A Slow Reading of The Introduction to "The Path of the Just" (Part 14)

14.

"'Fullness of heart' means that your service to G-d should be done with the purest of intentions -- only for service to Him, for no other reason whatsoever. Included in this must be a service of the heart not in conflict, but full; and not as an act of rote, but rather one of your full self."

-- Despite our very best intentions (when we're even so inclined, as so few of us are) even when we mean to draw close to G-d, we oftentimes actually mean to satisfy a need within us, rather than serve G-d outright. So if we're ever to indeed draw close to Him as we're charged to, we'd need to know when we're worshipping Him and when we're worshipping ourselves. Once we honestly determine that we mean to serve G-d alone, we will; for we will have come to worship him "in person" rather than "on tape" -- in unaccustomed, fresh ways rather than by routine.

Translation of text (c) 1996 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
Original comments (c) 2005 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman