Receiving reward lishmah as avodah

אם בחקותי כו' איתא בת"כ המקום מתאוה שיהיו ישראל עמלים בתורה וכ"כ לו עמי שומע לי כו' ודריש אם לשון בקשה.

"If you walk in My statutes (im bechukosai)..." It is brought in the Toras Kohanim: Hashem (HaMakom) desires that Yisrael toil in Torah, and so it is written, "If only My people would listen to Me" (Tehillim 81:14); and it expounds the word "im" ("if") as an expression of yearning/request.

The Sifra reads "if" not as a condition but as Hashem's longing — He deeply desires that Bnei Yisrael labor in Torah.

והענין דהמפ' הקשו על שנכתב שכר בעוה"ז ולא עיקר השכר דעוה"ב.

The matter is: the commentators raised a difficulty, that the reward written here is in this world (olam hazeh) and not the essential reward of the World to Come (olam haba).

The classic question: why does the Torah promise material reward in this world rather than the true reward of the next?

אכן נראה דבאמת כל מה שנאמר בתורה הוא לימוד לבנ"י שע"ש זה נקראת תורה.

However, it appears that in truth everything stated in the Torah is instruction for Bnei Yisrael — for it is on account of this that it is called "Torah" (from "hora'ah," teaching).

Everything in the Torah, including the passage about reward, is meant to teach us something; "Torah" itself means "instruction."

ושכר הזה שנכתב בתורה הוא ג"כ מצוה שכן רצונו ית"ש להיות עמי שומע לי כו' ומצור דבש אשביעך.

And this reward written in the Torah is itself also a mitzvah, for such is His ratzon, blessed and elevated is His Name — "If only My people would listen to Me... and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you" (Tehillim 81:14-17).

Receiving the promised reward is part of fulfilling Hashem's will, since He genuinely desires to lavish good upon Bnei Yisrael.

וכן פי' המשנה ששכר מצוה מצוה.

And so too is the meaning of the Mishnah, "the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah" (Avos 4:2).

The "reward of a mitzvah" is itself a mitzvah — accepting Hashem's good is itself an act of doing His will.

שמה לי שרצונו ית' בעשיות המצוה או במה שרצונו ית' להשביענו מטובו.

For what difference is there to me whether His ratzon is in the performance of the mitzvah, or in that which is His will — to satisfy us from His goodness?

To one who lives for Hashem's ratzon, performing a mitzvah and receiving His blessing are equally desirable, because both are what Hashem wants.

הלא אדרבא זה תכלית רצונו ית'.

Is it not, on the contrary, that this is the very goal of His will, blessed is He?

Indeed, Hashem's bestowing good is the ultimate purpose of His ratzon — "to do good to all."

ובמה שמסגלין מעש"ט עד שהקב"ה נותן את ברכתו זה השכר עצמו מצוה.

And in that one accumulates good deeds (maasim tovim) until the Holy One, blessed is He, gives His blessing — this reward itself is a mitzvah.

When good deeds build up to the point that Hashem sends His blessing, receiving that blessing is itself part of the avodah.

וכן פי' שכר עבירה עבירה כי מלבד גוף העבירה שהוא נגד רצונו ית' גם העונש שמהפכין הרשעים מדת רחמנותו למדה"ד זה עצמו עבירה עוד ביותר כמ"ש.

And likewise the meaning of "the reward of a sin is a sin" — for besides the body of the sin itself, which is against His ratzon, even the punishment, in that the wicked turn His attribute of mercy (rachamim) into the attribute of strict judgment (din), is itself an even greater sin, as stated.

The "wage" of an aveirah is itself an aveirah: not only the act, but causing Hashem's mercy to become din is an added and graver fault.

וזה ענין אמרם ז"ל הוו כעבדים המשמשין שלא ע"מ לקבל פרס.

And this is the meaning of their statement, "Be like servants who serve their master not in order to receive a reward (pras)" (Avos 1:3).

The teaching about serving without expecting reward fits this idea exactly — as the Sefas Emes now explains.

כי השכר עצמו צריכין לקבל לשמו ית' ולהתענג ביותר מזה שנעשה רצונו שהוא להטיב לכל שזה רצונו ית' בזה הצדיק משמח ביותר מגוף הטובה שמרגיש בהנאתו.

For the reward itself one must receive for the sake of His Name, blessed is He, and to take greater delight in the fact that His will is being fulfilled — for His will is to do good to all — and in this the tzaddik rejoices more than in the actual good he feels in his own pleasure.

Even the reward should be received "lishmah": the tzaddik's deepest joy is not the pleasure itself but that Hashem's ratzon to bestow good is being carried out through him.

ואיתא בזוה"ק פ' לך לך כו' ואעשך לג"ג ואברכך כו' וילך אברם כאשר דבר כו' דאבטח לי' בכולי הבטחות כו'.

And it is brought in the Zohar HaKadosh, Parshas Lech Lecha: "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you..." "And Avram went as Hashem had spoken to him..." — that He assured him with all these promises, etc.

The Zohar notes that Avram set out after Hashem promised him every blessing — which raises a question.

ותמוה דח"ו עביד ע"מ לקבל פרס.

And this is puzzling, for, Heaven forbid, it would seem he acted in order to receive a reward.

If Avraham went because of the promised blessings, was he not, chas veshalom, serving for the sake of reward?

אך אדרבא זה הפי' שהלך כאשר דיבר אליו והי' שוה אצלו לקיים דבר ה' בהליכתו ובקיבול שכרו הכל לעשות רצונו ית'.

But on the contrary, this is the explanation: that "he went as Hashem had spoken to him" — to him it was equal whether he fulfilled the word of Hashem in his going or in his receiving of the reward; it was all to do His will, blessed is He.

Avraham's greatness was that obeying the command and accepting the blessing were identical to him — both were simply doing Hashem's ratzon.

והיא עבודה עבד נאמן.

And this is the avodah of a faithful servant (eved ne'eman).

A truly faithful servant serves Hashem's will whether it comes as a command or as a gift.

וז"ש שלא ע"מ לקבל פרס שלא להיות נוגע אפי' פרס משהו בהנאתו רק לעשות רצונו ית"ש.

And this is the meaning of "not in order to receive a reward" — that there should not be even the slightest self-interest (negi'us) of reward in his own pleasure, but only to do His will, blessed and elevated is His Name.

"Not for reward" means the avodah should be free of any trace of personal gain; the sole motive is fulfilling Hashem's ratzon.

ולכן נכתב זה השכר בתורה שהקב"ה מצונו לעשות זאת שנזכה לקבל אלה הברכות:

Therefore this reward is written in the Torah, for the Holy One, blessed is He, commands us to do this — that we should merit to receive these blessings.

The reward appears in the Torah as a mitzvah: Hashem instructs us to live so as to be worthy of His blessings, since bestowing them is His ratzon.

Summary: The Torah's promise of worldly reward is itself a mitzvah, because Hashem's ratzon is to do good to all. A tzaddik receives even his reward lishmah — rejoicing not in the pleasure but in the fulfillment of Hashem's will — and this is the meaning of serving "not in order to receive a reward," exemplified by Avraham, for whom obeying the command and accepting the blessing were one and the same avodah of a faithful servant.