An explanation of the phrase "And in Your compassion toward us..." original: "ובחמלתך עלינו" (u-v'chemlatcha aleinu); a phrase likely from a liturgical prayer or commentary and so on. The meaning is that a king of flesh and blood—when a person transgresses his commands and becomes liable for death—if the king wishes to forgive him and have pity on him, he may commute the death sentence. However, he will not restore the person to his former status that he held before he sinned. If he was a minister, the king will not restore him to his ministry; if he was an administrator, he will not restore him to his administration. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, is not like this. Rather, when a person returns in repentance, God has pity on him and restores him to his former status. Even if he was a perfectly righteous man before he sinned, he returns to his former righteousness. This is what is meant by saying, "And in Your compassion toward us"—meaning, the compassion You show us is a great compassion, for You restore us to our original standing. This is also what is meant by the phrase "And You accepted us with favor," meaning just as we were before we sinned, when we were desired before You, so now after repentance we are desired before You. This is "And You accepted us with favor." This is also what the scripture says: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" Hosea 14:5 and so on. The meaning is: after I heal their backsliding, I will return to loving them freely, just as I loved them before they sinned. This is the meaning of "And in Your compassion toward us and You accepted us with favor."

The Sixth Gate Explaining the definitions of the Pious, the Humble, the God-fearing, the Righteous, the Upright, the Sincere, and the Holy

It has already been explained in the Book of Knowledge original: "Sefer HaMada," the first volume of Maimonides' code of law, which deals with basic beliefs and character traits that these names are all used to describe degrees of excellence and perfection, and each one of them is higher than the other. Here, the Pious Hasid: one who acts with loving-kindness beyond the strict requirements of the law is higher than all of them, and the Humble Anav: one who possesses true humility is below him, and the God-fearing Yere Shamayim is below the Humble, and the Righteous Tzaddik is below the God-fearing, and the Upright Yashar is below the Righteous, and the Sincere Tamim: also translated as "wholehearted" or "simple" in faith is below the Upright. However, the Holy Kadosh is higher than all of them, even the Pious. This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said in the final chapter of the tractate Avodah Zarah original: "Foreign Worship," a volume of the Talmud: "Torah leads to watchfulness; watchfulness leads to alacrity; alacrity leads to cleanliness; cleanliness leads to abstinence; abstinence leads to purity; purity leads to piety; piety leads to humility; humility leads to fear of sin; fear of sin leads to holiness; holiness leads to the Holy Spirit" and so on. Thus, the order of these levels is one above the other, and Holiness is the highest of all, for it leads to the Holy Spirit. Now, we shall explain each and every one of them.

The First Level is the level of the Sincere. This means that one should be sincere in his actions with God, may He be blessed, and should not investigate or question the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He. Rather, whatever comes upon him, he should receive it with love. This is what the scripture means: "You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God" Deuteronomy 18:13. Our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Walk with Him in sincerity and do not investigate His attributes." This is also what King David, peace be upon him, said: "As for me, I walked in my integrity" Psalms 26:11. Our Sages said in the Midrash on Psalms: What is meant by "I walked in my integrity"? David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, when You brought suffering upon me, I did not question Your attributes, but rather I accepted them with love." This is "I walked in my integrity." Similarly, he says in Psalms: "A Psalm of David: The Lord is my light and my salvation... Seek My face; Your face, O Lord, I will seek. Hide not Your face from me..." and afterward it says, "Had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Hope in the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage, and hope in the Lord" Psalms 27. Our Sages interpreted this in the Midrash on Psalms: What is the meaning of "Had I not believed"? David said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, I know that You pay a good reward to the righteous in the time to come, but I do not know if I have a portion with them or not; perhaps sin will cause me to lose it." This is "Had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord." Afterward, he said, "Hope in the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage"—meaning, even though you fear that sin may disqualify you, nevertheless, hope in the Lord and do not despair of mercy. This is the level of the Sincere man who does not question the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He.

The Second Level is the level of the Upright. This is one who performs his deeds with integrity, does not twist his ways, and does not flatter any person. Rather, all his words are in truth and integrity. This is what the scripture says: "The ways of the Lord are upright; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them" Hosea 14:10. And it says: "Sing for joy, O righteous, in the Lord; praise is becoming to the upright" Psalms 33:1. And it says: "Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart" Psalms 97:11. This level is very great, and a person must conduct himself by it.

The Third Level is the level of the Righteous. This is one whose every action is done with justice. He commits no wrong—neither in matters of money, nor in speech, nor in anything else. Rather, everything is with justice and integrity. This is what the scripture says: "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and pious in all His works" Psalms 145:17. And it says: "Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and inherit the land" Deuteronomy 16:20. This level is very great, and a person must be very careful in it. Anyone who is righteous in his deeds is loved by the Holy One, Blessed be He. This is what the scripture says: "The Lord tests the righteous" and "For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright shall behold His face" Psalms 11:5, 11:7.

The Fourth Level is the level of the God-fearing. This is one who fears God, may He be blessed, at all times, does not transgress His commandments, and fears punishment. This level is very great, and this is what the scripture says: "The Lord your God you shall fear, and Him you shall serve" Deuteronomy 6:13. And it says: "The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole of man" Ecclesiastes 12:13. This level is the foundation for all levels, and one who lacks the fear of Heaven possesses none of these levels. This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Anyone who possesses Torah but lacks the fear of Heaven is like a treasurer who was given the keys to the inner chambers, but the keys to the outer gates were not given to him—how then shall he enter?"