The Talmud relates the story of Shimon [or Nechemyah] HaImsuni, who expounded the meaning of the word “et” every time it appeared in the Torah. He abandoned the endeavor, however, when he tried to address the verse (Devarim 10:20), “You shall fear “et” the Lord thy God”, stating, “Just as I have merited reward for the interpretation, I will likewise merit reward for abandoning [the apparently untrue interpretation]. However, R. Akiva came along and salvaged the interpretative process, explaining that the word “et” in that verse comes to include a Torah scholar under the obligation of “fear”, or reverence.

R. Chaim Ya’akov Goldvicht commented on the fact that Shimon HaImsuni, who had become the expert on the meaning of “et”, was stymied by this verse, while R. Akiva was able to interpret it. He explained that at first, the challenge of understanding what other being could be included within the fear of God was too great, even for one expert in this area. R. Akiva, however, had the advantage of witnessing Shimon HaImsuni’s unwavering commitment to truth. When he saw how one who had devoted so much labor to a project was nonetheless ready to abandon that project when it appeared inconsistent with truth, R. Akiva was inspired to realize that Torah scholars also deserve to be included in the commandment of reverence.