Gate Seven

The fulfillment of the positive commandments, and good practices

**Tzitzit:**You already are aware that the mitzvah of Tzitzit (ציצית) is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah.⁶⁷⁶ The word Tzitzit (ציצית) has the numerical value of 600, and together with the 8 threads and 5 knots, equals 613.⁶⁷⁷ Similarly, it is written,⁶⁷⁸ “You will see it and remember all of the commandments of HaShem-יהו״ה,” thus teaching us that Torah equates the Tzitzit to all the mitzvot.

footnotes: ⁶⁷⁶ Talmud Bavli, Nedarim 25a ⁶⁷⁷ Rashi to Numbers 15:39 and elsewhere. ⁶⁷⁸ Numbers 15:39

Tefillin: Whoever does not fulfill this mitzvah is called “A skull that has not donned Tefillin,” and will not rise in the resurrection of the dead.⁶⁷⁹ However, all destructive forces and the nations of the world are in fear of one who dons them, and about him the verse states,⁶⁸⁰ “Then all the peoples of the earth will see that the Name HaShem-יהו״ה is proclaimed over you, and they will fear you,” as Rabbi Eliezer says,⁶⁸¹ “This verse refers to the Tefillin of the head.” Regarding the coming future it states about such people,⁶⁸² “In the coming world the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, delighting in the radiance of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה (the Shechinah).”

footnotes: ⁶⁷⁹ See Talmud Bavli, Rosh HaShanah 17a ⁶⁸⁰ Deuteronomy 28:10 ⁶⁸¹ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 6a, 56a, and elsewhere. ⁶⁸² Talmud Bavli, Brachot 17a

The Shema recital: You already are aware that this is the mitzvah of HaShem’s-יהו״ה unity, blessed is He, which is the root of all of the commandments.⁶⁸³ The Shema recital consists of 248 words, for through its recital, the 248 limbs and organs of one’s soul undergo repair.⁶⁸⁴ Our sages, of blessed memory, also stated,⁶⁸⁵ “Whoever recites the Shema twice every day, it is as if he fulfills the entire Torah, as stated,⁶⁸⁶ “You shall contemplate it day and night.”

footnotes: ⁶⁸³ Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Ch. 1 ⁶⁸⁴ Zohar Chadash Ruth 95a; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 61:3 ⁶⁸⁵ Midrash Tehillim 1:15; Also see Talmud Bavli, Menachot 99b ⁶⁸⁶ Joshua 1:8 (See Rashi)

Prayer: Our sages, of blessed memory, said about prayer,⁶⁸⁷ “These are matters that ascend to the loftiest heights of the world, and yet people treat them as unimportant and insignificant.” You already are aware that prayer is greater than all the sacrificial offerings,⁶⁸⁸ as it states,⁶⁸⁹ “Why do I need your numerous sacrifices?” The continuation is, “Even if you were to increase your prayers etc.,” indicating that prayer is greater than them all. Just as the sacrificial offerings bring atonement, so likewise, prayer brings atonement for a person’s transgressions.⁶⁹⁰ In Zohar to Parshat Vayakhel it states,⁶⁹¹ “Serving the Creator in prayer is greater and more precious than all other forms of service, including all the sacrificial offerings.”

footnotes: ⁶⁸⁷ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 6b ⁶⁸⁸ Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 1:6 ⁶⁸⁹ Isaiah 1:11 ⁶⁹⁰ See Talmud Bavli, Brachot 26b ⁶⁹¹ Zohar II 201a-b

Bringing merit to the guilty: Our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁶⁹² “Elkana merited having his son Shmuel – who was equal to Moshe and Aharon⁶⁹³ – because he would go up [to the Tabernacle at Shiloh] for every Festival, and would bring multitudes of people with him, thus bringing merit upon them.” His son Shmuel followed this practice, as written,⁶⁹⁴ “He would travel year after year, circling to Beth-El, Gilgal and Mitzpah, and judging Israel in all these places. He then would return to Ramah, for his home was there, and there he would judge Israel. And there he built an altar to HaShem-יהו״ה.” Similarly, our forefather Avraham, peace be upon him, only merited all his exalted levels on account of what is written,⁶⁹⁵ “The souls that they made in Choran.” Similarly, it is written,⁶⁹⁶ “Avraham shall surely be a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the world will be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, to keep the way of HaShem-יהו״ה, doing charity and justice etc.” Moreover, the leaders of every generation are either rewarded or punished only in regard to this matter.

