Study and action are core values in the Torah system. The relationship between them is addressed in various parts of the Talmud. It surfaces multiple times in Pirkei Avot. Four approaches to their interplay are discussed below.

משנה אבות ה:יד

אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בְּהוֹלְכֵי לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. הוֹלֵךְ וְאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה, שְׂכַר הֲלִיכָה בְיָדוֹ. עוֹשֶׂה וְאֵינוֹ הוֹלֵךְ, שְׂכַר מַעֲשֶׂה בְיָדוֹ. הוֹלֵךְ וְעוֹשֶׂה, חָסִיד. לֹא הוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא עוֹשֶׂה, רָשָׁע.

Mishna Avot 5:14

There are four types among those who go to the study hall. One who goes but does not do receives reward for the going. One who does but does not go receives reward for the doing. One who goes and does is pious. One who does not go and does not do is wicked.

This Mishna ostensibly discusses 4 qualities of those who go to the house of study. But its formulation raises a number of questions. The first category is one who goes but doesn’t engage. Why does he get credit for going? Would we give an employee credit for commuting if they didn’t engage in any work? The second category is one who engages but doesn’t go. Why is this person even included in the 4 qualities of those who go to the house of study? He doesn’t even meet the basic criteria because he doesn’t show up! The third category is one who goes and engages. Why is this person a Chasid –one who goes beyond the letter of the law? Is someone who fulfills this seemingly rudimentary criteria exceptional? The fourth category is one who doesn’t go and doesn’t engage. Again, why is this even included in this list?

Both the second and fourth categories include someone who doesn’t even show up. How can they be included in this list if they don’t even show up in the study hall? Rabbeinu Yonah sheds some light on our questions:

ר' יונה אבות ה:יד

ארבע מדות וכו' הולך ואינו עושה. אין הכוונה שאינו עושה כלל מכל מה ששמע בבית המדרש כי אף הנמנע מעשיית המצות רשע גמור אף שאינו עושה עבירות. אך הכוונה שאינו מחזר אחריהן לעשותן וכשיבאו לידו עושה אותם על מקרה: עושה ואינו הולך. לבית המדרש לידע דקדוק המצות ולהחמיר בהם אבל עושה לפי ידיעתו המועטת יש לו שכר בעשיה זו:

Rabbeinu Yonah 5:14

Four qualities etc. One who goes and doesn’t do — This is not talking about someone who doesn’t engage at all with what he hears in the house of study, for someone who refuses to engage in mitzvot is simply evil, even if he doesn’t engage in specific sins. Rather, this is talking about one who doesn’t fully pursue mitzvot, but merely engages them as they come up in a happenstance fashion. One who engages but doesn’t go — to the house of study, to learn the details of the mitzvot and how to precisely observe them. Rather, he engages them based on his limited understanding. He nonetheless benefits from this [limited] engagement. (my translation)

Rabbeinu Yonah informs us that the first category does not refer to someone who doesn’t observe mitzvot at all. Instead, it refers to someone whose studies don’t influence his or her attitude towards mitzvot. They might engage in mitzvot as they present themselves, but their studies have not carried over fully to their observance. Similarly, a person who “does but does not go” means that they engage in mitzvot, but they don’t study the details necessary for precise observance. They will benefit, but the impact of observance will be constrained by their limited knowledge-base.

Based on Rabbeinu Yonah, a new topic emerges as the subject of our Mishna. It is not merely discussing showing up at the house of study and studying the material. Rather, it is discussing the relationship between one’s theoretical learning and its practical implementation.

The first category is “one who goes but does not do”. His presence in the study hall is praiseworthy. But he misses the primary goal of study insofar as it does not carry through to his attitudes and actions. He fails to apprehend both the full benefit of study and the true value of mitzvot. His “reward for the going” is an indirect critique. He receives the reward for going but misses the principal objective.

The second category is “one who does but does not go”. He has a connection to observance, but he does not attend the study hall. He fails to appreciate the value of theoretical study and therefore does not advance his perspective. His observance will undoubtedly benefit him. He “receives reward for the doing”, but his relationship to Torah with always be limited by his finite perspective. He restricts his own access to the vast world of Torah and constrains its potential to expand his worldview.

The third category is “one who goes and does”. This doesn’t merely refer to someone who shows up and learns. It refers to one who successfully integrates his studies into his actions and attitudes. He assimilates both the theoretical and practical elements of Torah. His studies carry through to his actions, and his experiences further inform his perspective and intellectual activity. There is a symbiotic relationship between his learning and his endeavors. He doesn’t simply observe the mitzvot in a technical sense, but he appreciates the value and ideas associated with them. He is indeed a Chasid –one who goes beyond the letter of the law, fully engaging with the system of Torah.

The fourth category of “one who does not go and does not do” misses out on the entire value of Torah. He sees no value in its theoretical or practical aspects. He neither pursues mitzvot or is particularly interested when they present themselves. He has stunted his own opportunities for growth, and is destined for an unexamined, undisciplined, and unbounded existence.

This Mishna is not really about four types of people who attend the the house of study, but about bridging study and action. The ideal is one whose engagement in the study hall carries through outside its walls. There is an interplay between one’s intellectual life and how one functions, and both are constantly in flux. One embraces not only technical observance, but its orientation toward a lifetime of learning and development.

References

https://mishna.alhatorah.org/Full/Avot/5.14#e0n6

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