How Much Greater Is the Measure of Reward Than of Punishment

Rabbi Yose says: If you wish to know the reward of the righteous in the world to come, go and learn from Adam the first man, who was commanded only a single negative commandment and transgressed it. See how many deaths were decreed upon him and upon his descendants and upon the descendants of his descendants until the end of all generations. Now which measure is greater, the measure of goodness or the measure of punishment? You must say the measure of goodness. If the measure of punishment, though lesser, brought so many deaths upon him and his descendants until the end of all generations, then one who refrains from refuse-sacrifice and from leftover, and who fasts on the Day of Atonement — how much more will he bring merit to himself and to his descendants and to the descendants of his descendants until the end of all generations. Rabbi Akiva says: Scripture says, "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three" (Deuteronomy 17:6). If testimony is established by two, why did Scripture specify three for you? Only to bring the third in order to deal severely with him, to treat his case like these. If Scripture thus punished one who attaches himself to those who commit a transgression, how much more will it pay reward to one who attaches himself to those who perform a commandment, as one who performs the commandment. Rabbi says: Scripture says, "And as one who goes into the forest with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetches a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slips from the wood and finds his neighbor that he die, he shall flee" (Deuteronomy 19:5). Scripture established the saving of life for one before whom a doubtful matter of life came and he knew it not. Say from now: one who collects funds for charity and supports the poor and performs acts of lovingkindness — how much more shall his life be granted to him. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah says: Scripture says, "When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you" (Deuteronomy 24:19). Scripture established a blessing for one to whose hand a commandment came without his knowing. Say from now: if a sela was bound in his garment and fell from him, and a poor person found it and was sustained by it, behold, Scripture establishes a blessing for him, as for one who forgets a sheaf in the midst of his field.