[1] Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel — this is the second of that name — was the head of the twelfth generation of the Sages of the Mishnah, and he was the father of Rabbeinu HaKadosh. It is therefore fitting that this chapter concludes with his memory, for with him are completed all the generations of those who received the tradition leading up to Rabbeinu HaKadosh, who compiled the Mishnah. One ought to consider carefully what he means by saying "these three things": are they the same three that Shimon HaTzaddik mentioned — Torah, the Temple service, and acts of lovingkindness — or are they different ones? And if they are the very same, why was it necessary to mention them a second time here? How are the two teachings to be reconciled with one another? And why did Shimon HaTzaddik use the expression omed ("stands"), while Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel used kayam ("endures"), given that both statements seemingly convey the same idea? And if the two teachings carry a different meaning, do they disagree with one another, or did Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel add to the pillars already enumerated? The Rambam explains: din (justice) refers to the governance of the state; emet (truth) refers to the intellectual virtues; and shalom (peace) refers to praiseworthy character traits.

[2] I have already written in the Second Introduction that these "completions" (shelemim) did not come to explain philosophical moral teachings, but rather general principles drawn from matters of Torah and its mitzvot. My understanding of the interpretation of this teaching and its connection, however, is that Rabban Gamliel observed among the Sages mentioned above three distinct views: The first — that a person should apply great diligence and effort in the matter of rabbinic leadership, and that all his thoughts should be directed toward rendering true judgment and examining witnesses thoroughly in their fullness, as expressed by Yehudah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shatach. The second view — that one should love labor and despise rabbinic office, as expressed by Shemayah. And the third view — that one should despise rabbinic office and not love labor either, but rather that "his desire is in the Torah of Hashem" and its mitzvot, as expressed by Hillel and Shammai. Therefore Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel came to say that all three views are true, necessary, and indispensable for the sustenance of the world, for the civic order cannot endure without all categories of people: some must occupy themselves with rabbinic leadership, to judge between people with justice and righteousness — for without this, "a man would swallow his neighbor alive" — and this is the din (justice) that he mentions. Some must occupy themselves with Torah study and the performance of mitzvot, and concerning this he says "and upon emet (truth)," for this domain is truth in its very essence, and there is nothing else like it. And among people as well there must be those who occupy themselves with trades and crafts, and corresponding to this he says "and upon shalom (peace)," for a life of labor and craft is a life of peace, and of them Shlomo, peace be upon him, said (Mishlei 17:1): "Better a dry crust with peace therein," and as I explained in the passage "Know well the state of your flocks" (ibid. 27:23), which speaks of labor and the tending of flocks, and "The wicked flee though none pursues" (ibid. 28:1) — referring to rabbinic office, while the righteous "are as bold as a lion" — referring to craftsmen, who quarrel with no one. It is also possible to interpret "upon din" as I interpreted "and upon emet" as corresponding to commerce and trade, whose foundation is to deal faithfully and truthfully. "And upon shalom" would then correspond to Torah, in accordance with the words of Hillel: "Be of the disciples of Aharon — love peace and pursue peace, love people and draw them near to Torah," and in accordance with the rabbinic teaching I cited that there is no peace but Torah, as it is stated (Tehillim 29:11): "Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace." The principle is that this Sage gathered together all three views and ruled that all of them are true and all three are indispensable for the sustenance of the civic order. From this you will understand that this teaching is not a repetition, and that the three mentioned here are not the same three that Shimon HaTzaddik mentioned — for those came to encompass all the components of Torah, as I explained. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, by contrast, intended with his three to encompass the views of the earlier Sages and to declare that there is no dispute among them — all of them are correct — as he demonstrated from the verse of the prophet (Zechariah 8:16): "Truth and the judgment of peace, judge in your gates." According to this interpretation, the word shaftu ("judge") refers back solely to the mishpat (justice) he mentioned.

