Shemoneh Esrei 8: Nothing to Fear, Except...
והנורא, א-ל עליון…
…and awesome G-d, the supreme G-d
The letter hei in the words “הא-ל, הגדול, הגבור, והנורא” indicate that all power, greatness, might, and awesomeness are His. With respect to והנורא, this means that there is nothing in this world to fear other than Hashem. No other creation can really do good or bad to us. Any and all bitter and sweet that we experience in our lives is sent by Hashem through various agents, but the agents never have any independent power and are never truly the cause. Hashem is the א-ל עליון, the cause of all causes (Malbim).
Rav Tzadok of Lublin explains that when we experience the emotions of fear and worry, it is actually a gift from Hashem that is for our benefit. This is true for both our material needs as well as our ruchniyus (spiritual needs). If we have cause to be worried or fearful for our health, financial situation, or in the area of our service to Hashem, that can mean that Hashem is sending these fears and worries our way because He wants to bestow good on us. However, in order for Him to send us that good, He set up the world in such a way that we need to ask, so Hashem sends us these fears so that we wake up and ask. Additionally, sometimes Hashem makes us aware of someone else who also requires our tefilos in the very same area that He knows that we need help. When we daven for the other person, we are answered in that same area of our own need.
Sefer Nafshi Cholas Ahavasecha adds that there is another very important benefit to our fear. When we are afraid, we immediately turn to Hashem. We remember very quickly that all is in His power and there is no other power that we can rely on whatsoever. Our salvation is not the “best” doctor, the “most brilliant” lawyer, or the “golden touch” investment manager. “EIN OD MILVADO – There is none beside Him.” When we turn to Hashem through our fear and worry, we come closer to Hashem, and that is the purpose of tefilah and of life.
Perhaps we can add the connection between “Elokei Avoseinu” and “הא-ל, הגדול, הגבור, והנורא”: We explained previously that “Elokei Avoseinu” may have been placed at the start of Shemoneh Esrei to encourage us to emulate the constant d’veikus that our Avos had to Hashem (in whatever smaller scale that we can). When we recognize that Hashem is the Keil (through His rachamim), the Gadol (through His chesed), the Gibor (through His Might), the Nora (the only one to fear, the cause of all causes), we can then hope to emulate the d’veikus (attachment) of our Avos to Hashem.
We once again offer the words of Rav Chaim of Volozhin (sefer Nefesh HaChaim):
ובאמת הוא ענין גדול וסגולה נפלאה, להסר ולבטל מעליו כל דינין ורצונות אחרים, שלא יוכלו לשלוט בו ולא יעשו שום רושם כלל, כשהאדם קובע בלבו לאמר, הלא ה' הוא האלקים האמתי, ואין עוד מלבדו יתברך שום כח בעולם וכל העולמות כלל, והכל מלא רק אחדותו הפשוט יתברך שמו, ומבטל בלבו בטול גמור, ואינו משגיח כלל על שום כח ורצון בעולם, ומשעבד ומדבק טוהר מחשבתו רק לאדון יחיד ברוך הוא, כן יספיק הוא יתברך בידו, שממילא יתבטלו מעליו כל הכוחות והרצונות שבעולם, שלא יוכלו לפעול לו שום דבר כלל.