{"id":13850,"date":"2026-01-05T17:05:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T17:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.kabbalah.info\/?post_type=book&p=13850"},"modified":"2026-01-05T17:05:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T17:05:29","slug":"great-is-a-transgression-that-is-lishma","status":"publish","type":"book","link":"https:\/\/www.kabbalah.info\/en\/great-is-a-transgression-that-is-lishma\/","title":{"rendered":"694. Great Is a Transgression that Is\u00a0Lishma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cRabbi Nachman Bar Yitzhak said, \u2018A transgression Lishma<\/em> [for Her sake] is greater than a Mitzva<\/em> [commandment] Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> [not for Her sake],\u2019 and this is what Rabbi Yehuda said, \u2018Rav said, \u2018One should always engage in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> [commandments], even Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, since from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> he will come to Lishma<\/em>.\u2019 Rather, say, \u2018as a Mitzva<\/em> that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>,\u2019 as it is written, \u2018Blessed than women is Ya\u2019el, the wife of Heber the Kenite, more blessed than women in the tent.\u2019 Who are the women in the land? Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah\u2019\u201d (Nazir<\/em> 23b).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the literal meaning, some interpret that the forefathers acted out of envy. It follows that they had multiplication Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. Others interpret that because a woman is relieved from multiplication, it is called Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. Also, we should understand the question about \u201cFrom Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, one comes to Lishma<\/em>,\u201d etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in ethics, we should ask what it means that a transgression that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> is preferable, or the explanation of the Gemara that it is as a Mitzva<\/em> that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, meaning that they are of equal weight. Why does it matter to the Tana which is greater than which? After all, it is written, \u201cBe careful with a minor Mitzva<\/em> as with a major one, for you do not know the reward for the Mitzvot<\/em>.\u201d Thus, what does it come to teach us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a rule: \u201cIf you come across a Mitzva<\/em>, do not miss it.\u201d Thus, if he comes across a Mitzva<\/em> in Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, he must do it even if we say that the transgression of Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> is greater, since it is forbidden to breach the Mitzvot<\/em>. Also, if he comes across a transgression Lishma<\/em>, he must also do it first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In ethics, we should understand that here the question is which way a man will walk when he performs a Mitzva<\/em> Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. Should he be happy that he has performed a Mitzva<\/em>, or should he be sorry that he now transgressed by not aiming Lishma<\/em>, meaning that his transgression is that he did not act in Lishma<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two things to discern here concerning the Mitzva<\/em> that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>: 1) He performed a Mitzva<\/em> in practice. 2) He performed a transgression in thought, since before he did the Mitzva<\/em>, it was still not revealed to him that he is engaging Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. Rather, by doing the Mitzva<\/em>, the transgression was revealed in the matter of Lishma<\/em>\u2014that he cannot aim Lishma<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, the question is what should one do? Should he be happy about the Mitzva<\/em> that he did or sad about the transgression in Lishma<\/em>? At that time, Rabbi Nachman Bar Yitzhak said, \u201cA transgression that is Lishma<\/em> is great,\u201d meaning it is more important that he will know that he is committing a transgression in Lishma<\/em>. The importance is that he will afflict himself and pray to the Creator, which will cause him to come to be able to aim Lishma<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gemara asks about this: \u201cAnd this is what Rabbi Yehuda said, \u2018Rav said, \u2018One should always engage \u2026 since from Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> he will come to Lishma<\/em>.\u2019\u2019\u201d This means that the Mitzva<\/em> that he does Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> will bring him to Lishma<\/em> by way of \u201ca Mitzva<\/em> induces a Mitzva<\/em>.\u201d The Gemara answers, \u201cbut rather say, \u2018as a Mitzva<\/em> that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>,\u2019\u201d and RASHI interpreted that the two are the same, and the RA\u2019ASH interprets that both enter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, we should ask why there is a link from \u201cFrom Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, one comes to Lishma<\/em>,\u201d to a transgression Lishma<\/em>, since there he will come to perform a Mitzva<\/em> Lishma<\/em>, and with a transgression Lishma<\/em>, he has already acted Lishma<\/em> in doing the transgression, and there is nothing to add to it. Conversely, in Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> he has more to add, meaning to achieve Lishma<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Ya\u2019el, the act was a transgression and the thought was for the sake of the Creator. We should ask, If she intended for the sake of the Creator, why is it called \u201ca transgression,\u201d for by this she did a lot of good to the people of Israel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should say that the act was only a preparation for a Mitzva<\/em> and not an actual Mitzva<\/em>, since her aim was to tire him in order to kill him, so you could say that preparation for a Mitzva<\/em> is not a Mitzva<\/em>, since the killing was a Mitzva<\/em> and tiring him was only a preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This implies that where the act itself is the end of the act of Lishma<\/em>, this can be like a Mitzva<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. For example, had he died because of his exhaustion, the thought Lishma<\/em> would have been carried out with doing the act. But here we should discern between a preparation for a Mitzva<\/em> and the actual Mitzva<\/em>, since tiring him was only a preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to what Rabbi Nachman Bar Yitzhak said, \u201cA transgression Lishma<\/em> is greater,\u201d etc., he would interpret the verse, \u201cBlessed than women,\u201d meaning more than women. According to the explanation, \u201cbut rather say, \u2018as a Mitzva<\/em> that is Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>,\u2019\u201d we interpret \u201cblessed than women\u201d as \u201clike the women,\u201d and not \u201cmore than women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should learn from the story with Ya\u2019el, for there the transgression was in the act, and a Mitzva<\/em> in the thought. But sometimes the Mitzva<\/em> is in the act and the transgression is in the thought, and this is called Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em>. But the Gemara says that they are of equal weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We should discern in the work of Lo<\/em> Lishma<\/em> that there is a Mitzva<\/em> in action, meaning to be happy about performing the Mitzva<\/em>, and say that a Mitzva<\/em> induces a Mitzva<\/em>, and there is regretting about the transgression in regard to Lishma<\/em>, that he did not aim for the sake of the Creator. By this we should understand, \u201cEven if the whole world tells you that you are righteous,\u201d that it is in terms of the action. But in terms of the thought, meaning the intention, if it is still not for the sake of the Creator, he is regarded as wicked in that sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the meaning of \u201cin your eyes.\u201d That is, in regard to the thought, the world should not know. Rather, the aim is given to man himself, and others cannot know what is in his mind. Hence, \u201cBe wicked in your eyes.\u201d If the aim is not for the sake of the Creator, it follows that in the place of making the Mitzva<\/em>, the transgression in Lishma<\/em> immediately awakens.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cRabbi Nachman Bar Yitzhak said, \u2018A transgression Lishma [for Her sake] is greater than a Mitzva [commandment] Lo Lishma [not for Her sake],\u2019 and this is what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6246,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"topic":[26],"class_list":["post-13850","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nKabbalah | 694. 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