The Vilna Gaon's Essential Wisdom

The Vilna Gaon

Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna, commonly known as the Gaon (literally "genius") was probably the most influential Jewish leader in modern history. He never assumed any official position of leadership and spent his time in almost total isolation toiling day and night in torah study. He became the undisputed greatest torah scholar and kabbalist in modern history. 

Selected translations on Middos 

Midos Tovos (good traits) are more (important) than everything. 

As we said that the midos tovos were not written in the torah because they include the entire torah. As it says "whoever gets angry, it is considered as if he served idols." and "anyone who speaks lashon hara it is as if he was kofer beikar" (denies the essence of judaism, considered the greatest sin) and shalom is the great klal to all the midos, and it is the garment of all the midos. 

And this is what is written "the Holy One Blessed be He could not find a vessel to hold a blessing for yisrael except shalom". This means the vessel needs to be capable to receive everything. And HKBH could not find one capable of receiving except shalom, which is the garment of all the middos, and the middos are the klal (general principles) of all the mitzvos. Therefore He blessed them with shalom, so that they would be capable of receiving the torah. (Esther 10:3) 

 "Tzadik b'emunaso yichye" (a tzadik will live with his faith), which means - a tzadik is one who has hitzdik nafsho in the mida of histapkus (habituated his soul in the trait of being content with little), the opposite of chemda (covet), as it is written "the tzadik eats to sustain his spirit" (i.e. just enough). And emuna is bitachon. And bitachon and histapkus are great klalim to all the middos. (Chavakuk 2:4) 

  (Esther 5:1) Ruach hakodesh can only rest on a broken body (guf shabur).