In Ethics of the Fathers, Rabbi Meir declares, "Whoever occupies himself with Torah for its own sake (lishmah) merits many things" (Pirkei Avot 6:1). Lishmah means for "her (or its) name or purpose". This mishnah promises righteousness, wisdom and more – in short, moral and intellectual perfection – to anyone who studies Torah for its own sake.
Lishmah connotes an act free of any selfish motives and has sparked debate among Jewish scholars for generations. Does it mean study free of selfish motives and solely in order to understand the Torah better and know what God wants of us? Or, perhaps, as the Chasidim taught, using Torah study as a means of cleaving to God. The Chasidim read lishmah as for "God's sake", whereas the more obvious reading is "for the Torah's sake".
Leaving age-old polemics aside, lishmah is worthy of aspiration. It means leaving all our vested interests behind when we engage with Torah and becoming a better person for it.