A.R.N.A. v. (Schechter 13b)

Antigonus of Socho took over from Simeon the Just. He used to say: ‘Be not like slaves who serve their masters for the sake of compensation; be rather like slaves who serve their master without thought of compensation, and let the fear of heaven be upon you, so that your reward may be doubled in the age to come.’ [N.B. the clause at the end, which does not appear in P.A. i.3 (2.26).]

Antigonus of Socho had two disciples (talmidim) who used to study his words. They taught them to their disciples, and their disciples to their disciples. These proceeded to examine the words closely and asked: ‘Why did our ancestors see fit to say this thing? Is it possible that a labourer should do his work all day and not take his reward in the evening? If our ancestors, in fact, had known that there is another world and that there will be a resurrection of the dead, they would not have spoken in this manner.’

So they arose and withdrew from Torah (pirshu min haTorah) and split into two sects, the Sadducees and the Boethusians: Sadducees named after Zadok, Boethusians, after Boethus. And they used silver vessels and gold vessels all their lives – not because they were ostentatious; but the Sadducees said, ‘It is a tradition amongst the prushim to afflict themselves in this world; yet in the world to come they will have nothing.’