Truth, judgement, and peace: The magic of three

Chapter 1, Mishnah 18

רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם קים, עַל הַדִּין וְעַל הָאֱמֶת וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ח) אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:

Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: on three things does the world stand: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said: “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16).

Lenny:  It seems there are many sets of threes in Pirkei Avot.  This particular Mishnah is very similar to the second Mishnah in this very chapter.  Though in the earlier Mishnah the set says “Upon three things does the world stand: One Torah, on Service to God, and on acts of loving kindness.”  Here we use similar concepts. But instead of it saying “upon which the world stands,” there it says קים, upon which the world endures or is fulfilled.

Before we explore Bunim, why do you think the authors of the Mishnah decided to repeat this phrasing – with only slight variation from the earlier Mishnah?

Howie: Well, Torah, Avodah and Gimlut Chassadim is one thing.  But the foundation of the world is truth, justice and peace.  And it’s not the same thing as Torah, Avodah and G’milut Chassadim.

Now, why did they use different phrasing? To me they are similar.

Lenny: Well, maybe they are not.  The first set seems to me to be very personal. You learn Torah, you daven (Avodah), and you do good deeds.

Howie: Yes, it’s very much what you are doing each and every day. The second set seems not be personal. It’s what the world does (Judgement, truth, and peace).

Lenny: How about we explore Bunim for a moment. In this later Mishnah 18, Bunim does compare the two.  He begins:

In that sense does this saying differ from the earlier one which stated that the world stands on Torah, Avodah and G’miluah hasadim? Note that in place of the world omed, “stands,” in the earlier passage we have here kayyam, “endures.”  The earlier passage describes the thee values which constitute the purpose of the world’s coming into being…

Let’s skip to the last paragraph of Bunim’s commentary on the page:

When we practice justice and uphold the law we are, in effect, learning the lessons of hattath, the sin-offering, and asham, the guilt-offering, which reflect moral responsibility and retribution.

Howie: Each of these three phrases are two sides of the same coin, one (the earlier set) personal and the second set is societal. The first are obligations for the individuals and second set, our current Mishnah, is about the greater society and its moral and ethical obligations.

Bunim also sees the two Mishnayot as intertwined – the personal and societal standards of Torah, Avodah and G’Miluth Chassadim with the societal, Truth, Law, and Peace.

Three is a magic number of sorts…

Lenny: I remember one friend who used to teach and always tried to dispense his wisdom in sets of three – not two, not four but three.  People do seem to remember that number.

As you said, three is a magic number.  Maybe that’s the magic of this Mishnah.

P.S. Friends, we held a mini-siyum with some treats after completing this Mishnah, the end of Chapter 1 of Pirkei Avot.