Avot 3:2

By Rabbi Alan Yuter
Posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006

The second Mishnah of Avot's third chapter cites two rabbinic opinions. R. Hanina the second in command for the high priesthood, taught that we must pray for the well being of the government, for without the government's power and awe, human beings would swallow each other.

The subsequent statement of R. Hannanya the son of Teradyon teaches that to be fully human one must speak Torah in one's social discourse. And even if one is alone, there is merit in engaging in Torah. What lessons are taught by these two statements, and what might be learned from their juxtaposition?

The first statement teaches that without the order imposed by law, we live in a jungle. And in a jungle we are animals and not human. The civil authority, with all of its weaknesses, corruption, deception, and injustice, does impose the order necessary for the improvement of society.

While the civil authority provides the moral minimum required for social order, the individual must use the security of social order to sanctify the content of one's life. Torah is the topic of discussion for the reflective Jew. How to be moral, holy, and righteous is the consuming concern of the spiritual person. And even when one is alone and not in a social situation, one occupies oneself in Torah.

Society's job is to provide the order and security so that the human animal is more human than animal. The Torah teaches us to define and refine our character so that there can be a righteous social dimension in our lives. And when we as citizens are righteous, we raise the morality of the society as a whole, so that the order be morally charged and not oppressively coercive, that the members of society internalize the values of good and not be intimidated to act rightly. We first serve God out of fear, acting rightly for the imperfect reason, and come to serve God out of live, the right reason.

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