The Alter Rebbe now proceeds to amplify his previous statement.
This inability of one’s divine service to ascend to the sefirot applies not only where one’s motive for engaging in Torah and mitzvot is actually shelo lishmah(“not for its own sake”), i.e., for some ulterior motive, heaven forbid, in which case one is actually serving himself, not G-d, and his service surely cannot ascend “to stand before G-d.”
וְהַיְינוּ, אֲפִילוּ אִם אֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ, לְשׁוּם אֵיזוֹ פְּנִיָּה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
I t also applies even if, as the verse describes it, “Their fear of Me was like commandments of men done by rote,”;)
אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: "וַתְּהִי יִרְאָתָם אוֹתִי מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלוּמָּדָה",
meaning [that one serves G-d] out of a habit acquired in his youth,;)
פֵּירוּשׁ, מֵחֲמַת הֶרְגֵּל שֶׁהוּרְגַּל מִקַּטְנוּתוֹ,
having been trained and taught by his father and teacher to fear G-d and to serve Him,
שֶׁהִרְגִּילוֹ וְלִימְּדוֹ אָבִיו וְרַבּוֹ לִירֹא אֶת ה' וּלְעָבְדוֹ,
but he does not really do it for its own sake [lishmah],
וְאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ,
for it is impossible to serve G-d truly lishmah without arousing one’s natural fear and love, at least,
כִּי, לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ אִי אֶפְשָׁר בְּלֹא הִתְעוֹרְרוּת דְּחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ הַטִּבְעִיִּים עַל כָּל פָּנִים,
by bringing them out from the concealment of the heart into revelation at least in the mind and the latency of the heart.
לְהוֹצִיאָן מֵהֶסְתֵּר הַלֵּב אֶל הַגִּילּוּי בַּמּוֹחַ וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים,
If one cannot arouse his natural love of G-d to the point where it is actually felt in the heart, he must try, as discussed above, to arouse it at least so that it be felt in the conscious mind and in the substratum of the heart. Even this low-level arousal can produce a will and resolve to study the Torah and fulfill the mitzvot. Thus, the resulting divine service contains (at least to some degree) the force and kavanah of his natural love since it was this love that created the resolve which he is now implementing.
If, however, one does not produce even this minimal level of arousal, the love, although naturally found in his heart, has no bearing on his divine service, and he cannot, therefore, do this service lishmah (“for its own sake”).
For just as one does not do something for his fellow to carry out his [friend’s] will unless he loves him or fears him,
כִּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֵין אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה דָבָר בִּשְׁבִיל חֲבֵירוֹ לְמַלֹּאת רְצוֹנוֹ, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן אוֹהֲבוֹ אוֹ יָרֵא מִמֶּנּוּ,
so, too, is it impossible to act truly for G-d’s sake solely in order to carry out His will,
כָּךְ, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת לִשְׁמוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לְמַלֹּאת רְצוֹנוֹ לְבַד
unless he remembers and arouses his love and fear of G-d to some degree—in his mind, thought, and the latent level of his heart, at least, if he cannot arouse these emotions openly in his heart.
בְּלִי זִכְרוֹן וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת אַהֲבָתוֹ וְיִרְאָתוֹ כְּלָל בְּמוֹחוֹ וּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וְתַעֲלוּמוֹת לִבּוֹ עַל כָּל פָּנִים.
One who observes the mitzvot out of habit, however, lacking even this minimal arousal of love cannot be described as serving G-d for His sake, even though his performance is impelled by no ulterior motive.
Furthermore, [the arousal of] love alone, without [the arousal of] at least the lower-level fear of G-d hidden in every Jewish heart, is not called “service,” as will be explained later.
וְגַם, אַהֲבָה לְבַדָּהּ אֵינָהּ נִקְרֵאת בְּשֵׁם "עֲבוֹדָה", בְּלִי יִרְאָה תַּתָּאָה לְפָחוֹת, שֶׁהִיא מְסוּתֶּרֶת בְּלֵב כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְקַמָּן.
Footnotes
14.
Isaiah 29:13.
15.
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….”