Rewards: Pesachim 50b

It is always fun to see a famous line in context. In the middle of discussion as to whether there is a reward for good deeds, we find the following:

Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rav: A person should always involve himself in Torah and good deeds, even if he is not doing the Torah or good deeds for their own sake. For by means of doing them not for their own sake, he comes to do them for their own sake.

Jewish Civil War: Pesachim 49b

The Talmud makes an major distinction between learned and unlearned Jews. Unlearned Jews are known as 'Am HaAretz,' or 'Land People.' This page of Pesachim makes it clear how big the divide was.

Our Rabbis taught: A man should [even] sell everything he has [in order to] marry the daughter of a great scholar.

If he can't find the daughter of a great scholar, he should marry the daughter of one of the great people of the generation (who concern themselves with charity and community needs).

If he can't find the daughter of one of the great people of his generation, he should marry the daughter of a community leader.

If he can't find the daughter of a community leader, he should marry the daughter of a local charity official.

If he can't find the daughter of a local charity official, he should marry the daughter of a schoolteacher.

However, he should never marry the daughter of an unlearned Jew, for they are slimy reptiles, and their daughters are slimy reptiles, and of them it is said, 'Cursed be the one who has relations with a reptile.' (Deut. 27:21).

[The Talmud details the ignorant Jews' hatred of learned Jews through a recollection of Rabbi Akiva, who started out life without any learning.] Rabbi Akiva said, "When I was ignorant, I used to say, 'Oh, let someone give me a learned Jew and I will bite him like a donkey!'" Rabbi Akiva's students asked him, "Rabbi, why not bite him like a dog, rather than a donkey?" Rabbi Akiva replied, "[The donkey] breaks bones when he bites, while [the dog] does not break bones when he bites."

... It was taught, Rabbi Elizer said, 'If we (scholars) were not necessary for their [the ignorant Jews'] livelihood, they would kill us.