What are the implications of "ve'Atah Yisrael"?
Rashi: It implies that, in spite of the many above-mentioned sins, Hashem still loves them and has compassion on them - and that all He asks from them is to fear Him. 1
Seforno: It implies an opportunity to rectify our past wrongdoings, to realize that the one thing Hashem is asking of us - is to acquire Yir'as Shamayim by reflecting upon His greatness. - for our sakes, in order to acquire a portion in the world to come. 2
Oznayim la'Torah (citing a Midrash Rabah): "ve'Atah" is a Lashon Teshuvah - 'Let bygones be bygones! Start afresh and whatt you did until now will be forgotten, provided you fear Hashem from now on, go in His ways and love Him.
What are the implications of "Mah Hashem Elokecha Sho'el me'Imach Ki Im le'Yir'ah ... "
Rashi: We learn from here 1 that the only thing that is not in the Hands of Hashem is Yir'as Shamayim. 2
Menachos 43b: We learn from here that a person is obligated to recite a hundred Berachos every day. 3
Mesilas Yesharim (introduction): This is the perfection of Avodah ? fear, going in His ways, love, serving with the entire heart, and guarding all the Mitzvos.
Shabbos, 31b: We learn from here that Yir'as Shamayim is unique, 4 inasmuch as it is the only thing in the world that He wants of us, since it is the only thing that He handed over to man to control. 5
See Torah Temimh, note 12, who elaborates.
R. Chayim Volozhiner (cited in Hagahah in Ha'arah at the end of Tomer Devorah Menukad u'Mevu'ar, p.57) The Neshamah is a 'part' of Hashem. Human Midos such as Chochmah, love, mercy are rooted in Hashem's Chochmah? Yir'ah is so precious to Hashem because it is the only Midah that does not apply to Him. Even though most commentaries explain "Ka'as Oyev Agur" (in Ha'azinu, 32:27) to mean fear, this is an anthropomorphism, since Hashem does not truly fear (PF).
Rashi (Ibid.): We read "Mah" as if it said 'Me'ah. Da'as Zekenim ? also, in At-Bash (where we exchange the first, second, third? letters of the 'Alef-Beis' with the first, second? letters from the end), Consequently, "Mah" is equivalent to 'Yud- Tzadik', which equals a hundred. Also, if we add an 'Alef' to "Mah" to read Me'ah, it brings the letters in the Pasuk up to hundred. Some say that David ha'Melech enacted a hundred Berachos every day, to stop a plague in which a hundred people were dying every day. See also Torah Temimah, note 11, who elaborates.
Shabbos (Ibid.): Hence the Pasuk writes in Iyov, 28:28: "Hein Yir'as Hashem Hi Chochmah" - and "Hein" in Greek means 'one'.
See answer #1. See also Torah Temimah, note 14, who elaborates.
What sort of Yir'ah is Moshe referring to?
Oznayim la'Torah: He is referring to the fear of punishment, which is instinctive in animals and also in people when the object of fear is tangible, but not the fear of Hashem Himself, which the Satan hides from us and which we therefore have to generate ourselves. 1
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 'Ki Im Leyir'ah', who elaborates..
How can Hashem say "Mah Hashem Elokecha Sho'el me'Imach" - insinuating that He is not asking much - and follow with a string of requests "Laleches be'Chol Derachav: ... "le'Ahavah" ... "Vela'avod" ... "Lishmor es Mitzvos Hashem"?
Ramban, Seforno, Da'as Zekenim, Hadar and Zekenim: Because "Mah Hashem Elokecha Sho'el me'Imach" refers, not to "Ki Im le'Yir'ah", but to "le'Tov lach" - for our benefit 1 sand not for His. 2
Oznayim la'Torah: When a person has Yir'as Shamayim, he will be blessed with Siya'ata di'Shemaya (Divine inspiration), and automatically 3 go in the ways of Hashem, love Him, serve Him and keep the Mitzvos.
Seforno: To earn everlasting life (in Olam ha'Ba).
Ramban: As the Pasuk states in Iyov, 35:7 "Im Tzadakta Mah Titen Lo?" ('If you are righteous, what do you give Him?')
See Oznayim la'Torah DH Ki Im Leyir'ah es Hashem #1.
Is Yir'as Shamayim a simple matter, that Hashem should say that He "only asks that we fear Him"?
Berachos 33b: Indeed, 'Legabei Moshe 1 - as far as Moshe was concerned, 2 it was a simple matter, 3
Refer to 10:12:4:1 & 2.
See Torah Temimah (citing Berachos, Ibid.) and note 13, where he discusses how Moshe could expect the people to be on his level of Yir'as Shamayim.
Maharsha (in Berachos, Ibid.): The simple Yir'as Shamayim, fear of punishment, is indeed a simple matter, and it is bi'Yedei Shamayim; Hashem punishes others to instill fear in B'nei Yisrael! Legabei Moshe (for those re close to Moshe, who saw his radiance and were afraid to approach him, it was simple to similarly fear Hashem. Awe of Hashem's greatness however, is a difficult matter, and it is not bi'Yedei Shamayim; it is Hashem's treasury.
Berachos, Ibid.: It can be compared to Re'uven who asks Shimon to lend him an epensive item which he has, and which he has no problem in lending him. If on the other hand, Shimon would ask Re'uven to lend him a cheap article which he did not have, it would be as if he was asking him for a very epensive item. See Torah Temimah, note 13, who elaborates,.
Rashi (citing Berachos, 33b) writes that everything is in Hashem's hands, except for Yir'as Shamayim. But the Gemara states in Kesuvos 30a that everything is in the Hands of Hashem 'except for colds and heatstroke'?
Moshav Zekenim: 'Except for Yir'as Shamayim' refers to spiritual matters, which man himself needs to fix. 1 The Gemara in Nidah 16b explains how, at the time of conception, it is decreed if the fetus will be a male or a female, strong or weak, wise or foolish, poor or rich. It does not say 'Tzadik or Rasha', since that lies in the hands of man himself. 2
As the Pasuk rites in Eichah, 3:38 "mi'Pi Elyon Lo Seitzei ha'Ra'os ve'ha'Tov" - whether to do evil or to do good is not the decision of Hashem but of man
Also the Navi said in Yirmiyah 9:22 & 23 that one may not pride oneself on his Chochmah, strength, or wealth. He writes "Chacham" and "Ashir", but "ha'Gibor" - with a 'Hey', because it refers to ruling over one's Yeitzer ha'Ra (which is synonymous with Yir'as Shamayim). Moshav Zekenim: When the Yerushalmi (Sanhedrin 10:5) states that one cannot guard himself against heatstroke, it refers to someone who goes outside in the heat. This requires investigation.
