In the Beginning God created.1The remainder of this chapter is more in the style of the Ra’yah Mehemnah than of the Zohar. This contains the first precept of all, to wit, the fear of the Lord, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111, 10), as well as: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1, 7). It is the beginning and the gateway of faith, and on this precept the whole world is established.
There are three types of fear: two have no proper root, while the third is the real fear. There is the man who fears the Holy One, blessed be He, in order that his children may live and not die, or lest he be punished in his body or his possessions; and so he is in constant fear. Evidently this is not the genuine fear of God. Another man fears the Holy One, blessed be He, because he is afraid of punishment in the other world and the tortures of Gehinnom. This is a second type which is not genuine fear.
The genuine type is that which makes a man fear his Master because He is the mighty ruler, the rock and foundation of all worlds, before whom all existing things are as nought, as it has been said: “and all the inhabitants of the earth are as nought” (Dan. 4, 32), and place his goal in that spot which is called yir’ah (fear).
R. Simeon here wept and said: ‘Woe to me if I tell and woe to me if I do not tell! If I tell, then the wicked will know how to worship their Master; and if I do not tell, then the companions will be left in ignorance of this discovery. Corresponding to the “holy fear” there is an “evil fear” below which scourges and accuses, and which is a lash for punishing the wicked.
Now he whose fear is of punishment and accusation is not endowed with that fear of God which leads to life. The fear which rests upon him is that evil fear of the lash, but not the fear of the Lord.
For this reason the spot which is called “the fear of the Lord” is also called “the beginning of knowledge”. Hence this precept is laid down here, as it is the principle and root of all the other precepts of the Torah. He who cherishes fear observes the whole Torah, and he who does not cherish fear does not observe the other precepts of the Torah, since it is the gate of all.
Therefore it is written: Bereshith, through a beginning, that is, fear, God created heaven and earth. For he who transgresses this transgresses all the precepts of the Torah; and his punishment is to be scourged by the evil lash. This is implied in the words: “And the earth was chaos and confusion (tohu wabohu), and darkness was upon the face of the abyss.” This is an allusion to the four kinds of punishment which are meted out to the wicked:
tohu (chaos) alludes to strangulation, as it is written: “a line of (tohu) chaos” (Is. 34, 11), meaning a measuring cord. Bohu (confusion) alludes to stoning (“stones of confusion”, Ibid.) by the stones which are sunk in the great abyss for the punishment of the wicked; “Darkness” is burning, as it is written: “And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain did burn with fire,’ (Deut. 5, 20), also: “and the mountain burned with fire into the heart of heaven and darkness, etc. “(Ibid. 4, 11): this is the fire that rests on the heads of the wicked to consume them.
The “wind” alludes to beheading by the sword, which whirls round the wicked like a tempest, as it is said: “and the flaming sword which is turned every way” (Gen. 3, 24). These punishments are meted out to those who transgress the precepts of the Torah, and the words which allude to them follow immediately after the word “beginning”, which symbolises the fear of God, which is the summary of all the precepts. Then follow all the other precepts of the Torah.
בְּרִאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים. הֲדָא הִיא פִּקּוּדָא קַדְמָאָ"ה דְּכֹלָּא. וְאִקְרֵי פִּקּוּדָא דָא יִרְאַת ה' דְּאִקְרֵי רֵאשִׁית. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים קי״א:י׳) רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת יְיָ. (משלי א׳:ז׳) יִרְאַת יְיָ רֵאשִׁית דַּעַת. בְּגִין דְּמִלָּה דָא רֵאשִׁית אִקְרֵי. וְדָא אִיהִי תַּרְעָא לְאָעָלָא גוֹ מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְעַל פִּקּוּדָא דָא אִתְקְיַּים כָּל עָלְמָא.
In the Beginning God created.1The remainder of this chapter is more in the style of the Ra’yah Mehemnah than of the Zohar. This contains the first precept of all, to wit, the fear of the Lord, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 111, 10), as well as: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1, 7). It is the beginning and the gateway of faith, and on this precept the whole world is established.