[3] It is also possible to interpret this further: since Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel saw that the earlier authorities had already cautioned regarding the matter of justice, he chose to offer a comprehensive teaching on it by stating that the work of the judge and the magistrate may be encompassed within three categories, and that upon these the world — meaning the gathering together of human society — is sustained. They are: din, emet, and shalom, and all three are species of mishpat. For sometimes the judge will be required to adjudicate matters according to the strict law, as the Torah commanded (Devarim 16:18): "and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment" — meaning a just judgment in accordance with the law and its Torah roots. Concerning this, our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "If there is judgment below, there is no judgment above; if there is no judgment below, there is judgment above" — meaning to say that the attribute of judgment is removed from upon Israel and they are not punished, because they themselves execute righteous justice among one another. But if there is no judgment below, the hand of judgment from above falls upon those who do not execute it, and upon those who corrupt and pervert their rulings. The second type of mishpat is that which proceeds according to emet — truth — and its nature is this: sometimes the judge is required to rule in a matter according to the truth rather than according to the strict law, as a temporary measure, in accordance with what is needed for the benefit of society and the preservation of Torah. This is like what is related in the chapter Nigmar HaDin (Sanhedrin 45b): that Shimon ben Shatach hanged eighty women in Ashkelon in a single day, even though by strict law a woman is not hanged, nor are two cases adjudicated on the same day. Similarly, it is stated in the chapter HaPo'alim that Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon would execute without witnesses. And the Sages already praised this judgment of truth (Shabbat 10a), saying: "Whoever judges a true judgment becomes a partner with the Holy One, blessed is He, in the work of creation." The reason for this is that everything brought into being during the work of creation was created in its proper form and in accordance with its true nature. Therefore they said that a judge who fails to penetrate to the depths of truth and rules according to the letter of the law rather than according to the truth as he perceives it transgresses (Shemot 23:6) "you shall not pervert the judgment" and (Vayikra 19:15) "you shall not commit injustice in judgment." They went so far as to say (Bava Metzia 30b): "Yerushalayim was destroyed only because they based their rulings strictly on Torah law — let the law pierce the mountain." They further stated (Shevuot 31a): that a judge who does not rule according to true justice, and who cuts off the case based on the testimony of witnesses while sensing that there is deception involved, and who says, "the noose hangs on the necks of the witnesses" — such a judge transgresses (Shemot 23:7) "distance yourself from falsehood." It is regarding this second type of mishpat that the mishnah states: "and upon emet." The third type is shalom, and its nature is this: the judge averts his eyes from the strict law in a case where he does not know the truth, and instead arranges a compromise — a peshara — between the litigants, for this brings peace between them. Our Sages, of blessed memory, already expounded (Sanhedrin 6b) on the verse: "And Dovid executed justice and righteousness toward all his people" (Shmuel II 8:15) — that he would arrange compromises between litigants. The Sages, of blessed memory, explained that the time during which a judge may properly arrange a compromise is before the truth of the matter has been clarified and before it has been determined with whom the legal right rests; for at that point, the judgment of shalom and compromise is good in the eyes of Hashem. But after the truth has been revealed and it is clear with whom the right belongs, it is no longer proper to rob it from its rightful owner. And because upon these three types of mishpat — according to the strict law, according to truth, and according to shalom, which is compromise — the stability of human civilization hangs and is sustained, the mishnah teaches: "Upon three things the world stands: upon din, upon emet, and upon shalom" — for all three are species of mishpat.

[4] This point is further indicated by the proof he adduces from the words of the prophet (Zecharyah 8:16): "Truth, and a judgment of peace, judge in your gates." For since it says "judge" in reference to all three, it appears that all of them are species of judgment. This passage is cited here either to uphold the view of his grandfather Shimon, who said: "It is not the expounding that is the essential thing, but the deed, and whoever multiplies words brings sin" — with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel interpreting "the deed" as referring to the matter of justice — or in order to conclude the chapter with this distinguished passage. In the Tanchuma, this passage is likewise cited in the portion of Shoftim: "Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: Upon three things the world stands — upon justice, upon truth, and upon peace." And all three are stated in a single verse (Zecharyah 8:16): "Truth, and a judgment of peace, judge in your gates." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: And all three depend upon justice — when justice is done, peace is done, and truth is done. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed is He, is exalted in the world only through justice, as it is said (Yeshayahu 5:16): "And Hashem of hosts is exalted through justice." Thus far. It appears that Rabbi Yehoshua intended precisely what I have explained in my final interpretation of this passage.

