However, the difference between Torah and prayer without intention is self-evident.
אַךְ הַהֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין תּוֹרָה לִתְפִלָּה שֶׁלֹּא בְכַוָּונָה, מוּבָן מֵאֵלָיו,
For in the study of Torah without proper intent, one understands and knows what he is learning, for otherwise, it is not called study at all.
כִּי לִימּוּד הַתּוֹרָה הוּא מֵבִין וְיוֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁלּוֹמֵד, דִּבְלָאו הָכֵי לָא מִיקְרֵי לִימּוּד כְּלָל,
It is only that he is studying neutrally, without the intention of lishmah (“for its own sake”) out of a manifest love of G-d in his heart,
רַק, שֶׁלּוֹמֵד סְתָם, בְּלֹא כַּוָּונָה לִשְׁמָהּ מֵאַהֲבַת ה' שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ בִּבְחִינַת גִּילּוּי,
but only out of the latent natural love for G-d that every Jew harbors in his heart.
רַק מֵאַהֲבָה הַמְסוּתֶּרֶת הַטִּבְעִית,
On the other hand, he is not studying with an actual negative motivation, such as for self-aggrandizement or the like,
אַךְ אֵינוֹ לוֹמֵד שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ מַמָּשׁ לְהִתְגַּדֵּל כוּ',
“for this [manner of Torah study] does not ascend higher than the sun,” as stated in [the Zohar,] Parashat Vayechi, p. 223b.
דְּהָא לָא סָלִיק לְעֵילָּא מִן שִׁמְשָׁא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְחִי דַּף רכ"ג עַמּוּד ב',
That is because one’s thought and intent are clothed within the letters [of Torah] that he utters and prevent them from ascending.
וְהַיְינוּ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וְכַוָּונָתוֹ הֵן מִתְלַבְּשׁוֹת בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַדִּבּוּר וְאֵינָן מַנִּיחוֹת אוֹתָן לְסָלְקָא לְעֵילָא.
The ulterior motive that derives from the kelipot thus encumbers his words of Torah.
So, too, in prayer without intent,6 meaning that one entertains alien thoughts.
וְהָכֵי נַמֵי בִּתְפִלָּה שֶׁלֹּא בְכַוָּונָה, שֶׁמְּחַשֵּׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת
(7However, since his intention is addressed to G-d,
(אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכַּוָּונָתוֹ לַשָּׁמַיִם,
He is, after all, in a state of prayer, except that alien thoughts interpose.
it is therefore easily corrected so that [his prayer] may once again rise to the state from which it was originally repelled,
לְכָךְ יֵשׁ לָהּ תִּיקּוּן בְּקַל לַחֲזוֹר וְלַעֲלוֹת,
when he prays with proper intention even one [full] prayer gathered piecemeal from the prayers of the entire year.
כְּשֶׁמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּכַוָּונָה אֲפִילוּ תְּפִלָּה אַחַת מְלוּקֶּטֶת מִתְּפִלּוֹת כָּל הַשָּׁנָה,
When on one day, one passage of the prayers was read with proper intent, and on another day another passage, and so on, and then all these passages are gathered together, thus constituting one complete prayer from the prayers of a whole year, then all one’s prayers throughout the year are elevated.8
Thus, it is written in Mikdash Melech on Parashat Pekudei.)
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּ"מִקְדַּשׁ מֶלֶךְ" פָּרָשַׁת פְּקוּדֵי).
We thus see that in one sense, Torah without proper intent is superior to prayer without proper intent, for such Torah study creates angels in the World of Yetzirah while prayer without proper intent is repulsed. On the other hand, when the lack of proper intent in Torah study is such that it prevents it from ascending, as in the case of studying for the sake of self-aggrandizement, then this is lower than prayer without proper intent.
For one proper prayer, or even a compilation of different prayers that add up to one prayer with proper intent, elevates all the other prayers of that year. With regard to Torah study, by contrast, even if one later studies with proper intent, this does not elevate his previous study; actual repentance is required. Until such time, one’s Torah study is in exile within the kelipah which spawned his ulterior motive.
Nevertheless, since all Jews will eventually repent, for “No one of them will be rejected,”9 our Sages advise that “one should always study Torah and perform mitzvot even when they are not done for their own sake”10—and, indeed, even if they involve an ulterior motive—for eventually, he will achieve the state of lishmah, when he repents. This is explained by the Alter Rebbe at the end of the Tanya, ch. 39.
The Zohar states there that the verse, “What profit is there for man from all the toil that he toils under the sun,”5 does not refer to one’s toil in Torah study, for Torah is “loftier than the sun”; however, if this toil is undertaken “for self-aggrandizement,” it is also considered to be “under the sun,” for it does not ascend aloft.