וכשעוסק שלא לשמה ממש, לשום איזו פניה לכבוד עצמו
However, when one engages in divine service explicitly not lishmah but for an ulterior motive of self-glorification,
כגון להיות תלמיד חכם וכהאי גוונא
as, for example, in order to become a scholar, and the like,
אזי אותה פניה, שמצד הקליפה דנוגה, מתלבשת בתורתו
then this motive, which is derived from kelipat nogah, clothes itself in his Torah study,
והתורה היא בבחינת גלות בתוך הקליפה
and the Torah studied for this motive is in a state of exile within the kelipah;
לפי שעה, עד אשר יעשה תשובה, שמביאה רפואה לעולם
but only temporarily, until he repents, since13 “Repentance brings healing to the world.”
שבשובו אל ה׳, גם תורתו שבה עמו
For when he returns to G‑d, his Torah returns with him from kelipah to holiness.
ולכן אמרו רז״ל: לעולם יעסוק אדם וכו׳ שמתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה בודאי
Therefore our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said,14 “One should always engage [in Torah and mitzvot, even shelo lishmah], for out of shelo lishmah he will certainly arrive at [study and observance] lishmah,
שבודאי סופו לעשות תשובה, בגלגול זה או בגלגול אחר
since it is certain that he will ultimately repent, whether in this incarnation or another,
כי לא ידח ממנו נדח
because15 “No one banished from Him by his sins will remain banished,” but will ultimately repent.
The Alter Rebbe thus perceives two novel insights in the statement that one should always engage in Torah and mitzvot even shelo lishmah, etc.
(a) Progress from shelo lishmah to lishmah is a certainty, not a possibility, since every sinner will ultimately repent (— and the Alter Rebbe therefore adds the word “certainly” to the quotation);
(b) Not only will the person advance from the state of shelo lishmah to lishmah, but even the Torah that he studied shelo lishmah will be elevated, so that it attains the quality of lishmah; for when one repents and returns to G‑d, his Torah “returns” with him.
The aforesaid applies to one who engages in divine service for an ulterior motive, strictly shelo lishmah.
אך כשעושה סתם לא לשמה, ולא שלא לשמה, אין הדבר תלוי בתשובה
But if one acts neutrally, neither lishmah nor shelo lishmah, then the matter is not contingent on repentance.
אלא מיד שחוזר ולומד דבר זה לשמה, הרי גם מה שלמד בסתם מתחבר ומצטרף ללימוד זה, ופרחא לעילא
Rather, as soon as he reviews the subject lishmah, then even that which he had studied neutrally soars on high, attaching itself to and joining his present study,
מאחר שלא נתלבש בו עדיין שום קליפה דנוגה
since no kelipat nogah had yet clothed itself in [his previous study].
Because his earlier study was not motivated by selfish reasons, the Torah studied is not in exile within the kelipah; it merely lacks the quality of lishmah. This fault is remedied by reviewing the subject lishmah.
ולכן לעולם יעסוק אדם כו׳
Therefore, “A man should always occupy himself [with Torah…even shelo lishmah, for out of shelo lishmah he will come to lishmah”] — the Torah that he studied will itself be elevated to the level of lishmah. In this case, the lishmah “comes” automatically when one reviews his studies; it is not contingent on repentance (as it is in the case of Torah studied for personal motives).
וכן הענין בתפלה שלא בכוונה, כמו שכתוב בזהר
The same is true of prayer without kavanah, as discussed in the Zohar.16
When one recites the prayer once again, this time with kavanah, his earlier prayer ascends as well. Further in Tanya, the Alter Rebbe states that even if from all one’s prayers throughout the year, only one full prayer with kavanah can be assembled piecemeal (from one part of prayer said with kavanah one day, another part on another day, and so on), this one prayer is sufficient to elevate all the prayers of the entire year. For even where specific kavanah is lacking, the prayer is endowed with the comprehensive kavanah that one is praying to G‑d.