[5] How beautiful are the footsteps of the one who arranged the Mishnayot, who began the record of the Sages of Israel in this chapter with justice and concluded it with justice — for he began by saying, "Be deliberate in judgment," and concluded with "on justice, on truth, and on peace." He began with Shimon HaTzaddik and concluded with Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. Now, a difficulty arises concerning the proof that the Tanna brought from the words of Zechariah, from the verse (Zechariah 8:16–19): "Truth, justice, and peace — judge these in your gates," which indicates that all three are the foundation of the world's existence. Yet the same prophet thereafter says, "Love truth and peace" — and makes no mention of justice. One might therefore argue that it is truth and peace alone upon which the world endures, not justice. However, the meaning and interpretation of these passages is as follows: Sherezer and Regem-melech and their men sent to entreat the favor of Hashem, to the priests and to the prophets, saying, "Shall I weep in the fifth month and practice abstinence, as I have done for so many years?" (Zechariah 7:3). The blessed God commanded the prophet to answer them that He did not desire fasting and weeping and lamentation, but only the rectification of deeds — and that this is indeed what He had warned the inhabitants of Yerushalayim through the earlier prophets: to judge with true justice, with kindness and compassion, not to oppress one another, and not to wrong the widow or the orphan. But they did not listen — and therefore all the evil and exile that befell them came upon them. The conclusion of those words was: "These are the things you shall do: speak truth one to another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace" (ibid. 8:16) — and this served as instruction for the people of the Second Temple era. Thereafter came an entirely separate passage (Zechariah 8:18–19): "And the word of Hashem of Hosts came to me, saying… the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth month… shall be for the house of Yehudah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful appointed times — but love truth and peace." This passage refers to the future time of the Messianic era, as it is said (Yirmiyahu 7:32): "Behold, days are coming" — meaning that all the fasts, not only the fast of the fifth month that they had inquired about, but all the others as well, will be transformed into joy and gladness and cheerful appointed times. And in that time, you will have no need of judgment, for Hashem will remove the heart of stone from your flesh — you will be lovers of truth and peace, and you will not come before a court at all. Thus, this latter verse was said only with reference to the Messianic era, whereas concerning the time of the Second Temple and the days of exile, it is written (Zechariah 8:16): "Truth and the justice of peace — judge in your gates."

[6] The general principle that emerges from this entire chapter — which revolves around explaining the three pillars mentioned by Shimon HaTzaddik, namely: Torah, Divine service (*avodah*), and acts of lovingkindness (*gemilut chasadim*) — is as follows. Antigonos clarified the matter of Divine service. Yosi ben Yo'ezer, Yehoshua ben Perachyah, Yehudah ben Tabai, Shimon ben Shetach, Avtalyon, Hillel, and Rabban Gamliel — all of them clarified the matter of Torah: its comprehension, its honor, its study, and its observance, as I have explained in their respective statements, each one individually. However, Yosi ben Yochanan, Nittai HaArbeili, Shemayah, Shammai, and Shimon the son of Rabban Gamliel clarified and cautioned regarding *gemilut chasadim* — whether in the matter of charity and hospitality to guests, or in distancing oneself from the company of the wicked, or in the love of labor and the disdain of lordship, or in speaking little and doing much and receiving every person with a pleasant countenance, or in the virtue of silence — as has been explained in their statements. However, Rabban Shimon the son of Rabban Gamliel the Second encompassed all these views together, or cautioned regarding the matter of justice according to each of the interpretations, when he said: "upon justice, upon truth, and upon peace" — "Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace" (Tehillim 29:11). The chapter is complete. Praise be to God.