Incomplete Angels

. The Arvei Nachal, zt”l, would inspire everyone he came into contact with to do mitzvos with as much kavanah as possible. He would say, “When a Jew learns Torah, davens, or does any mitzvah he creates a defending angel. At night when his neshamah ascends on high, these angels present themselves for inspection from above. If the Torah, mitzvos, or prayer are as they should be, these angels are allowed to join the heavenly host. A sign that the angels one has fashioned are accepted is that he does not focus on what he has achieved. Instead he moves on to new mitzvos, a new topic of study, or another meaningful prayer.
“But if the angel is not complete, it is rejected from the heavenly host. This angel remains with the one who brought it into existence. A sign of this kind of incomplete mitvah is that one focuses on this mitzvah until he is filled with pride. Since he is so full of the mitzvos he has already done, he has trouble moving on to new mitzvos or focusing on moving on in learning or davening. Instead he dwells on this mitzvah which gives him great pleasure but also holds him back from advancing.
“This is a deeper meaning of the statement on Zevachim 87, לינה מועלת. It can also be read as, ‘an angel that remains with one overnight signifies that he has transgressed the prohibition of meilah.’ Since this mitzvah or Torah takes up more than its share of space in one’s head it puffs him up and makes him arrogant, pushing him to fall spiritually.
“The continuation of the statement there, 'בראשו של מזבח', teaches that this problem is especially damaging if it happens to a tzaddik or talmid chacham, the head of the mizbeach. They must be extra vigilant to learn and do mitzvos with real devotion and completion to avoid creating blemished angels.”