The Secret To Longevity And Blessing In This World According To The Gra

For length of days, years [music] of life and peace will they add to you. You should know that you will gain from this not only in the world to come but also in this world. Length of days says the GRA refers to the positive commandments. When a person fulfills positive commandments, puts on gives charity, makes kadush on Shabbat, habdah at the end of Shabbat. The mitzvah of Havdah at the end of Shabbat is a positive commandment from the Torah just like kdush on Friday night. One of the positive commandments in the Torah as written in the Ten Commandments, remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it. Remember it at its beginning and at its end. There are many good Jews who make kdush on Friday night. But on Saturday night, they don't pay attention to the need for havdalah. Shabbat ends and they return to their routine. One must remember the same mitzvah of kdosh applies at the end of Shabbat. The mitzvah to perform havdala properly. So when a person fulfills a positive commandment, what reward does he receive in this world? Long life. For every mitzvah, the reward is in the world to come. That's certain. But even in this world, you benefit by being given more days to live. Why? So that you can fulfill more mitzvah. The holy one, blessed be he, sees that you have been given life, and you are making good use of it. So he says, "Let's give you more." Just like a father who loves his son, gives him savings, pocket money, and sees that the child uses it for good things. He increases his allowance, gives him a higher amount. But if he sees that he gives him pocket money and the child goes and buys harmful things with it, the father will cut back on the amounts. He won't want to give him the abundance he gave before. So too the holy one, blessed be he, when he sees that a person uses his days to fulfill mitzvot and do good things, he says to him, for length of Peace.