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38 | A New Light Chapter Two: | 59 62 | A New Light

It is known that a person cannot actually keep all 613 he is considered meritorious, and heaven has no judgments against Find the Differences
mitzvot, except by means of thought: by means of sitting him. Thus, he will succeed and receive help from Hashem. On the
and thinking eagerly, “When will this mitzvah come to other hand, if a person does not have intent, heaven judges him Let me tell you a story.
me so that I will be able to perform it?” or “If only I negatively and demands of him, “Why didn’t you want?” Even
had a connection to this mitzvah and I could keep it.” while he is in this world, he feels this, and thus he experiences all I knew Yossi and Danny as two students who attended my classes.
Then it is considered as though he kept them all. In sorts of distress and difficulties in his life. All of this is intensified One day they had showed up for my weekly talk, and from then
when a person is judged in the world-to-come. If he abandoned his
accordance with this, in a single day a person can keep intent and did not succeed, he is responsible for having abandoned on I grew used to seeing their faces among the other regular
participants. After just a month passed, I could see a difference
all 613 mitzvot by thinking about each mitzvah on its his intent, and for that he will be judged—whereas if a person between the two—a difference that grew more pronounced as time
own. Thus, the verse states, “You will guard the mitzvah maintained his intent, even if he faced such a great obstacle that passed. They were both interested and paid attention. They both
and the laws and the judgments that I command you in the end he did not succeed, he will be exonerated, because he smiled with satisfaction and pleasure, and it appeared that the words
today to do them” (Deuteronomy 7:11). The word “guard” fulfilled his responsibility. that Hashem put in my mouth spoke to their hearts. Nevertheless, I
here is used in the sense of eagerly awaiting—as in the recognized that there was a vast difference between them.
verse, “His father guarded the matter”…—to keep the The Meaning of the Story
totality of all 613 commandments. When you do so, I am not only talking about the fact that Yossi’s kippah grew
you will gain benefit even today. That is to say, it will be How does this parable apply to the life of every individual? larger and his tzitzit longer. I am speaking of their states of mind.
as though you actually performed them in just one day. Hashem wants us all to return to Him completely. He wants us to Each came to me from time to time for counsel or for a blessing. I
be cleansed of every craving and every evil trait, and freed of every saw that Yossi was aware. He understood what I was saying. He told
Rabbi Tzadok concludes by briefly explaining the verse, “To addiction. Even if achieving this appears difficult or unrealistic, we me that he saw a great difference in his relationship with his wife,
You, Hashem, is the kindness, because You recompense a person must know that heaven wants us to want. We are able to want— with his overall happiness, with his relations with his peers at work,
in accordance with His deed” (Psalms 62:13), raising a point that everyone of us. When a person wants and does not abandon his and that he truly felt that Hashem is with him. His questions were
is raised as well by the Shem Mishmuel: Why does this verse will in the slightest, he is already fulfilling his obligation. The rest elevated. They were the questions of a person who is working with
call recompense “kindness”? After all, it is only equitable that is in Hashem’s hands—whether or not to give him what he wants, the lessons that he is learning, that he is internalizing. His questions
the Creator recompense a person for what he has accomplished. and when to give it to him. In heaven’s view, this person is already dealt with subtle and exalted concepts.
What kindness is involved? Rabbi Tzadok and the Shem Mishmuel completely penitent and righteous, because he is holding onto his
On the other hand, I barely saw any change in Danny. It was
answer in accordance with what we have learned here: that the strong will with all his might. If he does not abandon his will, he will as though he had not attended the classes at all, as though he
essence of action is in the hands of the Master of the world, Who certainly arrive, because a person is led in the way that he wants to
alone performed, performs and will perform all deeds. Nevertheless, go. And even if he leaves this world before having completed his had not heard a thing. He would return with the same problems.
He remained angry and bitter with the people around him, he
Hashem recompenses a person in accordance with his deeds, as rectification, heaven considers him cleansed, holy and pure.
though the person himself accomplished them, even though all of continued to blame everyone else for his problems and he continued
those deeds really come from God. Thus, the payment of reward Thus, a person’s essential good quality is a mirror of his to blame himself, he was far from faith, far from feeling thankful,
far from enjoying a happy marriage. The problems that he had
for the deed is great kindness on Hashem’s part. We see here the will. That is how heaven views him. Heaven judges him in
concept that action is not in our hands. accordance with his will. And that influences him even while suffered from before he came to my classes still existed and had not
he is still in this world, living his daily life. A person who even diminished. I asked myself: does he hear what I am saying?
The mashgiach, Rabbi Yerucham Halevi Leibovitz, also expresses constantly strengthens his good intentions has no heavenly He sits before me in class, he looks at me and I speak to him. Is it
this view stated by Rabbi Tzadok (Divrei Torah: Vayikra: Ma’amar Sod judgments against him, because heaven judges him in possible that he hasn’t absorbed anything? I asked him if he had
Haratzon, p. 222): accordance with his intentions. In addition, there is no need read my books. He told me that he had, but what does that have
for heaven to send him suffering in order to arouse him. to do with his problems? He was able to repeat what I had written,
Recently, I related the secret that the enigma of free Therefore, his life is sweet. Thus, a person’s good intentions but he lacked awareness. Awareness is connection. Awareness is