Three Speeches – Do I Have to Listen to Them?

but the Torah by forty-eight things... Attentive listening...

(1) Now Jethro heard (Exod. 18:1). Some hear and lose (their reward), while others hear and are rewarded...

(1) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS ‘EIKEV’ YE HEARKEN. Eikev means “because.” So also, ‘eikev’ (because) that Abraham hearkened to My voice. And Rashi wrote: “If you will hearken even to the lighter commandments which a person usually treads upon with his ‘heels’ [i.e., those commandments which a person is inclined to treat lightly] then G-d will keep His promise to you.”

(1) (Deut. 7:12:) “And it shall come to pass if (literally, in the heel of).” This text is related (to Ps. 49:6), “Why should I fear in the evil days, when the iniquity of my heels encompass me?” May the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, be blessed because He has given a Torah to Israel in which there are six hundred and thirteen commandments, some of which are light and some weighty. But because some of the commandments are light, people pay no attention to them. Instead they cast them under their heels [while] saying they are light. For that reason David was afraid of the Day of Judgment and said, “Master of the world, I am not afraid of the weighty commandments which are in the Torah, because they are weighty. Of what am I afraid? Of the light commandments, lest I have transgressed one of them, [not knowing] whether I have fulfilled it or not fulfilled it, because it is light; for you have said, ‘Be as mindful of the light commandments as of the weighty commandments.’”

Dovid said to Hashem, “You gave us 613 minor and major mitzvos. I wasn’t just meticulous to fulfill only the major mitzvos, but even more so, the minor mitzvos, which were given to man…”

(1) And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby.

In Sefer Charedim we find that even though one is obligated in all of the mitzvoth he must still hold fast to one of them, with great strength and constancy, that he does not transgress all the days of his life...

It is known what is written in Sefer Chasidim, that a mitzvah that has no "patrons" is like a meth mitzvah (see Part One, Conclusion, Chapter III). And that mitzvah accuses and laments: "How unfortunate I am, that all have forgotten me!" And this applies to even an isolated mitzvah...

An example of this is tefillah which rises up to Heaven.

Connected to the emphasis on the need to bolster one’s effort in prayer, the Gemara notes that the Sages taught in a baraita: Four things require bolstering, constant effort to improve, and they are... prayer...

If one wants to be saved from his evil inclination, then he should concentrate all his effort into specifically studying halacha in depth.

Whoever wants to get World to Come cheaply [should follow the advice,] guard your tongue from evil… for guarding one’s tongue is an entry point and a primary means through which one merits a portion in the World to Come...

(2) Come and see further how great is the punishment of this bitter sin. For by speaking lashon hara and rechiluth he loses the little Torah that he has. As per Midrash Shocher Tov 42 (Koheleth 5:5): "'Do not allow your mouth to cause sin to your flesh.' This speaks of lashon hara, etc. 'Why should G-d be angry at your voice?' — at that voice which you uttered with your mouth and spoke lashon hara against your friend. 'And [He shall] destroy the work of your hands' — the little Torah that you have in your hands will go lost." And it is obvious that the intent of the midrash is as written in the holy books, that one who speaks lashon hara against his friend causes his merits that have accrued until now to be taken from him and given to his friend.

And the Gaon, R. Refael, in his book, Marpeh Lashon, explained this verse, too, with great discrimination, on the basis of what is written in Chovoth Halevavoth, Sha'ar Hakniyah, 7: "Many people will come for the day of accounting. And when they are shown their deeds, there will be found in the Book of Merits, mitzvoth which they did not do. And they will say: 'We did not do these!' And they will be answered: 'They were done by one who spoke of you demeaningly [and they were credited to you.]' Likewise, when their [merits] will be lacking from the Book of Merits of those who spoke demeaningly of them, they [the speakers will ask why they are missing], and they will be answered: 'You lost them when you spoke demeaningly of such and such person.' And, likewise, there will be found in the Book of Liabilities of some, acts which they did not commit, and when they say 'We did not commit them,' they will be answered: 'They were added to your account because of such and such that you spoke about, etc.'" And the same has been written in other holy works.

(1) And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby.