On the Road toward Fear of Heaven
As I was driving with my escort, we were suddenly pulled over by the cops. I realized that I wasn’t wearing a seat belt, so I hurried to fasten it. But the seat belt was stuck, and I couldn’t get in on.
One of the officers noticed my feeble attempts and began yelling at me, “Now you’re trying to buckle up? Now it’s already too late. You should have done it at the beginning of the trip, not when you’re caught red-handed!”
I immediately went out of the car and kissed the police officer on the head. Then I removed a few bills from my pocket. “Here is the sum of the fine. Now you can do as you see fit. Either write out a ticket, which I deserve for driving without a seat belt, or accept the money. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the invaluable lesson you have taught me.” The policeman was stunned, so I clarified my words.
“The lesson you taught me is the following: I was more fearful of you, an ordinary officer of flesh and blood, than I am of Hashem. I felt ashamed at being caught without a seat belt, but do I feel such fear after I sin? I would like to thank you for teaching me just how much one must fear Hashem, never allowing Him to catch us ‘red-handed,’ as you put it.”
The man still did not know what I wanted from him and refused to accept my money. He finally sent me back to the car, with the following words, “If you learned what you were supposed to, I will forego the fine. Travel safely and good luck!”
