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Why does the Mishna teach serving God 'not for reward' when the Ramchal says God created the world specifically to bestow reward on us? The shiur uses the Nefesh HaChaim's distinction: serving for reward becomes proper when motivated by fulfilling God's desire to give, rather than our desire to receive. This transforms reward-seeking from selfishness into genuine avodas Hashem (ה׳).
This shiur delves into one of the most fundamental questions in Jewish philosophy: the proper motivation for serving God. The discussion centers on the apparent contradiction between the Ramchal's teaching that God created the world to bestow good upon us (which suggests we should serve for reward) and the Mishnaic principle of serving 'not in order to receive reward' (shelo al menas lekabel pras). The speaker explains that God's desire to give us reward necessitates our service, as receiving unearned reward would constitute 'bread of embarrassment' (nahama d'kisufa). However, this creates a paradox: if the ultimate purpose is reward, why shouldn't we serve with that intention? The analysis draws heavily on Chaim Volozhin's Nefesh HaChaim, which argues that serving for reward is actually proper when done because God wants to bestow good upon us, not because we desire the reward for ourselves. This distinction transforms reward-seeking from selfish desire into an act of fulfilling God's will. Chaim Volozhin illustrates this concept through Moshe Rabbeinu's willingness to sacrifice his own eternal reward ('erase me from Your book') for the sake of the Jewish people, demonstrating that only someone capable of such selfless service can legitimately serve for reward. The shiur also explores Moshe's desire to enter the Land of Israel to fulfill mitzvos, noting that God's offer to give him reward without the actual performance reveals that the ultimate purpose of mitzvos is indeed the reward - but only when sought for God's sake. The speaker offers an alternative understanding: that the Mishna doesn't advocate ignoring reward entirely, but rather emphasizes that mitzvos must have intrinsic meaning beyond their reward value. Service becomes meaningful only when understood as genuine divine service, not mere busywork designed to justify reward. If we view mitzvos only as a mechanism to earn reward, we reduce them to meaningless activity, making any reward we receive equivalent to unearned 'bread of embarrassment.' True service requires recognizing both the ultimate purpose (reward/good) and the intrinsic value of each mitzvah (מצוה) as meaningful divine service that creates real connection with God.
Pirkei Avos - concept of 'shelo al menas lekabel pras'
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