Man’s Service and the Reward
עֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם וְהַגְּמוּל
And now I will inform you how from this flows free choice, its reward, and its punishment (וְעַתָּה אוֹדִיעֲךָ אֵיךְ נִמְשָׁךְ מִזֶּה הַבְּחִירָה, שְׂכָרָהּ וְעוֹנָשָׁהּ). Behold, if the Emanator had wished to act always in one uniform manner (הִנֵּה, אִם הָיָה רוֹצֶה הַמַּאֲצִיל לִפְעֹל תָּמִיד בְּהִשְׁוָאָה אַחַת), without conducting Himself according to the deeds of His creatures (בְּלֹא לְהִתְנַהֵג אַחַר מַעֲשֵׂי בְּרוּאָיו), the governance would have been uniform (הָיְתָה הַהַנְהָגָה שָׁוָה), and influence would always flow to all the created beings (וְתָמִיד בָּאָה הַהַשְׁפָּעָה אֶל כָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים).
However, this is not what He chose (אֲבָל לֹא בָּזֶה בָּחַר), but rather, corresponding to all the actions that He performs in the world (אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַפְּעוּלוֹת אֲשֶׁר הוּא פּוֹעֵל בָּעוֹלָם), and the parts that are in man - for all is one (וְהַחֲלָקִים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָדָם - שֶׁהַכֹּל אֶחָד), so He established statutes and mitzvot (כָּךְ שָׂם חֻקִּים וּמִצְוֺת), and placed them in the hands of man to perform (וְנָתַן אוֹתָם בְּיַד הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹתָם). And He desires to act according to the deeds of human beings (וְהוּא רוֹצֶה לִהְיוֹת פּוֹעֵל לְפִי מַעֲשֵׂה בְּנֵי אָדָם): for every mitzvah that a person performs (שֶׁכָּל מִצְוָה שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה הָאָדָם), behold the action among His actions which corresponds to that mitzvah (הִנֵּה הַפְּעוּלָה מִפְּעוּלוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר הִיא מְקַבֶּלֶת לַמִּצְוָה הַהִיא), will flow to that person for good (תִּמָּשֵׁךְ אֶל הָאָדָם הַהוּא לְטוֹבָה), and this is his reward (וְזֶהוּ שְׂכָרוֹ).
And if the person transgresses that mitzvah (וְאִם הָאָדָם יַעֲבֹר עַל הַמִּצְוָה הַהִיא), then the good of that action which corresponds to the mitzvah (הִנֵּה טוֹב הַפְּעוּלָה הַהִיא הַמְּקַבֶּלֶת אֶל הַמִּצְוָה), will be withheld from him (יִמָּנַע מִמֶּנּוּ), or the action will become harmful to him, Heaven forbid (אוֹ תִּהְיֶה הַפְּעוּלָה לְרָעָה אֵלָיו חַס וְשָׁלוֹם), and this is its punishment (וְזֶהוּ עוֹנָשָׁהּ). And all this likewise flows from the connection and correspondence of the parts of the form of man (וְכָל זֶה גַּם כֵּן נִמְשָׁךְ מִשַּׁיָּכוּת וְקֶשֶׁר חִלְקֵי דְּמוּת הָאָדָם).
