Beyond Autopilot

Fuelling our Inner Fire to Change the World

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This study guide is dedicated to the success of the soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces and the entire People of Israel, both in the Land of Israel and abroad, with a prayer for the elevation of the honour and stature of Israel throughout the world.

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Let’s be real. We live in a world that measures us by output. What did you achieve? What did you produce? What’s next? It’s easy to become machines, checking boxes and chasing goals.
But wait… are we here just to do, or are we also supposed to be?

• Action changes the world around us. The repair, the help, the impact.
• Study changes the world within us. The compass, the depth, the why.

Without action – the world stays broken. But without study – we’re on autopilot, missing the music behind the steps. We need both.

Shavuot is the festival of the giving of the Torah – and Torah has been our people’s compass through every era, every challenge, every reinvention. It’s what has kept us not just surviving, but moving forward.

But here’s the question we want to sit with today: Does the Torah care more about what you do – or who you are? Does it speak to your actions out in the world, or to something deeper – your thoughts, your intentions, the person you’re becoming on the inside?

That’s what we’re going to explore together – with the hope that this study will illuminate something within you, and through that, change something around you!

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Let’s begin. Examine the pictures below:

• What does each one express, and what are the benefits? Š
• Which is greater: learning or doing? Why?

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Study the following quote together:

Source 1:

וּכְְבָָר הָָיָָה רַַבִִּי טַַרְְפוֹן וּזְְקֵֵנִִים מְְסוּבִִּין בַַּעֲֲלִִיַַּת בֵֵּית נַַתְְּזָָה בְְּלוֹד. נִִשְְׁאֲֲלָָה שְְׁאֵֵילָָה זוֹ בִִּפְְנֵֵיהֶֶם: תַַּלְְמוּד גָָּדוֹל אוֹ מַַעֲֲשֶֶׂה גָָּדוֹל? נַַעֲֲנָָה רַַבִִּי טַַרְְפוֹן וְְאָמַַר: מַַעֲֲשֶֶׂה גָָּדוֹל. נַַעֲֲנָָה רַַבִִּי עֲֲקִִיבָָא וְְאָמַַר: תַַּלְְמוּד גָָּדוֹל. נַַעֲֲנוּ כּוּלָָּם וְְאָמְְרוּ: תַַּלְְמוּד גָָּדוֹל, שֶֶׁהַַתַַּלְְמוּד מֵֵבִִיא לִִידֵֵי מַַעֲֲשֶֶׂה.

Rabbi Tarfon and the Elders were reclining in the loft of the house of Nit’za in Lod, when this question was asked of them: Is study greater or is action greater? Rabbi Tarfon answered and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, as study leads to action.

Kiddushin 40b

Let us examine the Rambam’s legal ruling on this issue:

Source 2:

הָָיָָה לְְפָָנָָיו עֲֲשִִׂיַַּת מִִצְְוָָה וְְתַַלְְמוּד תּוֹרָָה. אִִם אֶֶפְְשָָׁר לַַמִִּצְְוָָה לְְהֵֵעָָשׂוֹת עַַל יְְדֵֵי אֲֲחֵֵרִִים לֹאֹ יַַפְְסִִיק תַַּלְְמוּדוֹ, וְְאִִם לַַאו – יַַעֲֲשֶֶׂה הַַמִִּצְְוָָה וְְיַַחְְזֹרֹ לְְתַַלְְמוּדוֹ.

When a person is confronted with the performance of a mitzvah and the study of Torah: If the mitzvah can be performed by another individual, he should not interrupt his studies. If not, he should perform the mitzvah, and then return to his studies.

Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:4

Source 3:

Watch the video >

Let’s look at the teachings of Rabbi Sacks on this issue:

Every mitzvah is a miniature act of redemption. It turns something secular into something holy. When we keep kashrut, we turn food for the body into sustenance for the soul. When we keep Shabbat we sanctify time, making space in our life to breathe and give thanks, celebrating what we have instead of striving for what we do not yet have. When we observe the festivals we sanctify history by turning it into personal memory, forging a connection between our ancestors’ past and our present. When we keep the laws of taharat hamishpacha, family purity, we turn a physical relationship into a sacred bond of love.

The mitzvot bring God into our lives through the intricate choreography of a life lived in accordance with God’s will. They are the poetry of the everyday, turning life into a sacred work of art.

rabbisacks.org/curriculum-resources/ten-paths-to-god/unit-4-mitzvot (01:56)

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Rabbi Sacks on Prayer

Source 4:

Let’s look at what Rabbi Sacks has to say on this matter:

Watch the video >

Prayer is to the human spirit what physical exercises is to the human body.

