Halakhah and Maimonides

(1) One should strengthen himself like a lion to get up in the morning to serve his Creator, so that it is he who awakens the dawn. Rem"a: At least, one should not delay beyond the time when the congregation prays (Tur). Rem"a: "I have set the Lord before me constantly" (Psalms 16:8); this is a major principle in the Torah and amongst the virtues of the righteous who walk before God. For a person's way of sitting, his movements and his dealings while he is alone in his house are not like his way of sitting, his movements and his dealings when he is before a great king; nor are his speech and free expression as much as he wants when he is with his household members and his relatives like his speech when in a royal audience. All the more so when one takes to heart that the Great King, the Holy One, Blessed Is He, Whose glory fills the earth, is standing over him and watching his actions, as it is stated: "'Will a man hide in concealment and I will not see him?' - the word of God" (Jeremiah 23:24), he immediately acquires fear and submission in dread of God, May He Be Blessed, and is ashamed of Him constantly (Guide for the Perplexed III 52). And one should not be ashamed because of people who mock him in his service of God, and should also go modestly. And when he lies on his bed he should know before Whom he lies, and as soon as he wakes up from sleep he should rise eagerly to the service of his Creator, May He Be Blessed and Exalted (Tur).

Man does not sit, move, and occupy himself when he is alone in his house, as he sits, moves, and occupies himself when he is in the presence of a great king; nor does he speak and rejoice while he is with his family and relatives, as he speaks in the king's council. Therefore he who chooses to achieve human perfection and to be in true reality a man of God must give heed and know that the great king who always accompanies him and cleaves to him is greater than any human individual, even if the latter be David and Solomon. This king who cleaves to him and accompanies him is the Active Intellect and is the bond between us and Him. Just as we apprehend Him by means of that light which He caused to overflow toward us - as it says, In Your light do we see light (Ps. 36.1) - so does He by means of this selfsame light examine us; and because of it is constantly with us, examining from on high: Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? (Jer.23.24). Understand this well. Know that when perfect men understand this, they achieve such humility, such awe and fear of God, such reverence and such shame before Him - and this in ways that pertain to true reality, not to imagination-that their secret conduct with their wives and in bathrooms is like their public conduct with other people. This, as you will find, was the way of our most renowned Sages with their wives: One uncovers a handbreadth and covers up a handbreadth. They also said: Who is modest? Whoever behaves by night as he behaves by day. You know already that they forbade walking about with an erect posture because of, The whole earth is full of His glory (Isa 6.3), all this being intended firmly to establish the notion that I have mentioned to you, that we are always before Him, and walk about to and fro while His Shekhinah is with us. And the greatest among the Sages avoided uncovering their heads, because man is covered about by the Shekhinah. They also spoke little for this reason. We have already given in Avot (1.17) the explanation that was needed concerning the habit of speaking but little: For God is in heaven and you upon the earth; therefore let your words be few. (Kohelet 5.1) This purpose to which I have drawn your attention is the purpose of all the actions prescribed by the Law. For it is by all the particulars of the actions and through their repetition that some excellent men obtain such training that they achieve human perfection, so that they fear, and are in dread and in awe of God and know who it is that is with them and as a result act subsequently as they ought to. He has explained that the end of the actions prescribed by the whole Law is to bring about the passion of which it is correct that it be brought about, as we have demonstrated in this chapter for the benefit of those who know the true realities. I refer to the fear of Him, and the awe before His command. It says: If you fail to observe faithfully all the terms of this Teaching that are written in this book, to reverence this honored and awesome Name, the LORD your God (Deut 28.58). Consider how it is explicitly stated for your benefit that the intention of all the words if this Law is one end, namely, to reverence this honored and awesome Name, etc.. The fact that this end is achieved through actions, you can learn from its statement in this verse: If you fail to observe faithfully. For it has already been made clear that this refers to actions prescribed by commandments and prohibitions. As for the opinions that the Torah teaches us - namely, the apprehension of His being and His unity - these opinions teach us love... You know to what extent the Torah lays stress upon love: with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deut. 6.5.) For these two ends, namely, love and fear, are achieved through two things: love through the opinions taught by the Law, which include the apprehension of His being as He is in truth; while fear is achieved by means of all actions prescribed by the Law...