Mishneh Torah, Repentance 10

Hook

Ever wonder if it's okay to do the right thing for the "wrong" reasons? Maimonides, the Rambam, challenges our intuitive understanding of divine service, suggesting that the path to true devotion might paradoxically begin with motivations we're ultimately meant to transcend.

Context

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 10, is a pivotal chapter within Maimonides's monumental legal code, particularly in the "Book of Knowledge" (Sefer HaMadda), which serves as a philosophical and theological introduction to Jewish law. This section isn't just about what to do, but why we do it, delving into the very psychology and philosophy of serving God. Maimonides, as a towering rationalist, consistently sought to integrate philosophical reasoning with Jewish tradition. For him, the ultimate goal of human existence was intellectual perfection, leading to an intellectual love of God. This chapter is a cornerstone of that vision, asserting a hierarchy of motivations for performing mitzvot and studying Torah, culminating in a love so profound it borders on obsession. He's not just describing a religious ideal; he's outlining a pedagogical and spiritual roadmap for how individuals, and even society, can ascend to this highest rung of service. The historical context of Maimonides's work is crucial here: living in a time and place (12th-century Egypt) where rational philosophy (Aristotelianism, Neoplatonism) was deeply influential, he endeavored to demonstrate that Jewish tradition was not only compatible with, but indeed the pinnacle of, philosophical truth. This means that his "love of God" isn't merely an emotional state, but an intellectual embrace born of deep knowledge and contemplation, a concept that fundamentally shapes his entire understanding of divine service. This sophisticated understanding of love, rooted in knowledge, stands in contrast to simpler, more anthropomorphic or reward-driven notions of religious practice that Maimonides saw as necessary but incomplete stages in spiritual development. His insistence on this progressive spiritual path underscores his belief in the human capacity for growth and the transformative power of understanding God's wisdom. This chapter, therefore, is not merely a moral exhortation but a philosophical treatise on the ultimate purpose of religious life.

Text Snapshot

Mishneh Torah, Repentance 10: "A person should not say: 'I will fulfill the mitzvot of the Torah and occupy myself in its wisdom in order to receive all the blessings which are contained within it or in order to merit the life of the world to come.'... It is not fitting to serve God in this manner. A person whose service is motivated by these factors is considered one who serves out of fear." (MT, Repentance 10:1)

"One who serves [God] out of love occupies himself in the Torah and the mitzvot and walks in the paths of wisdom for no ulterior motive: not because of fear that evil will occur, nor in order to acquire benefit. Rather, he does what is true because it is true, and ultimately, good will come because of it." (MT, Repentance 10:2)

"Nevertheless, our Sages declared: A person should always occupy himself with the Torah even when it is not for God's sake for out of [service which is not intended] for God's sake will come service that is intended for God's sake." (MT, Repentance 10:5)

(Sefaria URL: https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah%2C_Repentance%2010)

Close Reading

Insight 1: Structure – The Ascent of Motivation

Maimonides constructs a clear, hierarchical ladder of divine service, meticulously distinguishing between motivations and outlining a pedagogical path for spiritual ascent. He begins by unequivocally stating what is "not fitting" (אֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה) – serving God out of a desire for reward or fear of punishment (MT, Repentance 10:1). This initial assertion sets a high bar, immediately challenging common religious sensibilities that often emphasize blessings and curses. He categorizes those motivated by fear or reward as "common people, women, and minors" (MT, Repentance 10:1), a classification that, while potentially jarring to modern ears, serves to illustrate a developmental stage rather than an intrinsic limitation. The language here, "הן מורגלין," meaning "they are trained" or "accustomed," strongly suggests a pedagogical approach, not a fixed state. They are "trained... until their knowledge increases and they serve out of love." This reveals Maimonides's understanding of religious growth as a process of education and intellectual maturation.

The pinnacle of this hierarchy is "serving out of love" (עובד מאהבה), characterized by acting "for no ulterior motive: not because of fear that evil will occur, nor in order to acquire benefit. Rather, he does what is true because it is true, and ultimately, good will come because of it" (MT, Repentance 10:2). This is a radical redefinition of religious praxis, shifting the focus from transactional engagement to an intrinsic appreciation of truth and goodness. The "good" that "ultimately will come" (וְסוֹף הַטּוֹבָה לָבאֹ בִּכְלָל) is not the goal but a consequence, a subtle but crucial distinction that Steinsaltz highlights, noting that "the reward will indeed come as a result, but it is not the purpose of the service" (Steinsaltz on MT, Repentance 10:2:2). This highest level is exemplified by Abraham, "whom God described as, 'he who loved Me,' for his service was only motivated by love" (MT, Repentance 10:2), grounding this philosophical ideal in a foundational biblical figure.

