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The three pillars of the world
20 min
The text
שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים.
Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the Great Assembly. He used to say: the world stands on three things: on Torah, on service and on acts of kindness. (Avot 1:2)
What it teaches
Shimon HaTzaddik describes the foundations that keep the world standing:
- Torah: study, which teaches us what God wants of us.
- Avodah: the service of God; in Temple times, the offerings; today, above all, tefillah.
- Gemilut chasadim: active kindness towards others, with money, with time and with presence.
All three are needed: study without kindness grows cold, and kindness without study can lose its way.
Your lesson notebook
To think about
- Which of the three pillars is strongest in your life today? And which is weakest?
- Choose one concrete act of gemilut chasadim for this week.
Write your answers below, in your notes.
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