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text: English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
  ביאור אנגלי על משנה אבות
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp
  -
  
  English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Moses received the torah at  Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly.They said three things:  Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.Avoth begins by tracing the transmission of Torah and contains three sayings by the Men of the Great Assembly.One of the most basic tenets of Judaism is related in this mishnah:  that Moses received an oral as well as a written Torah and that there is an unbroken chain connecting the Rabbis with the revelation at Sinai.  Therefore the oral Torah, observed and studied during the time of the Mishnah (and in subsequent generations as well) is not the creation of human beings, but is actually as divine in origin as is the written Torah.  Now this an extremely significant claim, about which many, many books have been written, and indeed some fierce battles were fought (such as that between the Sadducees and Pharisees and that between the Rabbinites and Karaites).  There are many sub-questions that require further resolution, most importantly what was the nature of the oral Torah received at Sinai.  Did Moses receive every detail of observance and belief that any Jew would ever need to know?  If so then all of the debates in the Mishnah and Talmud are attempts to recover what was originally known, and for some reason lost (this is Rav Saadiah Gaon’s position).  Alternatively, were only the principles given to Moses, and perhaps rules by which later Jews could create new laws, laws that would have roots at Sinai but not have been specified at Sinai?  If so, then the Mishnah and Talmud contain actual creativity in advancing and expanding the Oral Torah (this is basically the Rambam’s position).Needless to say, we don’t have the answer to this question and it has been a great debate since the medieval period.  The Talmud itself is unclear on the matter, and there are statements that support both.  For instance the Talmud states that even any new innovation taught by a student was already revealed to Moses at Sinai.  However, the Talmud also relates a famous story that God showed Moses what was going on in Rabbi Akiva’s study hall and Moses did not understand a word.  Nevertheless, one thing is clear from this mishnah.  Jewish tradition teaches that the Oral Torah (whether all of the details or just the essence) does come from Sinai and that each generation thereafter is obligated to learn that Torah and transmit it to the following generation.The Men of the Great Assembly refers to the leaders who arose at the time of the building of the Second Temple, around 500 B.C.E (See Nehemiah 8-10).  Little is actually known about this group and there are very few sayings attributed to them. They may have had judicial as well as legislative powers, but again little is known.In our mishnah three sayings are attributed to them. The first is that judgements should not hastily be delivered.  This has also been interpreted to mean that even if a case has come before a judge three or four times before, he must examine it closely perhaps he will find a new angle that he had not before noticed.Although it may seem obvious that a teacher should seek many disciples, not all Rabbis thought so.  Particularly Beth Shammai and Rabban Gamaliel were known for not allowing those whom they deemed disqualified to participate in the discussions in the study halls.  This mishnah emphasizes that students should be encouraged to continue to learn, even if he is not perfect.Making a fence around the Torah is another principle of supreme importance in Judaism.  There are many laws that are not strictly obligatory upon a person from the Torah, but rather were instituted by the Rabbis to prevent a Jew from transgressing a Torah law.  An example is the use of money on Shabbat.  The Torah itself does not prohibit using money on Shabbat.  However, the Rabbis said one should not do so, lest one write, which is prohibited by the Torah (at least the midrashic understanding of the Torah).
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly.He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety.The mishnah begins by noting that Shimon Hatzadik (the righteous) was one of the last men of the great assembly, which was the last link in the chain of the transmission of oral Torah mentioned in mishnah one.  In other words, Shimon Hatzadik lived long before the time of the mishnah, and is not really part of the rabbinic period.  He is one of the few people whose name is remembered from this period of Jewish history.There are two interpretations of Shimon Hatzadik’s statement that the world could not stand without these three things.  The first is that he means that the world literally could not exist without these things.  These three things are the three legs upon which the world rests.  Another interpretation is that it was for the sake of these three things that the world was created.According to the rabbis, without Torah the world could not exist.  Without people continuing to study Torah, God would destroy the world, for the study of Torah is one of the purposes of creation.The word used to denote Temple service in the mishnah is “avodah”, literally worship.  When the Temple stood, it was through the merit of the worship performed there, that God brought rain upon the earth (see Deut. 11:13-14).  Without this worship, the world could not continue to exist.  When the Temple was destroyed, prayer took its place.There are two other interpretations to the word “avodah” in the mishnah.  The first is the performance of mitzvoth in general.  The second interpretation is literal work, plowing, harvesting etc.  The idea behind this interpretation is that God gave the world to human beings so that they would tend to it and thereby become God’s partner in creation.  If human beings were to cease acting as God’s partner, God would cease his role as well.Gemilut hasadim, acts of loving kindness, are not merely acts of charity, but any act that helps another person in his time of need (visiting the sick, comforting the mourner, welcoming guests).  The rabbis teach that these acts are even greater than giving charity, for a person gives charity with his money, but these acts are performed with money and by the person’s own body.We should also note that according to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, after the destruction of the Temple acts of loving kindness take the place of the Temple service that can no longer be performed.  Whereas in the past a person would be atoned through sacrifices, after the destruction the way to achieve atonement was by the performance of acts of piety.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  Antigonus (certainly a Greek name) was from the city of Socho, which was in Judea.  He received the oral tradition from Shimon the Righteous, mentioned above in mishnah two.
