In what did you prolong your days? He said to him: I was yielding in my money

In what did you prolong your days? He said to him: I was yielding in my money. [In the language of the ḥaverim (friends)] — It is stated in the Gemara (Megillah 28a): “In what did you prolong your days? He said to him: I was yielding in my money.” To explain this, one must understand that which is written in the holy Zohar (Parashat Naso, 123a), and this is its language: Come and see: For the six days of creation, each one has its partzuf [spiritual configuration] of that level that governs it. And you will not find a single day that does not contain good, etc. And every day has its boundary from the outside, so that no person may enter into that good—such as darkness that covers the light, etc. And therefore, one who is guilty and enters to understand the secrets of the Torah — how many snakes and scorpions [i.e. destructive spiritual forces] confuse his mind so that he will not enter into a place that is not his. But one who is good — all those guardians say to him: “The accuser becomes a defender,” and they elevate him to that hidden good, and they say: “Our Master, behold, a good and righteous man and one who fears Heaven seeks to enter before You,” etc. That hidden good says to them: “Open for him through this gate that is called ‘love’, or through this gate that is ‘teshuvah’ [repentance].” Every righteous individual enters according to his level. And there is no good except Torah (Avodah Zarah 19b). And when a person desires to contemplate and think upon the Torah — meaning, upon the secrets of Torah — those guardians, snakes, and scorpions confuse his thoughts. These are the distracting thoughts that come to a person. But when a person truly desires and yearns very much, they open for him, as mentioned above in the holy Zohar. Then each and every day is exceedingly great for him — because he sees and grasps the hidden good, that is, the secrets of Torah that belong to that day. And this is what the Tanna asked: “In what did you prolong your days?” That is — through which middah [spiritual attribute] from among the attributes did you enter the hidden good, and thereby your days were extended and made great, as explained above? And he answered him: “I was yielding in my money.” This is the middah of Avraham Avinu (Abraham our father), and it is the gate called “ ahavah ” [love], and it is the right side. And it is brought in Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun 70, p. 118a): From the right side — a white brain like silver, meaning that all the accusers and all the snakes and scorpions — which are the foreign thoughts that confuse his mind — become whitened like silver. And therefore it is said regarding Avraham (Genesis 24:1): “And Avraham was old, advanced in days” — meaning that all his days were complete and great. For from the right side — a white brain like silver — and from the accuser, there became a defender. And he was able to enter each and every day into the hidden good that was designated for him.