I try to do my 10,000 steps a day. I don’t always succeed but I feel bad when I don’t, because I know that with my sedentary lifestyle, if I don’t exercise – all sorts of things will go wrong: I’ll put on weight, my muscles will grow weak, my blood pressure will rise and my life expectancy will decline. I’ll lose years from my life and life from my years.

And yes, 10,000 steps on a treadmill can sometimes be pretty boring but you do it because you know what will happen if you don’t. The same is true of prayer, it’s just that we don’t have the same kind of precise measurement for the spirit that we do for the body – it’s not easy to quantify the feelings of happiness, fulfilment, meaning, gratitude, pleasure, delight and joy, but they make a difference! In fact, they make ALL the difference to the sense of blessedness of a life well-lived.

The spirit needs prayer the way the body needs exercise. And sometimes prayer can be boring the way exercise can be boring, but you do it because you know that it’s going to make you feel more energized, focused, revitalized. It’s going to make you a better, larger and deeper human being.

rabbisacks.org/videos/spiritual-exercise (0:15)

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Rabbi Sacks on Shabbat

Source 5:

Let’s see a personal story Rabbi Sacks once told, about the way to observe Shabbat:

I was sitting one day with the then-Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Avraham Shapira, and he told me a fascinating story about two Gedolai Hador, two great Torah Sages of the 19th century, one of whose children stayed firm and within the faith and became great Rabbis themselves, the other of whom, sadly, his children became disillusioned and left the fold.

And he said to me, the difference had to do with se’udah shlishit. The two Gedolim conducted se’udah shlishit completely differently. One of them gave a brilliant and very complex Dvar Torah; the other one sang zemirot and niggunim. He said, “Guess which one’s children stayed within the faith?”

It’s not a tough one. The one that sang the music kept their children with it, he kept his children within the faith.

rabbisacks.org/videos/being-an-inspiring-parent-principle-5

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Rabbi Sacks on Tzedakah

Now let’s look at a mitzvah between people – Tzedakah.
It seems simple: you give some money, done. But Halacha actually ranks Tzedakah across multiple levels – categorising not just what you give, but the inner world behind the giving.

Source 6:

Take a look at the Rambam’s levels below, then see if you can match each picture to the right one!

שְְׁמוֹנֶֶה†מַַעֲֲלוֹת†יֵֵשׁ†בַַּצְְּדָָקָָה¨†זוֹ לְְמַַעְְלָָה†מִִזּוֹ∫
There are eight levels in charity, each level surpassing the other:

מַַעֲֲלָָה†גְְּדוֹלָָה†שֶֶׁאֵֵין†לְְמַַעְְלָָה†מִִמֶֶּנָָּה –†זֶֶה†הַַמַַּחְְזִִיק†בְְּיַַד†יִִשְְׂרָָאֵֵל†שֶֶׁמָָּךְְ¨ וְְנוֹתֵֵן†לוֹ†מַַתָָּנָָה†אוֹ†הַַלְְוָָאָה…
The highest level beyond which there is none is a person who supports a Jew who has fallen into poverty by giving him a present or a loan…

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†הַַנּוֹתֵֵן†צְְדָָקָָה לָָעֲֲנִִיִִּים¨†וְְלֹאֹ†יָָדַַע†לְְמִִי†נָָתַַן¨†וְְלֹאֹ יָָדַַע†הֶֶעָָנִִי†מִִמִִּי†לָָקַַח¨†שֶֶׁהֲֲרֵֵי†זוֹ מִִצְְוָָה†לִִשְְׁמָָהּ…
A lower level than this is one who gives charity to the poor without knowing to whom he gave and without the poor person knowing from whom he received. For this is an observance of the mitzvah for its sake alone…

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיָָּדַַע†הַַנּוֹתֵֵן†לְְמִִי יִִתֵֵּן¨†וְְלֹאֹ†יָָדַַע†הֶֶעָָנִִי†מִִמִִּי†לָָקַַח…
A lower level than that is an instance when the giver knows to whom he is giving, but the poor person does not know from whom he received…

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיָָּדַַע†הֶֶעָָנִִי†מִִמִִּי נָָטַַל¨†וְְלֹאֹ†יָָדַַע†הַַנּוֹתֵֵן…
A lower level than that is an instance when the poor person knows from whom he took, but the donor does not know to whom he gave…

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיִִּתֵֵּן†לֶֶעָָנִִי†בְְּיָָדוֹ קֹדֶֶֹם†שֶֶׁיִִּשְְׁאַלÆ
A lower level than that is giving the poor person in his hand before he asks.

