219) “Open my eyes, that I may see wonders from Your law.” How foolish are people, for they do not know and do not consider engaging in the Torah. But the Torah is the whole of life, and every freedom and every goodness in this world and in the next world. Life in this world is to be rewarded with all their days in this world, as it is written, “The number of thy days I will fulfill.” And he will be rewarded with long days in the next world, for it is the perfect life, a life of joy, life without sadness, life that is life—freedom in this world and liberation from everything—for anyone who engages in Torah, all the nations of the world cannot rule over him.
220) What are those who were destroyed, the Ten Martyrs, since they engaged in Torah when the law was to not engage in Torah? This is a verdict from above, like Rabbi Akiva and his friends who were killed because they engaged in Torah. This is what He thought above when the world was created. But as a rule, the Torah is freedom from the angel of death, so he cannot control him.
Certainly, if Adam had clung to the tree of life, the Torah, he would not have caused death to himself or to the whole world. But because he left the tree of life, the Torah, and ate from the tree of knowledge, he caused death to himself and to the world.
For this reason, when the Creator gave the Torah to Israel, it is written, “Harut [engraved] on the tables; do not pronounce it Harut, but Herut [freedom],” for then they were liberated from the angel of death. Had Israel not sinned with the calf and not departed the tree of life, the Torah, they would not cause death to return to the world to begin with.
And the Creator said, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the upper one.’” “Indeed, you shall die as men,” meaning upon the reception of the Torah. Since you damaged yourselves, meaning sinned, indeed, you shall die as men. Hence, that evil serpent that darkened the world cannot govern anyone who engages in the Torah.
221) If one who does not sin does not die, why did Moses die? He died, certainly, but the angel of death did not control him. He did not die by him and was not defiled by him. This is why it is considered that Moses did not die but clung to the Shechina and departed to eternal life.
222) As such, he is considered alive, and one who approaches the Creator is called “alive.” This is why anyone who engages in the Torah has freedom from everything, freedom in this world, from enslavement of the nations of the world, idolaters, and freedom in the next world, since he will not be required to give an account in that world at all.
223) There are several higher and hidden meanings to the Torah, several hidden secrets that are in it. Hence, when David regarded the Torah in the spirit of wisdom, and knew how many wonders emerged from the Torah, he started and said, “Open my eyes, that I may see wonders from Your law.”