One, that the Divine presence (Shechina), blessed be He, is found in every place in the world and [two] that G-d watches over all things, small or great. Nothing is hidden from His sight, neither due to its greatness nor due to its smallness. Rather the great matter and the small matter, the lowly and the honorable, He sees and understands without any distinction.
This is what scripture says: "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3), and "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" (Yirmiyahu 23:24), and "Who is like the L-rd, our G-d, enthroned on high, who stoops to look down on the heavens and the earth?" (Tehilim 113:5-6), and "though the L-rd is high, yet He sees the lowly, and the proud He knows from afar" (Tehilim 138:6).
Once it has become clear to a person that wherever he is, he is standing before the Divine Presence, blessed be He, then the fear will come of itself and the dread lest he stumble in his actions, such that they are not befitting of His exalted honor.
This is what our sages said: "Know what is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are inscribed in a book" (Avot 2:1). For since the Holy One, blessed be He, watches over every thing, and He sees everything and hears everything, certainly every action will leave an impression. And all of them are inscribed in a book, whether for merit or for debt (punishment).
However, this picture is not formed well in a person's mind, except through diligent contemplation and great reflection. For since the matter is far from our senses, the mind can only picture it after much thought and consideration. And even after the mind pictures it, the picture will easily be lost unless he is very diligent in [maintaining] it.
Thus, we see that just like much contemplation is the way to acquire constant fear, so too interruption of thought and idleness of study is its greatest detriment, whether this is due to preoccupations or will - every interruption of thought is a nullification of the constant fear.
This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded the king: "And the Torah shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear the L-rd, his G-d" (Devarim 17:19). This teaches that the fear is only learned by uninterrupted study.
Note that the verse says: "so that he will learn to fear" and not "so that he will fear". Because since this fear is not attained naturally. On the contrary, it is kept far from him due to the corporeality of his senses. Thus, it can only be acquired through learning, and the only manner in which one may learn to fear is through great diligence in the study of the Torah and its ways without interruption. Namely, through contemplating and examining this matter always, when he sits and when he walks, when he lies down and when he rises, until the truth of the matter becomes implanted in his mind, that is, the truth that His Divine presence (Shechina) is present everywhere, and of our actually (mamash) standing before Him at all times, every moment. Then he will fear G-d in truth.
בְּדֶרֶךְ קְנִיַּת הַיִּרְאָה
אַךְ דֶּרֶךְ קְנִיַּת הַיִּרְאָה הַזֹּאת הוּא הַהִתְבּוֹנֵן עַל שְׁנֵי עִנְיָנִים אֲמִתִּיִּים:
The way to acquire this type of fear is through contemplation on two true matters:
הָאֶחָד הוּא, הֱיוֹת שְׁכִינָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ נִמְצֵאת בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם וְשֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרַךְ מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל כָּל דָּבָר קָטָן וְגָדוֹל אֵין נִסְתָּר מִנֶּגֶד עֵינָיו, לֹא מִפְּנֵי גֹּדֶל הַנּוֹשֵׂא, וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי פְּחִיתוּתוֹ, אֶלָּא הַדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל וְהַדָּבָר הַקָּטָן הַנִּקְלֶה וְהַנִּכְבָּד הוּא רוֹאֶה וְהוּא מֵבִין בְּלִי הֶפְרֵשׁ.
One, that the Divine presence (Shechina), blessed be He, is found in every place in the world and [two] that G-d watches over all things, small or great. Nothing is hidden from His sight, neither due to its greatness nor due to its smallness. Rather the great matter and the small matter, the lowly and the honorable, He sees and understands without any distinction.
הוּא מָה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיה ו:ג): מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה כג:כד): הֲלֹא אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא. וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים קיג:ו): מִי כַּה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת בַּשָּׁמַיִם וּבָאָרֶץ. וְאוֹמֵר (תהילים קלח:ו): כִּי רָם ה' וְשָׁפָל יִרְאֶה וְגָבֹהַּ מִמֶּרְחָק יְיֵדָע.
This is what scripture says: "the whole earth is full of His glory" (Isaiah 6:3), and "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" (Yirmiyahu 23:24), and "Who is like the L-rd, our G-d, enthroned on high, who stoops to look down on the heavens and the earth?" (Tehilim 113:5-6), and "though the L-rd is high, yet He sees the lowly, and the proud He knows from afar" (Tehilim 138:6).
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיִּתְבָּרֵר לוֹ שֶׁבְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהוּא, הוּא עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי שְׁכִינָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, אָז מֵאֵלֶיהָ תָּבוֹא בּוֹ הַיִּרְאָה וְהַפַּחַד פֶּן יִכָּשֵׁל בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ כָּרָאוּי לְפִי רוֹמְמוּת כְּבוֹדוֹ.
Once it has become clear to a person that wherever he is, he is standing before the Divine Presence, blessed be He, then the fear will come of itself and the dread lest he stumble in his actions, such that they are not befitting of His exalted honor.
