The following is a brief, messianic commentary I recently wrote for a messianic newsletter on (Pirkei) Avot 1:17.
In our above mishnah (saying), Rabbi Shimon states his observations from the time which he has "grown up among the wise." In this he states that true wisdom is found in two main principles: holding the tongue, and living out the beliefs one espouses. These are principles that are commonly supported in the Scriptures.
Our words are important. We must be extremely careful with them, for "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:21).
In the late nineteenth century, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, commonly known as the Chofetz Chaim (the "Desire of Life" – based on the title of his most famous work, founded on Proverbs 34:12-15), wrote extensively on the subject of Shemiras Halashon ("proper speech" — literally "guarding the tongue"). He became a world-renown authority on the biblical ethics of proper speech, and his works are the benchmark on the ethics of speech within Judaism to this day.
Yeshua taught about the overuse of words in regard to prayer. He taught his disciples, "And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words" (Matthew 6:7). In this teaching, Yeshua agrees with Rabbi Shimon in that "less is more." In one instance, Yeshua says regarding our speech, "Let what you say be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything more than this comes from evil" (Matthew 5:37). In another instance, he says, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45). Yeshua's focus is on the quality of one's words, verses the quantity. His concern was whether they emanated from the heart, or were a means of manipulation.
Back to Rabbi Shimon. Sandwiched between these two expressions regarding speech, he states, "Studying Torah is not the most important thing, but rather fulfilling it." In the tradition of a true master of Scripture, he ties these expressions of making ones words few to the living out of the principles of Scripture. But the question we must ask is how does Rabbi Shimon connect these teachings, regarding speech, to the "doing" of Torah? How are they related?
Throughout the existence of humanity we have witnessed an epic struggle between knowing and doing. There is a constant battle in relation to these two forces, ever the struggle to marry knowledge and application. This is the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Whereas knowledge is being informed, wisdom is acting on the knowledge we have been given. When we choose to ignore the knowledge we have been given and make choices that contradict this information, we are being foolish. Hence, it is the fool who ignores instruction and correction according to Proverbs. It is the fool who repeats his folly, not taking heed to warnings from his elders or even his peers. It is the fool who is informed, but who lacks wisdom in his actions.
The chasm between belief and faith have long been the discussion of seminaries, pulpits and armchairs. It is precisely here that we find the spiritual struggle of every believer. Our actions, however, reveal our true nature — we act according to our values. Don't we justify ourselves in judging others based on their actions, rather than their intentions, but judge ourselves solely on intention? Dallas Willard is quoted as saying, "You can live opposite of what you profess, but you cannot live opposite of what you believe." This is a very accurate observation, which is in the same line of thought as the words of Rabbi Shimon. We may have an ample number of intentions, but it is our actions that ultimately carry the weight of our beliefs.