Beha’alotcha תרל”א 3

ר’ מאיר אומר כל העוסק בתורה לשמה כו’.
R, Meir expounded the great gifts of learning Torah Lishma
פי’ הפשוט כדי לעשות.
The simple understanding is that he is learning the Torah in order to perform it
וזה שם תורה כדי להורות לאדם המעשה.
This is indeed what the word Torah means. To instruct (hora’a)
כי בוודאי עיקר היגיעה בתורה לבטל שכלו ודעתו כדי לידע ולהבין רצון השי”ת ודעת התורה.
For the main reason for toiling in Torah is to know and nullify ones own understanding and knowledge to better understand the will of HaShem and to know the Torah
ובמדרש נמשלה תורה במדבר שצריך להיות הפקר כמדבר כמ”ש וממדבר מתנה
The medrash explains that the Torah is compared to a desert because (in order for a person to merit the gift of Torah) one needs to make oneself ownerless just as a desert, as it says (after Bnei Yisrael camped in) midbar – desert (the next camping was in) Matana – gift (referring to the gift of Torah)
משל לנשיא שנכנס למדינה וברחו כו’ למדבר וקיבלו בכבוד כו’.
The Medrash continues and compares it to a prince who came into the Town and everyone ran away from him and afterwards he went to the desert and was accepted there.
פי’ דבר היא מנהיג ומושל.
The meaning is that the word dabar (the root of the word midbar – desert) means a leader and ruler
ומדבר הוא להיות נכנע תחת המנהיג.
And therefore the concept of a desert is to be subjugated to the leader
והיינו שאדם מבטל עצמו שאין לו שום כח ופעולה בלי חיות השי”ת.
That a person will nullify himself (his will) that he (reaches a stage where) he has no strength and action without the life force that HaShem gives him.
וזהו ההפרש בין בני המדינה שברחו והי’ להם ג”כ יראה ממנו. אך הי’ להם גם כח בפ”ע.
This is the difference between the people of the town that ran away from the leader. They were fearful of him, but they also had their own strength (to run away)
וכענין שכ’ שאומות קורין להשי”ת אלקי דאלקיא.
And we find a similar concept by the nations of the world call HaShem the God of gods (They believe that there are other powers besides for HaShem)
אבל בנ”י כמדבר שאין להם שום כח והנהגה בפ”ע כלל.
However Bnei Yisrael are like a desert that they have no other power and leadership other than HaShem
וז”ש ירא שמים בסתר ובגלוי. פי’ בגלוי ע”י שיודע שהשי”ת משגיח על כל דבר ונופל עליו יראה.
This is what is meant by the prayer (shachris korbanos), A person should be fearful of HaShem in the hidden and revealed
ובסתר הוא להיות נדבק יראתו ית’ בחיות האדם שלא יהי’ שום פעולה ותנועה שישכח שהוא בכח השי”ת ורק כגרזן ביד החוצב בו.
In hidden means that a person’s fear of HaShem should be completely attached to one’s life force, that there should not be a single action or movement that is not due to the strength of HaShem, and the person should only be like an axe in the hand of the woodchopper
וכן עסק התורה להיות בטל אל הנהגת התורה לעשות כל מעשה רק להיות נעשה רצון השי”ת ומבוקשו.
And similarly in studying Torah, one should completely nullify his action to the Torah and do every action only in order to do the will of HaShem and His desire.
כי באורייתא ברא קוב”ה עלמא. ונמצא כי יוכל להתדבק בהשי”ת בכל מעשה ממש ע”י כח התורה.
For it was with the Torah that HaShem created the world, and therefore a person can connect to the energy of the Torah in every single action (because every action involves a part of the world that is essentially rooted in the Torah)
וע”י שמכניע עצמו ומתבטל בכל מעשה אל חיות הפנימיות חיותו ית’. ע”י אותיות התורה שיש בכל מעשה.
And through subjugating oneself and nullifying his every action to the inner energy which is the energy of HaShem, through the words of Torah that is in everyaction (as explained above)
וזה לשמה.
This is the level of Lishma for the sake of Heaven
כי הנבראים לכבודו ברא כמ”ש ולכבודי בראתיו כו’ והוא בחי’ כבוד שמו ית’ והבן:
Because all of creation was created for the honour of HaShem as it says (all of that HaShem created) id for My honour etc. and this is the concept of honour of HaShem. Understand this point.

Summary: The idea of learning Torah for the sake of heaven – Lishma can be explained in the focus of attention a person has on his actions. The level we strive to reach is to put aside all of our wills and desires and to connect to the energy of HaShem that exists in everything that I do. When I am able to connect and do things for the will of HaShem and not for my own will that is called doing it Lishma.
The same idea can also be applied to the study of Torah, when a person puts aside his will and puts aside his own ideas and really focuses on understanding what it is the HaShem is telling me in these words, that is considered learning Torah Lishma. (see also Nefesh Hachaim sha’ar dalet)