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Why does the Ramchal explain fear before love when discussing closeness to God, despite mentioning love first? The Ramchal's approach reveals that fear breaks through human selfishness to create recognition of God's greatness, which then transforms into love and ultimately awe. This creates a continuous cycle where greater recognition leads to greater yearning for connection with God.
This shiur delves into a fundamental concept from the Ramchal's Derech HaShem (ה׳) regarding the cultivation of love and fear of God. Rabbi Zweig begins by addressing an apparent contradiction in the text: while the Ramchal first mentions love then fear, he explains fear before love in his exposition. The resolution lies in understanding that fear serves as the starting point to break through human selfishness and self-centeredness, while love represents the ultimate goal. The shiur explains that fear is necessary because humans naturally focus inward, and only external pressure or threat typically makes us recognize something greater than ourselves. However, God's intention is not that we remain in fear, but that fear leads to recognition of God's greatness, which then transforms into love and ultimately into awe. This creates what Rabbi Zweig terms the 'love-fear continuum' or 'love-awe continuum' - a cycle where greater recognition of God's greatness leads to greater awe, which in turn creates greater yearning for connection.
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