Thursday, August 23, 2012

How To Be like Moshe Rabbeinu

Someone once asked the Mashgiach of Lakewood, Rav Nosson Wachtfogel ztz"l how to merit yiras shomayim. He started reading the famous letter of the Ramban תתנהג תמיד לדבר כל דבריך בנחת לכל אדם ובכל עת ובזה תנצל מן הכעס - Speak softly to all people at all times and you will be saved from anger, then תעלה על לבך מדת הענוה - you will have the middah of humility. The pasuk in Mishlei promises that humility will lead to yiras shomayim - עקב ענוה יראת השם.

Un-real!!

You work a little bit on your anger and you have "shychus" to Moshe Rabbeinu's trait of humility and yiras shomayim which is so huge that the Torah was given for its sake, as it says with respect to maamad  har sinai - למען תהיה יראתי על פניכם. All for fear of heaven.