And know that the parts of man are many (וְתֵדַע, שֶׁחֲלָקֵי הָאָדָם הֵם רַבִּים), but they are divided into 613 limbs and sinews (אֲבָל הֵם מִתְחַלְּקִים לִתְרֵי״ג אֵבָרִים וְגִידִים), each of which then divides into many details (שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם אַחַר כָּךְ מִתְחַלֵּק לִפְרָטִים רַבִּים). And likewise, the mitzvot are 613 (וְכֵן הַמִּצְוֺת הֵם תְּרֵי״ג), and they have many conditions (וּלָהֶם תְּנָאִים רַבִּים). But the Holy One, blessed be He (אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא), who prepared His creation and its governance in this division of 613 (שֶׁהֵכִין בְּרִיאָתוֹ וְהַנְהָגָתָהּ בַּחִלּוּק הַזֶּה שֶׁל תְּרֵי״ג), desired it to be for the rectification of avodah [divine service] (רָצָה לִהְיוֹת לְתִיקּוּן הָעֲבוֹדָה).p1-5
Notes
613: the likeness of man, like the Partzufim, has the same division, and it is 613 (גַּם דְּמוּת אָדָם, כְּמוֹ הַפַּרְצוּפִים, חִלּוּקָתָם אַחַת הִיא, וְהִיא תּרֵי״ג). See further in section 14 (רְאֵה בְּהֶמְשֶׁךְ סִימָן י״ד): “And behold, the likeness of man is divided into 613” (וְהִנֵּה דְּמוּת הָאָדָם חָלוּק לִתּרֵי״ג), “and likewise, 613 parts are found in the ten Sefirot...” (וְכֵן תּרֵי״ג חֲלָקִים יִמָּצְאוּ בְּעֶשֶׂר סְפִירוֹת...). See Klach Pitchei Chokhmah, Petach 12 (רְאֵה קְל״ח פִּתְחֵי חָכְמָה, פֶּתַח י״ב): “The totality of all the governance that revolves until its completion (כְּלָלוּת כָּל הַהַנְהָגָה הַסּוֹבֶבֶת עַד תַּשְׁלוּמָה), and likewise the totality of all beings (וְכֵן כְּלָלוּת כָּל הַנִּמְצָאִים), is only one matter and one structure which the Emanator, may He be blessed and exalted, arranged (הוּא רַק עִנְיָן אֶחָד וְסֵדֶר אֶחָד שֶׁתִּקֵּן הַמַּאֲצִיל יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה), whose end is the complete bestowal of goodness in every kind of perfection (שֶׁתַּכְלִיתוֹ הוּא הַהֵיטֵב הַשָּׁלֵם בְּכָל מִינֵי שְׁלֵמוּת). And the conditions of this structure are all the creations and the laws of their governance (וְתְּנָאֵי הַסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה הֵם כָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמִשְׁפְּטֵי הַנְהָגָתָם), and it is the secret of the likeness of man in the number of his limbs (וְהוּא סוֹד דְּמוּת אָדָם בְּמִנְיַן אֵבָרָיו), and the arrangement of their connections exactly as they are in him (וְסֵדֶר קִשְׁרֵיהֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵם בּוֹ מַמָּשׁ). And therefore Adam Kadmon, who is the totality of all, is the totality of this structure of that likeness (וְלָכֵן אָ״ק, שֶׁהוּא כְּלָלוּת הַכֹּל, הוּא כְּלָלוּת סֵדֶר זֶה שֶׁל דְּמוּת זֶה). It follows that the Emanator, may He be blessed and exalted, brought into existence only one existence - the structure of the likeness of man (נִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא הִמְצִיא הַמַּאֲצִיל יִתְבָּרַךְ וְיִתְעַלֶּה אֶלָּא מְצִיאוּת אֶחָת, שֶׁהוּא סֵדֶר דְּמוּת אָדָם). And everything that exists in reality altogether - whether in creations or in governance - is only the secret of this complete likeness (וְכָל מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּמְּצִיאוּת כֻּלּוֹ בְיַחַד, בֵּין בַּבְּרִיּוֹת, בֵּין בַּהֲנָגָה, אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא סוֹד דְּמוּת זֶה שָׁלֵם). (From the commentary there: “In the number of his limbs - just as each Partzuf is detailed individually by the secret of 613 lights which are 613 limbs, so in the collective: the entire reality that exists is the totality of 613 limbs of a single general form” (בְּפֵרוּשׁ שָׁם: בְּמִנְיַן אֵבָרָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפָרְטִים כָּל פַּרְצוּף בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ בְּסוֹד תּרֵי״ג אוֹרוֹת שֶׁהֵם תּרֵי״ג אֵבָרִים, כֵּן בִּכְלָל. כָּל הַמְּצִיאוּת הַנִּמְצָא הוּא כְּלָלוּת תּרֵי״ג אֵבָרִים שֶׁל דְּמוּת אֶחָד כְּלָלִי). For all the worlds, though considered distinct in themselves, are only limbs of this general form (כִּי כָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם נֶחְשָׁבוּ לְעוֹלָמוֹת, אֵינָם אֶלָּא אֵבָרִים שֶׁל הַדְּמוּת הַכְּלָלִי הַזֶּה). And likewise, the connection between them and their relation is the secret of the connection and relation among these limbs” (וְכֵן הַקֶּשֶׁר שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם וְהַיַּחַס שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם, הוּא סוֹד הַקֶּשֶׁר וְהַיַּחַס שֶׁבָּאֵבָרִים אֵלֶּה). See Adir baMarom, p. 324 (אֲדִיר בַּמָּרוֹם, עַמּוּד שכ״ד)).