Footnotes
1.Yechezkel 1:10.
2.The divine service of angels, the Rebbe points out, would seemingly have no place in Tanya, whose purpose is to serve as a guide to Beinonim — a guide to every Jew’s service of G‑d.
The simple reason, explains the Rebbe, is to emphasize the lofty level of Torah and mitzvot that are motivated by intelligent love and fear of G‑d. So sublime is this form of service, that it transcends the service of angels.
Moreover: Since this is a book written for Beinonim, the Alter Rebbe seeks to make it perfectly clear that it is “very nigh” — because it is innate — to every Jew to perform Torah and mitzvot with love and fear of G‑d experienced in the heart. An individual who attains this degree of natural love and fear of G‑d but lacks intellectual love and fear, should not be misled into thinking that his love and fear lacks intensity and consequently, his resultant actions are deficient as well. Rather, this degree of love and fear, too, is of remarkable intensity.
The Alter Rebbe makes his point by emphasizing that both the angels and the creatures of the Divine Chariot serve G‑d out of natural love and fear of Him. We are thus able to understand how great this manner of service truly it. It is deficient only in that it is an emotional form of service rather than an intellectual one.
However, with regard to service of G‑d being “very nigh in your heart,” natural love and fear fulfill this function admirably. Thus, every Jew is quite capable of revealing his latent love and fear of G‑d so that it emerge forcefully, for his love and fear is similar to the love and fear experienced by the angels and other celestial beings. This ensures that a Jew’s actions, which result from his feelings toward G‑d, be performed in a forceful manner as well, so that each and every Jew perform Torah and mitzvot with the inner life and vitality that stems from his love and fear of G‑d.
3.Iyov 32:8.
4.The Rebbe explains that the Alter Rebbe’s statement regarding an ascent from the lower to the higher level of Gan Eden by means of the “pillar” answers the following question:
How is it possible that there be an ascent from the level of “animal”, the lower level of the Garden of Eden, to the level of “man”, the higher level of the Garden of Eden? This is possible, says the Alter Rebbe, by means of the “pillar”. This also serves to demonstrate that though the higher and lower levels of the Garden of Eden are two distinct categories, it is nevertheless possible to ascend from one to the other.
5.Avot 4:17.
6.Bereishit Rabbah 47:6; Zohar I, 210b.
7.Parentheses are in the original text.
8.Parentheses are in the original text.
9.Note of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, “See further, beginning of ch. 40: it may also be in the World of Yetzirah. This requires to be understood since the Alter Rebbe says here, ‘remains below.’ See also Kuntres Acharon.”
10.The Rebbe notes: “Accordingly, the word ‘Worlds’ — in the plural — is now understood, [referring to the Worlds of] Asiyah and Yetzirah.”
11.Yeshayahu 29:13.
12.The Rebbe explains that the Alter Rebbe uses the word “youth” judiciously. Were he referring to a habit acquired when one grew older (as described in ch. 15), then it might well be said that the lishmah at the outset of his service (before it became a habit) elevated his current service as well. This would be similar to assembling piecemeal — from all one’s prayers throughout the year — one complete prayer with kavanah, which would suffice to elevate all the prayers of the entire year. (See end of the present chapter.)
The Rebbe queries, however, whether the lishmah of one’s youth is indeed similar to the aforementioned example of prayer, and whether this was indeed the Alter Rebbe’s reason for using the word “youth”.
The Rebbe therefore offers an alternative reason. In the normal course of events parents train their children in the observance of Torah and mitzvot. This training (unlike an adult’s unthinking habituation to doing good deeds) is laudable, for the Torah commands us: “And you shall teach them to your children….”
13.Cf. Yoma 86a.
14.Pesachim 50b.
15.Cf. II Shmuel 14:14.
16.The Rebbe notes: “It would seem that the reference is to Zohar II, 245b.”
