Even before Adam’s sin, man was destined to be a worker and partner in the settlement of the world • Those who pass their time in idleness, such as dice players, are disqualified from giving testimony • Even a wealthy man who has no need to work for his livelihood — should work • In recent generations, due to the expansion of Torah content, rabbis are required to devote all their days to study • The Tannaim and Amoraim supported themselves through their trades, making their Torah study fixed and their work incidental — and both flourished in their hands • One who is not required for rabbinical or educational roles does not act in accordance with Torah guidance when he evades the responsibility of supporting himself and learns in a kollel
The Value of Work
Many questions arose in response to my previous column, in which I explained the value of work and wrote that according to the Torah it is proper for a person to work and set fixed times for Torah study, rather than to learn all day as a kollel student and receive a living stipend. I explained that there is inherent value in a person working. In this column I will address some of those questions, and with God’s help, more in the next column.
Q: Is work not a curse imposed upon man as a result of Adam’s sin — so why did you write that it has value?
A: Even before Adam’s sin, man was destined to be a worker and partner in the settlement of the world, as it is written: “And the Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to guard it” (Genesis 2:15). Our Sages added that man was not given permission to eat from the fruits of the Garden of Eden “until he had done labor” (Avot de-Rabbi Natan 11). And this too is part of God’s kindness toward man — that God created the world incomplete, in order to give man a place to be His partner in building and repairing it.
After Adam’s sin, ordinary work was no longer sufficient; man, now needed to toil with great hardship to atone for his sin, and so it was decreed upon him: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). Yet even this labor is for man’s benefit — through his hard work to obtain bread, man atones for his sin and develops both himself and the world.
The Halakhic Ruling on the Debate Over Work
We further learn the value of work from the ruling of our Sages that even a wealthy woman who has servants and has no need to do household work should nevertheless work, because “idleness leads to boredom” — that is, to deterioration and distraction of the mind (Ketubot 59b). Admittedly, if she occupies herself with games such as chess or keeping pets, she will not come to boredom — yet there remains the concern that idleness will lead her to sin, as Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: “for idleness leads to licentiousness” (Ketubot 61b).
Therefore, if there is a dispute between husband and wife — the wife wishing to be exempt from all work while the husband wants her to work in some household or income-producing capacity — the wife is obligated to work. Conversely, if the husband wishes his wife to be exempt from all work while she wishes to work, the husband is forbidden to prevent her from doing so (Shulchan Aruch, Even HaEzer 80:2–3).
Those Who Are Idle from Work Are Disqualified from Testimony
Our Sages further stated (Sanhedrin 24b) that those who pass their time in idleness — such as dice players — are disqualified from giving testimony, “because they do not engage in the settlement of the world” (Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 34:16). The Rambam likewise wrote: “One who occupies himself neither with Scripture, nor with Mishnah, nor with a way of the land (i.e., work) — is presumed to be a wicked person and is rabbinically disqualified from testifying, for anyone who has sunk to such a level is presumed to transgress most transgressions that come his way” (Laws of Testimony 11:1).
Love the Craft That Refines the Person
Our Sages said: “Love work” (Avot 1:10). That is, “Even if one has the means to support himself, he is obligated to engage in a craft, for idleness leads to boredom” (Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura). Accordingly, even a wealthy man who has no need to work for his livelihood — such as one who has inherited a large estate — is still required to work, because of the great value of engaging in the settlement of the world. Not only that, but even if there is no great benefit to be derived from his labor, our Sages instructed that he should take a field and work it rather than remain idle. “As it is said: ‘Six days you shall labor and do all your work’ (Exodus 20:9) — what does ‘and do all your work’ teach us? To include one who has neglected or overgrown courtyards or fields — let him go and occupy himself with them” (Avot de-Rabbi Natan 1:11). That is, even if the fields are not capable of yielding abundant fruit, he should cultivate them and bring out whatever produce they can yield. As the Meiri explains: “That is, he should occupy himself with something useful and not stand idle, for idleness causes him serious harm” (ibid.).
Why Do We Not Find That Great Rabbis and Righteous Men Worked?
Q: In the previous column you wrote that there is great value in work — yet we do not find that great rabbis and righteous men engaged in labor.
A: Indeed, in recent generations, due to the expansion of Torah content, rabbis are required to devote all their days to study, as will be explained further on. But originally, the great rabbis and righteous men engaged in the settlement of the world and worked to support themselves, as is described at length in the Book of Genesis regarding the Patriarchs.
The Practice of the Great Tannaim
Similarly, the Tannaim and Amoraim supported themselves through their trades, making their Torah fixed and their work incidental — and both flourished in their hands (Berakhot 35b). Admittedly, one who was appointed as a communal leader stopped engaging in his trade, and if he was not wealthy, the community would enrich him so that he would be respected and his words would be heeded (Kiddushin 70a). But even the leaders themselves — though they were great and mighty Torah scholars — engaged in their trades before their appointment.
