WHICH IS GREATER, STUDY OR ACTION?

Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 40b:

R. Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper story of Nithza's house in Lydda, when this question was raised before them: Is study greater, or practice? R. Tarfon answered, saying Practice is greater. R. Akiba answered, saying Study is greater, for it leads to practice. Then they all answered and said: Study is greater, for it leads to action.

The previous page of Talmud (Babylonian Talmud Kiddushin 40a) provides more information:
We learnt: these are the things the fruit of which man enjoys in this world, while the principal remains for him for the future world, Viz.: honoring one’s parents, the practice of loving deeds, and making peace between man and his neighbor, while the study of the Torah surpasses them all. (Parallel texts occur in The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan, chpt. 40, and Mishnah Peah 1 :1.)

A more extensive list appears on page 285 of Gates of Prayer, at the beginning of Shabbat worship. This section immediately follows the blessings for Torah study at the beginning of worship. Thus, we learn that study and worship are equivalent in our tradition, and study forms a part of our daily worship. This is incorporated as a section of study following immediately after study blessings. The question is implicitly raised in our worship of which activity is more important, study or deeds.

It would appear from the Kiddushin text that study is more important than actions. However, in Babylonian Talmud Baba Kamma 17a we find, “the importance of the study of the law is enhanced by the fact that the study of the law is conducive to the practice of the law.” (The Talmud, Seder Nezikin, vol. 1, Soncino, p. 75) Since the purpose of study is practice, it would appear that practice is more important.

Our texts up to this point were written before the year 500 c.e. Turning to the Talmud commentators, we have two Tosaphists from the 12th century commenting on our Kiddushin text. In Baba Kamma we are told that King Hezekiah (II Chronicles 32) was honored after his death because he fulfilled the commandments, not because he studied the commandments (which he must have done). Therefore, actions are more important. The Tosaphist concludes, “We learn from this, that a person who has not studied yet and who comes to decide whether he will study first or take action first, we say to him ‘study first,’ because ‘an ignorant person cannot be pious.' (Pirkei Avot) But for a person who has already studied, action is better than study.”

French twelfth century tosaphist Rabbi Isaac ben Samuel the Elder wrote, “Study brings to action; that is to say that one who knows the Torah does the mitzvot and completely fears sins; but he who does not know Torah is not reverential, as they say, ‘a boorish man does not fear sin and an ignorant man is not pious.’ (Pirke Avot 2: 6)” He goes on to say that a person who studies acquires the qualities of goodness that improve his character.

There are several stories in the Jerusalem Talmud that it was already decided at a meeting in the upper chamber of Beit Arum in Lydda that study is more important than deeds. All of the stories have to do with burying the dead. Rabbi Abahu sent his son to study in Tiberias. Later he sent a messenger to discover what his son was actually doing. He found that his son was terminating his studies to go bury the dead. He sent his son this message, “Have we no dead here in Caesarea that I have to send you to Tiberias to bury the dead?” Clearly these rabbis preferred study to practice. (Added to the citation of the story in this commentary, a story in Jerusalem Talmud Pesahim 3:7).

Questions that could be generated from this text include:
What is so significant about the question IS STUDY GREATER OR PRACTICE?

Why might R. Tarfon have suggested that practice is greater?

Why might R. Akiba have reasoned that study is greater?

Do you agree with the rabbis conclusions? Is study greater, or practice?