Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven)
Reverence and awe of God — living with an awareness of God's presence that shapes one's choices. The Talmud teaches that 'everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven' — a person's own reverence is the one thing left to their free choice. [Berakhot 33b]
How it traveled
- Sefer ChasidimRegensburg · 1175discusses
- Yalkut Shimoni on NachTiberias · 1250discusses
- Menorat HaMaorToledo (Castile) · 1391discusses
- Sefer HaTashbetzTunis · 1430discusses
- Akeidat YitzchakTarragona · 1490discusses
- Abarbanel on TorahNaples · 1505discusses
- Avodat HaKodesh (Ibn Gabbai)Cairo · 1523discusses
- Darkhei MosheKrakow (Cracow) · 1570discusses
- Reshit ChokhmahTzfat · 1575discusses
- Ohr HaChammah on ZoharTzfat · 1620discusses
- Peri HaAretzTiberias · 1752discusses
- Ben Porat YosefPolonne (Polnoye, Volhynia) · 1760discusses
- Degel Machaneh EphraimSudilkov · 1770discusses
- Divrei EmetMedzhybizh (Ukraine) · 1770discusses
- Be'er Mayim ChaimCzernowitz (Chernivtsi) · 1775discusses
- Arvei NachalKrakow (Cracow) · 1780discusses
- Toldot Yaakov YosefPolonne (Polnoye, Volhynia) · 1780discusses
- Yismach MosheSátoraljaújhely (Ujhel) · 1790discusses
- Likkutei EtzotBreslov (Ukraine) · 1790discusses
- Shulchan Arukh HaRavLiozna · 1795discusses
- Mareh Yechezkel on TorahKarlsburg (Alba Iulia) · 1800discusses
- Agra DeKalaDinov (Dynów) · 1801discusses
- Zera KodeshRopshitz (Ropczyce) · 1810discusses
- Pele YoetzSilistra · 1815discusses
- Maor VaShemeshKrakow (Cracow) · 1817discusses
- Likutei TefilotBreslov (Ukraine) · 1822discusses
- Tiferet ShlomoRadomsk · 1825discusses
- Beit Yaakov on TorahIzhbitz (Izbica) · 1830discusses
- Likutei HalakhotBreslov (Ukraine) · 1840discusses
- Peri TzadikLublin · 1845discusses
- Dover TzedekLublin · 1845discusses
- Takanat HaShavinLublin · 1845discusses
- Resisei LaylaLublin · 1845discusses
- Arukh HaShulchanNovardok (Novogrudok) · 1884discusses
- Ben Ish HaiBaghdad · 1894discusses
- Sefat EmetGer (Gora Kalwaria) · 1900discusses
- Torah Temimah on TorahPinsk · 1904discusses
- Olat ReiyahJerusalem · 1915discusses
- Shem MiShmuelSochaczew · 1925discusses
- Orot HaKodeshJerusalem · 1930discusses
Key passages(20)
Lev Eliyahu · Eliyahu Lopian
Nefesh HaRav · R. Hershel Schachter (YU/RIETS)
Ohr Yahel · Yehuda Leib Chasman
Imrei Emes · Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter
Sichot Mussar · Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz
Lev Shalom · Rabbi Shalom Schwadron
Selected Writings · Rabbi Shimon Schwab
Sam Derech · Rabbi Simcha Zissel Broide
Chayei Olam · Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky
Ohr Yechezkel · Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein
Kuntres U'Maayan · Sholom DovBer Schneersohn (5th Lubavitcher Rebbe)
By His Light: Character and Values in the Service of God · Aharon Lichtenstein (Yeshivat Har Etzion)
Alei Shur · Shlomo Wolbe (Alei Shur)
Daas Chochmah U'Mussar · Yeruchom Levovitz (Mir mashgiach)
Pachad Yitzchak · Yitzchak Hutner (Pachad Yitzchak)
אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ תִּירָ֖א וְאֹת֣וֹ תַעֲבֹ֑ד וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ תִּשָּׁבֵֽעַ׃
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Midrash Tanchuma Buber · Anonymous (Tanchuma redactors) · 150 CE
ויאמר ה' אל משה אספה לי שבעים איש מזקני ישראל וגו' (במדבר יא טז). ילמדנו רבינו בתוך כמה אמות אדם חייב לעמוד מפני הזקן כשהוא רואה אותו, כך שנו רבותינו, בתוך ארבע אמות חייב אדם לעמוד מפני הזקן, שנאמר מפ
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Berakhot · Anonymous (Stammaim, redactors of the Bavli) · 450 CE
אַטּוּ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם מִילְּתָא זוּטַרְתָּא הִיא? וְהָאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי: אֵין לוֹ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו אֶלָּא אוֹצָר שֶׁל יִרְאַת שׁ
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Berakhot · Anonymous (Stammaim, redactors of the Bavli) · 450 CE
וְאָמַר רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ, אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: כׇּל אָדָם שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם — דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא וְגוֹ׳״.
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Ketubot · Anonymous (Stammaim, redactors of the Bavli) · 450 CE
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל הַמּוֹנֵעַ תַּלְמִידוֹ מִלְּשַׁמְּשׁוֹ — כְּאִילּוּ מוֹנֵעַ מִמֶּנּוּ חֶסֶד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לַמָּס מֵרֵעֵהוּ חָסֶד״. רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָ
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Modern teachers who discuss this idea
Modern and living teachers whose books take up Yirat Shamayim (Fear of Heaven). These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.
- Sholom DovBer SchneersohnKuntres U'Maayan(1903)Buy on Eichler’s→
- Yehuda Leib ChasmanOhr Yahel(1935)Buy on Eichler’s→
- Imrei EmesImrei Emes(1950)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Yeruchom LevovitzDaas Chochmah U'Mussar(1966)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Shlomo WolbeAlei Shur(1968)Buy on Eichler’s→
- Lev EliyahuLev Eliyahu(1972)Buy on Eichler’s→
- Rabbi Yechezkel LevensteinOhr Yechezkel(1972)Buy on Eichler’s→
- Rabbi Shimon SchwabSelected Writings(1988)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Hershel SchachterNefesh HaRav(1994)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Aharon LichtensteinBy His Light: Character and Values in the Service of God(2003)Buy on Eichler’s→
- R. Yitzchak HutnerPachad YitzchakBuy on Eichler’s→
- Rabbi Chaim ShmuelevitzSichot MussarBuy on Eichler’s→
- Rabbi Shalom SchwadronLev ShalomBuy on Eichler’s→
- Rabbi Simcha Zissel BroideSam DerechBuy on Eichler’s→
- The SteiplerChayei OlamBuy on Eichler’s→