Two Paths Before Me
At the end of his life, the great leader wept before his talmidim, and blessed them that their fear of Heaven should equal their fear of people.
It is told that when Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai fell ill, his talmidim came to visit him. As soon as he saw them, he began to weep.
They were astonished. Light of Israel, they said, the right-hand pillar, the mighty hammer, why are you weeping?
He answered them: If I were being brought before a king of flesh and blood, who is here today and in the grave tomorrow, whose anger does not last forever and who can be appeased with words or even bribed with money, I would still weep. Now I am being brought before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He, who lives forever and cannot be appeased with words or bribed. And there are two paths before me, one to Gan Eden and one to Gehinnom, and I do not know on which they will lead me. Should I not weep?
Rebbi, they said, bless us.
May it be His will, he said, that your fear of Heaven be like your fear of flesh and blood.
Is that all? they asked.
If only it were so, he answered. When a person does wrong, he says to himself: I hope no one sees me.
In his last moments he told them to carry the vessels out of the house so that they would not become tamei, and to prepare a chair for Chizkiyahu, King of Yehuda, who was coming to accompany him.
Source: Gemara, Berachos 28b (Talmud Bavli); English: The William Davidson Talmud (Koren–Steinsaltz translation), Berachos 28b.
This week, catch one moment when you think, I hope nobody notices. It might be a shortcut, a harsh word or something you would rather no one saw. Pause there and remind yourself that Hashem sees and cares. Then choose the action you would choose if a person you respect were watching. Doing this once a day trains exactly the fear of Heaven that Rabban Yochanan wished for his talmidim.