Shimon ben Shetah, before he was appointed as Nasi, dealt in flax (Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzia 2:5). Hillel the Elder, before his appointment as Nasi, was a woodchopper who earned a tarpik (a small coin) per day; with half he supported himself, and with half he paid the gatekeeper of the study hall (Yoma 35b).
Abba Hilkiyah — a man of great prayer who experienced regular miracles, and to whom our Sages would send emissaries to ask him to pray for rain — worked diligently in the fields and supported himself with difficulty as a hired laborer (Ta’anit 23a). Shammai the Elder was a builder, which is why he held a builder’s measuring rod in his hand (Shabbat 31a; Tashbetz 1:147). Rabbi Yehoshua, whose legal rulings were frequently accepted as authoritative, made needles using charcoal (Berakhot 28a; Jerusalem Talmud 4:1). Rabbi Akiva supported himself with great difficulty by gathering wood from the field and selling it, using some of it to light fires for warmth and for studying Torah by their light at night (Avot de-Rabbi Natan 6). Rabbi Meir — of whom it was said that no one in his generation equaled him — supported himself by writing sacred texts (Eruvin 13a). Rabbi Yose, whose rulings were accepted because his reasoning was sound, supported himself by tanning hides (Eruvin 46b; 14b; Shabbat 49a–b).
There were Sages who were even named after their trades: Shimon HaPakuli, who worked with cotton (Berakhot 28b); Rabbi Yochanan the Sandal-maker (Avot 4:11); Nachum the Scribe (Pe’ah 2:6); and Rabbi Yishmael the Scribe, who was among the Ten Martyrs (Lamentations Rabbah 2:2).
The Practice of the Amoraim
Rabbi Yannai, of the first generation of Eretz Yisrael Amoraim, was a farmer who planted vineyards (Bava Batra 14a). Shmuel, of the first generation of Babylonian Amoraim — whose rulings are authoritative in monetary law — was a physician and landowner who would inspect his fields daily (Bava Metzia 85a; Chullin 105a). Rav Huna, of the second generation of Babylonian Amoraim, supported himself by irrigating fields before his appointment as head of the great yeshiva in Sura; when people came to him for adjudication, he would ask them to send someone in his place to irrigate the field so that he could be free to judge them (Ketubot 105a). Rav Chanina and Rav Oshaya, who came from Babylon to Eretz Yisrael and studied under Rabbi Yochanan, supported themselves by making sandals (Pesachim 113b). Rav Kahana supported himself by making and selling baskets (Kiddushin 40a). Rav Pappa, of the fifth generation of Amoraim — who later became a yeshiva head — worked in fields, and some say he supported himself by brewing beer (Bava Metzia 109a; Pesachim 113a). Rabbi Avdima sold meat, Rabbi Abbahu manufactured fabrics, Rabbi Zeira dealt in cotton, and Rabbah sold bathtubs (Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzia 4:7). The Rashbatz added (Magen Avot 1:10) that “the great sages of Israel” chose honorable occupations, such as digging fields and chopping wood, “in order to humble their inclination and prevent them from coming to improper thoughts.”
The Practice of the Early and Later Authorities
Many Rishonim likewise followed this path — as long as they were not compelled to dedicate all their hours to teaching students, they supported themselves through their own work. For example, several of the greatest Rishonim supported themselves as physicians, among them Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, the Rambam, the Ramban, the Ran, the Ralbag, the Rashbatz, and Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno. Rashi and Rabbeinu Tam supported themselves through winemaking.
The Practice of the Later Authorities
In more recent times — beginning approximately five hundred years ago — the scope of Torah content continued to expand greatly, yet many of the leading Torah figures still supported themselves through their trades. Among those who engaged in commerce were the Arizal, Rabbi Binyamin Ze’ev of Turkey and Greece (author of the responsa Binyamin Ze’ev), and Rabbi Efraim Zalman Margaliot of Galicia (author of Beit Efraim), among others. Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi of Kalbenburg (author of HaKetav VeHaKabbalah), Rabbi Avraham Danzig (author of Chayei Adam), and Rabbi Chaim — founder of the Volozhin Yeshiva — all supported themselves, with Rabbi Chaim even funding the yeshiva from his own resources in its early years. Rabbi Yitzchak Lampronti of Italy, author of Pachad Yitzchak, served as a physician, as did Rabbi Avraham HaRofe Portaleone, author of Shiltei HaGibborim. The Ramchal worked grinding lenses, and Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, before being appointed as Rebbe, supported himself through pharmacy and commerce.
The Practice in Our Times
Due to the expansion of Torah content in recent generations, it is nearly impossible for rabbis to fulfill their role without devoting their entire day to study, lesson preparation, and answering halakhic questions. In that case, even the learning they do for themselves is considered work, since it is essential for preparing lessons and ruling on Jewish law. Likewise, teachers are certainly considered workers, and even in the time of the Sages they were paid so that they could step away from their trades for the sake of their students.
However, one who is not required for rabbinical or educational roles does not act in accordance with the Torah’s guidance when he evades the responsibility of earning a living and instead learns in a kollel — availing himself of stipends, welfare budgets, and various subsidies that were intended for poor families who strove, but were unable to support themselves.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.
