My Beloved Students,
What if I told you that you have the power, at this very moment, to fulfill all 613 mitzvot—those tied to the Land of Israel, the Beit HaMikdash, and even the Messianic Era—and at the same time, to rectify and transform your past into a source of merit? What if this opportunity could connect you directly to HaShem’s infinite presence, transcending time and space, bringing you into the perpetual now?
This is not simply another teaching; it is the key to unlocking the gates of redemption and sanctifying HaShem’s Name. By understanding the power of desire, teshuva, and intent, you can access this transformative potential. Through yearning to fulfill the mitzvot with pure intent, coupled with teshuva from love and awe, you align yourself with the light of HaShem’s eternal truth. Let us explore this in detail, combining insights from Torah, Talmud, halacha, and the teachings of our sages.
The Power of Desire: Fulfilling All Mitzvot Through Intention
The principle that one’s intention to perform mitzvot is counted as if they were fulfilled is rooted in the Talmud. In Kiddushin 40a, Chazal teach:
מחשבה טובה מצרפה למעשה
“A good thought is joined to a deed.”
If a person fully intends to perform a mitzvah but is prevented by circumstances beyond their control, HaShem credits it to them as if they had fulfilled it. Rashi explains that this principle applies universally, highlighting HaShem’s attribute of combining justice with mercy.
Berachot 6a elaborates on the verse in Malachi 3:16:
ויכתב ספר זכרון לפניו ליראי ה’ ולחושבי שמו
“A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear HaShem and think upon His name.”
Even the thought to perform a mitzvah is recorded in the heavenly Book of Remembrance. HaShem values intention as much as action when external circumstances prevent fulfillment.
Menachot 110a explains that even one who desires to bring a korban (sacrifice) but cannot due to lack of resources is credited as though they had brought it. The Torah’s language,
אדם כי יקריב מכם קרבן לה’
“When a person among you brings an offering to HaShem,” highlights the importance of the heart’s willingness.
Teshuva: Transforming the Past into Mitzvot
While the principle of fulfilling mitzvot through intention applies to current and future actions, the concept of teshuva (repentance) allows us to transform our past into merit. This is one of the greatest chiddushim (novel teachings) in Jewish thought, revealing HaShem’s infinite mercy and the transformative power of love.
In Hilchot Teshuva 7:3, the Rambam explains the profound difference between teshuva from fear versus teshuva from love. Teshuva from fear causes past transgressions to be forgiven and wiped away, while teshuva from love elevates those transgressions, transforming them into merits:
שעונותיו נעשים לו כזכיות
“His transgressions become merits for him.”
It is important to note that the Rambam places great emphasis on the foundational role of fear in teshuva. Fear of HaShem, when properly cultivated, leads to awe—an awareness of HaShem’s greatness and omnipotence. This awe becomes a gateway to love. One begins with yirat HaShem (fear of HaShem), which instills discipline and respect. From this reverence, a deeper connection emerges, leading to ahavat HaShem (love of HaShem). These qualities are not contradictory but complementary, working together to elevate one’s relationship with HaShem.
When one returns to HaShem out of love, recognizing His greatness and yearning to reconnect with Him, even the mistakes and failures of the past are redefined as stepping stones toward spiritual growth. The sinner becomes a tzaddik, not despite their past, but because they transformed it into holiness.
When past transgressions are converted into merits through teshuva from love, they essentially become mitzvot. This is because the very act of turning back to HaShem elevates and sanctifies the past. As such, one who performs teshuva with pure love for HaShem can immediately fulfill a vast array of mitzvot, including those they previously violated or neglected.
The Perpetual Now: The Light of the First Day and HaShem’s Name
HaShem’s Name, Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei, encompasses past, present, and future. It reveals the Divine reality that time itself is unified in HaShem’s presence. This Name serves as a secret for living in the eternal now, where one transcends the limitations of time and space by aligning themselves with HaShem’s will.
The Zohar (Bereshit 31b) teaches about the Or HaGanuz (hidden light), the spiritual light created on the first day of creation. This light, hidden away for the righteous in the Messianic Era, symbolizes a timeless connection to HaShem. When we engage in teshuva from love and actively yearn to fulfill all mitzvot, we tap into this hidden light and bring its essence into our lives.
This daily teshuva and desire for mitzvot allow us to transcend the limitations of time, bringing us into the hidden light of the first day. This light is destined to illuminate the eternal Shabbat of the future, aligning us with the Nun Sha’arei Binah (Fifty Gates of Understanding), where time and space dissolve, and we live in the perpetual presence of HaShem.
Chazal teach that one should engage in teshuva every single day (Shabbat 153a):
ושוב יום אחד לפני מיתתך
“Repent one day before your death.”
As no one knows the day of their passing, this becomes a directive to live in teshuva every day, transforming each moment into an opportunity for spiritual renewal.
Practical Applications: Fulfilling All Mitzvot and Transforming the Past
Yearning to fulfill all 613 mitzvot is not merely a thought exercise; it is a profound spiritual practice. The Midrash Tanchuma (Naso 16) teaches:
אפילו מי שמחשבתו ורצונו לעשות כל המצוות מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו עשאן כולן
“Even one whose thought and desire is to perform all the mitzvot is credited by the Torah as though they performed them all.”
Set aside time each day to consciously yearn to fulfill all mitzvot with pure intent, envisioning yourself as part of HaShem’s eternal plan.
Embrace teshuva not as a one-time act but as a daily practice. Engage in teshuva from both awe and love, reflecting on HaShem’s kindness and greatness. Fear of HaShem creates the structure necessary to cultivate love, and this love, in turn, transforms past transgressions into merits, which become spiritual mitzvot in their own right.
Study the laws of mitzvot you cannot currently perform, such as those tied to the Beit HaMikdash or the Land of Israel. The Rambam (Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 1:1) states that learning these halachot is equivalent to performing them. Pray for the ability to perform all mitzvot, saying:
והשב עבודה לדביר ביתך
“Restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your house.”
Cultivate a mindset of constant teshuva and mitzvah fulfillment. See every moment as an opportunity to draw closer to HaShem, transcending limitations of time and space.
Conclusion: The Key to Redemption
Through the combination of teshuva from love, awe, and the desire to fulfill all mitzvot, you can unlock a transformative power that sanctifies HaShem’s Name and hastens the redemption. Fear of HaShem inspires awe, which deepens into love, creating a cycle of spiritual growth that encompasses the fullness of our relationship with HaShem.
As David HaMelech declared:
רצון יראיו יעשה
“He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him.”
May we all merit to live in the perpetual light of HaShem’s Name, fulfilling all mitzvot in the now, and transforming the world into a place of eternal Shabbat and redemption.
With blessings for your success in this holy work,
Dovid E. Yirmeyahu
(18th of Kislev, 5785)
It is hard to put into words what you know inside that moment when all of your being just yearns for the ultimate closeness with the Almighty. I cried reading this. It is the absolute clarification of intention and desire for Him. To please Him in every possible way …it’s hard to describe when all you can do is cry out for Him laying with your face on the floor because you know He is all there is and that it’s only by His mercy that we are in existence and yet even have a divine path connecting us to Him . I don’t know what to say but thank you for bringing this message out to us. Reminding us that hope is not lost.