And along these lines, it is written in the book **Shem Olam** (Part II, Chapter 5): "The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to merit Israel so that they may live in the future with eternal life, and this can only be achieved through the Torah, which is the source of life, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:20), 'for it is your life, etc.' The idea is that through a person's attachment to the Torah of Hashem, which is the source of light, as it is written (Proverbs 6:23), 'For the commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light,' light is drawn from it to the soul of a person, and through that light he lives in the future with eternal life. And as we say in the blessing of the Torah: 'and eternal life He planted within us', and conversely, Heaven forbid, one who separates himself from it separates himself from life itself."

In light of all this, the continuation of the words of the **Sefer HaChinuch** (Mitzvah 306) can be sweetened: "And therefore, because it is the very essence of Israel and because of it they were redeemed and attained all the greatness to which they rose, we were commanded to count from the day after the Yom Tov of Pesach until the day of the giving of the Torah, to show in our souls the great desire for the esteemed day that our heart longs for." As mentioned, the souls of Israel and the Torah are one, and from here is the source of the love of the Torah.

From now on, the precision of the language 'and great wealth was not fulfilled in them' will be explained, for it refers here to the great wealth, which is the Torah. The Torah is an inseparable part of the souls of Israel and is connected within their innermost being. If Israel had not received the Torah, Heaven forbid, it would have lacked in 'them' the great wealth of the sanctity and wisdom of the Torah.