wHAT IS mask() Instruction?

It is there in the code you linked to.
The function just sets pins (turns on LED's) depending on the num needed.

void mask(int num, int aa, int bb, int cc, int dd, int ee, int ff, int gg)
{
  switch (num)
  {
    case 0 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, LOW);
    break;
    
    case 1 :
    digitalWrite(aa, LOW);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, LOW);
    digitalWrite(gg, LOW);
    break;
    
    case 2 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, LOW);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ff, LOW);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 3 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, LOW);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 4 :
    digitalWrite(aa, LOW);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 5 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, LOW);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 6 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, LOW);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 7 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, LOW);
    digitalWrite(gg, LOW);
    break;
    
    case 8 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
    case 9 :
    digitalWrite(aa, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(bb, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(cc, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(dd, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(ee, LOW);
    digitalWrite(ff, HIGH);
    digitalWrite(gg, HIGH);
    break;
    
  }
}