  Antigonus a man of Socho received [the oral tradition] from Shimon the Righteous. He used to say: do not be like servants who serve the master in the expectation of receiving a reward, but be like servants who serve the master without the expectation of receiving a reward, and let the fear of Heaven be upon you. This mishnah contains an important basic concept in Judaism, one which the Rambam viewed as perhaps the most important concept.  Although the Torah promises rewards for those who fulfill the commandments, one who constantly performs mitzvoth in order to receive a reward is not acting in an ideal manner.  The reward is for the person who cannot see the innate wisdom in performing a mitzvah totally out of love (ahavah).  Like a servant who only works for an allowance, this person has a shallow relationship with his master.  One who performs the mitzvoth out of love can achieve a much greater closeness to God, for he expects nothing in return.  In essence his performance of the mitzvoth is a statement that the mitzvoth are good in an of themselves, regardless of the reward that they might bring.  The Rabbis teach that the reward for performing a mitzvah is the ability to perform another mitzvah.  As a person improves himself, he will be given more and more opportunities to do so, to live a good life, and draw closer to God. Despite the fact that Antigonus emphasizes that one should serve God out of love, he finishes his statement by reminding us of the commandment to fear God.  There are times when love will not suffice as a motivating factor for the performance of the mitzvoth.  The Rabbis teach that love is a strong motivator for the performance of positive commandments but that fear is a stronger motivator for negative commandments.  Antigonus’s balanced statement reminds us that we need to have both love and fear of God.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  After the teaching of Antigonus from Socho, the mishnah begins with a period in Jewish history known as the period of the “pairs”.  There are five “pairs” of Sages that are mentioned in our chapter, beginning in this mishnah and continuing through mishnah fifteen.  The final pair are Hillel and Shammai.
  We should note how important the concept of the Sage and learning from the Sage is in this mishnah and in the entire chapter.  The “pairs” lived in the period between the Maccabean revolt (167 B.C.E.) until about two generations before the destruction of the Temple, which was in 70 C.E.  This was a time when many Jews became greatly influenced by Helenistic culture.  It was also the formative period of many of the sects, including the Sadducees and probably the Essenes (as well as the Dead Sea sect, who were probably Essenes).  It was probably also the formative period for the Pharisees, the predecessors of the Rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud.  Against this historical backdrop it is easy to understand why these Sages were so concerned with the authority and influence that they would have on the general public.
  Yose ben Yoezer (a man) of Zeredah and Yose ben Yohanan [a man] of Jerusalem received [the oral tradition] from them [i.e. Shimon the Righteous and Antigonus]. Yose ben Yoezer used to say: let thy house be a house of meeting for the Sages and sit in the very dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst. Yose ben Yoezer encourages Jews to make their own homes into a place for the gathering of Sages.  One should sit at the dust of their feet, which reflects the custom of the day whereby the Sage would sit on a chair and the disciple would sit at his feet.  At this time period in history fixed study halls such existed in later times, especially in Babylonia during the late Talmudic period, did not yet exist.  Learning the Oral Torah was performed (recited and not read) in small “disciple circles”, usually centered around a charismatic leader who would be the teacher.  When the leader passed away the center of learning often moved to wherever the new leader was located. Yose ben Yoezer is encouraging people to make their homes open to the Sages, to turn them into places of learning, so that these disciple circles can exist there. When Yose ben Yoezer says “drink in their words with thirst” he is comparing the Torah to water, a common comparison in rabbinic literature.  Just as water can eventually wear down rock, Torah learning eventually can seep into the hardened minds of human beings, even those who have never before learned.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the teaching of Yose ben Yochanan, the second Sage of the first “pair”.  Midrash Shmuel makes an interesting note on the order of the chapter so far.  Shimon the Righteous (mishnah two) stated that the world depends on three things:  1)  Torah; 2) Worship (which is the same word as servitude); 3)  acts of piety. Antigonus (mishnah three) spoke of servitude, Yose ben Yoezer (mishnah four) spoke of Torah and now Yose ben Yochanan will speak of acts of piety, namely helping the poor.