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיִִּתֵֵּן†לוֹ†אַחַַר שֶׁ†יִֶּשְְִׁאַ†לÆ
A lower level than that is giving him after he asks.

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיִִּתֵֵּן†לוֹ†פָָּחוֹת†מִִן הָָרָָאוּי†בְְּסֵֵבֶֶר†פָָּנִִים†יָָפוֹתÆ
A lower level than this is giving him less than what is appropriate, but with a pleasant countenance.

פָָּחוּת†מִִזֶֶּה†–†שֶֶׁיִִּתֵֵּן†לוֹ†בְְּעֶֶצֶֶבÆ
A lower level than that is giving him with sadness.

Mishneh Torah: Hilchot Matnot Aniyim 10:7-15

Rabbi Sacks teaches that at the heart of Tzedakah is a person’s inner world – the soul:

Source 7:

There’s a tiny little halacha in Hilchos Matnot Aniyim, the Jewish laws of charity, the Rambam brings it. And even if somebody’s so poor that ,”וַַאֲֲפִִלּוּ עָָנִִי הַַמִִּתְְפַַּרְְנֵֵס מִִן הַַצְְּדָָקָָה חַַיָָּב לִִתֵֵּן צְְדָָקָָה לְְאַחֵֵר“ : it’s a weird halacha and it says they only live on the basis of charity, they have to give charity.
Why so? It’s a crazy law. The answer is because charity is not only material, it’s also psychological. The greatest gift is the ability to give. And if somebody’s so totally dependent on charity that they’re always receiving and never giving, they’re being denied a basic human dignity.

rabbisacks.org/videos/being-an-inspiring-parent-13

Conclusion

What we do on the outside comes from who we are on the inside. The more we fuel ourselves through learning and Jewish identity, the more our actions naturally grow and gain real power.

To wrap things up, here’s something inspiring from the moment the Jewish people received the Torah – over 3,300 years ago:

Source 8:

…וַַ†אּיֹּמְְרוּ†לּכֹּ†אֲֲ†רׁשֶׁ†דִּ†רּבֶּּ†ה׳†נַַעֲֲ†ׂשֶׂ†ה†וְְנִִ†מָׁשְָׁעÆ

…They replied, “All that the Lord has spoken we shall do and we shall hear.”

Shemot 24:7

Why did the Jewish people say “We will do” (na’aseh) before “We will hear” (nishmah)? And why did our Sages praise them so much for that specific moment, for that specific statement?

The Rebbe of Modzitz, in his book Yisa Bracha, reveals a deep and unique layer behind this famous sequence:

Source 9:

“In Egypt, they had a burning passion in their hearts… but they couldn’t act on it because of the heavy burden of the exile. Their hands were tied; they couldn’t physically perform the mitzvot.”

In Egypt, the Jews were slaves. Their bodies were bound by bricks and mortar, unable to do what their souls longed for. Yet that inner fire did not fade. With every day of exile, the longing only grew stronger. Then freedom came, the chains fell away, and what followed was almost unstoppable:

“Therefore, when they came to receive the Torah and were finally free from foreign rule, they immediately rushed to say ‘We will do.’ This was the one thing their hearts had been longing for all this time.”

‘Yisa Bracha’, Parshat Mishpatim, Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar Taub

When they finally became free, their passion was so intense and their hearts so full they couldn’t hold back. The action burst out on its own – no explanations needed, it couldn’t wait for “listening.”

Na’aseh before nishmah wasn’t a random moment. It was the explosion of a deep longing built through years of slavery. Let’s receive the Torah, learn it, and let it become part of who we are – so that from that inner strength, we go out and heal a fractured world.

• How strong is my inner Jewish fire?
• How can I fuel it to change the world?

Chag Sameach!

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Prepared by Rabbi Amir Dadon, Strategist & Mentor for Jewish Climate and Education at AMIT Schools, a Sacks Scholar, and Rabbi of the Shmuel Hatzair community in Jerusalem

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For further Shavuot materials for both students and adults, please visit our full range of Shavuot and Tikkun Leil resources.