## Tzava'at HaRivash Chapter 47

###### Tzava'at HaRivash 47:1
[Tzava'at HaRivash 47:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tzava%27at%20HaRivash/r/47:1)

**איתא הרבה עשו כר"ש ב"י** ולא עלתה בידם הכוונה היא שהי' רוצים לעשות לעצמם סיגופים כדי שיבואו למדרגת רשב"י ולכך לא עלתה בידם. ולא יכוין בעבודתו רק לעשות נחת רוח להבורא ית' לבד ולא שיבא למדרגה.

**The Way of The Baal Shem Tov. Adapted into English by Rabbi Amiram Markel and Yehudah Shimon Markel, 2020:**
It states,⁸² “Many have acted like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, but were not successful.” The intention is that they wanted to undergo self-mortifications in order to attain the level of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi). This is why they were unsuccessful. One’s intention in the service of *HaShem* should solely be to give satisfaction to the Creator, and nothing else. That is, your intention should not be to attain a lofty level of spiritual standing.

footnotes:
⁸² Talmud Bavli, Brachot 35b