  Yose ben Yochanan (a of Jerusalem used to say:Let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be members of thy household.  If in the previous mishnah we learned that one should open his house to Sages, in this mishnah we learn that one should open his house to the poor.
  Engage not in too much conversation with women. They said this with regard to one’s own wife, how much more [does the rule apply] with regard to another man’s wife. From here the Sages said:  as long as a man engages in too much conversation with women, he causes evil to himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit gehinnom.  This section strikes a strongly misogynistic note. This Mishnah’s opinions on women does not (and in my humble opinion, should not) agree with our modern sensibilities.  In our society women are treated as equals to men (or they should be treated as equals to men).  Needless to say, women were not seen as equal to men two thousand years ago (or even 50 years ago!).  We should keep in mind that women did not receive the education that men received, and in general were not considered to be as intelligent as men.  Therefore it is not surprising that Yose ben Yochanan warns men to avoid talking to women. Talking to women was considered the antithesis of Torah learning, because they assumed that women could not talk Torah. If we were to translate the advice in this section to our situation, the advice is not to waste one’s time away with idle chat, for such chat limits the time that one has to learn Torah. Note that sections 2a-b are not from Yose ben Yochanan himself but rather are the words of later Sages appended to his statement.   They both explain the statement and expand upon it.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah begins the teachings of the second “pair”. Note again the heavy concentration on learning and the continuation of the tradition, points which we noted in previous mishnayoth.
  Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received [the oral tradition] from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor. Joshua ben Perahiah’s three pieces of advice have one common factor:  they are concerned with a person properly socializing himself with other human beings.  A person should not isolate himself for that may lead to moral problems and to feelings of despair.  In order to accomplish this he must do three things:  1)  find himself a teacher to teach him Torah; 2)  find himself a friend; 3) have a positive attitude in his dealings with others. 1)  When the mishnah states that one is supposed to find for himself a teacher, it means a fixed teacher with whom he can have a long lasting relationship.  This teacher is ideally supposed to teach him all that there is to know.  Avoth de Rabbi Nathan, which is a later expansion on Mishnah Avoth teaches an interesting parable.  “Rabbi Meir used to say:  He that studies Torah with a single teacher, to whom may he be likened?  To one who had a single field, part of which he sowed with wheat and part with barley, and planted part with olives and part with oak trees.  Now that man is full of good and blessing.  But when one studies with two or three teachers he is like him who has many fields:  one he sows with wheat and one he sows with barley, and plants one with olives and one with oak trees.  Now this man’s attention is divided between may pieces of land without good or blessing.” 2)  One of the main purposes of having a friend is to study with that friend.  When a person learns alone, there is no one to correct his mistakes, no one to compliment him on his insight and no one whom he can bounce his ideas off.  Traditionally Jewish learning has always been done in “hevrutot” which literally means “social circles”.  Usually this is two people sitting together and learning a Jewish text.  From personal experience, this is a much more effective means of learning than sitting by oneself, a more common way of learning in modern universities. 3)  Judging every person with favor is perhaps some of the sagest advice the mishnah can give in teaching a person to succeed in society.  One who is constantly skeptical of others’ actions and motives will certainly not be able to have the friends or teachers mentioned in the previous two clauses of the mishnah.  We saw this ideal in Mishnah Sanhedrin when the Rabbis actually legislated that a court is obligated to search for means to exonerate the accused.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  Mishnah seven contains the teaching of Nitai who was from Arbel, a settlement in the lower Galilee.