וְהוּא מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ (פרקי אבות ב:א): דַּע מָה לְמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַּסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִים, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַשְׁגָּחַת הקב"ה עַל כָּל דָּבָר, וְהוּא רוֹאֶה הַכֹּל, וְשׁוֹמֵעַ הַכֹּל, וַדַּאי שֶׁכָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים יִהְיוּ עוֹשִׂים רֹשֶׁם, וְכֻלָּם נִכְתָּבִים בַּסֵּפֶר אִם לִזְכוּת אוֹ לְחוֹבָה.
This is what our sages said: "Know what is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are inscribed in a book" (Avot 2:1). For since the Holy One, blessed be He, watches over every thing, and He sees everything and hears everything, certainly every action will leave an impression. And all of them are inscribed in a book, whether for merit or for debt (punishment).
וְאָמְנָם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֵינוֹ מִצְטַיֵּר הֵיטֵב בְּשֵׂכֶל הָאָדָם, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי הַתְמָדַת הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת וְהַהִסְתַּכְּלוּת הַגָּדוֹל, כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַדָּבָר רָחוֹק מֵחוּשֵׁינוּ לֹא יְצַיְּרֵהוּ הַשֵּׂכֶל אֶלָּא אַחַר רוֹב הָעִיּוּן וְהַהַשְׁקָפָה, וְגַם אַחַר שֶׁיְּצַיְּרֵהוּ יָסוּר הַצִּיּוּר מִמֶּנּוּ בְּנָקֵל אִם לֹא יַתְמִיד עָלָיו הַרְבֵּה.
However, this picture is not formed well in a person's mind, except through diligent contemplation and great reflection. For since the matter is far from our senses, the mind can only picture it after much thought and consideration. And even after the mind pictures it, the picture will easily be lost unless he is very diligent in [maintaining] it.
וְנִמְצָא שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁרֹב הַהִתְבּוֹנֵן הוּא הַדֶּרֶךְ לִקְנוֹת הַיִּרְאָה הַתְּמִידִית, כֵּן הֶסֵּחַ הַדַּעַת וּבִטּוּל הָעִיּוּן הוּא הַמַּפְסִיד הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁלָּהּ, יִהְיֶה מֵחֲמַת טְרָדוֹת אוֹ בְּרָצוֹן, כָּל הֶסֵּחַ דַּעַת בִּטּוּל הוּא לַיִּרְאָה הַתְּמִידִית.
Thus, we see that just like much contemplation is the way to acquire constant fear, so too interruption of thought and idleness of study is its greatest detriment, whether this is due to preoccupations or will - every interruption of thought is a nullification of the constant fear.
הוּא מָה שֶׁצִּוָּה הקב"ה אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ (דברים יז:יט): וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו לְמַעַן יִלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהָיו. הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֵין הַיִּרְאָה נִלְמֶדֶת אֶלָּא מִן הַקְּרִיאָה הַבִּלְתִּי נִפְסֶקֶת.
This is what the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded the king: "And the Torah shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear the L-rd, his G-d" (Devarim 17:19). This teaches that the fear is only learned by uninterrupted study.
וּתְדַקְדֵּק שֶׁאָמַר לְמַעַן יִלְמַד לְיִרְאָה, וְלֹא אָמַר לְמַעַן יִירָא, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הַיִּרְאָה הַזֹּאת מֻשֶּׂגֶת בְּטֶבַע, כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא רְחוֹקָה הִיא מִמֶּנּוּ מִפְּנֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת הַחוּשִׁים, וְאֵינָהּ נִקְנֵית אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי לִמּוּד, וְאֵין לִמּוּד לְיִרְאָה אֶלָּא בְּרוֹב הַהַתְמָדָה בַּתּוֹרָה וּדְרָכֶיהָ בְּלִי הֶפְסֵק, וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הָאָדָם מִתְבּוֹנֵן וּמְעַיֵּן בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה תָּמִיד בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ, בְּלֶכְתּוֹ, בְּשָׁכְבוֹ, וּבְקוּמוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּקְבַּע בְּדַעְתּוֹ אֲמִתַּת הַדָּבָר, דְּהַיְנוּ: אֲמִתַּת הִמָּצֵא שְׁכִינָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וֶהֱיוֹתֵנוּ עוֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו מַמָּשׁ בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל שָׁעָה, וְאָז יִירָא אוֹתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת.
Note that the verse says: "so that he will learn to fear" and not "so that he will fear". Because since this fear is not attained naturally. On the contrary, it is kept far from him due to the corporeality of his senses. Thus, it can only be acquired through learning, and the only manner in which one may learn to fear is through great diligence in the study of the Torah and its ways without interruption. Namely, through contemplating and examining this matter always, when he sits and when he walks, when he lies down and when he rises, until the truth of the matter becomes implanted in his mind, that is, the truth that His Divine presence (Shechina) is present everywhere, and of our actually (mamash) standing before Him at all times, every moment. Then he will fear G-d in truth.
וְהוּא מָה שֶׁהָיָה דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ מִתְפַּלֵּל וְאוֹמֵר (תהלים פו:יא): הוֹרֵנִי ה' דַּרְכֶּךָ אֲהַלֵּךְ בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ יַחֵד לְבָבִי לְיִרְאָה שְׁמֶךָ.
This is what king David prayed for saying: "teach me Your way, O L-rd; I shall walk in Your truth. Unify my heart to fear Your Name"(Tehilim 86:11)