A father is obligated to teach his son a trade, that is, a profession • Even if the son chooses to dedicate his life to Torah, the father is still obligated to teach his son a trade • The blessing that God brings to a person comes through that person’s diligence in his work • Idleness from work involves Torah prohibitions and desecration of God’s name • Idleness from work constitutes neglect of one of man’s fundamental roles, since he was created “to work it, and to guard it,” and it leads a person to transgression
Parents Are Commanded to Teach Their Children a Trade
Q: In previous columns you wrote about the value of work, implying that it is therefore preferable to send children to schools and high school yeshivot. But did not Rabbi Nehorai say: “I set aside every trade in the world and teach my son nothing but Torah” (Kiddushin 82a)? This implies that it is best for a person to study only Torah his entire life.
A: Although I did not write about this directly, you have understood correctly. Indeed, our Sages stated in the Mishnah (Kiddushin 29a) that a father is obligated to teach his son a trade — that is, a profession. Rabbi Yehuda added that anyone who does not teach his son a trade “is as though he taught him banditry,” since lacking the tools needed to earn a livelihood, when he grows up and becomes independent, he will be forced to rob people in order to survive (Rashi, ad loc.).
Because this is a commandment, our Sages permitted discussing it on Shabbat: if a father happens on Shabbat to meet someone who could teach his children a livelihood-providing trade, he may finalize with him on Shabbat the terms of the work and the payment for it. Similarly, if a school principal happens on Shabbat to meet a teacher who could teach the students a trade that would help support them — for example, mathematics or English — he is permitted to finalize with the teacher on Shabbat the terms of his employment and salary, just as one is permitted to do so with a Torah teacher (Shabbat 150a; Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 306:6). It is worth adding that this commandment is of Torah origin (Mechilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Bo, Masechta DePischa 18).
The Answer Regarding Rabbi Nehorai
Regarding what Rabbi Nehorai said — “I set aside every trade in the world and teach my son nothing but Torah” — some say that Rabbi Nehorai understood that his son could support himself through the profession of teaching, and he preferred to teach his son education, since it is the most sacred of professions. So wrote Rabbi Yaakov Reischer, author of Shevut Yaakov, in his commentary Iyun Yaakov there (see also Piskei HaRosh, Kiddushin 4:28; Meiri, Kiddushin 30b). This is recommended in our own times as well, since many support themselves through teaching (Igrot Moshe, Yoreh De’ah 4:36).
Others say that Rabbi Nehorai indeed disagrees with the Sages, holding that there is no obligation to teach a son a trade — but the halakha does not follow his view (Lev HaIvri, vol. 2, p. 85). Therefore, even if the son chooses to dedicate his life to Torah, the father is still obligated to teach him a trade, since one may not rely on a miracle that someone will be found to support him (Maharsha, Kiddushin 30b).
Blessing Comes Through Work
Q: I heard a lecture in which a rabbi explained that one’s entire livelihood comes from God, and therefore all those who work diligently at their jobs are wasting their time — since if God wills it, they will earn a respectable living and become wealthy even through light work.
A: Either you misunderstood the rabbi’s words, or the lecturer, in his eagerness to elevate the stature of Torah, erred in matters of Torah and overlooked the immense value of diligent labor. The blessing that God brings to a person comes through that person’s diligence in his work, as it is said: “And the Lord your God will bless you in all that you do” (Deuteronomy 15:18). Our Sages said: “Could the blessing come while one is idle? Therefore, it states: ‘in all that you do'” (Sifrei).
So too we learn from our forefather Isaac, who worked with tremendous diligence digging wells of water and tending to livestock, as it is said: “And he had flocks and herds and much labor” (Genesis 26:14) — and he succeeded so greatly that the Philistines envied him and quarreled with him, saying to him: “Go away from us, for you have become much mightier than we” (ibid. 16). Following this, God promised him: “And I will bless you and multiply your offspring” (Genesis 26:24). Our forefather Isaac understood that the blessing God promised him would come to pass through his own labor, and because of this, he strengthened himself to work with even greater diligence — as our Sages said: “Isaac expounded and said: Since blessing rests only upon the work of one’s hands, I will bound sheaves, and sow” (Tosefta Berakhot 6:8). Indeed, as a result of his strengthened diligence in work, he merited a doubled and redoubled blessing.
Exceptional Cases
Q: Are there not cases in which a person works hard and yet struggles to earn a living, and cases in which a person who barely works manages to become wealthy?
A: There are exceptional cases in which a person toils diligently at his work and yet his situation remains difficult; in such a case he should examine the matter more deeply in order to understand his situation. Perhaps there is some flaw delaying the blessing, or perhaps according to the root of his destiny, his portion is to work and earn a living with hardship, and perhaps the blessing will come to him in the next generation through his very successful children.
There are also opposite cases — people who did not work diligently, and yet became wealthy. They too need to examine their situation carefully, since such an unearned blessing can turn against them, just as Korach’s wealth led to his downfall. Indeed, we find many times that people who became wealthy easily, became corrupted in their character traits, and did not see blessing in their children and grandchildren.
