The Hebrew phrase ''mitzvah goreret mitzvah, averah goreret averah'' (Hebrew: מצווה גוררת מצווה, עברה גוררת עברה; "one good deed will bring another good deed, one transgression will bring another transgression") expresses the belief in

Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...

that following one commandment leads to another. The saying is found in the

mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

in ''

Pirkei Avot Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from ...

'' 4:2. There are several ways in which such an effect can take place. One can be as a result of inspiration, in which the act of a mitzvah is witnessed by others, who in turn, follow in their footsteps. Another is by

habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

, in which a person becomes accustomed to performing a mitzvah regularly. The contrast to this belief is called ''averah goreret averah'' in which the commission of an '' aveira'' (sin) leads to another sin. The phrase has often been used in songs for children to encourage the performance of good works. One popular song, written by Andy Vogel in 1986, was recorded on the Reform Jewish movement's "NFTY at 50" album, and is widely sung in the Reform Jewish movement.

Examples

* A person places money in a pushka (

tzedaka ''Tzedakah'' or ''Ṣedaqah'' ( he, צדקה ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify ''charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically un ...

collection box). This is seen by others, who in turn are inspired to place money in the box. * A person helps someone in need, and feels good about themself and therefore continues to do help others.

References

Jewish philosophy Mitzvoth Hebrew words and phrases in Jewish law {{Hebrew-lang-stub

Examples

See also

References