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A Jewish Work Ethic R. Gamliel the son of R. Yehuda haNassi said: "Study of Torah is good with derekh erez as the toil of both of them help sin become forgotten. And any Torah that does not have work accompanying it will be negated in the end and causes sin." (Avot 2:2)Derekh erez in rabbinic literature sometimes refers to character traits. Indeed, R. Yisrael Lipshuz explains that the first statement in this mishnah calls for combining Torah learning with ethics and humility. At the same time, derekh erez can also refer to work and earning a livelihood. This represents R. Ovadia Barternura's understanding of the term in the above mishnah. According to R. Lipshuz, the two statements of R. Gamliel cited above clearly convey very different messages.However, according to R. Bartenura, both statements call for combining Torah study with earning a living. Why the repetition unless these two statements teach separate themes?Rabbenu Yonah agrees that this usage of derekh erez means a profession and he explains the difference between the two maxims. R. Gamliel's first teaching instructs us about avoiding sin. The more productive people are, and the more people channel their energy into constructive endeavors, the less likely they are to sin.We understand this quite well with regard to adolescents who sometimes fall into vandalism when bored. Yet the same holds true for adults as well. If we apply ourselves diligently to a profession and to study of Torah, little time and energy remains for sinning.R. Gamliel's second teaching relates to not to the question of constructive use of time but rather to the need to earn wages and support a family. If an aspiring Torah scholar lacks the means to put dinner on the table, this almost invariably leads to a sinful path. Rabbenu Yonah mentions that such a person will end up flattering the wicked due to financial dependency and will also turn to theft, including theft from the poor. We can add cheating on taxes and dishonest behavior to the list as well. We do our yeshiva students a disservice if we do not teach them about the religious dangers of poverty.The first years of adulthood frequently provide an excellent opportunity for some full time Torah study. Yet, at some point in time, students must leave the beit medrash in order to learn or practice a profession. According to this mishnah, that act of leaving represents religious success rather than religious failure. R. Gamliel admires the person who dedicates time to learning but also adopts a profession that enables him or her to contribute to society as well as enable financial independence. A Jewish work ethic emerges from this mishnah.
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