנְיָן הוּא, כִּי אָנוּ רוֹאִין בְּחוּשׁ תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁאָדָם רוֹצֶה לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר, מִתְעוֹרְרִין עָלָיו דִּינִים. וְהַסְּבָרָא הוּא לְהֵפֶךְ.
It is the case, as we see empirically, that as soon as a person wants to follow the path of the upright, he is beset by harsh judgments. Reason would dictate otherwise.
אַךְ, כִּי יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי יִרְאָה, יִרְאַת הָעֹנֶשׁ וְיִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת. יִרְאַת הָעֹנֶשׁ נִקְרָא צֶדֶק, וְיִרְאַת הָרוֹמְמוּת נִקְרָא אֱמוּנָה. כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא רַב וְשַׁלִּיט עִקָּרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא דְּכָל עָלְמִין, הוּא יָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ.
However, fear of God has two forms: fear of punishment and fear of [His] exaltedness. Fear of punishment is called justice. Fear of [His] exaltedness is called faith; he fears Him because he believes wholeheartedly that God is “Master and Ruler and the Supreme Source of all the worlds” (Zohar I, 11b) .
וְיָדוּעַ הוּא, כִּי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָבוֹא לֶאֱמוּנָה רַק עַל יְדֵי יִרְאַת הָעֹנֶשׁ. כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא יָרֵא מֵהָעֹנֶשׁ, מַאֲמִין שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הוּא תַּקִּיף וּבַעַל הַיְכֹלֶת וּבַעַל הַכֹּחוֹת כֻּלָּם, וּמִזֶּה בָּא לֶאֱמוּנָה יוֹתֵר גְּדוֹלָה.
Now, it is known that faith cannot be attained except by means of fear of punishment. Because he fears punishment, he believes that God is powerful, masterful and omnipotent. And through this he attains greater faith.
נִמְצָא, תֵּכֶף כְּשֶׁרוֹצֶה לֵילֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר, צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ יִרְאָה, הַנִּקְרָא צֶדֶק. וּבְצֶדֶק כְּתִיב (תהילים ט׳:ט׳): וְהוּא יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק – לְפִיכָךְ מִתְעוֹרְרִין עָלָיו הַדִּינִים. אַךְ כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל הָאֱמֶת, הַיְנוּ אֶל הַיִּרְאָה הַנִּקְרָא אֱמוּנָה, אָז כָּל הַדִּינִין נִמְתָּקִין בְּשָׁרְשָׁן.
Thus it is that as soon as a person wishes to follow the path of the upright, he must possess the fear called justice. <Justice is an aspect of harsh judgments, as in> “He judges the world with justice” (Psalms 9:9). Therefore, harsh judgments are aroused against him. Nevertheless, <afterwards, once he has progressed from level to level and attained the aspect of > faith, all the harsh judgments are then <eliminated and> mitigated at their source.
וְזֶהוּ:
2. This is the meaning of [the opening verse]: {“Give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham.”}
תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב – הַיְנוּ לְהַיִּרְאָה, כִּי יַעֲקֹב הוּא יִרְאָה, מִלְּשׁוֹן (משלי כ״ב:ד׳): עֵקֶב עֲנָוָה יִרְאַת ה'. אָז בְּוַדַּאי:
Give truth to Yaakov—In other words, to fear. For YaAKoV signifies fear, as connoted by “The ÆKeV (end product of) humility is fear of God” (Proverbs 22:4), <i.e., fear of [His] exaltedness>. Then certainly:
חֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם – כִּי אַבְרָהָם נִקְרָא מִי שֶׁבָּא לְדַבֵּק אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, מִלְּשׁוֹן אָבוֹא רָם.
kindness to Avraham—For anyone who comes to cleave to God is called AVRahaM, derived from AVo RaM (I will come to the Exalted One).
וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב (בזוהר בלק דף קצח:): וְהָיָה צֶדֶק אֵזוֹר מָתְנָיו וֶאֱמוּנָה אֵזוֹר חֲלָצָיו, הַיְנוּ צֶדֶק וְהַיְנוּ אֱמוּנָה, אֶלָּא עַד לָא אִתְחַבְּרַת אֱמֶת בַּהֲדָהּ אִקְרִי צֶדֶק, כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְחַבֵּר אֱמֶת בַּהֲדָהּ אִקְרִי אֱמוּנָה, וְכָל טִיבוּ וְכָל נְהוֹרָא שַׁרְיָא בָּהּ:
This is as it is written: “Justice will be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle of his waist” (Isaiah 11:5). [Yet this would imply that] justice is identical to faith. However, as long as it does not have truth bound to it, it is called justice. Once truth is bound to it, it is called faith. And then all good and all light reside in it (Zohar III, 198b) .