Chapter 8: Lishma, Part 2

Our mission is to negate shelo lishma in us and become integrated with Hashem- we are born with shelo lishma and this helps us reach lishma.

There are three planes of existence:
1. physical world
2. spiritual world
3. Hashem Himself

This applies to our soul's desires as well:
1. desire for physicality
2. desire for spirituality ( but still doing for shelo lishma- to have pleasure, honor, achieve perfection, etc)
3. desire that comes from the deepest part of our soul (yechida) that seeks to integrate with Hashem

Lishma is the desire to integrate with Hashem without any reason.

How do we figure out what our true motivation is?

When it is about what Hashem wants and not what I want- then we know our motivations are pure.

Ask yourself: "why do I want to do the will of Hashem?" If it is for any type of personal gain, then lo lishma is involved. 

The next step to move shelo lishma to lishma involves nullifying our "I" in two ways: a. the emotions (midos) and b.  mental aspect (daas).

(There is another way- which is to begin with total self nullification and lishma and then work your way down into the midos and daas- begin with total selflessness= when man's total concern is to reveal Hashem in his life- then his shelo lishma is simply a garment on his lishma).