יִרְאָה אִתְפְּרַשׁ לִתְלַת סִטְרִין. תְּרֵין מִנַּיְיהוּ לֵית בְּהוּ עִיקָרָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וְחַד עִיקָּרָא דְּיִרְאָה. אִית בַּר נַשׁ דְּדָחִיל מקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִין דְּיֵיחוֹן בְּנוֹהִּי וְלָא יְמוּתוּן. אוֹ דָּחִיל מֵעוֹנְשָׁא דְּגוּפֵיהּ אוֹ דְּמָמוֹנֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא דָּחִיל לֵיהּ תָּדִיר. אִשְׁתְּכַח יִרְאָה דְּאִיהוּ דָּחִיל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא שָׁוֵי לְעִקְּרָא. אִית בַּר נָשׁ דְּדָחִיל מִן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִין דְּדָחִיל מֵעוֹנָשָׁא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא וְעוֹנָשָׁא דְּגֵיהִנֹּם. תְּרֵין אִלֵּין לָאו עִיקָּרָא דְּיִרְאָה אִנּוּן וְשָׁרְשָׁא דִילֵיהּ.
There are three types of fear: two have no proper root, while the third is the real fear. There is the man who fears the Holy One, blessed be He, in order that his children may live and not die, or lest he be punished in his body or his possessions; and so he is in constant fear. Evidently this is not the genuine fear of God. Another man fears the Holy One, blessed be He, because he is afraid of punishment in the other world and the tortures of Gehinnom. This is a second type which is not genuine fear.
יִרְאָ"ה דְּאִיהִי עִקָּרָא, לְמִדְחַל בַּר נָשׁ לְמָארֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רַב וְשַׁלִּיט עִקָּרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא דְּכָל עָלְמִין וְכֹלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין. כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר (דניאל ד׳:ל״ב) וְכָל דָּיְירֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין. וּלְשַׁוְאָה רְעוּתֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי (נ"א ב) יִרְאָה.
The genuine type is that which makes a man fear his Master because He is the mighty ruler, the rock and foundation of all worlds, before whom all existing things are as nought, as it has been said: “and all the inhabitants of the earth are as nought” (Dan. 4, 32), and place his goal in that spot which is called yir’ah (fear).
בָּכָה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר וַוי אִי אֵימָא וַוי אִי לָא אֵימָא. אִי אֵימָא יִנְדְּעוּן חַיָּיבִין הֵיךְ יִפְלְחוּן לְמָארֵיהוֹן. אִי לָא אֵימָא יֹאבְדוּן חַבְרַיָּיא מִלָּה דָא. בְּאֲתַר דְּיִרְאָה קַדִּישָׁא שָׁרֵי, מִלְּרַע אִית יִרְאָה רָעָה דְּלָקֵי וּמָחֵי וּמְקַטְרֵג וְאִיהִי רְצוּעָה לְאַלְקָאָה חַיָּיבַיָּא.
R. Simeon here wept and said: ‘Woe to me if I tell and woe to me if I do not tell! If I tell, then the wicked will know how to worship their Master; and if I do not tell, then the companions will be left in ignorance of this discovery. Corresponding to the “holy fear” there is an “evil fear” below which scourges and accuses, and which is a lash for punishing the wicked.
וּמָאן דְּדָחִיל בְּגִין עוֹנֶשׁ דְּמַלְקְיוּתָא וְקִטְרוּגָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. לָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ הַהִיא יִרְאַת ה' דְּאִיקְרֵי יִרְאַת ה' לְחַיִּים. אֶלָּא מָאן שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ הַהִיא יִרְאָה רָעָה. וְאִשְׁתְּכַח דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ הַהִיא רְצוּעָה יִרְאָה רָעָה וְלא יִרְאַת ה'.
Now he whose fear is of punishment and accusation is not endowed with that fear of God which leads to life. The fear which rests upon him is that evil fear of the lash, but not the fear of the Lord.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ אֲתַר דְּאִקְרֵי יִרְאַת ה' רֵאשִׁית דַּעַת אִקְרֵי. וְעַל דָא אִתְכְּלִיל הָכָא פִּקּוּדָא דָּא. וְדָא עִקָּרָא וִיסוֹדָא לְכָל שְׁאָר פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. מָאן דְּנָטִיר יִרְאָה (דא) נָטִיר כֹּלָּא. לָא נָטִיר יִרְאָה לָא נָטִיר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּהָא דָא תַּרְעָא דְכֹלָּא.
