ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף מלאכי 3:16

And the wise man said: "He that walks with the wise shall become wise" (Mishlei 13:20), and "hearken your ear, and hear the words of the wise" (Mishlei 22:17), and it was said of one who refrained from being with pious men:: "A scorner loves not one that reproves him: neither will he go to the wise" (Mishlei 15:12). And the sages, of blessed memory, said: "The gathering together of the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world, but for the righteous, it is good for them and good for the world. The dispersing of the wicked is beneficial for them and beneficial to the world, but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world" (Sanhedrin 71b). And they said: "Let your house be a meetingplace for the sages and sit amidst the dust of their feet and drink in thirstily their words" (Avos 1:4), and "Then they that feared the L-ord spoke one with another; and the L-ord hearkened, and heard" (Malachi 3:16).

Hence, one commandment, according to the heart and intent with which it is performed, can outweigh many commandments, and likewise one transgression can outweigh many transgressions. Even the thought to do a commandment and the yearning to do it out of reverence for G-d, despite that one was unable to actually perform it, may, nevertheless, outweigh many commandments performed without this reverence, as G-d said to David: "because it was in your heart to build a house for My Name" (Chronicles II 6:8), and "then the G-d fearing men spoke to one another, and the L-ord hearkened and heard it. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the L-ord and for those who thought upon His Name" (Malachi 3:16), and our Sages expounded the last words (Shabbat 63a): "what is meant by 'thought upon His Name?' - [answer:] "if one intended to fulfill a commandment but was prevented from doing it, it is accounted to him as if he had done it."