Kiddushin, Daf Mem, Part 2
רמי ליה רבא לרב נחמן תנן אלו דברים שאדם עושה אותן ואוכל פירותיהן בעולם הזה והקרן קיימת לו לעולם הבא אלו הן כיבוד אב ואם וגמילות חסדים והבאת שלום שבין אדם לחבירו ותלמוד תורה כנגד כולם
Rava pointed out a contradiction to R. Nahman. We learned: These are the things the fruit of which one enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for the world to come: And these are they: Honoring one’s parents, deeds of loving kindness, and making peace between a person and their neighbor, while the study of the Torah surpasses them all.
This is the well-known baraita about mitzvoth that one receives a reward for in this world and in the world to come.
בכיבוד אב ואם כתיב (דברים ה, טו) למען יאריכון ימיך ולמען ייטב לך
בגמילות חסדים כתיב (משלי כא, כא) רודף צדקה וחסד ימצא חיים צדקה וכבוד
With regard to honoring one s parents it is written, That your days may be long, and that it may go well with you (Deuteronomy 5:15).
With regard to deeds of lovingkindness it is written: He that pursues righteousness and loving kindness finds life, righteousness and honor (Proverbs 21:21).
The Talmud now begins to provide biblical sources for each of the mitzvoth listed in the baraita how do we know that one receives a reward in this world and in the world to come for their performance?
ובהבאת שלום כתיב (תהלים לד, טו) בקש שלום ורדפהו
וא"ר אבהו אתיא רדיפה רדיפה כתיב הכא בקש שלום ורדפהו וכתיב התם רודף צדקה וחסד
בתלמוד תורה כתיב (דברים ל, כ) כי הוא חייך ואורך ימיך
Concerning peacemaking it is said: Seek peace and pursue it (Psalms 34:15) and R. Abahu said: We derive pursuing from pursuing. It is written here: Seek peace and pursue it and elsewhere it is written: He that pursues after righteousness and loving kindness.
Of the study of Torah it is written, For it is your life, and the length of your days (Deuteronomy 30:20).
R. Abahu derives the reward for peacemaking from the connection (gezerah shavah) created by the word pursuing between Psalms 34:15 and Proverbs 21:21 (above).
The study of Torah also has a verse that alludes to these rewards.
בשילוח הקן נמי כתיב (דברים כב, ז) למען ייטב לך והארכת ימים ליתני נמי הא
But with respect to the shooing of the mother bird from the nest it is also written, That it may go well with you, and that you live a long life (Deuteronomy 22:7): then let this be taught too?
This is the conclusion of Rava s difficulty: Why doesn t the baraita include the mitzvah of shooing away the mother bird?
תנא ושייר תני
תנא אלו דברים ואת אמרת תנא ושייר
He teaches [some] and omits [others].
[But] the Tanna states: These are the things, yet you say that he teaches [some] and omits [others]!
The Talmud tries to suggest that the baraita simply is not exhaustive. But this solution fails due to the language of the baraita these are the things implying that there are no others.
אמר רבא רב אידי אסברא לי (ישעיהו ג, י) אמרו צדיק כי טוב כי פרי מעלליהם יאכלו
וכי יש צדיק טוב ויש צדיק שאינו טוב אלא טוב לשמים ולבריות זהו צדיק טוב טוב לשמים ורע לבריות זהו צדיק שאינו טוב כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (ישעיהו ג, יא) אוי לרשע רע כי גמול ידיו יעשה לו וכי יש רשע רע ויש שאינו רע אלא רע לשמים ורע לבריות הוא רשע רע רע לשמים ואינו רע לבריות זהו רשע שאינו רע
Rava said: R. Idi explained it to me: Say you of the righteous, when he is good, that they shall eat the fruit of their actions (Isaiah 3:10): Is there then a righteous person who is good and a righteous person who is not good? Rather one who is good to Heaven and good to people, that one is a righteous person who is good; good to Heaven but not good to people, that one is a righteous person who is not good.
Similarly you read: Woe unto the wicked [that is] evil; for the reward of his hands shall be given unto him (Isaiah 3:11): Is there then a wicked person that is evil and one that is not evil? Rather, one who is evil to Heaven and evil to people, that one is a wicked person that is evil; One who is evil to Heaven but not evil to people, that one is a wicked person that is not evil.
R. Idi s statement explains that to be truly righteous one needs to be good to other people and not just listen to God s commands. Sending away the mother bird is an act between God and people it is not an act that can make one good. To be good (or at least not evil), one needs to be kind to other human beings.