תַּנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי בְּנָאָה אוֹמֵר: כׇּל הָעוֹסֵק בְּתוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ — תּוֹרָתוֹ נַעֲשֵׂית לוֹ סַם חַיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ״
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Bena’a would say: Anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake, his Torah study will be an elixir of life for him, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them who lay hold upon it” (Proverbs 3:18)
כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר אוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תַּגִּיעַ עָלָיו פֻּרְעָנוּת הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹסֵק שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ. וְכָל הָעוֹסֵק בָּהּ לֹא לְיִרְאָה וְלֹא לְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי אַהֲבַת אֲדוֹן כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁצִּוָּה בָּהּ הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹסֵק בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ.
He who engages himself in the study of the Torah in order to receive a reward, or in order to prevent himself from being overtaken by punishment, is one who studies the Torah not for its own sake. But he who studies it neither because of fear nor because of reward, but because of love for the Lord of the whole earth Who commanded concerning it, is one who studies it for its own sake.
(חינוך בית יהודא פרק ה'.)
וגם כי באמת כמעט בלתי אפשר לבא תיכף בתחיל' קביעת לימודו למדרגת לשמה כראוי. כי העסק בתורה שלא לשמה הוא למדרגה שמתוך כך יוכל לבא למדרגת לשמה ולכן גם הוא אהוב לפניו יתב' כמו שבלתי אפשר לעלות מהארץ לעליה אם לא דרך מדרגות הסלם. ולזה אמרו (פסחים נ' ע"ב) לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצות אפי' שלא לשמה
And also, truthfully, when beginning to establish a study regimen, it’s almost impossible to immediately arrive at the level of “for its own sake” as is fitting; “involved with Torah not for its own sake” is the level from which one can arrive at “for its own sake”. For that reason it too is beloved of Him (blessed be He), because it is almost impossible to ascend from the ground to the heights if not via the steps of the ladder. And for that reason they stated (P’sakhim 50b): “A person should forever be involved with the Torah and the commandments, even if not for their own sake.”
And truthfully, a person who has a steady practice of involvement with Torah for its own sake doesn’t need as much effort and toil and a lengthy period of involvement with books of fear/awe—so that fear/awe of Him should be fixed in his heart/mind—as a person who doesn’t have a steady practice of involvement with Torah. For the holy Torah will itself clothe him in fear/awe of God that’s apparent, in little time and with little effort to achieve that effect, for this is her way and the special quality of the holy Torah, as they stated (Avot 6:1): “Anyone who involves himself with Torah for its own sake…, and it clothes him with humility and fear/awe.”