  Nittai the Arbelite used to say: keep a distance from an evil neighbor, do not become attached to the wicked, and do not abandon faith in [divine] retribution. In the previous mishnah Joshua ben Perahiah taught that one should judge others with the scale weighted in their favor.  Nittai the Arbelite balances this advice by adding that there may nevertheless be objective differences between different people.  The fact that one should judge everyone favorably does not mean that one should not stay away from the wicked.  In many places the rabbis teach that one who associates with evil people, even if he himself is not wicked, will have some of their ways rub off on him.  Forming a just and righteous society means that each individual must be careful with whom he/she associates. The third statement of Nittai the Arbelite, although seemingly unconnected, is connected to the previous statements. If one sees many wicked people, he should not abandon his faith that someday these people will be punished by God, be it in this world or in the world to come.  Abandoning faith in retribution could lead to a person losing faith in any objective difference between good and evil, at least in God’s eyes.  In other words, belief in a God that cares about human actions and takes them into account is a basic tenet of a just society, especially a just society that cannot always enforce its ideals. Another interpretation of this last line is that a person, no matter how rich, should not feel totally secure in his wealth, for if he does not act in a righteous manner, divine retribution will eventually come.  The flip side of this is also true.  One who is poor and struggles in life, but acts in a righteous manner, should not despair of better days, for just as divine retribution is promised, so too is divine reward.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the teachings of Judah ben Tabbai, the first sage of the third “pair”.  The subject of his teaching is the proper attitude of the judge to the litigants who come before him.
  Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shetach received [the oral tradition] from them. Judah ben Tabbai said: do not [as a judge] play the part of an advocate; and when the litigants are standing before you, look upon them as if they were [both] guilty; and when they leave your presence, look upon them as if they were [both] innocent, when they have accepted the judgement. Judah ben Tabbai teaches three things concerning the attitude of the judge.  The first is that the judge should not be an advocate for either side.  If a litigant does not make the best claim that he could make, the judge is not allowed to make such a claim on his behalf. In other words the judge cannot act the part of the lawyer, but he must judge based on the claims actually made.  We should note that lawyers were not usual participants in trials in the time of the mishnah. Another version of this teaching is that the judge should not make himself like “the chief of the judges” (in Hebrew there is only a one letter difference between “chief of the judges” and “advocate”, the former beginning with an aleph and the latter with an ayin.  The reading “chief of judges” is found in the better manuscripts of the mishnah).  This means that a judge should not make himself like the chief justice who does not actually look into the details of the case.  Rather the judge has the responsibility to carefully check all of the facts before he makes his ruling. The second two teachings are basically the flip side of the coin of each other.  Before the judgement is delivered the judge must examine both parties as if both are guilty.  Even if he thinks that one side is telling the truth, he must examine both impartially and with a skeptical eye, for if he favors one side before the trial, justice will not be served.  However, when the sides accept the judgement, he must look at both sides as innocent.  This may be for two reasons: first of all, the fact that the one found guilty accepts his judgement means that in the end he was willing to do the right thing.  His acceptance of the judgement is a form of repentance.  Second, the judge can never be one hundred per cent of the correctness of his sentence.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the teaching of Shimon ben Shetach, the second of the third pair.  Shimon ben Shetach lived during the rule of Alexander Janneus and his wife Shelomith.  Shimon was Shelomith’s brother.  According to a legend found in both Josephus and the Babylonian Talmud (with some differences) the king killed many of the Pharisaic sages, but Shimon ben Shetach managed to escape.  Through the aid of his sister he was able to return to Jerusalem and rejoin the Sanhedrin, which had been filled in the meanwhile with Sadducees.  Along with Judah ben Tabbai, who had escaped to Egypt, they were successful in restoring the Pharisees to their place in the Sanhedrin.  That may be why both of these pairs are so concerned with the behavior of judges.
  Shimon ben Shetach  used to say: be thorough in the interrogation of witnesses, and be careful with your words, lest from them they learn to lie. Shimon ben Shetach continues to give instructions to the judges.  The first statement is self-explanatory.  The second statement means that the judge should be careful while examining the witnesses, lest he inadvertently teach them how to help one side win the case.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Introduction
  Shemaiah and Abtalion, the fourth pair, lived at the end of the period of Hasmonean rule and towards the beginning of Herod’s reign.  According to the Talmud both were converts.  Mishnah nine contains Shemaiah’s teachings.
