"God raised us to the level of consciousness in which we can participate in His mitzvot and in the accompanying heavenly delight.
Such is the meaning of being occupied with the Torah for its own sake.
There are those who get involved with Torah in order to imbibe its contents, or to use it for whatever practical or even idealistic purpose they think best.
They are not relating to the Torah for its own sake.
That is for the love of Torah itself and not for the benefits to be had from it.
To be occupied with Torah for its own sake means to relate to Torah, not as a literary work or as moral instruction or even as wisdom, but to let the Torah emanate its splendor and joy, to let it serve as a channel for Divine light."
--Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz
From Pebbles of Wisdom from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (forthcoming)
