Jerusalem Chief Rabbi Ambar Urges Fear of God to Overcome All Fears Ahead of High Holy Days

Ahead of the High Holy Days, Jerusalem's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, delivered a stirring sermon on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, emphasizing the spiritual importance of fear and anxiety about the approaching Day of Judgment. He began by recalling Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, founder of the Mussar movement, who famously fainted from fear at the start of Elul, an event witnessed by the future Jerusalem Rabbi Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank. Rabbi Amar shared how this memory inspired Rabbi Frank throughout his life to spiritual awakening each Elul.

Rabbi Amar also recounted his childhood experiences at the Ponovezh Yeshiva, where he observed great Torah leaders deeply moved by the fear of divine judgment during Mussar talks by Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein. Contrasting this, he described seeing elderly men casually playing backgammon and drinking beer on New Year's Eve in Petah Tikva, questioning how some could be so unafraid.

He explained that fear depends on understanding: a baby on a high ledge feels no fear due to ignorance, while an adult comprehends the danger and thus fears deeply. The more one understands the significance of standing before the King of Kings, the greater the fear. Rabbi Amar concluded by urging increased Mussar study and introspection to cultivate a healthy fear of God that cancels all other fears, leading to a good inscription and sealing for the new year.