Introduction Rabbi Jonathan was a student of Rabbi Ishmael’s. This is his only statement in the mishnah. These two facts go hand in hand. Rabbi Ishmael was the founder of a bet midrash (study house) that differed from the bet midrash founded by Rabbi Akiva. The Mishnah is the product of Rabbi Akiva’s bet midrash, and therefore sages who were from Rabbi Ishmael’s bet midrash rarely have their statements included in it.
Rabbi Jonathan said: whoever fulfills the Torah out of a state of poverty, his end will be to fulfill it out of a state of wealth; And whoever discards The torah out of a state of wealth, his end will be to discard it out of a state of poverty. One who studies Torah despite his poverty and despite the fact that he could earn more money if he worked more, will eventually be rewarded with wealth. In contrast, one who neglects the study of Torah because he is so busy trying to earn more money, will eventually lose his wealth. Some commentators on the mishnah raise a difficulty. Empirically speaking one can observe that this mishnah simply is not true. We often see people who study Torah and yet do not become rich and we see people who do not study Torah and do not grow poor. These commentators therefore interpret it to mean that anyone who studies the Torah out of poverty will continue to keep the Torah even if he becomes wealthy; and anyone who does not study the Torah while wealthy will not study it even if he becomes poor. In other words we should not assume that his Torah study, or lack thereof, is a result of his economic status. Another interpretation is that wealth is not to be taken literally. Rather it refers to the type of wealth mentioned in mishnah one of this chapter, that is being satisfied with one’s portion in life. One who is poor but studies Torah will be satisfied with his life, and thereby will feel himself to be wealthy.