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Ramban on Deuteronomy 5:26/רמב"ן על דברים ה׳:כ״ו

אמִי יִתֵּן וְהָיָה לְבָבָם זֶה לָהֶם לְיִרְאָה אֹתִי, בַּעֲבוּר הֱיוֹת רְשׁוּת הָאָדָם בְּיָדוֹ לְהַצְדִּיק וּלְהַרְשִׁיעַ, וְהַכֹּל בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם חוּץ מִיִּרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, יֹאמַר הַכָּתוּב כֵּן, וְהוּא כִּלְשׁוֹן בְּנֵי אָדָם. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת הוּא כְּמוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לָאָדָם הֵן יִרְאַת אֲדֹנָי הִיא חָכְמָה וְסוּר מֵרָע בִּינָה (איוב כח כח), וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ בִּשְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת (מנחות כט), רָאָה שֶׁחוֹתְכִין בְּשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל ר' עֲקִיבָא בְּמָקוֹלִין, אָמַר לוֹ רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם זוֹ תּוֹרָה וְזֶה שְׂכָרָהּ, הֵשִׁיב לוֹ הקב"ה שְׁתֹק כָּךְ עָלָה בְּמַחְשָׁבָה לְפָנַי. וְתָבִין זֶה מִמָּה שֶׁאָמַר (דברים ה':כ"ח) וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד עִמָּדִי:

1OH THAT THIS THEIR HEART WOULD REMAIN IN THEM, TO FEAR ME. Scripture uses this expression because man has freedom of choice to be righteous or to be wicked, and “Everything is in the power of Heaven except for fear of Heaven.”¹⁹⁴ It is thus an expression of common usage.And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], the expression [before us] is similar to the verse, And unto man He said: ‘Behold, the fear of the Eternal, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.’¹⁹⁵ And so the Rabbis have said with regard to the reward for [performance of] the commandments:¹⁹⁶, the small crown-like decorations atop many of the letters of the Torah. He asked G-d what the tagim represented. G-d answered, “Many generation from now, there will live a man named Akiba, the son of Joseph. He will explain every dot and decoration of all letters.” Moses then requested that he be permitted to listen to one of Rabbi Akiba’s lectures. After hearing it, Moses returned to G-d and said, “You have a man like Akiba and you give the Torah through me!” G-d answered, “Be silent; so I have decreed.” Moses then asked that he be shown Rabbi Akiba’s reward. G-d answered, “Turn around,” Moses then saw etc. — Rabbi Akiba was one of the Ten Martyrs from among the greatest Rabbis of the generation who were put to death by command of the Roman Emperor Hadrian for their public defiance of the Roman ban against studying the Torah and the general practice of Judaism. See Vol. II, p. 301, and Note 369. “Moses saw that they [i.e., the Romans] were cutting the flesh of [the martyr] Rabbi Akiba in meat markets. Moses said to G-d, ‘Master of the universe! Is this the reward for such [knowledge of the] Torah!’ The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, ‘Be silent, thus have I decreed.’”¹⁹⁷ You will understand this from what He has said to Moses, And as for thee, stand thou here by Me.¹⁹⁸