The Three Pillars

Pirkei Avot’s second Mishnah presents a foundational statement of Shimon HaTzaddik that is critical to our worldview. Unlike most of Avot, which advises how to live life well, Shimon HaTzaddik addresses the more fundamental question of what sustains the world. He explains that the world stands on three pillars: Torah (learning), avodah (service of Hashem), and gemilut chasadim (acts of kindness).

Shimon HaTzaddik teaches us that the world’s sustenance hinges upon human action and behavior. Because Hashem created the world to offer humanity the opportunity to live meaningful lives, He conditioned its existence on our doing so.

The meforshim associate these three pillars with our personal development.

The Tiferet Yisrael sees them as representative of the need to develop ourselves as well as our relationships with others: Torah learning enriches us, avodah is how we serve Hashem, and acts of kindness reflect healthy relationships with other people.

The Rambam associates all the pillars with modes of our internal development: Torah develops our intellectual ability, avodah our observance, and gemilut chasadim our character.

Both interpretations agree that the pillars are essential not only for the world, but also for us. They teach us not just what the world needs to exist, but also what our lives are meant to be about. The world cannot learn, daven, or do acts of chesed on its own. Its purpose is realized through our actions.

Though all the pillars are essential, Torah learning reigns supreme. We declare this each morning when we conclude our recital of the berachot linked to Torah learning by exclaiming that “Talmud Torah k’neged kulam—The significance of Torah learning is equal to that of all other mitzvot.” Understandably, the Gemara(Meg. 16b) asserts that Torah learning is of greater value than building the Beis HaMikdash, honoring one’s parents, and even saving a life.

Chazal (B”R 1:6) derived this centrality from the Torah’s very first word—“Bereishit.” Talmud Torah is the “reishit” that Hashem created the world to facilitate. This is why the world’s very existence hinges upon Torah learning. The Torah describes the sixth day of creation as “yom hashishi” because Hashem conditioned Creation on a future special sixth day—the sixth day of Sivan, when He gave the Torah. Had we not committed ourselves to Torah, Hashem would have returned the world to nothingness (A’Z 3a).

Rav Chaim Volozhin (N’H 1:16) adds that the world’s existence not only initially hinged upon the original Kabbalat HaTorah, but also continues to depend upon constant Torah learning. If there were even one moment completely bereft of Torah learning, the world would cease to exist.

Talmud Torah is not just the world’s purpose; it is also the unique purpose and mission of the Jewish people. As the Mishnah tells us in Avot’s second perek, “If you have learned much Torah, do not take special credit; it is [simply] why you were created” (Avot 2:8). Hashem created the world to be a context for Torah learning; He created the Jewish people as the vehicle. This explains why one who does not study Torah deserves to die (Ibid. 1:13). Torah study is a central reason for our existence. If we do not commit ourselves to it, we do not deserve to exist.

{Why Is Talmud Torah So Important?

Firstly, it is the one pursuit to which we can and should devote our free time. As opposed to chesed, which we perform only in appropriate situations, and the tefillot we recite three specific times a day, we are able to study Torah at any and every free moment. It is the constant that should continuously fill our lives with meaning.

Additionally, through Torah learning, we transcend our world and meet Hashem through His wisdom. Although we connect to Hashem through the performance of all mitzvot and all forms of avodat Hashem, when we study Torah, we achieve a more profound connection because we immerse ourselves in His thoughts. We understand and connect to Hashem by appreciating the way He “thinks” and what He values.

But Torah is not the only pillar. Avodah is also important. Studying alone is not enough for the world or for us. This is why man’s presence, even in self-sufficient Gan Eden, included his responsibility to work (Ber. 2:15).

What does the Mishnah mean by “avodah”?

The meforshim focus on korbanot, which the Torah refers to as avodah. Korbanot express our appreciation of Hashem’s role in the world and our lives, as well as our interest in giving to and sacrificing for Hashem. As with all relationships, we reinforce our commitment and closeness to Hashem through gift and sacrifice.

Kayin and Hevel were the first people the Torah records as having brought korbanot (Ber. 3:3–4). When Noach subsequently offered a korban upon exiting the ark, Hashem responded with His promise to continuously sustain the world (Ibid. 8:20–22). When we show our appreciation of and commitment to Hashem, He commits Himself to us and our world.

Of course, we are no longer able to bring korbanot. We offer our tefillot instead. The Gemara (Taan. 27) teaches that the offering of the Korban Tamid used to sustain the world; today, our tefillot play this role. In many ways, tefillot are even more significant than korbanot. Petitioning Hashem for our needs expresses recognition of our dependence upon Him and our interest in a relationship with Him (Netiv Ha’Avodah 1,3).

The Rambam (Avot 1:2) extends the pillar of avodah beyond korbanot and tefillah by explaining that the Mishnah uses korbanot as a paradigm for mitzvot in general. Korbanot are significant because they are how we fulfill Hashem’s commandment (to sacrifice them). We similarly serve Hashem by observing any of His mitzvot.

The third pillar is chesed. One might have thought personal development and commitment to Hashem would be enough to sustain the world. Our Mishnah teaches us that this is not the case. In fact, the Nevi’imMicha (6:8) and Yeshayahu (58) present care for others (in contrast to korbanot) as central to what Hashem wants from us. Korbanot and Avodat Hashem are important, but Hashem wants us to serve Him by (also) caring about and for His creations—particularly those He created in His image.

By doing so, we emulate Hashem, Who created the world as an act of chesed. He, of course, does not need the world; He made it for us.

Our acts of chesed are also our way of giving back to Hashem. Rav Avraham Chaim Feuer explains that this is why the Mishnah uses the term gemilut chasadim: Our chesed is a way of “paying Hashem back” for His chesed. By assisting others created in His image, we show our appreciation that we, too, were made this way.

Chesed is an essential complement to Talmud Torah. The Gemara (A’Z 17b) compares one involved in only Torah learning but not chesed to one who has no G-d. One focused only on himself lacks a meaningful relationship with Hashem. As we saw, Torah learning can be “gadlut,” greater than other mitzvot, but if taken to a self-centered extreme, it can also be G-dless. Torah learning is only gadlut when it inspires us to care for Hashem’s other creations.

This is why we celebrate Torah and ma’asim tovim as the goals and epitome of life, the life goals we wish for newborn babies, and that mothers daven for each week when they light candles. The two together are how we serve Hashem in the fullest sense of the word.

This is why Rebbe Yossi ben Kisma rejected a substantial monetary offer to move to a city lacking a strong Torah presence. He explained that he prioritized Torah learning and good deeds over money because we take only the former with us to the next world (Avot 6:10).

Taken together, these three foci—Torah, avodah, and gemilut chasadim—are what the world exists for and what we, therefore, should focus upon. May appreciating this help us maximize our lives and our contribution to sustaining the world! n

Rav Reuven Taragin is the Dean of Overseas Students at Yeshivat Hakotel and the Educational Director of World Mizrachi and the RZA.

His new book, Essentials of Judaism, can be purchased at RabbiReuvenTaragin.com.