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208 | A New Light 7 Chapter Six:
the fear of heaven—for instance, “May He open our heart in His
Torah and place His love and His fear in our heart”?
Rather, the Kotzker Rebbe interprets this statement as follows:
When we ask Hashem for physical matters, the decision as to
whether or not we will receive them is in the hands of heaven, which
checks to see if it will be good for us to receive them or whether
it will distance us from our purpose. Not everything that a person
seeks is really good for him. Heaven makes an exact reckoning,
and is therefore not obligated to give a person anything at all. If it
is good for him, he will receive it, and if it is not good for him, he
will not receive it.
But when a person asks Hashem for the fear of heaven, for the
ability to come close to the service of Hashem, that is, as it were,
“not in the hands of heaven.” In what sense is that? Since everything
spiritual is certainly good for a person, heaven has decided
from the outset that it is good for him. Therefore, heaven wants
to give it to him. However, this depends on him, on his prayer.
Thus, this “fear of heaven” is in our hands. If we do not ask, we
will not receive. But if we ask, certainly heaven wants to give us
what we ask for, because it is certainly good for us. Therefore, that
prayer must be accepted.
From here, we see the concept that prayer to attain the fear of
heaven, which includes our every spiritual request that we make
with truth and simplicity, must be accepted. If a person does not
make a request with truth and simplicity, and if he does not possess
sufficient will, he must cry out, entreat and request this itself: he
must ask Hashem to give him a strong and complete will to want
to come close to Him. This request itself—that we should possess
intent—is called prayer for the fear of heaven, and it must be
accepted.
Hurry to Help Me
The Chidushei Harim, who was a student of the Kotzker
Rebbe, transmitted this teaching in his name and made a small but
significant addition. He taught: “When a person makes a request
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of the Holy One, blessed be He, for something such as children,
life, and income, that is in the hands of heaven. If Hashem, may
He be blessed, wishes to, He gives him what he requested. If not,
He does not—with the exception of the fear of heaven. If a person
asks Hashem, may He be blessed, with all his heart and soul to fill
his heart with the fear of heaven, then certainly Hashem will not
send his prayer away empty, but He will immediately give him
the fear of heaven.” The Chidushei Harim states that Hashem will
“immediately” give this to him. That means that the person will
receive the fear of heaven right away!
From here, we see the principle that prayer to attain spiritual
matters must be accepted, and such prayer bears fruit immediately,
because that is the Creator’s true will. Practically speaking, a
person’s entire role is only to pray to attain the fear of heaven.
That is his entire portion (as was already explained in the previous
chapters). Thus, the Chidushei Harim explains here in his holy
language: “That which is in the hands of a person is the following:
as a result of his will and yearning with all his heart and soul to
fear Hashem, Hashem, may He be blessed, gives him that fear of
Hashem. [But although it is drawn down by the person], it comes
from Hashem, may He be blessed. As the verse states, ‘Would that
[lit., who would place] their hearts would be like this, to fear Me’
(Deuteronomy 5:26): they should have the will to fear Hashem and
place the fear of Hashem in their hearts. This is in the hands of a
person: by means of proper prayer and entreaty, he will certainly
have an effect and attain the fear of heaven.” And these words
speak for themselves.
Similarly, Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz teaches, “It is presumed that
all prayers of Israel will be accepted and will not return empty. But
there is a distinction to be made: if a person prays for matters
of heaven, he is answered immediately. But regarding matters
of the body, it is possible that his prayer will be prevented from
being fulfilled.”
From the words of Rabbi Yehoshua of Belz, we see that everything
that we said here—that Hashem wants to give us immediately,
and therefore we can ask Him, “Give me right away, this very
minute”—is true only regarding spiritual matters, because in the