Kabbalah Yosua 1:8: Zohar, Sha'arei Kedusha, Derech Etz Chayim (Ramchal) & Tikkunei Zohar

For the Torah teaches man how to walk in the right way, it gives him counsel how to return to his Master, so that even if sentence of death has been passed on him it is annulled and removed from him and impends not over him. Therefore he should occupy himself with the Torah day and night and never depart from it: for if he banishes the Torah from him or departs from it, it is as though he parted from life.

Our sages, of blessed memory, stated,⁵⁴⁶Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 7a “The beginning of a person’s judgment is that he is judged only concerning the study of Torah, as written,⁵⁴⁷Proverbs 17:14 ‘Exemption from waters is the beginning of judgment.’”⁵⁴⁸The 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 the waters of Torah study is the beginning of judgment.” (See Rashi to Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 40b.) Similarly, it is written,⁵⁴⁹Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Torah shall not leave from your mouth; you shall contemplate it day and night, so that you may guard yourself to do according to all that is written in it; for then your way will be successful, and then you will be wise.” About each moment, hour or day that a person is idle from studying the words of Torah, it is written,⁵⁵⁰Ecclesiastes 1:15 (See Rashi) “Crookedness that cannot be straightened, lacking that is incalculable.”

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.⁶⁸³Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Ch. 1 The Shema recital consists of 248 words, for through its recital, the 248 limbs and organs of one’s soul undergo repair.⁶⁸⁴Zohar Chadash Ruth 95a; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 61:3 Our sages, of blessed memory, also stated,⁶⁸⁵Midrash Tehillim 1:15; Also see Talmud Bavli, Menachot 99b “Whoever recites the Shema twice every day, it is as if he fulfills the entire Torah, as stated,⁶⁸⁶Joshua 1:8 (See Rashi) “You shall contemplate it day and night.”