Chasidut sur Avot 1:3
אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּהְיוּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, אֶלָּא הֱווּ כַעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב שֶׁלֹּא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, וִיהִי מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם:
Antignos Ish Socho l'a reçu de Shimon Hatzaddik: Il avait coutume de dire: Ne soyez pas comme les serviteurs qui servent leur maître pour recevoir le pras [«évaluation», comme dans le targum de (Lévitique 5:15): «votre évaluation» —«bepursaneh», ce que l'on donne à celui qui le sert, bien qu'il ne soit pas légalement tenu de lui donner quoi que ce soit, comme ce que l'on donne à son jeune fils ou à sa femme ou à son serviteur à cause du plaisir qu'il lui donne. On ne doit pas servir son Créateur même dans l'attente de telles pras], mais être comme des serviteurs qui servent leur maître non pas pour recevoir des pras, [mais par amour uniquement]. Et que la peur du L rd soit sur vous. [Même si vous le servez par amour, servez-le aussi par peur. Car celui qui sert par amour est zélé dans l'accomplissement des commandements positifs, tandis que celui qui sert par peur est attentif à l'observance des commandements négatifs, de sorte que son service se révèle complet. Et c'est ainsi que nos sages ont dit: "Servez par amour et servez par peur. Servez par amour, de sorte que si vous êtes poussé à la haine, sachez que vous aimez, et un amant ne hait pas. Servez par peur, alors que si vous êtes poussé à «donner un coup de pied», sachez que vous avez peur, et un peureux ne donne pas de coups de pied.
Kedushat Levi
In the matter of how to serve the Lord optimally, it is an accepted rule that the first stage of becoming a true servant of the Lord involves that the person concerned expects a reward as a form of recognition for his effort. It is simply not to be expected that every person will begin his career as a servant of the Lord by eschewing every kind of reward. When the Mishnah in Avot 1,3 teaches not to serve the Lord on condition of receiving a reward, it does not address “beginners.” Proof that this is the accepted norm is found in Pessachim 50 where the Talmud teaches that if we perform G’d’s commandments, even while also having ulterior motives, in due course we will do so without having ulterior motives. [This is part of the promise that the reward of performing a commandment brings in its wake performance of another commandment, (Avot 4,1) i.e. the same commandment, but on a higher level. Ed.] When one has attained this level of serving the Lord, one will also become the vehicle through which the “fallen” sparks, i.e. spiritual beings or human beings who have “fallen” from their erstwhile high moral/ethical level may be restored to grace through contact with such servants of the Lord. This has been spelled out in the writings of the Ari z’al.
As long as one serves the Lord expecting to be rewarded for this, the human being doing so is considered as on the level of a female, as by definition all females, i.e. their functions, are viewed primarily as recipients, vessels to be filled. Once having attained the level of serving the Lord without any expectation of reward, one has joined the ranks of the males. Not only does such a person not depend on “receiving,” but he is able to become a dispenser of satisfaction and pleasure even to the Creator. This is the true meaning of a statement in the Zohar III,7 that the Jewish people provide G’d with His sustenance, פרנסה.
This is also what Bileam had in mind when he said: הן עם כלביא יקום, “this is a nation that arises like a lioness,” but develops to the stature of being כארי יתנשא, “it elevates itself to become comparable to a mature male lion.” [According to our author Rashi commenting on that verse interprets it as sequential, i.e. beginning to serve the Lord while expecting a reward, progressing to serve Him without such expectations. I have not been able to find this Rashi. Ed.]
Kedushat Levi
The exhortation of the above quoted Mishnah not to perform the commandments for the sake of the reward promised is very difficult to honour as we know and are constantly aware that G’d keeps His promises to us, and it is almost superhuman not to be influenced by such promises. When David worded his psalm 31,20 as he did, adding the words נגד בני אדם, he meant that at the time when we perform the commandments we must not think of the reward in store for us. G’d does not mind that once we have performed the commandment we think about the reward. He knows how difficult it is not to think of it while performing it; this is why David says of G’d צפנת, “You hid,” such thoughts from those who truly revere You at the time when they performed the commandments.