What's the deal with yirat shamayim? I like when it's tranlsated to mean "awe of Heaven," but many times it seems the proper translation of this character trait is "fear of Heaven." Fear? The Holy One wants us to be afraid? Why is it listed in the Ethics of Our Fathers as one of the 48 ways to achieve wisdom? Why do the Torah and all of our prohpets want us to fear Hashem?
Of course, there are different types of fears. For example, there's the fear of reward and punishment, the fear of the consequence the sin itself will cause regardless of punishment, or the fear of hurting our connection to Hashem. Even so, every fear boils down to the same bottom line: I'm scared! I'm shakin' in m' boots! I'm honestly in physical pain because I'm in such terror of the consequences. It's unpleasant, even painful, and very restricting. So I ask you; this is a good thing?
Fear is freedom. If I want to do something, but I'm a little lazy, fear gets me to do what I want to do. Motivation is not always pleasant, but it works. Fear of failing helps us study harder. In a job, I know if I don't get out of bed, I'll get fired. Early in the morning, when all I'm thinking is 'snooze snooze snooze,' it's not the awe of my job, or love of my job, but rather it's the fear of losing my job that gets me up. This fear helps me keep my job and eventually earns me more self-respect. To not wake up and lose my job over a few hours of sleep would be crazy. Yet I still need fear as a motivator.
Fear, it seems, is sanity. The more sanity a person has, the more he/she may have the ultimate fear, yirat Shamayim, fear of Heaven. If I'm afraid of losing a job, which my Creator hooked me up with in the first place, shouldn't I be even more afraid of hurting my relationship with my Creator? It's the foundation of a person trying to serve Hashem, for when love and awe don't cut it, fear, sanity, kicks in.
May we merit the rebuilding of Yerushalayim, the city of Yeru Shalem- complete fear/awe, soon, speedily, and through joy. Good Shabbas, Good Yontiv!