Do Charedim See Working as a Religious Value?
Yes — but not in the way modern society often frames it.
To understand the Charedi view, we must distinguish between working as a necessity and working as an ideal. Charedim deeply value honest labor, parnassah, and supporting one’s family — but these values are always seen through the lens of Torah, not independent of it.
1. The Torah Ideal: Torah Learning Comes First
The Rambam famously writes in Hilchos Talmud Torah:
“Talmud Torah is greater than honoring father and mother, and greater than building the Beis HaMikdash” (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:3).
This sets the framework: The highest aspiration of a Jew is to be immersed in Torah. As Chazal teach:
“Talmud Torah k’neged kulam — Torah study is equal to all [other mitzvos]” (Peah 1:1)¹.
For that reason, the Charedi community encourages full-time learning for as long as possible, especially in the formative years. It’s not a rejection of work — it’s a prioritization of eternal values.
2. Yes, Earning a Living Is a Mitzvah
Chazal do not romanticize poverty. In fact, they warn:
“Without flour [i.e., income], there is no Torah” (Avos 3:17)².
And the Gemara in Kiddushin says:
“A father is obligated to teach his son a trade” (Kiddushin 29a)³.
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l explained that these teachings mean earning a livelihood is part of avodas Hashem, provided it's done with the right intention — to support a Torah lifestyle, avoid theft, and avoid becoming a burden on others⁴.
In this sense, working is a religious value — not because of secular ideals of productivity, but because the Torah commands us to be responsible, honest, and self-sustaining.
3. The Charedi Balance: Torah with Work
Many Charedim do work — in fact, more than ever. But they strive to maintain the right priorities:
- Torah is first — not to be compromised or squeezed in between meetings.
- Work supports Torah — not the other way around.
- Yiras Shamayim remains central — even in the workplace.
This is the model of Zevulun and Yissachar: one supported the other, and both shared in the reward. Many Charedim enter the workforce in their 30s or later, after having built a strong Torah foundation.
As Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l taught:
“Even when a ben Torah must work, he must remain a ben Torah. The job is not his essence — it’s his tool for survival.”⁵
4. Examples from Tanach and Chazal
- Yaakov Avinu worked as a shepherd — but his thoughts were always elevated.
- Moshe Rabbeinu tended flocks — but then returned to the mountain of Hashem.
- Shmuel Hanavi traveled the land judging Bnei Yisrael — but lived by the Mishkan.
Work was a necessity — never a goal in and of itself. It was always secondary to spiritual mission.
5. Rav Elyashiv’s Strong Words
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l once said:
“A man must support his family. But if he works and forgets he’s a Yid — if he cuts corners, or misses Mincha, or lets Torah fall away — he is not working l’shem Shamayim. He is working for Egypt.”⁶
Work must be a vehicle for kedushah, not a replacement for it.
Conclusion
So do Charedim see work as a religious value?
Yes — when it's done to uphold Torah, not replace it.
The Charedi world cherishes those who learn, respects those who work honestly, and rejects the modern idolization of career as identity. In our worldview, a man is not measured by his income — but by his yiras Shamayim and his dedication to the truth of Torah.
Footnotes & Sources
- Mishnah Peah 1:1 – “Talmud Torah k’neged kulam.”
- Pirkei Avos 3:17 – “Im ein kemach, ein Torah.”
- Kiddushin 29a – obligation to teach a child a trade.
- Igros Moshe, Yoreh Deah Vol. 2, Siman 116 – Rav Moshe on parnassah and dignity.
- Rav Aharon Kotler, Mishnas R’ Aharon, Maamar on “Torah Im Derech Eretz”
- Rav Elyashiv, cited by Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein in Aleinu L’Shabeiach, Shemos vol. 1