Fearing Hashem

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The pasuk in Eikev says "Mah Hashem Elokecha shoel mei'imach," what does Hashem ask of you but to fear Him. The Gemara in Menachos reads the word "mah" as "me'ah," a hundred, and learns that we must say a hundred brachos every day. Who gave the Gemara the right to switch that word, and what does a hundred blessings have to do with fearing Hashem at all? The Divrei Yoel says the link is deeper than a wordplay, and it begins with what "fear" really means. For anyone who says brachos on autopilot, it reframes the whole day.