Avos 2.4
Asei R'tzono k'rtzonecha. Rashi says when you're doing your own interests, do them l'shem shamayim.
This sounds like a nice idea, but how on earth does that explain thw words of the Mishnah??? The Mishnah is talking about doing a Mitzvah - ie: Tefilin, with ratzon. Rashi is talking about doing your own desire, ie: eating with l'shem Shamayim!
What makes Rashi's pshat even harder to understand, is that the Mishnah continues to give a purpose or incentive to do the above, by saying "k'dey sheyaseh r'tzoncha k'ritzono" - Rashi: So that Hashem will grant you blessing generously.
How can we tell someone to eat l'shem shamayim SO THAT Hashem will give him more food???? What happened to the Heavenly intent??
The mishnah continues: Batel r'tzoncha mipney ritzono..... Rashi again mystifies us by explaining - chashov s'char aveirah k'neged hefsedah. Why is Rashi using this specific approach to tell me to stop myself from aveirah? Is there no other eitzah? How does this explain the words of this Mishnah specifically?
I believe this Mishnah is not just telling us what to DO, or not to DO, rather it is a Mishnah about RATZON. Our will, interest, & emotion in doing or not.
Rashi is not explaining what Asei Ritzono k'rtzoncha MEANS. It means as simply stated. Rather, Rashi is explaing HOW to achieve this lofty feeling of interest, when we don't feel that way yet.
Here Rashi reveals an awesome insight in developing this lofty madreigah. He is not saying to purify your interests to be l'shem shamayim, rather even WITH your own interests, ALSO incorporate Shamayim. If we consistently incorporate l'shem shamayim into what we enjoy, we will start associating "Ritzono" with what we like. Through this hergel, we will develop an appetite & real interest for ORitzono"!
Thi is why we can even do this for the end result of more blessing ourselves - which of course is even more self interest, & still the incorporated l'shem shamayim will do its job!
The next part of the Mishnah as well, is not just instructing us to fight our desire & not DO an aveirah. Rather it tells us to DISSOLVE our RATZON for the sin.
Regarding this Rashi tells us the way to dissolve the ratzon, is again, using your own self interest. By truly seeing the eternal loss to yourself for the temporary gain. The ratzon is litterally 'batel' b'elef!
While others say the main reward of witholding from sin is only when desire is retained, perhaps this mishnah is not entirely wiping out ratzon. Rather it is on a per- nisayon basis. So the ratzon is there to begin with & the person uses the eitzah of Rashi to eradicate it.
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