Dear Friends, please ask questions about these passages from the great Kabbalists. The commentaries in brackets are mine.

613 Suggestions and 613 Deposits

In several places in The Zohar, he calls the 613 Mitzvot, “613 counsels” [of how to correct the Kli] and in many other places in The Zohar he calls the 613 Mitzvot, “613 deposits” [the Lights that have to enter the corrected Kli]. This is so because at first, one must keep the Torah and the Mitzvot in order to refine his body [himself from egoism] and enhance his soul [the aspiration for bestowal and love].

At that time, the 613 Mitzvot are as 613 counsels [this type of correction] for him, “suggestions” by which to gradually refine and be awarded coming before the King [rising above egoism], and receiving the Light of his face. This is because keeping the Torah [attracting the Light] and Mitzvot [correcting 613 egoistic desires] gradually purify him [from natural egoism], until he is rewarded with the Light of the King’s face [the general, universal property of bestowal and love]. [Otherwise, there is no use of his actions.]

Also, it is written similarly in the Gemarah: “The Creator cares not if one slaughters at the throat or slaughters at the back of the neck [meaning that mechanical actions in and of themselves do not carry any meaning]? Rather, we were given the Torah and Mitzvot only to purify Israel [those who strive for the Creator, the property of ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’].”

However, after one has been sufficiently purified [from egoistic desires] and merits the Light of the King’s face [the property of bestowal], one’s eyes and soul [the will to bestow] open and he is awarded the attaining [within himself] the 613 Sacred Lights found in the 613 Mitzvot [corrected desires]. These are His Holy Names [attainment thereof], the ones he can attain.

By keeping each of the Mitzvot [correcting each desire], one takes [receives into it] the part of the Light deposited in that Mitzva since the Mitzva is a Kli (vessel) [desire] where the Light is clothed, meaning a Holy Name [His individual property] that belongs specifically to that Mitzva. This is the meaning of “The Mitzva is a candle and the Torah—Light.” At that time, he calls the 613 Mitzvot “613 commandments (deposits).”
– Baal HaSulam, “Introduction to the book, From the Mouth of a Sage”
[35834]

Related Material:
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 35
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 34
Kabbalists On The Torah And Commandments, Part 33

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