  Shemaiah and Abtalion received [the oral tradition] from them. Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority. In many places we see that the rabbis considered work to be important to proper moral behavior.  This is learned from Exodus 20:9, “six days shall you work… and on the seventh day you shall rest.”  Just as on the seventh day it is a commandment not to work, so too on the first six days it is a commandment to work.  Even the wealthy should work, for idleness may lead a person into depression and perhaps even into licentiousness. A person should not seek positions of superiority over others.  Although society does need leaders, such leadership can take its toll on a person.  It is also dangerous to the person’s own proper behavior, for often times people in leadership abuse their positions.  This statement also connects to the previous statement.  No person should consider himself so important as not to engage in work. Shemaiah certainly lived at a time when avoiding close contact with the government was good advice.  Although one may be able to gain some benefit from having good contacts with powerful people, in the end rulers do only what is good for themselves.  Furthermore, when the tides turn, those who were too close to the ruling parties are often the first to suffer.  This is has been demonstrated throughout history in dictatorships and other tyrannical forms of government.  A person who is closely identified with one ruler, is often killed or jailed when the next ruler takes power.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  Introduction Abtalion is the second sage of the fourth “pair”.
  Abtalion used to say: Sages be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be carried off to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow you drink and die, and thus the name of heaven becomes profaned. Abtalion’s teaching deals with the accountability of the Sage, one who is responsible for continuing the tradition and teaching the world the proper interpretation of Scripture.  Abtalion warns the Sages to be careful with their words, to make them clear so that their students will not misunderstand their intention.  In many places the rabbis teach how dangerous the words of Torah can be if not understood in the right contexts, by people with the correct intentions in their application.  A teacher has a responsibility not only to teach by reciting what he knows, but he must make sure that it is understood by the listener as well. Improper teaching will eventually force the teacher to leave his place in exile and go to a place of “evil waters”.  This is probably a euphemism for heretical beliefs.  If a teacher is not careful with his words, his students may end up as heretics.  This certainly occurred in the times of Abtalyon, when many students left the path of the Sages and joined other sects, such as the Sadducees or Essenes. A disciple of a Sage leaving the path of Torah and joining other sects is not just a loss for the disciple himself, but it is a profaning of God’s name, and may lead to even worse consequences.  People are very conscious of where people learned.  For instance in Israel a person who grew up in a secular home and considers himself an atheist is not news.  However, when, as has happened on occasion, a person who grew up in a Hasidic or ultra-orthodox home, and perhaps was even related to a famous rabbi, becomes an atheist and is politically active for a secular party that is news.  The fact that the person knows the tradition and rejects it makes his rejection more consequential than that of one who rejects the tradition out of ignorance.  His rejection reflects badly on the tradition and its source as well, God.  It will lead others to think that if one who knew the Torah so well, said that it was not true, than why should we even bother to learn.  For this reason teachers must be very careful that students do not misinterpret their words. I might add that this is especially difficult with learning over the internet, in situations where the teacher has no idea of who is reading what s/he writes.  When sitting face to face with students, a teacher can directly answer their questions, and clarify misunderstood points.  When these words which I write on a computer in my home in Israel, go up on the internet, billions of people, none of whom I know, will have access to them.  I guess the advantages of having such a large potential audience are also balanced by some of the inherent dangers.
  
  Mishnah 12
  
  Introduction
  Hillel and Shammai, the fifth “pair” are probably familiar to many of you, for they were the founders of that two great schools, Beth Shammai (the House of Shammai) and Beth Hillel (the House of Hillel), that truly begin a new era in Jewish history.
  Hillel and Shammai lived during Herod’s rule, which began in 37 B.C.E. and lasted until 4 C.E.  Hillel was actually an immigrant from Babylonia.  He is known for his kindness and love of fellow human being.  Many legends exist about Hillel, most of them are about his great humility and love.
  Hillel and Shammai received [the oral tradition] from them. Hillel used to say: be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah. According to a legend in Avoth de Rabbi Nathan, when two men had quarreled with each other, Aaron would go and sit down with one of them and say to him:  “My son, mark what your fellow is saying! He beats his breast and tears his clothing, saying, ‘Woe unto me! How shall I lift my eyes and look upon my fellow! I am ashamed before him, for I it is who treated him badly.’”  He would sit with him until he had removed all anger from his heart, and then Aaron would go and sit with the other one and say to him the same thing that he had said to the first. And when the two men met each other they embraced and kissed one another. Aaron brought peace between Jews.  A lesson that Jews have learned throughout history, and that they continue to learn today, is that when peace reigns between them, even if they worship idols, they can have their independence.  And when Jews fight with one another, no matter how many commandments they keep, they are easily conquered. Hillel also teaches that one should love other people.  Hillel taught that it was much easier to influence people with love than with fear, for love is truly the best motivation in life. By acting in such a manner, Aaron was able to draw people closer to Torah.  According to another story about Aaron, he would make a habit of associating with evil people until they grew embarrassed and thought, “Woe unto us!  If Aaron knew what we are like, what our life is like, he would resolve never again to set eye upon us.  He must think we are worthy people.  We ought at least to try to make our conduct correspond to his thinking.”  In that way they would be drawn to association with him and learning Torah from him.
