NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE, NO WORLD

Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel says: "The world stands on three things: On truth, on justice and on peace, as it is written: 'render the truth and peace-justice in your gates.'" (Zechariah 8:16)

Your Mishnah Navigator

1. This beginning of the first chapter has a different and more renowned list of three things, ". . .on the Torah, on Divine service, and on acts of lovingkindness." How do you understand this difference?

2. Which list is more compelling to you?

3. Can you reconcile these two lists?

A WORD
Shimon HaTzadik was the author of the statement that teaches that the world stands on Torah, divine service and acts of lovingkindness. He lived in a world where the Temple was the center of Jewish life whereas Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel lived in a world in which the Temple had been destroyed.

The focus of Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel was to work on those things that caused the destruction of the Second Temple while Shimon HaTzadik had a more personal vision of what brings about redemption.

Maybe Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel agrees that a personal world stands on Shimon HaTzadik's three things, but if that person does not work for truth, justice and peace then that world will ultimately fall.