The Alter Rebbe now proceeds to amplify his previous statement.
והיינו אפילו אם אינו עוסק שלא לשמה ממש לשום איזו פניה, חס ושלום
This inability of one's divine service to ascend to the Sefirot applies not only where one's motive for engaging in Torah and mitzvot is actually shelo lishmah ("not for its own sake"), i.e., for some ulterior motive, heaven forbid, in which case one is actually serving himself, not G‑d, and his service surely cannot ascend "to stand before G‑d."
אלא כמו שכתוב: ותהי יראתם אותי מצות אנשים מלומדה
It also applies even if, as the verse describes it,1 "Their fear of Me was like commandments of men done by rote,"
פירוש: מחמת הרגל שהורגל מקטנותו
meaning [that one serves G‑d] out of a habit acquired in his youth,2
שהרגילו ולימדו אביו ורבו לירא את ה׳ ולעבדו
having been trained and taught by his father and teacher to fear G‑d and to serve Him,
ואינו עוסק לשמה ממש
but he does not really do it for its own sake [lishmah].
כי לשמה ממש אי אפשר בלא התעוררות דחילו ורחימו הטבעיים, על כל פנים
For it is impossible to serve G‑d truly lishmah without arousing one's natural fear and love, at least,
להוציאן מהסתר הלב אל הגילוי במוח ותעלומות לבו, על כל פנים
by bringing them out from the concealment of the heart into revelation, as least in the mind and the latency of the heart.
If one cannot arouse his natural love of G‑d to the point where it is actually felt in the heart, he must try, as discussed above, to arouse it at least so that it be felt in the conscious mind and in the substratum of the heart. Even this low-level arousal can produce a will and resolve to study the Torah and fulfill the mitzvot. Thus, the resulting divine service contains (at least to some degree) the force and kavanah of his natural love, since it was this love that created the resolve which he is now implementing.
If, however, one does not produce even this minimal level of arousal, the love, although naturally found in his heart, has no bearing on his divine service, and he cannot, therefore, do this service lishmah ("for its own sake").
כי כמו שאין אדם עושה דבר בשביל חבירו למלאת רצונו, אלא אם כן אוהבו או ירא ממנו
For just as one does not do something for his fellow, to carry out his [friend's] will, unless he loves him or fears him,
כך אי אפשר לעשות לשמו יתברך באמת למלאת רצונו לבד
so, too, is it impossible to act truly for G‑d's sake, solely in order to carry out His Will,
בלי זכרון והתעוררות אהבתו ויראתו כלל, במוחו ומחשבתו ותעלומות לבו על כל פנים
unless he remembers and arouses his love and fear of G‑d to some degree — in his mind, thought and the latent level of his heart, at least, if he cannot arouse these emotions openly in his heart.
One who observes the mitzvot out of habit, however, lacking even this minimal arousal of love, cannot be described as serving G‑d for His sake even though his performance is impelled by no ulterior motive.
וגם אהבה לבדה אינה נקראת בשם עבודה בלי יראה תתאה לפחות, שהיא מסותרת בלב כל ישראל, כמו שכתוב לקמן
Furthermore, [the arousal of] love alone, without [the arousal of] at least the lower-level fear of G‑d hidden in every Jewish heart, is not called "service", as will be explained later.
Divine "service" connotes the relationship of a servant to his master, whom he serves chiefly out of fear, unlike a child, who carries out his father's wishes mainly because he loves him. When one performs a mitzvah out of the love of G‑d alone, without fear of Him, he is indeed acting for G‑d's sake — but he is not serving Him.
