(ב) רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא אוֹמֵר, יָפֶה תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְּגִיעַת שְׁנֵיהֶם מְשַׁכַּחַת עָוֹן. וְכָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ מְלָאכָה, סוֹפָהּ בְּטֵלָה וְגוֹרֶרֶת עָוֹן. וְכָל הָעֲמֵלִים עִם הַצִּבּוּר, יִהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים עִמָּהֶם לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁזְּכוּת אֲבוֹתָם מְסַיַּעְתָּן וְצִדְקָתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד. וְאַתֶּם, מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה כְּאִלּוּ עֲשִׂיתֶם:
(2) Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi said: "It is good [to join] the study of the Torah to a worldly occupation, for the effort required by both robs sin of its power. All [study of the] Torah which is not combined with a worldly occupation will in the end be useless and cause sin. Let all who work with the community do so for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their ancestors will sustain them and, as a result, their righteousness will endure forever." And as for you [God says], "I will credit you with a great reward, as if you had accomplished it all.
(יא) רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, עַיִן הָרָע, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, וְשִׂנְאַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם:
(11) Rabbi Joshua said, "The evil eye, the evil urge, and hatred of [one's fellow] creatures take a person out of the world."
Pirke Avot: A Modern Commentary on Jewish Ethics, edited and translated by
Leonard Kravitz and Kerry M. Olitzky, New York: UAHC Press, 1993. p. 27
The evil eye. Although the commentators do not make a distinction between an evil eye and the evil eye, it is necessary to do so. An evil eye is simply the dissatisfaction with what one has, envious of the possession of others. The evil eye carries a much more sinister meaning. It connotes envy tinged with malevolence, an envy that not only begrudges the other their possessions but also wishes evil upon that individual for having them.
Take one out of the world. Maimonides, a physician and philosopher, explains that the frenzied pursuit of money and the mad craving for pleasure will have deleterious effects upon the soul. They will lead to melancholy. The afflicted person will reject normal experience and will be unable to live with other human beings, preferring to live in desolate places amidst wild animals. Such a pattern of life will cause one to die before one's time.
(טו) רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַיּוֹם קָצָר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה, וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים עֲצֵלִים, וְהַשָּׂכָר הַרְבֵּה, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק:
(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
(15) Rabbi Tarfon would say, "The day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are lazy, and [but?] the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent."
(16) He used to say, "It is not up to you to finish the work, and [but?] you are not free to neglect it. If you have studied much Torah, you will be given much reward. Dependable is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor. And know that the giving of the reward of the righteous is in the time to come.?