Working in Immodest Environments
Q: Rabbi, you wrote, based on many sources, that a person should earn his living through the labor of his own hands, even if this means less time devoted to Torah study. But in our generation, the world outside the Beit Midrash (Torah learning hall) is sometimes filled with difficult and harmful things, especially in matters of holiness and modesty (I myself work as an economist, and unfortunately I see and hear, against my will, things that should not be seen, or heard). Even in such a situation, does the Rabbi hold that one should prefer working with fixed times for Torah study over full-time study in a kollel?
A: Since idleness from work is far more severe than the issues of modesty you mentioned, even in such a situation, one should prefer engaging in livelihood over sitting in a kollel. That is to say, idleness from work involves Torah prohibitions and desecration of God’s name, whereas the modesty concerns you mentioned are generally related to a concern of rabbinic — not biblical — prohibition (this is not the place to elaborate; we will only note that even the prohibition against wasted seed is subject to an evenly balanced dispute as to whether it is biblically or rabbinically forbidden).
That said, even regarding a rabbinic-level concern, one should ideally distance oneself from it. Therefore, when a person has two options — one, to work in a modest place, and the other, in a less modest place — it is proper that he choose the more modest place. This is in line with what our Sages said (Bava Batra 57b): if a person has two equal paths before him — one modest, and the other passing by a river where women bathe unclothed — and he chooses to walk by the river, he is considered wicked. But if the path by the river is shorter, he is permitted to take it. Similarly, if the less modest workplace suits the worker better, or he will earn significantly more there, he may work there (based on the Gemara, Bava Batra 57b; see also Igrot Moshe, Even HaEzer 1:56; 2:14).
The Severity of Idleness from Work
Idleness from work constitutes neglect of one of man’s fundamental roles, since he was created “to work it, and to guard it” (Genesis 2:15), and it leads a person to transgression — as our Sages said: “Torah study is becoming when combined with a worldly occupation, for the toil of both causes sin to be forgotten. But all Torah study that is not accompanied by work, will in the end be neglected, and bring sin in its wake” (Avot 2:2). The commentators explained that the transgressions a person may fall into from engaging in Torah study without work, include becoming spoiled, and drawn after desire. Furthermore, in order to obtain his sustenance, he will need to flatter people of power and wealth, and develop a love of gifts. Moreover, at times he will find himself in need of sustenance and will be tempted to lie, steal, gamble, and lay a hand on the property of others (Meiri; Tashbetz in Magen Avot; Bartenura, ad loc.). And in the words of Rabbeinu Yonah: “He will not rest and will not be still, until he has transgressed all the commandments stated in the Torah” (ibid.).
Why One Who Enjoys the Fruit of His Own Labor Merits the World to Come
Q: Why did our Sages say: “Greater is one who enjoys the fruit of his own labor than one who fears Heaven” (Berakhot 8a) — meaning, that one who enjoys the fruit of his own labor merits both this world and the World to Come, whereas regarding the one who fears Heaven but does not work, relying instead on others to support him, it is said only that he is fortunate in this world? Seemingly, it should be the opposite — that the God-fearing person who only studies and does not work should merit the World to Come alone, while the one who enjoys the fruit of his own labor should merit that, in addition to this world. Why does the God-fearing person not merit the World to Come?
A: Indeed, a good question. To answer it, we must first define what is meant by “the World to Come.” In the view of many, the essential World to Come occurs after the resurrection of the dead — a complete world combining both spirituality and physicality, unlike the world of souls, which includes the Garden of Eden and Gehinnom, where souls reside until the time of the ultimate rectification. This is the position of the Ramban (Sha’ar HaGemul), the Shelah (Toldot Adam, Beit David), the Ramchal (Derech Hashem 1:3; Da’at Tevunot 66–74), and many others. According to their view, since the one who enjoys the fruit of his own labor has rectified both his soul and his body, he merits the World to Come — that is, the complete world in which soul and body appear in harmony. But one who has only studied, merits only the dimension of the soul — that is, spiritual satisfaction in this world, in the world of souls, and in the World to Come — but not the full integration of body and soul.
According to the Rambam, “the World to Come” is the world of souls (Laws of Repentance 8:2), and according to his view, the God-fearing person in this scenario is considered to be in the category of one who “studies not for its own sake,” since he studied in order to receive a stipend, and not for the sake of Heaven. Regarding one who studies not for its own sake, our Sages said (Shabbat 63a) that he merits wealth and honor in this world, but not in the world of truth.
In addition, since he enjoyed the benefit of Torah in this world, his reward in the World to Come is correspondingly diminished — as is told (Ta’anit 25a) of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and his wife, who refused to accept a gift that had not come to them through the toil of their own hands — even though it was a golden leg sent down to them from Heaven — because they learned in a dream that this gift would diminish their stature, and reduce their reward in the World to Come (Ta’anit 25a; Maharsha and Chafetz Hashem, Berakhot 8a).
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.
