Daily Tanya 3rd Nissan: Serving Hashem Lishma versus not Lishma

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(LY) 3rd Nissan

  1. Serving Hashem Lishma versus not Lishma-Love & fear versus habit versus ulterior motives:
  • Ulterior motives: Not Lishma does not just mean that one serves Hashem for ulterior motives, Chas Veshalom [which is certainly defined as not Lishma], but even if he serves Hashem simply out of habit, without any motivation.
  • Habitual service: On this the prophet bemoans “And you fear Me and fulfill Mitzvahs out of habit,” due to the habit that one became accustomed to from a young age, through his father’s and teacher’s education to fear and serve G-d.
  • True Lishma requires feelings of love and fear: Such a person is not considered to be serving Hashem truly Lishma, as true Lishma is not possible without arousing fear and love at least in his mind, from the natural love that is hidden in his heart.
  • The reason: Just as a person does not perform an action for his friend unless he loves or fears him, so too it’s not possible to truly serve G-d Lishma and fulfill His wishes without at the very least remembering and arousing love and fear at all in his mind and thought.

  1. Love alone does not suffice-One who serves Hashem with love but without fear:
  • Love alone is not considered Avoda without also arousing at least the lower level of fear which is hidden in the heart of every Jew.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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