footnotes: ⁶⁹² Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Rabba, Ch. 8 ⁶⁹³ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 31b ⁶⁹⁴ Samuel I 7:16-17 ⁶⁹⁵ Genesis 12:5 ⁶⁹⁶ Genesis 18:18-19

The Zohar at the beginning of Parshat Terumah, greatly lauds the praise of this mitzvah, stating,⁶⁹⁷ “The righteous and meritorious must chase after the guilty and acquire them at full price, to remove the contamination of their sins from them, thus restraining and humbling the opposite of holiness (Sitra Achara). He must toil to repair the soul of the guilty, and this will be considered as if he created them. This brings praise to the glory of the Holy One, blessed is He, over and above all other praises and causes Him to be elevated more than anything else. Regarding this the verse states about Aharon,⁶⁹⁸ ‘He returned many from iniquity,’ and it is written,⁶⁹⁹ ‘My covenant was with him, life and peace; I gave these to him for the sake of the fear with which he feared Me, for he was in awe of My Name.’ Such a person is caused to be uplifted in three elevations, which other’s do not attain by virtue of the other mitzvot. About such a person the verse states,⁷⁰⁰ ‘My covenant was with him, life and peace,’ and he merits to see his children and children of his children. He is meritorious both in this world and the coming world. No accusing forces can judge him in this world, and he enters into the twelve portals of the firmament in the coming world, and none can restrain his hand. About him the verse states,⁷⁰¹ “His offspring will be mighty in the land, a generation of the upright who shall be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness, light shines for the upright.’ The Holy One, blessed is He, blesses the form of such a righteous person with all seven blessings that He blessed Avraham with, when he did this and rectified the wicked of his generation. Such a person enters into the seven hidden worlds, which no one, except for those who do this and repair the souls of the guilty, merit. If only people would know the beneficence of such deeds and the merit they bring to the righteous-Tzaddikim for bringing merit to the guilty, they would pursue this as one pursues life itself.”

footnotes: ⁶⁹⁷ Zohar II 128b ⁶⁹⁸ Malachi 2:6 ⁶⁹⁹ Malachi 2:5 ⁷⁰⁰ Malachi 2:5 ibid. ⁷⁰¹ Psalms 112:2-4

Doing one’s business in good faith has already been discussed before regarding the matter of fraud.⁷⁰² Review that section in depth. As has already been explained, know that upon death, at the beginning of one’s judgement he is asked,⁷⁰³ “Did you conduct your business faithfully?”

footnotes: ⁷⁰² In the fifth gate of this section. ⁷⁰³ Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 31a – That is, with honesty and integrity.

Charity is explained by the prophet Yishayahu,⁷⁰⁴ “Surely, you should break your bread for the hungry and bring the moaning poor to your home; when you see a naked person, clothe him; and do not hide yourself from your kin. Then your light will burst out like the dawn and your healing will speedily sprout; your righteous deed will precede you and the glory of HaShem-יהו״ה will gather you in. Then you will call and HaShem-יהו״ה will answer; you will cry out and He will respond, ‘Here I am!’” Similarly, it is written,⁷⁰⁵ “You shall surely give him, and let your heart not feel bad when you give him, for because of this matter, HaShem-יהו״ה your God, will bless you in all your deeds and in your every undertaking.” Similarly, it is written,⁷⁰⁶ “An anonymous gift will cover over anger,” and,⁷⁰⁷ “Charity rescues from death.” Likewise, it is written,⁷⁰⁸ “His charity endures forever.” That is, there is no sin that can extinguish it, as with the other mitzvot, and it brings life to a person, as in the incident of Binyamin the righteous, mentioned by our sages, of blessed memory.⁷⁰⁹

footnotes: ⁷⁰⁴ Isaiah 58:7-9 ⁷⁰⁵ Deuteronomy 15:10 ⁷⁰⁶ Proverbs 21:14 ⁷⁰⁷ Proverbs 10:2 ⁷⁰⁸ Psalms 111:3; 112:3 ⁷⁰⁹ Talmud Bavli, Bava Batra 11a – It was said about Binyamin the righteous, who was appointed over the charity fund: Once, a woman came before him during the years of drought and said to him, “My master, sustain me.” He said to her, “I swear by the Temple service that there is nothing left in the charity fund.” She said to him, “My master, if you do not sustain me, a woman and her seven sons will die.” He arose and sustained her with his own funds. A while later he fell deathly ill. The ministering angels said to the Holy One, blessed is He, “Have You not said that anyone who saves a single life in Israel, is regarded as if he has saved the entire world? Should Binyamin the righteous, who saved a woman and her seven sons, die after only having lived a few years?” They immediately tore up his death sentence, and it was taught that twenty-two years were added to his lifespan.

