The Great Experiment

The Rabbis taught: Why does the Torah need to tell us, "You will gather in your grain"? (Devarim 11:14)  Because the book of Yehoshua says: "The Torah shall not cease from your mouth." (Yehoshua 1:8)  You might think, based on the quote from Yehoshua, that we are obligated to learn Torah 24/7.  To dispell this notion, the Torah says, "You shall gather in your grain", to say that you should learn Torah and have a parnassa too.

These are the words of Rebbe Yishmael.  But Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai said: Could it be that we are supposed to plow in the plowing season, sow in the sowing season, harvest in the harvesting season, thresh in the threshing season, and winnow in the windy season?  And then what do you think would become of the Torah?

See, when the Jews do the will of Hashem, our work is done by others, as Yishayahu says: "Strangers will stand and shepherd your flocks."  (Yishayahu 61:5)  Only when the Jews do not do the will of Hashem, that's when all this "You shall gather your grain" business applies.  And not only that, but when the Jews do not do the will of Hashem, we are also forced to do the work of others, as the Torah says: "You will serve your enemies." (Devarim 28:48)

Abbaye said: Many scholars followed the advice of Rebbe Yishmael, and they were successful.  Others followed the advice of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai, and they were not successful.

Rava would say to The Rabbis: "I don't want to even see you around the Bet Midrash in Nissan and Tishrei. If you spend too much time learning Torah during Nissan and Tishrei, you're going to have a parnassa headache for the rest of the year."

Rabba bar bar Chana said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan, who said in the name of Rebbe Yehuda the son of Rebbe Eli: They just don't make them like they used to.  The earlier generations made Torah the first priority, and parnassa a second priority, and they retained both.  But our generation makes parnassa the first priority and Torah a second priority, and we retain neither.

(Brachot 35b)