Musar su Deuteronomio 15:7

The second level is the severity of positive commandments: The foundation of the reward and the root of the recompense resulting from the service is [found] in the performance of positive commandments, as it is stated (Proverbs 13:13), “He who respects a commandment will be rewarded.” And it is [also] stated (Malachi 3:18), “And you shall come to see the difference [...] between him who has served God and him who has not served Him.” And the service [to God] is with commandments that depend upon (involve) actions - whether there is nothing besides the positive commandment or whether there is [also] a negative commandment with them, such as (Deuteronomy 15:7), “do not harden your heart, etc.” (which accompanies the positive commandment of charity). And the commandment of the service will be explained in the Gate of the Service (no longer extant), with God’s help. Nevertheless, there is a manner of reward for the one who is careful not to transgress a negative commandment that reaches [that] of one who does a commandment - such as if the opportunity for a sin comes to a man and he had a desire for a sexual prohibition, but he overcame his impulse - for this is from the essence of the fear of God, may He be blessed. And likewise someone who had the opportunity to get rich by cheating and [charging] interest and there is no one to see and to know; yet he went with innocence and clean hands - his reward for this will be like one who plants righteousness and toils [to do a positive] commandment. And so it is written (Psalms 119:3) “They have done no wrong, but have followed His ways.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yerushalmi Kiddushin 1:9), “Since they did not do wickedness, they have ‘followed His ways.’” And we have already discussed the explanation of this verse for you. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, likewise said (Kiddushin 39b), “[If] one sits and does not transgress, he receives a reward as one who performs a commandment, [...] in a case where an opportunity to commit a sinful act presents itself to him and he is saved from it.” And they also said (Berakhot 6a), “‘Those who revere the Lord and esteem His name.’ - this is [a case] where an opportunity to commit a sinful act presents itself to him and he is saved from it.” Even [with] this reward [however], its essence and foundation is [based in] a positive commandment, since he suppressed his impulse with the fear of God, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:20), “You must fear the Lord, your God.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 2:1), “Be careful with a light commandment as with a weighty one, for you do not know the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments.” Yet behold [that] what will be done to anyone who transgresses a negative commandment is explicit in the Torah; and it allocates punishments and statutes and a code for what to do to them. And the punishments are forty lashes, death and expiation at the hands of the Heavens and the four death penalties of the court. But the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments is not explicit in the Torah, so that [people] not prevent themselves from fulfilling the light commandments and involve themselves only in the weighty ones.

“Do not harden your heart and shut your hand” (Deuteronomy 15:7). We were warned with this to remove the trait of cruelty from our souls, and to plant delightful saplings in it - [namely] reliable mercy and kindnesses, as it is written (Deuteronomy 28:9), “and you shall walk in His ways.” And because it is possible not to shut his hand and to grace the poor person, but not in the way of mercy - like the matter that is written (Proverbs 12:10), “but the mercies of the wicked are cruelty” - therefore it is written, “Do not harden your heart.” And the punishment for cruelty is bad and bitter, as will be explained in the Gate of Cruelty (no longer extant), with God’s help. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 151b), “‘And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you’ (Deuteronomy 13:18) - anyone who has compassion for the creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for the creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.”

The above mentioned six pillars are alluded to in the six letters of the word וכימיך in 33,25. The letter ו alludes to the pillar שלום, which symbolises making a whole out of parts. The number six is divisible into six parts, three parts or two parts. The resulting parts then are א,ב,ג [units of one, two, or three respectively. Ed.] When you combine the respective number of these units i.e. 1+2+3=6 you get the original total. I have demonstrated elsewhere that the regular letter כ symbolises עבודה, seeing that it is shaped in a form of כפיפה subordination. A true and loyal servant subordinates himself totally to his master. This idea is symbolised by the shape of the Shofar which we blow on New Year's Day. The Rabbis (Maimonides chapter 1, Laws of the Shofar) said that it is preferable to use a ram's horn because its shape suggests subordination. The letter י alludes to the Torah, the synopsis of which is represented by the Ten Commandments. The letter מ which is the middle letter in the word אמת alludes to the eternal nature of G–d who "was, is and forever will be." He is "first", He is "last" and as He is now He will always be. The pillar אמת, also testifies to this inasmuch as its letters are the first, the middle, and the last letter of the Aleph Bet. The second time the letter י appears in כימיך, it alludes to the pillar דין. It alludes to the ten judicial aspects in which the judging of capital crimes -דיני נפשות- differs from litigation involving merely monetary disputes, דיני ממונות. The "final" ך i.e. the open-ended letter כ at the end of the word וכימיך alludes to the pillar חסד, and reminds us to have an "open hand," to be generous to appeals by the poor and the destitute. The Torah (15,7) warns expressly: לא תקפוץ ידך, "Do not ball your hand into a fist." Moses concluded the verse (33,25) with the word דבאך. The four letters of this word are the respective first letters of four foundations of succesful life on earth i.e. of G–d's blessing. They are: דירה נאה, a beautiful home, בד קודש, a certain amount of solitude or seclusion, אשה נאה, happy married life, and כלים נאים, nice clothing. [Three of these four, the home, the wife and the clothing, are mentioned in Berachot 57 as "broadening" man's mind. Ed.]