Honoring the Shabbat: As you know, Shabbat is equal to the entire Torah,⁷¹⁰ as explained at the beginning of this gate. Review that section in depth. It is written,⁷¹¹ “If you restrain your foot because it is Shabbat, refrain from accomplishing your own desires on My holy day; If you proclaim the Shabbat ‘a delight,’ and the holy [day] of HaShem-יהו״ה ‘honored,’ and you honor it by not engaging in your own affairs, from seeking your own needs or discussing the forbidden – then you will delight in HaShem-יהו״ה, and I will mount you astride the heights of the world; I will provide you the heritage of your forefather Yaakov, for the mouth of HaShem-יהו״ה has spoken.” You are familiar with the well-known story of Yosef who cherishes Shabbat (Yosef Mokir Shabbat),⁷¹² who on account of honoring Shabbat, merited inheriting the great wealth of his gentile neighbor. Similarly, there is the story⁷¹³ of Rabbi Chiya bar Abba, who was the guest of a certain man in Laodicea who would eat his Shabbat meals on a table made of gold, affixed with sixteen chains of silver. This table was so heavy that sixteen people were needed to carry it, and it was laden with bowls, cups, pitchers and flasks, and every kind of food, delicacy and fragrant spice created in the six days of creation. When Rabbi Chiya bar Abba asked him what he had done to merit all of this, he responded, “I was a slaughterer, and from the choicest parts of the finest animals I would say, ‘This will be for Shabbat!’” Our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁷¹⁴ “By what virtue do the wealthy who live outside of the Land of Israel merit their wealth? Because they honor and delight in the Shabbat!”

footnotes: ⁷¹⁰ Midrash Shemot Rabba 25:12 ⁷¹¹ Isaiah 58:13 ⁷¹² Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 119a – The Talmud related a story of Yosef who cherishes Shabbat: There was a gentile on his property was extremely plentiful. The astrologers told him that all of his property would be consumed by Yosef who cherishes Shabbat. He went and sold all his property, bought a precious pearl, and placed it in his hat. When he was crossing a river in a ferry, the wind blew off his hat and cast it into the water, and a fish swallowed it. The fish was caught and brought to shore right before Shabbat eve. The fishermen said, “Who buys fish at a time like this?” The people said, “Go bring it to Yosef who cherishes Shabbat, as he regularly purchases delicacies for Shabbat.” They brought it to him and he purchased it, and when he opened the fish, he found the pearl inside. He later sold it for thirteen vessels filled with golden dinars. An elderly man encountered him and said, “One who lends to Shabbat, Shabbat repays him.” ⁷¹³ Shabbat 119a ibid. ⁷¹⁴ Shabbat 119a ibid.

Circumcising one’s son: If you understood our explanation of the greatness of bringing merit to the guilty and the limitless reward brought about by such deeds, then how much more so is this the case regarding bringing one’s own son under the wings of the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה (the Shechinah), in that one’s responsibility toward his family, takes precedence over others.

Acts of loving-kindness, visiting the sick, bringing peace, and welcoming guests, are amongst the mitzvot that a person eats of their fruits in this world, while the principal remains for him in the coming world.⁷¹⁵ About anyone who engages in Torah study and acts of lovingkindness, the Holy One, blessed is He, says,⁷¹⁶ “I ascribe him credit as if he redeemed Me and My children from among the nations of the world.” This is the character trait of Avraham, as it states,⁷¹⁷ “Give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham.” It is written,⁷¹⁸ “One who pursues charity and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor.”

footnotes: ⁷¹⁵ Mishnah Pe’ah 1:1 ⁷¹⁶ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 8a ⁷¹⁷ Micah 7:20 ⁷¹⁸ Proverbs 21:21