What is most striking about Maimonides's structure is the explicit instruction for a gradual, staged revelation of this ideal. After detailing the pure motive of love, he introduces a crucial pragmatic concession: "Nevertheless, our Sages declared: A person should always occupy himself with the Torah even when it is not for God's sake for out of [service which is not intended] for God's sake will come service that is intended for God's sake" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This principle, often referred to as "Lo Lishmah Ba Lishmah" (not for its own sake leads to for its own sake), is a cornerstone of Maimonides's pedagogical realism. He then applies this directly to education: "Therefore, when one teaches children, women, and most of the common people, one should teach them to serve out of fear and in order to receive a reward. As their knowledge grows and their wisdom increases, this secret should be revealed to them [slowly,] bit by bit" (MT, Repentance 10:5). The word "secret" (סוֹד) here is profound, suggesting that the truth of pure, intellectual love is too advanced for initial learners and must be unveiled progressively. This structured approach, moving from basic, extrinsic motivations to the highest, intrinsic love, reflects Maimonides's deep understanding of human psychology and the process of intellectual and spiritual development. It's a sophisticated framework for transforming religious practice from a series of external obligations into an inner, profound connection.

Insight 2: Key Term – "Lovesick" Obsession (שוגה) as Intellectual Love

The concept of "love of God" (אהבת יי) is central to this chapter, and Maimonides defines it in a unique and intense manner, likening it to a profound, almost pathological obsession. He asks, "What is the proper [degree] of love? That a person should love God with a very great and exceeding love until his soul is bound up in the love of God. Thus, he will always be obsessed with this love as if he is lovesick" (MT, Repentance 10:3). The term "obsessed" or "engrossed" (שוגה) is critical here, and Maimonides immediately clarifies its meaning with a vivid analogy: "[A lovesick person's] thoughts are never diverted from the love of that woman. He is always obsessed with her; when he sits down, when he gets up, when he eats and drinks" (MT, Repentance 10:3). Steinsaltz clarifies "קְשׁוּרָה בְּאַהֲבַת יי" as "that it cannot be separated from it" (Steinsaltz on MT, Repentance 10:3:1), and "שׁוֹגֶה בָּהּ תָּמִיד" as "engrossed in it all the time" (Steinsaltz on MT, Repentance 10:3:2). Seder Mishnah further elaborates on "שוגה," interpreting it as "ענינו התעסקות במחשבתו לפחות שחושב תמיד בדבר ההוא, והוא התעסקות שיש בו ערבות ונעימות," meaning "its meaning is engagement in one's thought, at least thinking about that thing constantly, and it is an engagement that has pleasure and delight" (Seder Mishnah on MT, Repentance 10:3:1). This emphasizes the intellectual and contemplative aspect of this obsession, not merely an emotional one.

Maimonides's use of "lovesick" (חוֹלֵי הָאַהֲבָה) from Song of Songs 2:5 ("I am lovesick") is not a call for mere emotional fervor, but for an all-consuming intellectual preoccupation. Steinsaltz explains: "כאותם האנשים הסובלים ממחלה זו, שאינם יכולים לחדול מלחשוב על מושא אהבתם" ("like those people who suffer from this illness, who cannot stop thinking about the object of their love") (Steinsaltz on MT, Repentance 10:3:3). For Maimonides, this "love" is not primarily a feeling but a consequence of profound knowledge. He explicitly states, "One can only love God [as an outgrowth] of the knowledge with which he knows Him. The nature of one's love depends on the nature of one's knowledge! A small [amount of knowledge arouses] a lesser love. A greater amount of knowledge arouses a greater love" (MT, Repentance 10:7). This is perhaps the most critical insight into Maimonides's concept of divine love: it is directly proportional to one's intellectual apprehension of God. It is through understanding God's wisdom, His creation, and His attributes as revealed through Torah and philosophy (as explained in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah), that one's love for Him deepens and intensifies.

Therefore, the "lovesick" obsession is not irrational emotion, but the natural, irresistible consequence of deep, penetrating intellectual understanding. It's a state where the mind is so absorbed in contemplating God's greatness and wisdom that all other thoughts recede. This intellectual love, born of knowledge, is the "proper manner" (האהבה הראויה) for a Jew to serve God, leading to the performance of mitzvot as a natural expression of this boundless devotion, rather than as a means to an end. The directive to love God "with all your heart and with all your soul" (Deuteronomy 6:5) is interpreted not as an emotional outpouring alone, but as an intellectual commitment that pervades one's entire being, leaving "all things in the world except for this" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This intellectual love is the engine of true lishmah service.

