THE FIRST COMMANDMENT
189. BERESHEET BARAH ELOKIM (In the beginning the Creator created)
is the first Mitzva (commandment), the root and foundation of everything.
And it is called “fear of the Creator” or Resheet (beginning), as it is written:
“Fear of the Creator is the beginning of wisdom.” Fear of the Creator is the
beginning of wisdom, for this fear is called “the beginning.” And it is the gate
that leads to faith. And the whole world is based on this Mitzva.
It is difficult to understand why fear is called “the beginning,” and why it
precedes wisdom and faith. The Zohar answers: it is because fear is the beginning
of every Sefira, and it is impossible to attain any Sefira (property) without first
attaining the property of fear. Yet, this implies that fear is merely a means of
attaining other qualities or properties. But then, if it is only a means, then why
is it included in the list of Mitzvot (plural for Mitzva) as the first Mitzva? Can it
be that fear is a kind of prerequisite?
Therefore, The Zohar says that it is impossible to attain perfect, selfless faith
in any way other than through fear of the Creator. And the extent of fear will
determine the extent of faith. Hence, the whole world is based on the Mitzva
of fear, for the whole world exists only thanks to the Torah and Mitzvot, as
the prophet said: “If not for My union with day and night, I would not have
appointed the ordinances of Heaven and earth” (Yirmiyahu, 33:25).
And since fear is the beginning and the gate to the other Mitzvot (for fear
is also the gate to faith), the whole world is based on this property of fear. It
is hence written that the Mitzva of fear includes all of the other Mitzvot of the
Torah; and were it not for fear, the Creator would not have created anything.
190. There are three types of fear, two of which have no real basis, but one
does. If man fears that his children may die, or fears illness or bodily suffering,
or fears for his material well-being, this kind of fear (even if constant) is not
the basis or root, for only desirable consequences constitute the cause of fear.
380 THE ZOHAR
This is called “the fear of punishment in this world.” But there is also another
type of fear: the fear of punishment in the world to come, in hell. These
two types of fear—the fear of punishment in this world and in the world to
come—do not constitute real basis and root.
191. The real fear is the fear of the Creator, for He is great and almighty, for
He is the Source of everything, and all else is nothing compared to Him. Man
should concentrate all his attention on attaining this kind of fear.
There are three kinds of fear before the Creator, but only one of them is
considered true fear. If one is afraid of the Creator, and observes His Mitzvot so
he and his children will be well and prosperous, this constitutes the first kind,
the fear of the various punishments in this world. If he observes the Creator’s
Mitzvot because he fears punishments in hell, this is the second kind of fear. The
Zohar says that neither of these two kinds is true, for man observes the Mitzvot
only out of fear of punishment, for the sake of his own benefit, and not because
these are the Creator’s Mitzvot.
In this case, his personal wellbeing is the cause of his observance, and his
fear is merely a consequence of his will to receive pleasure. Rather, true fear
must stem from the Creator’s greatness and omnipotence, for He rules over all
and is the source of everything. All the worlds emerge from Him, and His deeds
testify to His greatness. And all that He created is nothing compared to Him,
for it adds nothing to Him.
Thus, we can plainly see that there is no difference in action: one observes
out of the first or second kinds of fear, while the other observes out of the third
kind. To an onlooker, they perform the same actions, the Creator’s Mitzvot.
But the enormous difference between them lies only in their intention, their
motivation—why they observe the Creator’s decree!
Hence, it is impossible to discern man’s spiritual degree by his external
observance of the Mitzvot, which is visible to all. Moreover, those who observe
them in order to receive an immediate reward from others usually do so with
the utmost outward zeal. But one whose intentions and thoughts are directed
inwardly, who seeks true observance, as a rule, does not stand out amidst the
masses in any way.
One must constantly seek to perfect and complement his intentions only
by observing the Mitzvot at an increasingly deeper level, while focusing on inner
contemplation and direction of his thoughts. In no way should he engage in
excessive “mechanical observance,” on which there is a clear prohibition: “Do
not exaggerate in the Mitzvot.”

Shalom Aleichem
"Zaquaine/Elder" Mufasa Abda Kalil Tzadiq

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