Introduction part one Since this mishnah is really two mishnayoth, I will treat each piece separately. Rabbi Ishmael of this mishnah is the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Baroka. He was a student of those rabbis who founded the yeshiva in Yavneh after the destruction of the Temple. Rabbi Ishmael his son said: He who learns in order to teach, it is granted to him to study and to teach; But he who learns in order to practice, it is granted to him to learn and to teach and to practice. Rabbi Zadok said: do not make them a crown for self-exaltation, nor a spade with which to dig. So to Hillel used to say, “And he that puts the crown to his own use shall perish.” Thus you have learned, anyone who derives worldly benefit from the words of the Torah, removes his life from the world. Although one who learns Torah only in order to teach is not really learning for “the sake of heaven”, he is nevertheless rewarded by God, by having the opportunity to learn and teach. However, one who learns in order to practice, which is an even higher commitment, is rewarded by even having the opportunity to practice the commandments. Note again that this mishnah considers the performance of the commandments a reward unto those who perform them. In other words, the one who learns, teaches and studies is rewarded not with material wealth or with other promises, but with the opportunity to continue to perform these commandments. He will not be persecuted by the ruling authorities, which would and did prevent many people from learning Torah throughout Jewish history. Introduction section two Rabbi Zadok lived before the destruction of the Temple. According to legend he fasted for forty years before the destruction, praying that the Temple should not be destroyed. When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai fled Jerusalem and was granted three requests by Vespasion, the Roman general turned emperor, one of them was that a doctor be provided for Rabbi Zadok. The teaching of Rabbi Zadok is connected thematically to Rabbi Ishmael’s teaching from the previous mishnah. Rabbi Zadok’s first warning is clear. One should not use Torah learning as means for self-aggrandizement. Torah should be studied for the sake of God, and in the end honor will come of itself. To use the Torah as a spade means to use the Torah for a means to earn a living. The Talmud teaches that just as God taught the children of Israel for free, so too should you teach for free. We should note that although this was an ideal that Torah should be taught for free it has rarely been followed throughout Jewish history. There were certain exemptions sought for this rule, and in practice, due largely to the exigencies of history, rabbis were often paid for their work. Furthermore, Torah study and teaching is difficult enough that it often requires one to devote full time to its pursuit. However, despite this, Maimonides excoriates those who earn a living teaching Torah. He writes, “There is no basis at all for this [for earning a living teaching Torah] in the Torah.” According to Maimonides the sages of the Talmud did not accept charity from their neighbors and were content to live a life of poverty, so devoted were they to Torah. “They never permitted themselves this begging people for money. They saw, indeed, that this taking founds would be profaning the Name of God in the sight of the masses because then people come to regard the study of Torah as no more than another occupation by means of which a man makes a living.” Other medieval scholars vehemently disagreed with Maimonides and stated that Torah scholars who earn a living are not guilty of any transgression. Speaking personally, I believe that Maimonides rule is somewhat impractical, and would potentially lead to a deterioration in the study of Torah. If people could not feed their families while studying Torah, they would not be able to study, nor teach. However, I think that the spirit of his warning should remain in the ears of those who engage in the study of Torah or work as rabbis. While it may be necessary to earn a living doing so, the primary motivation cannot be profit. A rabbi who turns his training into a way to earn a buck and does not do so “for the sake of Heaven” seems to me to have broken this transgression. In the second half of this mishnah, Rabbi Zadok quotes Hillel. This quote is taken from chapter one, mishnah thirteen. This is the first time we have seen in our mishnah one rabbi quoting another. Rabbi Zadok treats Hillel’s saying almost as if it were a prooftext from the Bible. By Rabbi Zadok’s time, Hillel’s statements had become “sanctified” and were good enough to prove things. This phenomenon is very important as we trace the development of Torah study and rabbinic literary compositions. According to Rabbi Zadok, one who receives financial compensation in this world for teaching Torah, will not get a reward in the world to come. It is as if he uses up the reward which he deserves.