The Avodah of Levi is the concept יעַם יִלָוֶּה אִישִי א לַ הַפַ - “My husband will be attached to me” as is explained in Torah Ohr in the Parsha of Vayechi.
This explanation of the word שְעָרִים which refers to an individual Avodah ‘each one according to his own ability’ is connected with the second explanation of the word שְעָרִים.
1. Individual Avodah: Each Jew, whatever level of observance or connection they have, has a unique Avodah to serve HaShem in his or her own special way that is individually unique to them. The above serves to highlight how everyone of the B’nei Yisroel has a unique Avodah to serve HaShem in his or her own special way that is individually unique to them.
2. Measurement and Limitation: The second explanation of the word שְעָרִים comes from the word שִֹׁיעוּר וּגְבוּל meaning measurement and limitation, which refers to the Avodah of each individual, even someone who already serves HaShem at a level of infinity without constraints or limitation. Nevertheless, in comparison to HaShem, his service is very much limited, and how much more so with regards to someone who has not yet broken out of his own limitation.
Nevertheless, ‘Her husband is known at the gates’—Hakodosh Boruch Hu makes himself known to all according to their own ability.
The Four Gates to the Soul
However, in order to have that relationship with HaShem truly at a level of: הּנוֹדָע בַשְעָרִים בַעְלָ “Her husband is known in the gates”, one first needs to work on his Avodah of יךָ שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִתֶּן־לְךָ בְכָל־שְעָרֶּ—setting up ‘Judges and enforcement officers’ for yourself in all your ‘cities’.
This can be achieved, through the ‘four gates to the soul’, which are: one’s vision; auditory sense; sense of scent and speech. One’s Avodah through his faculty of vision should be as the Possuk: ינ יכֶּם וּרְאוּ וֹם ע שְאוּ־מָר א א לֶּהמִי־בָרָ - Lift up your eyes on high and see, who created these”.
The second gate is one’s Avodah through his auditory faculty and is as the Possuk says: ע וְעַתָה יִשְרָא ל שְמַ - “And Now Yisroel listen.”
The third gate is one’s Avodah through his faculty of scent and is as the Possuk says: ךָיָשִימוּ קְטוֹרָה בְאַפֶּ - “place incense before You.”
Finally the fourth gate is one’s Avodah through his faculty of speech through prayer as the Possuk says: הַפַעַם אוֹדֶּה אֶּת־ה׳....וַתַעֲמֹׁד מִלֶּדֶּת “This time I thank HaShem ... and then she stopped bearing”.
Preface: Setting Up Judges and Enforcement Officers
And the preface to these four must be “You shall set up Judges and enforcement officers for yourself in all your cities” implying that one must restrain oneself in vision; that one must blinker the eyes from looking at anything untoward. As is explained at length in the Musor Seforim and is also brought in brief from the Rebbe Rashab, in the ‘Kuntrus Hoavoidah’ that even if it is a passing glance in cool spirit, and there is no excitement at the time, it still makes a strong impression on and great indentation into the soul, and it will not pass by without an overt and negative arousal [thereafter]; G-d forbid.
Similarly, one needs to block one’s ears from listening to anything negative, like Loshon Hora, through which one can save the lives of three people. Furthermore, as a result of not hearing Loshon Hora one causes that in the realm above if some will come to prosecute him, then above they won’t want to hear Loshon Hora about him either, as the Possuk says: “וְלֹׁא־אָבָה ה' אֱלֹקֶּיךָ לִשְמֹׁעַ - HaShem does not want to listen”. This is because the conduct above operates in a manner of ‘measure for measure’. Therefore, when one does not want to hear anything untoward about his friend, he causes that when they want to speak negatively about him in the realm above, HaShem does not even listen from the beginning.
Similarly, there needs to be a boundary set in one’s faculty of scent, meaning that one needs to beware of evil thoughts, as our Rabbis of blessed memory say that the thoughts of doing an Aveira are worse than actually committing the Aveira itself, and the proof is in the ‘Scent’.
Similarly, one needs to be meticulous with one’s boundaries and faculties, ensuring that all four gates—vision, hearing, scent, and speech—are guarded and used in the service of HaShem.