It is taught⁷¹⁹ that Rabba bar Nachmeinee and Abaye both came from the house of Eli.⁷²⁰ Rabba bar Nachmeinee who engaged almost exclusively in Torah, lived for forty years, whereas his student, Abaye, lived twenty years longer because he engaged both in Torah study and acts of lovingkindness. Acts of goodness and kindness save a person from the judgments of purgatory (Gehinnom) as well as the judgments of the torments of the grave (Chibut HaKever), as mentioned before in the second gate.

footnotes: ⁷¹⁹ Talmud Bavli, Rosh HaShanah 18a (See Rashi) ⁷²⁰ The House of Eli was subject to a curse that its members would die young and would not be atoned for through sacrificial offerings (Samuel I 3:11-14). The Talmud discusses other means by which members of the House of Eli were able to bring about atonement and prolonged their lives, such as through the study of Torah and acts of lovingkindness.

Set times for Torah study: In the fifth gate, we already explained the sin of frivolity, and as well known, the study of Torah is equal to all the mitzvot.⁷²¹ Additionally, our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁷²² “The beginning of a person’s judgment is only that he judged concerning the study of Torah, as written,⁷²³ ‘The exemption from waters is the beginning of judgment.’”⁷²⁴

footnotes: ⁷²¹ Mishnah Pe’ah 1:1 ⁷²² Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7a ⁷²³ Proverbs 17:14 ⁷²⁴ The term “release-Poter-פוטר” here means that he exempts himself from the waters, which refers to Torah study. The term “Madon-מדון” which means “strife,” is also of the root “judgement-Din-דין” as the Talmud here indicates. Thus, the verse is understood to mean, “Excusing oneself from Torah study is the beginning of judgment.” (See Rashi to Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40b.)

Reciting the Shema upon retiring to sleep: Know what our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁷²⁵ “One who recites the Shema upon his bed kills myriads of destructive forces found at night, particularly when his soul ascends above. This is as stated,⁷²⁶ ‘Let the pious (Chassidim) exalt in glory, let them sing joyously upon their beds. The praises of exaltation of God are in their throats, and a double-edged sword is in their hand.’”

footnotes: ⁷²⁵ Zohar III 212a-b ⁷²⁶ Psalms 149:5-6

**Arising after midnight:**⁷²⁷ Firstly, by engaging in this practice he is counted among those who mourn for Zion and Jerusalem, about which it states,⁷²⁸ “Be glad in Jerusalem and rejoice in her, all you who love her, exult with her in jubilation, all you who mourn for her.” For, it is at that hour that the Holy One, blessed is He, also mourns and roars like a lion.⁷²⁹ Moreover, in regard to one’s study of Torah at that hour, our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁷³⁰ “The exaltation in the Torah is only at night.” Additionally, our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁷³¹ “Whoever occupies himself with Torah study at night, the Holy One, blessed is He, extends a thread of kindness upon him by day.” Our sages, of blessed memory, also stated,⁷³² “Anyone who occupies himself with Torah study at night, the Indwelling Presence of HaShem-יהו״ה (the Shechinah), is opposite him. The verse states,⁷³³ “Arise! Exalt in the night, at the beginning of the watches!” King David, peace be upon him, only merited to live in this world and in the coming world on account of this practice,⁷³⁴ as written,⁷³⁵ “At midnight I arise to thank You for Your righteous ordinances.” The book of Zohar is filled with explanations praising this mitzvah to no end, and the Holy Spirit of Divine Inspiration (Ru’ach HaKodesh) dwells upon such a person, as mentioned there in Parshat Shemot.⁷³⁶

footnotes: ⁷²⁷ To pray the Tikkun Chatzot prayer and to study Torah. ⁷²⁸ Isaiah 66:10 ⁷²⁹ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 3a ⁷³⁰ Midrash Shemot Rabba 47:5; Vayikra Rabba 19:1 ⁷³¹ Talmud Bavli, Avoda Zarah 3b; Midrash Mishlei 31:3; Tanna d’Bei Eliyahu Zuta, Pirke Derech Eretz 2 ⁷³² Talmud Bavli, Tamid 32b ⁷³³ Lamentations 2:19 – In reference to Torah study (Shemot Rabba 47:5). ⁷³⁴ Talmud Bavli, Brachot 3b-4a and elsewhere. ⁷³⁵ Psalms 119:62 ⁷³⁶ Zohar II 18b