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The following is from the Sefer Rav Schwab on Chumash, Parshas Terumah Shemos 25:2</div>
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<span>דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כָּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרֽוּמָתִֽי:</span><br>
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At a bris milah, the Rav cited the story of Elisha ben Avuya:</div>
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<div>The general rule that one may perform mitzvos for ulterior motives does not apply to the building
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<div>of the Mishkan, nor does it apply to a parent's obligation to educate his children.</div>
<div>The Talmud Yerushalmi ( Chagigah 2:1) states that the great scholar Elisha ben Avuya, the rebbi of
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<div>Rabbi Meir ended his life as a heretic. It recounts that Elisha's father had invited many of the
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<div>great scholars of Yerushalayim to Elisha's bris mi/ah. The scholars spoke words of Torah with such
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<div>intensity that a Heavenly fire enveloped them, as if to set them aside from the rest of the guests
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<div>and give them special recognition from Above. Avuya declared, "If this is how great scholars are
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<div>honored, I want my son Elisha, whose bris mi/ah is today, to also become a great Torah sage."
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<div>Because Avuya wanted his son to become a scholar to gain honor, and not for the sake of Hashem and
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<div>His Torah, Elisha became a heretic.</div>
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<div>One might wonder in what way Avuya erred. After all, Chazal permit us to fulfill mitzvos </div>
<div>and learn Torah shelo lishmah, in order to attain personal goals. The answer is that a human
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<div>being is a <i>mekdash m'at</i>), a miniature sanctuary. Just as the Mishkan had to be constructed
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<div>completely for Hashem's sake, a human being must be consecrated at the beginning of his life solely
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<div>for Hashem. One must not raise a child in order to gain honor or even to derive nachas. When </div>
<div>parents raise a child, their sole intention must be that the child should grow up to increase
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<div>Hashem's glory in the world. If the child gives them pleasure or brings honor to them, that is a
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<div>gift from Hashem. But that must never be the purpose of having children or raising them in the
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<span>derech ha Torah.</span></div>
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Yitzchok Levine<br>
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