Fear as Foundation of Wisdom For תרל”ד 6
ראשית חכמה יראת ה’.
“The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.”
The verse teaches that the foundation and starting point of all true wisdom is reverence for God.
שכל טוב לכל עושיהם.
“A good understanding is for all who do them.”
The phrase “who do them” is difficult, and the Sefat Emet seeks to explain its unusual wording.
לשון עושיהם אינו מובן.
“The expression ‘their doers’ is not understood.”
The term seems grammatically awkward and calls for interpretation.
ויש לפרש לכל מעשי האדם כשמשתף עמה יראת ה’ יש לה קיום.
It may be interpreted: all of a person’s actions, when he joins them with fear of God, have endurance.
The Sefat Emet explains that human actions only stand firm and endure when grounded in reverence for God.
כדאיתא בגמ’ קב חומטין כו’ ע”ש במס’ שבת.
As stated in the Gemara about “kab chometin,” see there in Tractate Shabbat.
He references a teaching that actions require a preserving force—here, fear of God serves as that preservation.
לכן כתיב יראת ה’ היא אוצרו.
Therefore it is written: “The fear of the Lord is His storehouse.”
Fear of God is described as a treasury that safeguards all one’s deeds.
שהיא שומר כל המעשים וכל השגות של האדם שצריכין שמירה שלא יחטא על ידיהם.
For it guards all a person’s deeds and attainments, which require guarding so that he not sin through them.
Even spiritual achievements can lead to stumbling without the protective quality of fear of God.
וכדאיתא מי שיראתו קודמת לחכמתו כו’.
As it is taught: one whose fear (of God) precedes his wisdom, etc.
The classic teaching: reverence must come before wisdom for that wisdom to endure.
וכן פי’ ראשית חכמה כו’ שיהי’ להאדם נחשב העיקר והראשית זו היראה.
Thus “the beginning of wisdom” means that what is considered primary and foundational for a person must be this fear (of God).
Yirah is not merely an addition to wisdom; it is its essential beginning.
וכשמשתף היראה עם החכמה יש להם קיום.
And when one joins fear of God with wisdom, they both endure.
Only the combination produces lasting spiritual structure.
וז”ש לכל עושיהם.
And this is the meaning of “for all who do them.”
The endurance of deeds belongs to those who “make” them together with fear of God.
[אח”כ מצאתי סיום הדברים הנ”ל ברד”ק ע”ש].
Later I found the conclusion of these words in the Radak; see there.
The Sefat Emet notes that this interpretation is supported by the Radak as well.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that reverence for God is the foundation and guardian of all wisdom, deeds, and spiritual attainments. Only actions joined with yirah endure, which explains the verse’s unusual wording: “a good understanding is for all who do them.”