Insight 3: Tension – The Pragmatism of "Lo Lishmah" Leading to "Lishmah"

Perhaps the most significant tension in this chapter lies in Maimonides's embrace of the "Lo Lishmah Ba Lishmah" principle (service not for its own sake leads to service for its own sake). On the one hand, he establishes a lofty, pure ideal: serving God solely out of love, "not because of fear that evil will occur, nor in order to acquire benefit" (MT, Repentance 10:2). He labels service out of fear or for reward as belonging to "common people, women, and minors," and declares it "not fitting" for higher spiritual levels (MT, Repentance 10:1). This creates a seemingly stark dichotomy between ideal and reality.

However, Maimonides immediately alleviates this tension with profound pedagogical wisdom. He quotes the Sages: "A person should always occupy himself with the Torah even when it is not for God's sake for out of [service which is not intended] for God's sake will come service that is intended for God's sake" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This is a radical pragmatic concession. It acknowledges that most people cannot immediately attain the highest level of pure love. Instead, they must be initiated into religious practice through more accessible, albeit lower, motivations like fear of punishment or desire for reward. Steinsaltz's commentary on 10:1, noting that the blessings refer to "worldly affairs" (הן בעסקי העולם הזה), further underscores that these initial motivations are often quite tangible and immediate.

The tension is resolved through a developmental approach. Maimonides instructs: "when one teaches children, women, and most of the common people, one should teach them to serve out of fear and in order to receive a reward. As their knowledge grows and their wisdom increases, this secret should be revealed to them [slowly,] bit by bit" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This "secret" (סוֹד) is the truth of service lishmah, out of pure love. The tension is thus not a contradiction but a necessary stage in a spiritual journey. The external motivations serve as a scaffold, providing the initial impetus to engage with Torah and mitzvot. This engagement, in turn, leads to increased knowledge, and it is this knowledge that gradually transforms the motivation from extrinsic (fear/reward) to intrinsic (pure love).

Maimonides understands that while the ultimate ideal is pure, immediate dismissal of lower motivations would be counterproductive, potentially alienating people from religious life altogether. The Lo Lishmah stage is not an end in itself, but a crucial means to an end. It allows individuals to begin the journey, to habituate themselves to religious practice, and through that sustained engagement, to eventually discover the deeper, more profound reasons for their service. The tension between the ideal and the practical is thus managed through a sophisticated, empathetic understanding of human spiritual development, emphasizing gradualism and education as the primary tools for transformation. This pragmatic approach ensures that the path to the highest level of divine service is accessible, even if demanding, for all who are willing to embark upon it.

Two Angles

Maimonides's profound emphasis on intellectual love and the gradual progression from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation (Lo Lishmah Ba Lishmah) represents a highly rationalistic and philosophical approach to divine service. This perspective stands in significant contrast to other, often more pietistic or reward-focused, approaches found within Jewish thought. While Rashi and Ramban do not directly comment on Mishneh Torah, we can draw a contrast by examining Ramban's (Nachmanides) general approach to the role of reward and punishment in the Torah, which often appears more direct and less sublimated than Maimonides's.

Maimonides, as seen in this chapter, argues that the ultimate, ideal form of service is lishmah – "for God's sake," driven purely by love born of knowledge, with no ulterior motive of reward or fear of punishment. He explicitly states that serving for blessings or avoiding curses is "not fitting" for the wise and prophets (MT, Repentance 10:1). For him, the "good" that comes from this service (וְסוֹף הַטּוֹבָה לָבאֹ בִּכְלָל) is a consequence, not the aim (Steinsaltz on MT, Repentance 10:2:2). This intellectual love culminates in an intense, all-consuming preoccupation with God's wisdom, as if "lovesick" (MT, Repentance 10:3). The reward for such service, for Maimonides, is primarily the spiritual perfection and closeness to God achieved through this knowledge and love, leading to the ultimate spiritual bliss of the World to Come. The material blessings and curses mentioned in the Torah are often understood by Maimonides as means to an end – to ensure a stable society where people can freely engage in Torah study and the pursuit of knowledge, rather than being the ultimate goal of religious life themselves. He views them as lower-level motivations, necessary for the "common people, women, and minors" to begin their journey, but ultimately to be transcended.

