This accounting is a duty on a man according to his intellectual ability and level of understanding, at all times, with every blink of an eye, and if he can, with every one of his breaths, in order that he not part from awe, fear, and shame-facedness of the Almighty, may He be exalted, who constantly observes him.
Let one learn from what G-d has commanded a king (of Israel) in saying: "And it will be, when he sits upon his royal throne, that he shall write for himself this Torah on a scroll...And it shall be with him always, and he shall read it all the days of his life [so that he may learn to fear the L-ord, his G-d, to keep all the words of this Torah and these statutes, to do them]" (Devarim 17:18), and "This book of the Torah shall not leave your mouth; you shall meditate therein day and night [in order that you observe to do all that is written in it, for then will you succeed in all your ways and then will you prosper]" (Yehoshua 1:8). And also (to every Jew in the Shema): "And these words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart" (Devarim 6:6), and "you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be Totafos between your eyes" (Devarim 6:8). And He reinforced the matter in the chapter of Tzitzit in saying: "this shall be Tzitzit for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the L-ord to perform them, and you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes after which you go astray" (Bamidbar 15:39), and then "So that you shall remember and perform all My commandments and you shall be holy to your G-d" (Bamidbar 15:40).
According to this, my brother, it is proper for you to conduct yourself, in habituating the accounting with yourself before G-d every hour and every moment.
Do not consider small in your eyes any good that you do for His Name, even a word, or a gazing of the eye, because a little bit from you is a lot by Him, and likewise, for the matter of sins.
A familiar analogy for this is the movement of the sun's position in the sky. When it moves one meter, the astronomical distance covered is many, many kilometers, likewise for the movement of the shadow in the astrology tool.
Do not consider big in your eyes the acts that you do, even if you do them with intent for His Name. Because, if you make an exact accounting, you will see that for even a little bit of the smallest favors He has done for you, all the combined good deeds of all the inhabitants of the world doubled over would not be enough to pay Him back for it.
Therefore, do not neglect from doing your accounting between you and your Creator, on the great favors He has done for you, and His great kindnesses with you each and every day. If your heart does not turn to this during the day, let it be at night. If the entire day (and night) has passed, complete it the second day, as our sages said: "repent one day before your death" (Avos 2:10), and "Let your garments be white (clean) always" (Koheles 9:8).
אַךְ אִם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַזֶּה חוֹבָה עַל הָאָדָם תָּמִיד אוֹ בִּקְצָת הַזְּמַן מִבְּלִי קְצָתוֹ אוֹמַר בִּתְשׁוּבַת הַשְּׁאֵלָה הַזֹּאת,
Whether this accounting is a constant duty on a man or only at some times but not at others, I say in response to this question as follows:
כִּי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן חַיָּב בּוֹ הָאָדָם כְּפִי כֹּחַ שִׂכְלוֹ וּמַעֲלַת הַכָּרָתוֹ תָּמִיד עִם כָּל הֶרֶף עַיִן וְאִם יוּכַל עִם כָּל נְשִׁימוֹתָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ הַמּוֹרָא וְהַפַּחַד וְהַבֹּשֶׁת מֵהָאֱלֹהִים ית׳ הַמַּשְׁקִיף עָלָיו תָּמִיד.
This accounting is a duty on a man according to his intellectual ability and level of understanding, at all times, with every blink of an eye, and if he can, with every one of his breaths, in order that he not part from awe, fear, and shame-facedness of the Almighty, may He be exalted, who constantly observes him.
וְיִלְמַד מִמָּה שֶׁצִּוָּה בּוֹ הָאֵל אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּאָמְרוֹ (דברים יז) וְכָתַב לוֹ אֶת מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת עַל סֵפֶר וְגוֹ׳ וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (יהושע א) לֹא יָמוּשׁ סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה מִפִּיךָ וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (דברים ו) וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ וְגוֹ׳ וּכְתַבְתָּם עַל מְזוּזוֹת בֵּיתֶךָ. וְחִזֵּק הָעִנְיָן בַּצִּיצִית בְּאָמְרוֹ (במדבר טו) וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְצִיצִית וְאָמַר (שם) לְמַעַן תִּזְכְּרוּ.
