Yiras Shamayim Opens Blessing

בפסוק ועתה ישראל מה ה' כו' שואל כו' כ"א ליראה

On the verse, "And now, Bnei Yisrael, what does Hashem ask of you..." (Devarim 10:12), the Gemara asks the question and answers that He asks of you only that you should have yiras Shamayim — fear of Heaven.

The pasuk says Hashem asks only one thing of Bnei Yisrael: that they have yiras Shamayim. The Gemara highlights that this single request is the whole demand placed upon a person.

ובגמ' הכל בידי שמים חוץ מי"ש

And in the Gemara it states: "Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for yiras Shamayim" (Berachos 33b).

Chazal teach that everything in a person's life is decreed by Heaven, with the sole exception of yiras Shamayim, which is left to the person's own choice.

וכי לא ידענו כי הכל ביד"ש

Now, do we not already know that everything is in the hands of Heaven?

The Sfas Emes raises a difficulty: it is obvious that everything is controlled by Heaven, so what is the Gemara coming to teach us?

אבל ביאור הענין כי כל עבודת האדם ג"כ הכל ביד"ש

Rather, the explanation of the matter is that all of a person's avodah is likewise entirely in the hands of Heaven.

He answers that even a person's own avodah — his mitzvos and spiritual growth — is ultimately granted by Heaven and not generated by the person on his own.

אך הנקודה קטנה שיש לאדם בעבודת הבורא ית' היא י"ש

But the one small point that a person himself possesses in his service of the Creator, may He be blessed, is yiras Shamayim.

The only thing genuinely in a person's own hands is the tiny point of yiras Shamayim; that alone is his to provide.

וע"ז אמרו פתחו לי כחודה של מחט

And regarding this Chazal said, "Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle" (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2).

Chazal compare this to Hashem asking us to open just a pinhole-sized opening; the person need only make the smallest beginning.

וזה השער הקטן הוא בידי האדם

This small gateway is what lies in the hands of the person himself.

That small gateway of yiras Shamayim is the one thing entrusted to human free choice.

וכל המצות ומעש"ט והשגות האדם הכל בא ע"י י"ש

And all the mitzvos, good deeds, and a person's spiritual attainments all come about by means of yiras Shamayim.

All of a person's mitzvos, good deeds, and spiritual attainments flow specifically through that opening of yiras Shamayim.

והיא מרגניתא דלית לה טימי וע"ז נאמר יראת ה' היא אוצרו

It is the priceless pearl that has no price, and concerning it is stated, "The fear of Hashem — that is his treasure" (Yeshayahu 33:6).

Yiras Shamayim is compared to a priceless pearl, and the navi calls it Hashem's true treasure — the most precious thing a person can have.

וחז"ל אמרו א"ת מה אלא מאה

And Chazal said: do not read "mah" (what), but rather "meah" (one hundred).

Chazal reread the word "mah" (what) as "meah" (one hundred), shifting the meaning of the verse.

ודרשו מזה מאה ברכות

And from this they expounded the source of the one hundred berachos one recites each day.

From this rereading they derived the obligation to recite one hundred berachos every day.

והענין כי מה הוא היפוך ממאה שמאה הוא כל השלימות מהתחלה עד הסוף

And the matter is that "mah" is the opposite of "meah" — for one hundred represents complete wholeness from beginning to end.

The Sfas Emes explains that "mah" and "meah" are opposites: "meah," one hundred, represents total completeness from start to finish, whereas "mah" represents self-nullification.

ובאמת ע"י הבטול להש"י שהוא בחי' מה הנ"ל עי"ז יכולין לבוא לאחדות והוא המשכות הא' שהוא רמז לאחדות וממילא נפתח מקור הברכות וזה החכמה שנאמר הן יראת ה' היא חכמה

And in truth, through bittul to Hashem, may He be blessed — which is the aspect of "mah" mentioned above — through this one is able to come to achdus, unity; and this is the drawing forth of the letter aleph, which alludes to oneness, and thereby the wellspring of berachos is opened. And this is the wisdom of which it is stated, "Behold, the fear of Hashem — that is wisdom" (Iyov 28:28).

Through bittul — the humble self-nullification expressed by "mah" — a person reaches achdus with Hashem; this draws down the oneness hinted by the letter aleph and opens the source of all berachos, and this very awareness is the wisdom the pasuk calls yiras Hashem.

שעיקר החכמה להבין כי כח כל הברואים מהבורא ית'

For the essence of wisdom is to understand that the power of all created beings comes from the Creator, may He be blessed.

True wisdom is recognizing that every creature's strength and existence derive entirely from the Creator.

וממילא ע"י הביטול אליו ית' יכולין להפיק רצון מה' וחכמה זו היא שניתן לבנ"י וע"ז נאמר כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו שאין שום אומה יכולין להשיג יראה הנ"ל רק בנ"י

And it follows that through bittul to Him, may He be blessed, one is able to draw forth favor from Hashem; and this wisdom is what was granted to Bnei Yisrael, and regarding this it is stated, "He declared the power of His deeds to His people" (Tehillim 111:6) — for no other nation can attain the aforementioned yiras Shamayim, only Bnei Yisrael.

Because of this recognition, bittul to Hashem allows a person to draw down Divine favor; this wisdom was given uniquely to Bnei Yisrael, who alone can attain this yiras Shamayim, as the pasuk indicates that Hashem revealed His power specifically to His people.

וז"ש שואל מעמך דייקא:

And this is the meaning of "He asks of you" — precisely of you, Bnei Yisrael.

This is why the pasuk stresses that Hashem asks "of you" — precisely of Bnei Yisrael, for this avodah of yiras Shamayim belongs to them alone.

Summary: The Sfas Emes addresses the seeming difficulty in the Gemara's teaching that everything is in the hands of Heaven except yiras Shamayim — for surely we already know all is from Heaven. He explains that even a person's own mitzvos and spiritual attainments are ultimately granted from Above; the one small point truly left to the person is yiras Shamayim, the pinhole-sized opening he must make on his own. Through this small gateway flow all mitzvos and attainments, and it is the priceless treasure of which the navi speaks. Building on the derashah that rereads "mah" as "meah," the source of the hundred daily berachos, he shows that "mah" represents bittul — self-nullification before Hashem — which draws a person to achdus with the Oneness hinted by the aleph and opens the wellspring of berachos. This is the true wisdom of recognizing that all power derives from the Creator, a wisdom and yiras Shamayim granted uniquely to Bnei Yisrael, which is why the pasuk says Hashem asks it precisely of them.