  
  Mishnah 13
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains more statements from Hillel.  All of the sayings in this mishnah are in Aramaic.  Although almost all of the Mishnah is in Hebrew, it is unclear what the common spoken language of the Jews was at the time of the Mishnah.  These sayings are folksy, that is they are pithy and easy to remember.  The fact that they are in Aramaic may mean that many of the “folk” spoke Aramaic, but that the language of study was Hebrew.  By the time of the Talmud it is clear that Aramaic was the dominant language in the land of Israel, at least amongst the Jews (many non-Jews would have spoken Greek).
  He [also] used to say: one who makes his name great causes his name to be destroyed; one who does not add [to his knowledge] causes [it] to cease; one who does not study   [the Torah] deserves death; on who makes [unworthy] use of the crown [of learning] shall away. Although there are four separate statements in this mishnah, they can all be summarized as saying two things:  a person must always study, but he should be careful not to use his learning for his own grandeur. A person who tries to make his name, meaning his reputation great, will eventually lose his good name.  One who seeks his own honor, will have honor elude his grip.  This statement has also been taken as a warning to a person to avoid the attention of the ruling power, for their attention can only lead to danger.  This is a lesson already mentioned in mishnah ten. One must constantly be seeking to increase his knowledge, never satisfied with the learning he has already done (this could be contrasted with what we learn later, that a rich man is one who is happy with his portion).  In Judaism learning is a life long project, and not relegated to children. One who does not learn Torah deserves to die.  I don’t believe that this harsh statement is not meant to be taken literally; it is certainly not a directive to a court to execute the unlearned.  Rather Hillel may mean to say that without the spirituality of the Torah, a person’s life is empty.  One commentator states that one who has not studied Torah is like a beast, for human beings were only created different from animals for them to learn and study Torah.  One who only fills his base needs of food and sex, has not truly differentiated himself from an animal. Although Hillel urges people to study Torah, he warns them not to make use of this Torah study for their own advancement.  One who does so will not receive any reward for his Torah study.  In ancient times it was forbidden for Rabbis to take a salary, or receive any material benefit from their work.  While this demand became impractical already a long time ago, I do believe that at least part of the ideal must be preserved.  A Rabbi or any teacher of Torah, must not have his own personal advance or profit in mind when he teaches, for that is a corruption of Torah. Note how the first and last clauses of the mishnah are similar (warnings to those who use Torah for their own ends), and the two middle clauses are similar (statements about what happens to those who don’t learn Torah).  This type of order is known as “chiastic” order, and is very common in rabbinic literature.
  
  Mishnah 14
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains one of the most famous statements of Hillel.  Its poetry and its succinct message still make this, in my mind, one of the most memorable of rabbinic sayings.
  He [also] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when? This first statement of Hillel’s is not a statement lauding selfishness, but rather a statement which places a person’s character and qualities squarely on his own two shoulders. A person must work in this world to acquire his own merits, for no one else can do this on his behalf. The second statement balances out the first.  Although a person must be concerned for himself, his responsibilities do not end there.  One who does only for himself does not contribute to his people and to the world.  He is not important, for when he passes away, no one else will be effected. Finally, if a person puts off his responsibilities, when will he find time to carry them out.  As we say in English, “now is as good a time as ever”.
  
  Mishnah 15
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains Shammai’s teaching. Note that the mishnah contained several teachings of Hillel and only one of Shammai.  This demonstrates how much more dominant Hillel and his school were in the world of the rabbis.
  Shammai used to say: make your [study of the] Torah a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and receive all men with a pleasant countenance. Shammai had a reputation for being severe, perhaps even irritable.  This is exemplified in the famous story of a non-Jew who came before him and asked him to teach him the whole Torah on one foot.  Shammai promptly threw him out of the study hall, whereas Hillel eloquently told the non-Jew, “‘love your neighbor as yourself’, the rest is all commentary, go and learn.”  Despite Shammai’s reputation, his teaching does not laud such qualities, but rather Shammai emphasizes that one should act pleasantly to others. Shammai’s first statement is that a person should make his Torah learning a fixed practice.  In other words, he should not study only in his spare time, when he finds a free moment, but set aside fixed times to learn, and make them the focal point of his life.  Another interpretation of this line is that when someone learns something new, he should make it a fixed part of his consciousness and not allow himself to forget what he has learned, so that he could teach it to others. The second statement is that one should speak little and do much.  This is learned through the example set by Abraham, who told his guests that he would bring them “a morsel of bread” (Genesis 18:5).  In the end, Abraham brought them much more than a morsel of bread; he brought them butter and milk and a calf which he had prepared (vs. 8). The third statement teaches that when one helps others he must do so cheerfully. Visiting the sick, giving charity to the poor, welcoming guests into one’s home and giving presents to friends must all be done with joy, for if he does so with a downcast face, his good deed will be spoiled.
