If a person does one mitzvah (commandment), he has acquired for himself a defender in heaven. In other words, he’s created a malach melitz tov, an angel that advocates on his behalf in the shamayim (heaven). Whenever he’s in a precarious situation, in danger, that malach, that angel, will save him from harm and advocate on his behalf. If somebody commits one aveirah (one sin), he acquires for himself the opposite: a prosecutor in heaven who’s going to be against him and speak up against him in the Beit Din shel Ma’alah (the heavenly court), and try to have him killed or hurt in difficult situations. But teshuvah (repentance) and ma’asim tovim (good deeds) are like a shield against misfortune. So even if somebody has done things in his life, certain aveirot that create angels that are problematic for him, if he does teshuvah, he has the ability to always protect himself. And of course, somebody who does mitzvot and good deeds the whole time will be spared from the misfortunes of life.
Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar omer (says): Any type of group or assembly that has been called together for the sake of heaven in order to promote Torah, to promote values of Torah, and ma’asim tovim, and that is coming together for that motivation—not for themselves, not for ego, not for power—is going to have—they’re going to have the assistance of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and they’ll be successful. And if there’s no l’shem shamayim (for the sake of heaven)—if that group is called together not for the sake of heaven—it will not be successful at the end of times. If they’re coming together just for power, or to have results that are going to be not in line with the Torah, then these people are coming not with the heavenly assistance. They’re going to argue, they’re going to fight with each other, everyone is going to try and control the group, they’re not going to be working for the truth, they’re going to be working just for ego, and therefore that group is going to eventually dissolve and not build things in the long run.