Texts in Conversation
Jesus in Matthew criticizes leaders who talk without acting, stating that they do not practice what they preach. Rabbinic tradition In Pirkei Avot records a similar tradition from Shammai, instructing disciples to say little and do much.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Matthew 23:3
New Testament
2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.
Pirkei Avot 1:15
Mishnah
Rabbinic
14 He also used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self only, what am I? And if not now, when? 15 Shammai used to say: make your study of the Torah a fixed practice; say little, but do much; and receive every person with a pleasant countenance. 16 Rabban Gamaliel used to say: appoint a teacher for yourself, avoid doubt, and do not make a habit of tithing by guesswork.
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Notes and References
"... Jesus’ reproach in Matthew 23:3 ("they do not practice what they teach") addresses the gap between verbal instruction and active obedience, a core theme in early Tannaitic ethics. This critique stands alongside the well-known dictum of Shammai recorded in Pirkei Avot 1:15: "say little, but do much." Both Jesus and Shammai emphasize that religious devotion is measured by action rather than mere rhetoric or formal authority. While Shammai frames this positively as a rule of life for sages, Jesus applies it critically against leaders who fail to embody their own teachings. In Second Temple and early rabbinic thought, deeds consistently hold precedence over words, demonstrating a shared ethical priority across diverse movements in early Judaism. ..."
Young, Brad
Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus
(pp. 192-195) Hendrickson Publishers, 2007
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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