  
  Mishnah 16
  
  Introduction
  After completing the teachings of the “pairs” Mishnah Avoth turns to the teachings of the patriarchs, the leaders of the Jewish people who were from the family of Hillel.  Rabban Gamaliel of our mishnah is Rabban Gamaliel the elder, who was the grandson of Hillel.  He was the patriarch during the final years of the Second Temple.  He is also the first who is called by the title “Rabban” a title reserved (with one exception) for the patriarchs from Hillel’s family.
  Another interesting thing to note is that almost all of the remainder of Avoth does not use the terminology “received from him/them”.  While this change in terminology in the mishnah is certainly significant, it is hard to know exactly what the significance is.  One thing is clear:  Rabban Gamaliel, the first person to be called Rabban, and the first person in Avoth not to “receive”, opens a new era in the history of the Oral Torah.
  Rabban Gamaliel used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, avoid doubt, and do not make a habit of tithing by guesswork. The first statement of Rabban Gamaliel is the same statement taught by Rabbi Joshua ben Perahiah, in mishnah six. “Avoid doubt” means that if a person should be confronted by a doubtful halachic case, for instance he doesn’t know whether something is pure or impure, he should not decide for himself, but rather he should ask a higher authority, a rabbi whose knowledge is greater.  For if the person says that something is impure and it was really pure, he will cause a financial loss to the owner.  And if he says it was pure and it was really impure, he will cause someone to transgress.  Note how this statement connects to the previous one.  In order to avoid doubt a person must have a teacher. Before one eats his produce he must give two tithes.  The first tithe goes to the Levite and the second tithe must either be consumed in Jerusalem (during the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th years of a Sabbatical cycle) or be given to the poor (during the 3rd and 6th years).  Rabban Gamaliel teaches that one should not tithe by estimate, but rather should make sure that his tithes are precise.  This also connects with the previous statement, that one should avoid doubt.  If one tithes by estimate, his food is considered “doubtfully tithed produce”, which is forbidden. This final statement is also understood by commentators as meaning that a person should not make any halachic decisions by guesswork.  Rather he should carefully check his sources to make sure that his decision is not only reasonable, but correct.
  
  Mishnah 17
  
  Introduction
  Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel the elder, who is referred to in this mishnah as “Shimon, his (Rabban Gamaliel the elder’s) son” was the head of the Sanhedrin at the time of the destruction of the Temple.  Perhaps the reason that he is referred to here as “his son” and not with the title “Rabban” is that he made these statement while he was younger.  There are very few statements in the Mishnah that were made by this sage.  (This is not the same sage that will appear in the next mishnah).
  Note that this is the first case in Avoth where a son’s statements follow his fathers.  Most rabbis did not inherit their positions from their fathers.  The notable exceptions are the patriarchs who did bequeath their titles to their sons.
  Shimon, his son, used to say: all my days I grew up among the sages, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever indulges in too many words brings about sin. Shimon makes three statements, all of which clearly have a common element.  A person should say little and do much, which is basically the same lesson taught by Shammai in mishnah fifteen above.  [Perhaps Shimon’s praise of silence might explain why so few of his statements were preserved.  Maybe he didn’t say all that much!] There are different ways of understanding Shimon’s praise of silence.  One understanding is that when others verbally abuse you, the best defense is to remain silent.  I realize that this is controversial advice, and certainly sometimes it is not best to just be quiet.  But certainly there are times when it is best to “hold one’s peace” and not respond to the other person with more verbal abuse.  Everyone knows that in a shouting match neither side wins.  Often the best strategy at defusing a difficutl situation is to gather one’s inner strength and remain quiet. Another understanding of Shimon’s first statement is that a silent person might be considered intelligent, even if he is not.  Whereas the more an intelligent person talks, the more foolish he will often be considered. There were many debates amongst the rabbis about what was greater, study or action.  Shimon clearly sides with action, for a person who learns but does not fulfill the commandments of which he is learning, might as well not have learned.  According to Shimon the purpose of study is action.  [Note that he does not discount the value of study, but rather the value of study without action]. On the last statement of Shimon, Rabbenu Jonah, a medieval Spanish commentator makes an interesting note.  People have two ears and only one tongue.  This is to teach that a person should hear twice as much as what he says.
