שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר, כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה. וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר, אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים, מֵבִיא חֵטְא:
Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin.
וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ הוּא הָעִקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְתֵדַע לְךָ שֶׁהַשְּׁתִיקָה טוֹבָה, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְהַדְּרָשׁ וְהַדִּבּוּר בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִדָּה טוֹבָה הֵימֶנָּה, אֵין עִקַּר קִבּוּל הַשָּׂכָר אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְהַדּוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵינוֹ מְקַיֵּם, נוֹחַ לוֹ אִם הָיָה שׁוֹתֵק וְלֹא הָיָה דּוֹרֵשׁ:
"and it is not the study which is the main thing but rather the deed": And you should know that silence is better for him, since even interpretation, homily and discussion of Torah – of which there is nothing greater – the main attainment of reward is for the action. And someone who teaches but does not practice [what he teaches], it would have been better if he had been silent and had not taught.
ולא המדרש הוא עיקר אלא המעשה. לומר שלא ידרוש המצוה לאחרים והוא אינו עושה אותם אך יעשה אותם תחלה וילמדם לאחרים וכמו שארז"ל (תוספתא יבמות סוף פ"ח) נאים דברים היוצאים מפי עושיהם:
"And the exposition [of Torah] is not what is essential, but the action": [This is] saying that one should not expostulate (lecture) on a commandment to others while he does not do it [himself]. Rather, he should do them first and [then] teach them to others - as the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Tosefta Yevamot 8:5), "Pleasant are words that come out of the mouth of one who practices them."
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch on Pirkei Avoth 1:17
. . . One of the worst consequences of profuse talk, however, is that people who have spoken long and much and zealously of and in behalf of a cause may persuade themselves that this alone constitutes action, and should a voice within them accuse them of being remiss in their concrete efforts for the cause, they will calm their conscience by recalling the enthusiasm and the brilliance with which they had carried on the discussion of the matter at hand!
. . . One of the worst consequences of profuse talk, however, is that people who have spoken long and much and zealously of and in behalf of a cause may persuade themselves that this alone constitutes action, and should a voice within them accuse them of being remiss in their concrete efforts for the cause, they will calm their conscience by recalling the enthusiasm and the brilliance with which they had carried on the discussion of the matter at hand!