Episode 516 - 1 Iyar (Regular Year) - When Love Leads the Way
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This episode of the It Is Taught Tanya Podcast explores the nuanced relationship between fear and love in the service of God, focusing on a key exception to the general rule that fear must precede love. Host Sarit Switzer explains that while the standard path to authentic divine love begins with awe and reverence—rooted in fear of God’s greatness—there are rare, extraordinary cases where love can initiate the process of repentance. She highlights the story of Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya, a man who lived a life of sin but experienced a profound spiritual awakening at the end of his life, driven purely by love for God. The Rebbe teaches that even in such cases, fear is still present, though concealed, as true love inherently involves a desire to align with God’s will. The episode also touches on the mystical idea of reincarnation, revealing that Rabbi Elazar was a reincarnation of Yohanan the High Priest, symbolizing a soul’s journey from holiness to exile and back to return. Switzer emphasizes that authentic love for God is always expressed through obedience and respect, not in contradiction to it.
True love for God is inseparable from respect and fear; authentic love manifests in obedience to God’s will.
While fear typically precedes love in spiritual growth, rare exceptions exist where love initiates repentance, as seen in Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya.
Even in cases of love-driven teshuva, fear of sin is still present—though concealed—because love that ignores God’s will is not genuine.
The numerical value of 've'ahavta' (you shall love) equals twice 'or' (light), symbolizing that love must be illuminated by Torah and mitzvot.
The story of Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya illustrates the power of divine mercy and the soul’s capacity for complete transformation.
Introduction to the Tanya and Today's Theme
Sarit Switzer introduces the podcast and its mission to make Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi's teachings in The Tanya accessible and practical for everyday life, setting the stage for today's discussion on fear and love in divine service.
The Primacy of Fear in Loving God
The episode begins by reinforcing the foundational idea that fear of God—awe, respect, reverence—is a prerequisite for genuine love of God, drawing parallels from human relationships and personal teaching experiences.
The Exception: Love Preceding Fear
“Even in such an instance, the yura, the fear is also encompassed in this. Like it has to be there just because it kind of comes down together.”
The Mystical Journey of Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya
“He had the exact opposite experience. Living a very sinful life. And then at the end of that very sinful life, he actually came to a state of repentance and he totally returned to God.”
Conclusion: Love, Fear, and Authentic Devotion
“True love really is manifest when there's also a level of respect. And as we spoke about here also, it's actually if not only does true love involve respect, in fact, the usual way... is that true love actually needs to be preceded by respect.”
“True love really is manifest when there's also a level of respect. And as we spoke about here also, it's actually if not only does true love involve respect, in fact, the usual way... is that true love actually needs to be preceded by respect.”
“He had the exact opposite experience. Living a very sinful life. And then at the end of that very sinful life, he actually came to a state of repentance and he totally returned to God.”
“If you ever see somebody who says that they really, really, really love God, but nevertheless, they do things that are against God's will, then it doesn't really add up.”
Host
Sarit Switzer
person
Rabbi Elazar ben Dordaya
person
The Tanya
book
Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
person
Yohanan the High Priest
person
Gemara
other
Arizal
person
Likotay Torah
other
Brachos
other
Tehillim
other
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