Just You

מי לי בשמים ועמך לא חפצתי בארץ

תהילים עג כה

The Baal Hatanya used to sing based on this pasuk: Hashem - I don't want your olam hazeh, I don't want your olam haba. I just want YOU alone.

Imagine you knew that someone was only being nice to you so that you buy them a big present. How would you feel? I think that Hashem doesn't feel so good [כביכול] when we do things to get rewarded. [But of course many need that incentive to start with].

[There is a popular song these days in Hebrew which goes "I do a mitzva and get olam haba." That song makes me SOOOO uncomfortable. I DON'T do mitzvos for olam haba. If I do, I am just manipulating Hashem to get from Him what I want and there is no relationship. I do mitzvos - I hope - because a] it is the right thing to do and b] I love Him. I repeat - I HOPE that is why I do mitzvos. When I don't it means that I have work to do.]

Wouldn't it be GREAT if we could relate to our fellow Jews that way; not to want anything out of them but just to want the person for who he or she is! No strings attached. אהבה שאינה תלויה בדבר.