For this reason the spot which is called “the fear of the Lord” is also called “the beginning of knowledge”. Hence this precept is laid down here, as it is the principle and root of all the other precepts of the Torah. He who cherishes fear observes the whole Torah, and he who does not cherish fear does not observe the other precepts of the Torah, since it is the gate of all.
וּבְגִין כַּךְ כְּתִיב בְּרֵאשִׁית דְּאִיהִי יִרְאָה, בָּרָא אֱלהִים אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ. דְּמָאן דְּעֲבַר עַל דָּא עֲבַר עַל פִּקּוּדֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְעוֹנְשָׁא דְּמָאן דְּעֲבַר עַל דָּא הַאי רְצוּעָה רָעָה אַלְקֵי לֵיהּ. וְהַיְינוּ וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחשֶׁךְ עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים. הָא אִלֵּין אַרְבַּע עוֹנָשִׁין לְאַעֲנָשָׁא בְּהוֹן חַיָּיבַיָּא.
Therefore it is written: Bereshith, through a beginning, that is, fear, God created heaven and earth. For he who transgresses this transgresses all the precepts of the Torah; and his punishment is to be scourged by the evil lash. This is implied in the words: “And the earth was chaos and confusion (tohu wabohu), and darkness was upon the face of the abyss.” This is an allusion to the four kinds of punishment which are meted out to the wicked:
תֹּהוּ דָּא חֶנֶק, דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיה לה) קַו תֹּהוּ (זכריה ב׳:ה׳) חֶבֶל מִדָּה. בֹּהוּ דָּא סְקִילָה, אַבְנִין דִּמְשׁוּקָעִין גּוֹ תְּהוֹמָא רַבָּא לְעוֹנְשָׁא דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא. וְחשֶׁךְ דָּא שְׂרֵיפָה, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ה׳:כ׳) וַיְהִי כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶם אֶת הַקּוֹל מִתּוֹךְ הַחשֶׁךְ (דברים ד׳:י״א) וְהָהָר בּוֹעֵר בָּאֵשׁ עַד לֵב הַשָּׁמַיִם חשֶׁךְ כו'. וְדָא אֶשָּׁא תַּקִּיפָא דְּעַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא שָׁרֵי לְאוֹקְדָא לוֹן.
tohu (chaos) alludes to strangulation, as it is written: “a line of (tohu) chaos” (Is. 34, 11), meaning a measuring cord. Bohu (confusion) alludes to stoning (“stones of confusion”, Ibid.) by the stones which are sunk in the great abyss for the punishment of the wicked; “Darkness” is burning, as it is written: “And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain did burn with fire,’ (Deut. 5, 20), also: “and the mountain burned with fire into the heart of heaven and darkness, etc. “(Ibid. 4, 11): this is the fire that rests on the heads of the wicked to consume them.
וְרוּחַ דָּא הֶרֶג בְּסַיָּיף. רוּחַ סְעָרָה חַרְבָּא מְשַׁנְּנָא הִיא מְלַהֲטָא בֵּיהּ. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (בראשית ג׳:כ״ד) וְאֶת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת וְאִקְרֵי רוּחַ. הַאי עוֹנָשָׁא לְמַאן דְּיַעֲבַר עַל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. וּכְתִיב לְבָתַר יִרְאָה, רֵאשִׁית, דְּאִיהִי כְּלָלָא דְּכֹלָּא. מִכָּאן וָהָלְאָה שְׁאָר פִּקּוּדִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
The “wind” alludes to beheading by the sword, which whirls round the wicked like a tempest, as it is said: “and the flaming sword which is turned every way” (Gen. 3, 24). These punishments are meted out to those who transgress the precepts of the Torah, and the words which allude to them follow immediately after the word “beginning”, which symbolises the fear of God, which is the summary of all the precepts. Then follow all the other precepts of the Torah.