תורה 60

4. Fear is perfect when it is in the aspect of three lines: fear of Heaven, fear of one’s master, and fear of one’s father and mother. Thus, when the sage of the generation merits worthy students and worthy children, fear is perfect. This is because the fear that the generation’s sage and rabbi has is the aspect of fear of Heaven; the students fear the master, the aspect of fear of one’s master; and the children have fear of their father and mother. By virtue of these three fears, fear is made perfect.

Now the aspect of fear of each one of these three must itself be comprised of three. That is, the rabbi’s fear, which is fear of Heaven, must be comprised of all three mentalities: chokhmah (wisdom), binah (understanding) and daat (knowledge). This is because the rabbi’s fear stems primarily from his contemplating the greatness of the Creator, may His Name be blessed, which he examines and analyzes with his intellect. Thus it is that his fear is produced by the intellect. Therefore, it is necessary that there be a full fear in all the three mentalities, in his chokhmah, his binah and his daat; they all need to be filled with the fear of God.

And the student’s fear, which is fear of one’s master, stems from the teaching he receives from the master. It must infuse all the elements of the teaching, as it, too, is the aspect of three lines—i.e., the aspect of “a threefold teaching” (Shabbat 88a) .

And the child’s fear, which is fear of one’s father and mother, must be drawn in the aspect of an inheritance, in the aspect of “A house and riches one inherits from one’s forefathers” (Proverbs 19:14). This fear must be applied to all the divisions of wealth, which are an inheritance, as explained above—i.e., the aspect of the three lines, the aspect of “A person should always divide his capital in thirds: a third invested in business, a third in the ground, and a third in his hand” (Bava Metzia 42a) .

These three divisions of wealth correspond to the three times wealth is mentioned in the Torah. For throughout the entire Torah, ashirut (“wealth”) is mentioned only these three times: in connection with Sodom, as it is written (Genesis 14:23), “so that you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Avram wealthy’”; in connection with Rachel and Leah, as it is written (ibid. 31:16), “All the wealth that God has taken away…”; and in connection with the shekel [census], as it is written (Exodus 30:15), “The wealthy may not give more.”

“A third invested in business” corresponds to the ashirut mentioned in connection with Sodom, since of Sodom it is written (Job 28:4), “that are forgotten by the wayfarer.” This is because [in Sodom] they wanted to prevent business activity, which is the aspect of “a wayfarer,” as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:18), “Rejoice, Zevulun, in your journeys.” Therefore, business activity is particularly needed; this being “a third invested in business.”

“A third in the ground” corresponds to the ashirut mentioned in connection with Rachel and Leah. In truth, the essence of wealth is solely for the sake of contemplation. Barring that, wealth is only for women and those like them with constricted daat. This is as they said: “All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children”—i.e., all the wealth is only for women and those like us with constricted daat. But you, “now, whatever God has instructed you, do it!”—i.e., you need the wealth in order to contemplate God’s greatness. Corresponding to this is the aspect of “a third in the ground,” the aspect of a woman is “like the ground” (Sanhedrin 74b) .

“A third in his hand” corresponds to the ashirut connected with the shekel [census], where it is said: “to atone for your souls.” [This is] the aspect of “in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all human flesh” (Job 12:10) .