Antigonos of Socho — Serving Without Reward
The teaching to serve God without expectation of reward establishes a foundation for genuine, unconditional ethical commitment.
Antigonos of Socho taught: 'Do not be like servants who serve the master in order to receive a reward; instead, be like servants who serve the master not in order to receive a reward, and let the awe of Heaven be upon you.' (Avot 1:3). This teaching establishes the foundation of mature ethical motivation: acting rightly because it is right, not because of consequences or external reward. The Talmud's complex discussions of reward and punishment (in this world and the next) are meant to support this motivation in its initial stages — but the mature practitioner, like Antigonos, transcends the reward-punishment framework entirely and acts from intrinsic motivation. This is what the Jewish mystical tradition calls Avodah Lishmah — service for its own sake, or service in the name of Heaven. According to Avot d'Rabbi Natan (chapter 5), two disciples of Antigonos, Tzadok and Boethus, misread this teaching as a denial of reward and the afterlife, and from their error the sects of the Sadducees and Boethusians are said to have arisen.
Do not be like servants who serve the master in order to receive a reward. Instead, be like servants who serve the master not in order to receive a reward.
Antigonos received the tradition from Shimon HaTzaddik (Pirkei Avot 1:3), and his teaching is the earliest rabbinic source for avodah lishmah — serving Heaven for its own sake, with awe of Heaven upon you, rather than in expectation of any reward.
Mishnah