Pirke Avot: The Sayings Of The Jewish Fathers Part 12

The sages taught (the following) in the language of the _Mishnah_--blessed be He that made choice of them and their _Mishnah_.

1. R. Meir (2) said, "Whosoever labors in the _Torah_ for its own sake merits many things; and not only so, but the whole world is indebted to him: he is called friend, beloved, a lover of the All-present, a lover of mankind: it clothes him with meekness and reverence; it fits him to become just, pious, upright, and faithful; it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to virtue; through him are enjoyed counsel and sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, 'Counsel is mind, and sound knowledge; I am understanding; I have strength' (3). It gives him sovereignty and dominion and discerning judgment; to him the secrets of the _Torah_ are revealed; he is made like a never-failing spring and like a river that flows on with ever-increasing vigor; he becomes modest, long-suffering, and forgiving of insults; and it magnifies and exalts him above all things."

(2) Chapter III, n. 32.

(3) Prov. VIII, 14. Wisdom, representing the _Torah_, utters these words.

2. R. Joshua, the son of Levi (4), said, "Every day a _bat-kol_ (5) goes forth from Mount h.o.r.eb, proclaiming and saying, 'Woe to mankind for contempt of the _Torah_, for whoever does not occupy himself in the _Torah_ is said to be under the divine censure, as it is said, 'As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman who turneth aside from discretion' (6); and it says, 'And the tables were the work of G.o.d, and the writing was the writing of G.o.d, graven upon the tables' (7). Read not _charut_ (8), but _cherut_ (9), for no man is free but he who occupies himself in the learning of _Torah_. But whosoever labors in the _torah_, behold he shall be exalted, as it is said, 'And from _Mattanah_ to _Nachaliel_, and from _Nachaliel_ to _Bamot_'" (10).

(4) R. Joshua lived about the middle of the third century.

(5) _Bat kol_ (lit., "daughter of a voice" or "daughter-voice"), "a small voice," "sound," "resonance," not "echo," as it is often translated. The expression _bat kol_ was used in place of the longer one _bat kol min ha-shamayim_, which is "a heavenly or divine voice which proclaims G.o.d's will or judgment, His deeds, and His commandments to individuals or to number of persons, to rulers, countries, and even to whole nations." This celestial voice was a means of divine revelation lower than that of prophecy. According to Schechter, it has two peculiar features: first, its messages are reproductions of verses or sentences from the Old Testament or from the Apocrypha, and secondly, "it is audible only to those who are prepared to hear it." See Weber, _Altsynag. Theol._, pp. 187-189; Low, _Gesammelte Schriften_, II, p. 58, n. 1; Kitto's _Cyclopedia of Biblical Lit._, art.

_Bath Kil_, and _Ludwig Blau_, art. _Bat Kol_, in _Jewish Encyclopedia_.

(6) Proberbs XI, 22. The word [nazaf (nun-zayin-fey)]

"censured," "placed under ban," by a form of Rabbinical interpretation known as _notarikon_ (stenographer's method, abbreviation), is connected with the words of this verse in Proverbs: [Nezem Zahav b'aF (NUN-zayin-mem(sofit) ZAYIN-hey-bet bet-alef-FEY(sofit), capitals indicating larger case Hebrew letters)]. Another instance of this kind of interpretation is in connecting the word [anochi] "I," the first word of the Decalogue, with the phrase: [Ana Nafs.h.i.+ Catvit Yehavit (ALEF-nun-alef NUN-pey-s.h.i.+n-yud CHOF-tof-bet-yud-tet YUD-hey-bet-yud-tet)] "I (G.o.d) myself have written (the Torah), and delivered it," or with the words [Amirah N'imah K'tivah Y'hivah (ALEF-mem-yud-resh-hey NUN-ayin-yud-mem-hey CHOF-tof-yud-bet-hey YUD-hey-yud-bet-hey)] "a pleasant saying, written and delivered" (_Shabbat_, 105a). See art. _Notarikon_, in the _Jewish Encyclopedia_, and Strack, _Einleitung_, p. 130.

(7) Ex. x.x.xII, 16.

(8) Graven. The phrase [al tikri . . . ele] "do not read . .

. but" followed by a suggested reading different from the original, does not mean that the Rabbis offered an emendation of the biblical text. It was merely a change of the text for homiletical purposes. See Bacher, _Die alteste Terminologie der judischen Schriftauslegung_, p. 175 _et seq._; Friedlander, _Jewish Religion_, p. 204, and Talmudical dictionaries, _s.v._

(9) Freedom.

(10) Num. XXI, 19 _Mattanah_, "gift"; _Nachaliel_, "the heritage of G.o.d"; _Bamot_, "high places." The names of these three encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness are interpreted according to their literal meanings.

