An oldie but goodie: This educational phrase has had positive repercussions since it was uttered in Talmudic times (Pesachim 50, Sanhedrin 105). There are many reasons why people are motivated to do something good. Sometimes we do it for ego recognition, sometimes for some reward. And once in a while, our motives may even be pure. The sages questioned whether people should wait until they have the proper motivation before they act. The answer was a resounding NO. The motivation for a child to wash the dishes is not because he wants clean dishes. Eventually he will understand its importance but in the meantime, chocolate is a great motivator. Personally, if it weren’t for the environmental issue, I would use paper.

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