Nachmanides (Ramban), while certainly acknowledging the importance of love of God, often presents a more direct and less allegorized understanding of the Torah's promises of reward and punishment. In his commentary on the Torah, particularly regarding the sections of blessings and curses (e.g., Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28), Ramban tends to interpret these as literal, concrete Divine responses to human action, not merely as pedagogical tools for a lower level of understanding. For Ramban, the material and spiritual rewards promised in the Torah are genuine and significant motivations, even for the righteous. He sees the tangible blessings, such as peace, prosperity, and health, not just as conditions for spiritual pursuit, but as integral parts of God's covenant and His direct interaction with humanity. He emphasizes God's direct involvement in the world through reward and retribution, and this belief often underpins a more immediate, less intellectualized motivation for fulfilling mitzvot. While Ramban would agree that lishmah is ideal, his writings suggest a stronger acceptance of the role of tangible reward as a legitimate and enduring motivator, even for higher-level individuals, because these rewards are expressions of God's justice and providence. He might not dismiss service out of a desire for reward as "not fitting" in the same categorical way Maimonides does, viewing it perhaps as a more fundamental aspect of the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where obedience is met with blessing and disobedience with consequence, and these consequences are not merely stepping stones but substantial realities of divine governance. Thus, while both Maimonides and Ramban advocate for love of God, Ramban's perspective allows for a more robust and less apologetic role for the direct, concrete rewards and punishments promised in the Torah as legitimate motivators for all levels of service.

Practice Implication

This chapter profoundly shapes how we approach our own spiritual growth and how we engage in Jewish education. Maimonides's framework provides a crucial lens through which to assess our motivations for performing mitzvot and studying Torah. Instead of feeling guilty if our initial motivations aren't "pure" – if we find ourselves hoping for good fortune or fearing consequences – Maimonides teaches us that this is a natural and even necessary starting point. This is the practical application of "Lo Lishmah Ba Lishmah" (MT, Repentance 10:5).

For personal practice, this means acknowledging that our spiritual journey is progressive. When we find ourselves performing a mitzvah or engaging in Torah study, it's okay if, at first, our motivation is external: perhaps we want to feel connected to community, gain knowledge for professional reasons, or even simply follow tradition out of a sense of obligation or mild fear of missing out. The key is not to stay there, but to use these initial motivations as a springboard. "As their knowledge grows and their wisdom increases, this secret should be revealed to them [slowly,] bit by bit" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This implies a conscious effort to delve deeper, to reflect on the inherent value and truth of the mitzvot, and to seek the underlying wisdom that connects us to the Divine. It’s about cultivating an intellectual curiosity that can transform mere compliance into profound connection. We are encouraged to ask: Why is this true? What does this reveal about God? How does this action align with a deeper reality?

In decision-making, this perspective encourages us to prioritize sustained engagement over immediate perfection of intent. If a choice leads us to perform a mitzvah, even if our heart isn't fully "in it" yet, Maimonides would suggest that the act itself can open the door to a higher motivation. For example, if faced with the choice to attend a Torah class, and our primary thought is "I should go to look good" or "I might learn something useful for work," Maimonides says: go. The act of going, the exposure to Torah, the increase in knowledge, can gradually lead to a genuine love for the Torah itself, a desire to learn "because it is true" (MT, Repentance 10:2). This is a powerful antidote to paralysis by analysis, where one might refrain from action because their motivation isn't pure enough. Maimonides implicitly tells us that the act itself, even imperfectly motivated, is a vital step on the path to lishmah.

Furthermore, this has profound implications for how we educate others, especially children. Maimonides explicitly states that when teaching "children, women, and most of the common people," one should begin by teaching them "to serve out of fear and in order to receive a reward" (MT, Repentance 10:5). This challenges the modern tendency to immediately present only the highest, most abstract ideals. Instead, it advocates for a developmentally appropriate pedagogy, starting with tangible motivators and gradually introducing deeper, more philosophical insights as the learner matures. This means, for instance, that promising a child a reward for learning a parshah or explaining the consequences of certain actions is not only acceptable but recommended. The goal is to get them involved, to create positive associations with Jewish practice, and to allow their burgeoning knowledge to eventually blossom into genuine, intellectual love. It encourages patience and a multi-tiered approach to religious education, recognizing that spiritual growth is a journey, not a switch.

Chevruta Mini

1. Maimonides states that serving out of fear or for reward is "not fitting" (אֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה) for the level of prophets or the wise, yet he also instructs us to teach children and common people using these very motivations. What are the practical and ethical tradeoffs in teaching an "unfitting" motivation as a necessary step towards a higher one? How might this approach be misunderstood or misused, and what safeguards does Maimonides implicitly or explicitly offer against such pitfalls?
2. Maimonides defines love of God as an intellectual "obsession" (שוגה) stemming from knowledge, rather than primarily an emotion. What are the benefits and drawbacks of framing divine love in such a rationalistic and intellectual manner? Does this perspective risk alienating individuals who connect to God more through emotional or mystical experiences, or does it offer a more stable and universally attainable path to deep connection, as he implies?

Takeaway

True divine service, for Maimonides, is an intellectual love born of knowledge, an all-consuming obsession with truth, which we are progressively educated towards, even if our journey begins with more basic motivations of fear or reward.