'SHIMON THE SAINT WAS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS OF THE GREAT ASSEMBLY. HE USED TO SAY: THE WORLD STANDS UPON THREE STATEMENTS: ON TORAH, ON SERVICE, AND ON ACTS OF KINDNESS.' AVOT 1:2.
Torah - Instruction, Avodah - Service and Gimilut Hasadim - Acts of Kindness are the Devarim - the statements upon which the Olam - the World, the arena of life for Israel, Omed - Stands.
There are all together 613 commandments commanded upon Israel. These 613 Mitzvot - commandments include the statements of Instruction, Service and Acts of Kindness upon which the world stands.
We can organize a memory device for this purpose by using a traditional education method called Gematria - Numerical comparisons of Hebrew phrase, word and letter in order to link subjects in an ideal. The numerical value of the first letter of each of these five words: Torah, Avodah, Gimilut Hasadim, Olam and Omed added together is equivalent to 613, the total number of commandments. The letter Tav of Torah is numerically 400, Ayin of Avodah is 70, Gimel of Gimilut Hasadim is 3, Ayin of Olam is 70 and Ayin of Omed is 70. Added together 400, plus 70, plus 3, plus 70, plus the last 70 equals 613, which is the equivalent of the total number of commandments in the Living Torah, the life of Israel.
The sole motivation among the people of Israel is ideally to live Torah in such a Holy way that all of mankind will learn to acknowledge the Eternal and Complete Kingdom of the Holy One Blessed Be He. Therefore the need to live by ideal, in cooperation and for advancement.
Now then the world, the arena of the life of Yisrael, stands upon the Living Torah, the 613 Mitzvot - commandments, and the three statements upon which it does stand.
1/ Torah - The Written and Oral Instruction given at Sinai is an Amud shel Olam, a pillar in the life of Israel. Torah is Educating oneself, household, community, nation and Mankind in a) Idealizing the unity of the Torah, b) Speaking all the words of the Torah, and c) Organizing the performance of Torah.
2/ Avodah - Service in the Holy Temple is an Amud shel Olam, a pillar in the life of Israel. Avodah is Serving in the organized performances of Torah, in duties upon oneself, household, community, nation and Mankind in order to guard sanctity and sanctify our lives, the process by which the domain of Holiness is revealed.
And 3/ Gimilut Hasadim - Acts of Kindness to those in need of it is an Amud shel Olam, a pillar in the life of Israel. Gimilut Hasadim is Helping another ben Torah, another household, another community, and another nation in order to advance the Kingdom, the domain of acknowledgment of the Holy One Blessed Be He. End
