148. Enthusiasm and love(b) / חשק וחיבה
One who wishes to merit this trait, to have enthusiasm and love for all that is holy, should be engaged as much as possible in Torah and mitzvos — even when he feels he is forcing himself and that he is not doing it out of his good will — he should force himself and put aside his own desires for the will of his Creator. This follows the dictum of our Sages: “A man should always occupy himself with Torah and good deeds, though it is not for their own sake, for out of [doing good] with an ulterior motive there comes [doing good] for its own sake” (Pesachim 50b). The same is true here, for it is a quality of Hashem’s mitzvos that it sanctifies the soul and purifies it. Day by day the person’s eyes will be opened until the study of Torah and the fulfillment of mitzvos will become more enjoyable than all the pleasures of life in this world. And if it should happen that he is compelled to break from studying Torah and keeping the mitzvos, he will feel it more bitter than death, for such is the actual truth — what do need life for, if not to enable us to serve our Creator and to cling to Him; to bring Him satisfaction before the throne of His glory. And if we become distant from Him, then indeed our dying would be much better than our living.