by Rabbi Yair Hoffman The Orchos Tzaddikim writes, “When a person contemplates great matters, and sees the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, in all formations and creations, he increases love for Hashem blessed be He, and his soul thirsts and his flesh yearns to love Hashem, blessed be He, and he praises and glorifies, and intensely desires and yearns with great desire to know the great Name.” The Natural Progression from Honor to Love It is the way of people to constantly honor someone greater than themselves, and feelings of awe and honor fill a person when they are close to a person of high status. And with love that is not dependent on anything physical or tangible, all the more so when a person contemplates Hashem’s greatness –  and looks upon His great power and might, then their heart will yearn to be a true and dedicated lover of Hashem. This comes from seeing the greatest privilege that we have, that despite being a lowly and material person, nevertheless, we are given the privilege to be close and near to Hashem.  We realize that it is He who renews everything from nothing, who in His great kindness and humility consents and opens an opening for all who come to His courtyards, to enter and benefit from His treasures. These thoughts are explained in Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim. Divine Longing and Human Humility Dovid HaMelech wrote in Tehillim (42:3), “My soul thirsts for Hashem, for the living G-d.” When we think about these words, they make us step back in awe. We realize just how small we are as human beings, with our limited understanding, standing before Hashem who has perfect knowledge of everything. Dovid HaMelech also said something else that captures this feeling perfectly. He wrote in Tehillim (8:4), “When I look at your heavens, the work of Your fingers,” and then asked in the next verse (8:5), “What is man that you should remember him?” This shows how humble he felt when looking at Hashem’s creation. When we time to think about the big questions in life and sees Hashem’s greatness in everything around us – from the smallest flower to the largest galaxy – something amazing happens. Our love for Hashem grows stronger and deeper. Our whole being, guf and Neshama, starts yearning to be closer to Hashem. At the same time, we might feel worried about losing their connection with Hashem. This worry comes from comparing themselves to the magnificent things Hashem has created, like the stars and planets. The Nesivos Shalom, however, explains that this feeling should be comparing it to a loving marriage. Just like a husband who deeply loves his wife might worry about doing anything that could damage their relationship, we should have that same careful attention in our relationship with Hashem. According to this, yirah is not about being fearful and scared – it iss about caring so much that we want to protect and nurture our spiritual connection and fear losing it.  There are others that understand it differently, but as we explore the following – let’s keep the Nesivos Shalom’s pshat in mind. The Magnificent Human Digestive System: A Marvel of Divine Creation The extraordinary complexity of the human digestive system reveals the masterful work of our […]