Our Gemara on Amud Aleph presents the hierarchy of individuals called to the Torah:

אַחֲרֵיהֶן קוֹרְאִין תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים הַמְמוּנִּין פַּרְנָסִים עַל הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַחֲרֵיהֶן תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים הָרְאוּיִין לְמַנּוֹתָם פַּרְנָסִים עַל הַצִּיבּוּר, וְאַחֲרֵיהֶן בְּנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁאֲבוֹתֵיהֶן מְמוּנִּים פַּרְנָסִים עַל הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַחֲרֵיהֶן רָאשֵׁי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וְכׇל אָדָם.

After them read the Torah scholars who are appointed as leaders [parnasim] of the community. And after them read Torah scholars who are fit to be appointed as leaders of the community, even if in practice they received no such appointment. (The Sages said that a Torah scholar who knows how to answer any question asked of him is fit to be appointed as leader of the community. See Rashi). And after them read the sons of Torah scholars whose fathers were appointed as leaders of the community. And after them read the heads of synagogues, and after them any person.

Let us analyze the order and selection of items in this list. We observe three interconnected yet distinct categories: 1. Torah scholars who are officially appointed as leaders. 2. Torah scholars whose knowledge makes them worthy of being appointed as leaders, even if they do not hold such a position in practice. 3. Sons of Torah scholars whose fathers were appointed as leaders.

It is interesting to note that we have two separate categories within the group of Torah scholars. While both possess equal knowledge of Torah, the one who serves as an actual leader merits more respect and honor. This is understandable, as action is highly valued. However, it raises the question of why the sons of Torah scholars and leaders receive distinction and honor, while the sons of Torah scholars who were not leaders seem to go unrecognized.

The answer seems to lie in the fact that if children grow up in a Torah-oriented household and witness firsthand the practical application of leadership qualities such as kindness, justice, social responsibility, and the like, they are likely to develop a higher moral stature, even if they are not themselves scholars. On the other hand, children of Torah scholars who are not actively engaged in community service, as exemplified by leadership roles, do not seem to internalize these values to the same extent.

This pedagogical lesson teaches us that in order for our children to embrace the ethical values of Torah life, beyond exposing them to scholarship and piety, they must witness the devotion to community service.