They are always watching.

Chapter 1  Mishnah 2

Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, Worship, and the practice of showing kindness (good deeds).

L:  I’m curious, with respect to Torah, Worship, and Good Deeds, is there a reason it’s in the order it’s in?

H: That’s a good question.  I would say that the implication is it is all based on Torah. For without Torah in your life, you won’t have Worship or Good Deeds.  Torah provides the foundation.

L: There’s nothing to daven (pray) to if there’s no Torah behind it.

H: Correct.

L: And at the end of the day, both (Torah and Worship) are there to encourage you to do Good Deeds.

H: Correct.

L: These maxims sound awfully simplistic.  You know I’m reading from Irving Bunim’s commentary on Avot. He goes on for pages about this tiny Mishnah…

H: You know he was in the Young Israel of Boro Park when I was there. He used to give these shiurim (lectures) live between Mincha and Maariv (afternoon and evening prayers) on Shabbos.  I remember his lectures. He was somewhat of a charismatic thinker and teacher. The way he presented the chapters…he had rapt attention from the people who attended.

L: Was he the Rav (rabbi) of a shul?

H: No, he wasn’t even a Rav. He was a learned man who took particular interest in Pirkei Avot.

L: What Bunim says about this troika in his three-volume work, Ethics from Sinai, about Torah, Worship and Good Deeds, is: “When the Jew engages in all three of these activities he is, in effect, engaging all levels of his being in the service of God. He is thinking, speaking, and doing Judaism. For in Torah, the mind, the intellectual process of thought is primary. In avodah, speech, expression is the main element. In g’milath hasadim (good deeds), it is the deed, the act that is important.”

This is interesting. For only in Worship is speech involved. Torah, you could be reading something or listening to someone else lecture. And in Good Deeds, you could be a deaf-mute. It may have nothing to do with speech at all.  It’s only your actions that would matter.

L: He goes on, “It is apparent, then, that the primacy of Torah is logical as well as chronological. Torah is ever the prerequisite and a vital ingredient of both avodah (Worship) and g’miluth hasadim (Good Deeds). If you wish to serve God but are ignorant of Torah, you cannot appreciate Godliness or know how to seek the Almighty. The more Torah you have acquired, the greater will be your awareness of how awesome is the Master of the universe, before Whom we stand in prayer. For truly profound avodah you must first have Torah.”

“By the same token Torah must pave the way for true g’milath hasadim (Good Deeds). The exercise of kindness is not simply the expression of sentimental emotions. Torah must guide us on the proper shift of such emotions and the proper measure of such emotions.”

H: He’s saying that without Torah, what’s the point.

L: …people do good deeds all the time. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts do good deeds all the time and receive Merit Badges.  Here, he’s telling you that there is a greater purpose.

L: You could reverse the order [of Torah, Worship, and Good Deeds].  I’m thinking about our kids. While Torah is the foundation, your kids will often learn from you by watching what you do, not what you say. In that case, Good Deeds becomes the primary teaching tool. They watch you and they learn.

H: Correct. They are always watching.