Motivation and Mitzvos L'Shmah

The sages taught in the language of the mishnah. Blessed be He who chose them and their teaching. Rabbi Meir said: Whoever occupies himself with the Torah for its own sake, merits many things; not only that but he is worth the whole world.He is called beloved friend; one that loves God; one that loves humankind; one that gladdens God; one that gladdens humankind. And the Torah clothes him in humility and reverence, and equips him to be righteous, pious, upright and trustworthy; it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to merit. And people benefit from his counsel, sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine” (Proverbs 8:14). And it bestows upon him royalty, dominion, and acuteness in judgment. To him are revealed the secrets of the Torah, and he is made as an ever-flowing spring, and like a stream that never ceases. And he becomes modest, long-suffering and forgiving of insult. And it magnifies him and exalts him over everything.

To become a righteous person and a pious person.

However, that which requires deeper analysis and greater work is in mixtures of the forbidden, namely, sometimes a person does a mitzva really for its own sake, namely, that thus our Father decreed, but he cannot refrain from including with it some other motive, such as that other people praise him or that he receive a reward for it. Sometimes, although he does not actually intend that others praise him, nevertheless in rejoicing on the praise received, he puts more effort to improve it. This is similar to the story of Rabbi Chanina ben Teradyon's daughter who was once walking in a graceful manner. When she heard (the Romans) saying: "how beautiful that girl walks", she immediately tried to become more meticulous [in her gracefulness] (Avodah Zara 18a). Hence, this addition stemmed from the spurring of the praise with which they praised her.

He who engages himself in the study of the Torah in order to receive a reward, or in order to prevent himself from being overtaken by punishment, is one who studies the Torah not for its own sake. But he who studies it neither because of fear nor because of reward, but because of love for the Lord of the whole earth Who commanded concerning it, is one who studies it for its own sake. Therefore when instructions are given to infants, to women and the ignorant in general, they should not be instructed save to worship because of fear, until their knowledge will increase, and they will became wise in wisdom, when this secret is revealed to them little by little, and get them acquainted with this subject slowly, until they will attain and know it, when they will serve Him because of Love.

(Ibid.). "to love the L-rd your G-d": Lest you say: I will learn in order be called wise; in order to sit in sessions; so that I merit eternal life in the world to come; it is, therefore, written "to love the L-rd your G-d" — Learn in any event; honor will come as a matter of course. And thus is it written (Proverbs 4:12) "For they (words of Torah) are life to those who find them, and to all his flesh, healing," and (Ibid. 3:18) "It (Torah) is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and happy are those who uphold it," and (Ibid. 4:9) "It will give your head an ornament of grace": in this world; "a crown of glory will it accord you": in the world to come. R. Eliezer b. R. Tzaddok says: "Do things (mitzvoth) for the sake of doing them, and speak of them for their own sakes." And thus does Hillel say: "One who makes use of the 'Crown' (for his own purposes) passes away" (from the world.) And thus was he wont to say: "Now if Belshazzar, who made use of the Temple vessels, which were chol (i.e., mundane), was uprooted from this world and the world to come, how much more so, one who makes use of (i.e., exploits) the vessel (Torah) with which this world and the world to come were created!"

The worst of all of them is for one to not be serving at all for the sake of divine service, but rather in order to deceive others and to gain money or honor. On this type of person it was said: "it would have been better had his placenta turned over his face (died in the womb)" (Yerushalmi Berachot 1:5). On such a person, the prophet said: "we are all as one unclean, and all our righteous deeds as like a discarded garment" (Yeshaya 64:5).

There is another type of "not for the sake of the mitzva itself" (Shelo Lishma), which is the "for the sake of receiving a reward" (Avot 1:3). On this our sages said: "a man should always occupy himself with Torah and good deeds, even if it is not for their own sake, for doing so will lead to doing them for their own sake" (Pesachim 50b). Nevertheless, he who has not yet reached from "not for their own sake" (shelo lishma) to "for their own sake" (lishma), is still far from reaching his Shelemut (wholeness/perfection).

As Rav Yehuda said that Rav said: A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of mitzvot, even if he does so not for their own sake, as through the performance of mitzvot not for their own sake, one gains understanding and comes to perform them for their own sake.