[Avodah] For The Sake of Heaven

[Prof. L. Levine]

The following is from the Sefer Rav Schwab on Chumash, Parshas Terumah Shemos 25:2

דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרֽוּמָתִֽי:

At a bris milah, the Rav cited the story of Elisha ben Avuya:

The general rule that one may perform mitzvos for ulterior motives does not apply to the building
of the Mishkan, nor does it apply to a parent's obligation to educate his children.
The Talmud Yerushalmi ( Chagigah 2:1) states that the great scholar Elisha ben Avuya, the rebbi of
Rabbi Meir ended his life as a heretic. It recounts that Elisha's father had invited many of the
great scholars of Yerushalayim to Elisha's bris mi/ah. The scholars spoke words of Torah with such
intensity that a Heavenly fire enveloped them, as if to set them aside from the rest of the guests
and give them special recognition from Above. Avuya declared, "If this is how great scholars are
honored, I want my son Elisha, whose bris mi/ah is today, to also become a great Torah sage."
Because Avuya wanted his son to become a scholar to gain honor, and not for the sake of Hashem and
His Torah, Elisha became a heretic.

One might wonder in what way  Avuya  erred.  After  all, Chazal permit us to  fulfill  mitzvos
and learn Torah  shelo  lishmah, in order to attain personal goals. The answer is that a human
being is a mekdash m'at), a miniature sanctuary. Just as the Mishkan had to be constructed
completely for Hashem's sake, a human being must be consecrated at the beginning of his life solely
for Hashem. One must not raise a child in order to gain honor or even to derive nachas. When
parents raise a child, their sole intention must be that the child should grow up to increase
Hashem's glory in the world. If the child gives them pleasure or brings honor to them, that is a
gift from Hashem. But that must never be the purpose of having children or raising them in the
derech ha Torah.

Yitzchok Levine
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