Let one learn from what G-d has commanded a king (of Israel) in saying: "And it will be, when he sits upon his royal throne, that he shall write for himself this Torah on a scroll...And it shall be with him always, and he shall read it all the days of his life [so that he may learn to fear the L-ord, his G-d, to keep all the words of this Torah and these statutes, to do them]" (Devarim 17:18), and "This book of the Torah shall not leave your mouth; you shall meditate therein day and night [in order that you observe to do all that is written in it, for then will you succeed in all your ways and then will you prosper]" (Yehoshua 1:8). And also (to every Jew in the Shema): "And these words, which I command you this day, shall be on your heart" (Devarim 6:6), and "you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be Totafos between your eyes" (Devarim 6:8). And He reinforced the matter in the chapter of Tzitzit in saying: "this shall be Tzitzit for you, and when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the L-ord to perform them, and you shall not wander after your hearts and after your eyes after which you go astray" (Bamidbar 15:39), and then "So that you shall remember and perform all My commandments and you shall be holy to your G-d" (Bamidbar 15:40).
וּמָה נִשְׁאַר מֵעִנְיְנֵי הַזֵּרוּז עַל הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן אֲשֶׁר הוּא בְּעִנְיַן זִכְרוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא שֶׁלֹּא זֵרַזְנוּ בּוֹ.
What is there left, on the matter of arousing us on the spiritual accounting of remembering the Creator that He did not arouse us in?!
וּכְפִי זֶה אָחִי רָאוּי לְךָ לְהִתְנַהֵג בְּהֶרְגֵּל הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן עִם נַפְשְׁךָ בְּכָל שָׁעָה וּבְכָל רֶגַע לָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ.
According to this, my brother, it is proper for you to conduct yourself, in habituating the accounting with yourself before G-d every hour and every moment.
וְאַל תִּמְעַט בְּעֵינֶיךָ שׁוּם טוֹבָה שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂנָּה לִשְׁמוֹ אפי׳ בְּמִלָּה אוֹ בִּרְאִיָּה כִּי הַמְּעַט מִמְּךָ רַב אֶצְלוֹ וְכֵן בְּעִנְיַן הָעֲבֵרוֹת.
Do not consider small in your eyes any good that you do for His Name, even a word, or a gazing of the eye, because a little bit from you is a lot by Him, and likewise, for the matter of sins.
וְהַקָּרוֹב שֶׁבַּדִּמְיוֹנִים בָּזֶה הַעְתָּקַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ בָּאָרֶץ שִׁעוּר אַמָּה תֶּעֱתַק בַּגַּלְגַּל מִילִין הַרְבֵּה וְכֵן הַעְתָּקַת הַצֵּל בָּאַצְטְרוֹלָ״ב.
A familiar analogy for this is the movement of the sun's position in the sky. When it moves one meter, the astronomical distance covered is many, many kilometers, likewise for the movement of the shadow in the astrology tool.
וְאַל יִרְבּוּ בְּעֵינֶיךָ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְאִם יִהְיוּ לִשְׁמוֹ. כִּי בַּמְּעַט שֶׁבַּטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ עָלֶיךָ כֶּפֶל מַעֲשֶׂה כָּל יוֹשְׁבֵי הָעוֹלָם עִם דִּקְדּוּק הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן.
Do not consider big in your eyes the acts that you do, even if you do them with intent for His Name. Because, if you make an exact accounting, you will see that for even a little bit of the smallest favors He has done for you, all the combined good deeds of all the inhabitants of the world doubled over would not be enough to pay Him back for it.
עַל כֵּן אַל תִּתְעַלֵּם מֵעֲשׂוֹת חֶשְׁבּוֹנְךָ בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין בּוֹרַאֲךָ עַל גֹּדֶל טוּבוֹ עָלֶיךָ וְרֹב חֲסָדָיו עִמְּךָ יוֹם יוֹם וְאִם לֹא יִפְנֶה לִבְּךָ בָּזֶה בַּיּוֹם יִהְיֶה בַּלַּיְלָה וְאִם חָלַף לְךָ יוֹם א׳ הַשֵּׂג בַּשֵּׁנִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רז״ל שׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתֶךָ וְאָמַר (קהלת ט) בְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְגָדֶיךָ לְבָנִים:
Therefore, do not neglect from doing your accounting between you and your Creator, on the great favors He has done for you, and His great kindnesses with you each and every day. If your heart does not turn to this during the day, let it be at night. If the entire day (and night) has passed, complete it the second day, as our sages said: "repent one day before your death" (Avos 2:10), and "Let your garments be white (clean) always" (Koheles 9:8).