3. He who learns from his companion a single chapter, a single rule, a single verse, a single expression, or even a single letter, ought to pay him honor, for so we find with David, King of Israel, who learned only two things from Ahitophel (11), and yet regarded him as his master, his guide, and familiar friend, as it is said, "But it was thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and my familiar friend" (12). Now, is it not an argument from minor to major (13), that if David, the King of Israel, who learned only two things from Ahitophel, regarded him as his master, guide, and familiar friend, he who learns from his fellow a chapter, rule, verse, expression, or even a single letter, is bound to pay him honor. And "honor" is nothing but _Torah_, as it is said, "The wise shall inherit honor (14) and the perfect shall inherit good" (15). And "good" is nothing but _Torah_, as it is said, "For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my _Torah_" (16).

(11) Ahitophel deserted David to take up the cause of his rebellious son, Absalom. See II Sam. XVI, 15; XVII, 1 _et seq._

(12) See Ps. LV, 14. The two things David learned are hinted at in Ps. LV, 15.

(13) See chapter I, n. 17.

(14) Prov. III, 35.

(15) _Ibid._, XXVIII, 10.

(16) _Ibid._, IV, 2.

4. This is the way that is becoming for the study of the _Torah_: a morsel of bread with salt thou must eat (17), "and water by measure thou must drink" (18), thou must sleep upon the ground, and live a life of trouble the while thou toilest in the _Torah_. If thou doest thus, "Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" (19), "happy shalt thou be" in this world, and "it shall be well with thee"

in the world to come (20).

(17) Even he who has only bread and salt to eat must busy himself with the study of the _Torah_.

(18) Ezek. IV, 11.

(19) Ps. CXXVIII, 2.

(20) Cf. chapter IV, 1.

5. Seek not greatness for thyself, and court not honor; let thy works exceed thy learning; and crave not after the table of kings; for thy table is greater than theirs, and thy crown is greater than theirs, and thy Employer is faithful to pay thee the reward of thy work.

6. The _Torah_ is greater than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty demands thirty qualifications (21), the priesthood twenty-four (22), while the _Torah_ is acquired by forty-eight. And these are they: by audible study; by a listening ear (23); by distinct p.r.o.nunciation; by understanding (24) and discernment of the heart; by awe, reverence, meekness, cheerfulness (25); by ministering to the sages, by attaching one's self to colleagues, by discussion with disciples; by sedateness; by knowledge of the Scripture and of the _Mishnah;_ by moderation in business, in intercourse with the world, in pleasure, in sleep, in conversation, in laughter; by long suffering; by a good heart; by faith in the wise; by resignation under chastis.e.m.e.nt; by recognizing one's place, rejoicing in one's portion, putting a fence to one's words, claiming no merit for one's self, by being beloved, loving the All-present, loving mankind, loving just courses, rect.i.tude, and reproof; by keeping one's self far from honor, not boasting of one's learning, nor delighting in giving decisions; by bearing the yoke with one's fellow, judging him favorably, and leading him to truth and peace; by being composed in one's study; by asking and answering, hearing and adding thereto; by learning with the object of teaching, and by learning with the object of practising; by making one's master wise, fixing attention upon his discourse, and reporting a thing in the name of who said it. So thou hast learned, "Whosoever reports a thing in the name of him that said it brings deliverance into the world," as it is said, "And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai" (26).

(21) See _Sanhedrin_ II, 2-5.

(22) See _Baba Kamma_, 110b, etc.

(23) Singer, combining the first two, reads "by audible study."

(24) Taylor omits "understanding and."

(25) Taylor and Hoffmann add "by purity" ([b'taharah]).

(26) Esth. II, 22.

7. Great is the _Torah_, which gives life to those that practise it in this world and in the world to come, as it is said, "For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (27); and it says, "It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones" (28); and it says, "It is a tree of life to them that grasp it, and of them that uphold it every one is rendered happy" (29); and it says, "For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck" (30); and it says, "It shall give to thine head a chaplet of grace, a crown of glory it shall deliver to thee" (31); and it says, "For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased" (32); and it says, "Length of days is in its right hand; in its left hand are riches and honor" (33); and it says, "For length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee"

(34).

(27) Prov. IV, 22.

(28) _Ibid._, III, 8.

(29) Prov. III, 18.

(30) _Ibid._, I, 9.

(31) _Ibid_, IV, 9.

(32) Prov. IX, 11.

(33) _Ibid._, III, 16.

(34) _Ibid._, III, 2.

8. R. Simeon, the son of Judah, in the name of R. Simeon, the son of Yohai, said, "Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, old age, a h.o.a.ry head, and children are comely to the righteous and comely to the world, as it is said, 'The h.o.a.ry head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness' (35); and it says, 'The glory of young men is their strength, and the adornment of old men is the h.o.a.ry head' (36); and it says, 'A crown unto the wise is their riches' (37); and it says, 'Children's children are the crown of old men, and the adornment of children are their fathers' (38); and it is said, 'Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed; for the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders shall be glory'" (39). R. Simeon, the son of Menasya, said, "These seven qualifications which the sages enumerated as becoming to the righteous were all realized in Rabbi Judah, the Prince (40), and in his sons."

(35) _Ibid._, XVI, 31.

(36) _Ibid._, XX, 29.

(37) Prov. XIV, 24.

(38) _Ibid._, XVII, 6.

(39) Isa. XXIV, 23.

(40) See chapter II, n. 1.