  
  Mishnah 18
  
  Introduction
  Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel in this mishnah is not the same Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel that we saw in the previous mishnah, but rather his grandson, the son of Rabban Gamaliel of Yavneh. He was the patriarch after the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 C.E.).  He lived in the Gallilee, which became the center of Judaism after the revolt.  Many of his statements appear in the mishnah. He was the father of Rabbi Judah Hanasi, who edited the Mishnah..
  Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: on three things does the world stand: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said: “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16). Note how close this mishnah is in style to mishnah two in the beginning of the chapter.  This is surely not accidental.  The editor of the mishnah chose to begin and end a unit with similar language and style, perhaps to aid in memory.  This type of literary structure is not unusual in the mishnah. However, there may be some differences between the two mishnayoth.  Some versions of our mishnah read “does the world exist” and not “stand”.  The Meiri comments that the difference is that in mishnah two, Shimon the Righteous, taught three things without which the world would crumble: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety.  Our mishnah teaches things without which the world could stand but the political/societal structure would fall apart.  Without justice, truth and peace, the world be anarchical, full of danger. Justice:  the Rabbis also stated that any judge who judges correctly is a partner with God in creation.  Creating a just world is one of the responsibilities of all human beings, Jew and non-Jew alike. Truth:  Some commentators understand this as speaking truthfully to one’s fellow human being.  Others understand this as a recognition of God. Peace:  Without peace, even if a person has personal wealth and all of the material things he needs, he will not be able to enjoy them, for war will tear apart his life.  Proper Torah study is also impossible to fulfill in times of strife and war.  This statement can also be understood as peace between the people of Israel, as was learned in mishnah twelve. The Palestinian Talmud comments that these are all actually connected.  If there is justice, there will be truth and if there are truth and justice there will be peace. That is why all three are learned from one verse.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Rabbi  Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others.And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments.Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby.Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.“Rabbi” in the Mishnah without a name refers to Rabbi Judah Hanasi (the Prince), the son of Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.  He lived in a city called Beth Shearim, afterwards in Beth Shean and at the end of his life he moved to Tzippori.  Rabbi acquired eternal fame as the editor of the Mishnah.Note that this mishnah through mishnah seven of this chapter continues a list of statements made by descendents of Hillel, whose first statement was in mishnah twelve of the previous chapter.All of Rabbi’s statements deal in one way or another with the reward that one receives for one’s good deeds and the punishments for transgressions.  Rabbi is dealing with the question, how does a person choose a path in life based on the rewards and losses that may come to him through choosing this path.  Note that some of these rewards may be the recognition that he receives from others but that usually Rabbi refers to a reward given by God.The first thing that Rabbi teaches is that a person should choose a path that is both honorable to himself, and will bring him honor from others.  Maimonides understood this as advice to take the “golden mean”, the middle path, in all aspects of life.  For instance if a person has a lot of money and hoards it all for himself, it might bring honor (pleasure) to him, but if he doesn’t give any to others, others will not praise him. And if he gives all of his money away, others will praise him, but he will not have any for himself.  Therefore, one should choose an in-between path (between 10 and 20 percent of one’s money), both in this matter and in all things in life.  Another understanding of this statement is that one should strive to choose a path that he himself believes is correct and one which is deemed correct by others.  A person must be true both to himself, but he can also not afford to ignore the society in which he lives.The second statement is that one should be careful in the observance of commandments that seem to him “light” just as he is careful in the observance of what he considers more serious commandments.  There is an interesting parable given on this statement.  “R. Hiyya taught by way of parable:  “A king brought laborers into one of his orchards, but did not inform them in advance what would be the compensation for the respective plants they would cultivate.  For had he given them this information, each of them would have looked for that plant for which the compensation was generous and taken care of it.  As a result only some of the work in the orchard would have been taken care of; some would have been neglected.  Said Rabbi Acha in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana:  The Holy One did not reveal what would be the reward for the different commandments of the Torah, lest only some of these be carried out, while some would be neglected.”The third statement teaches that one should pay attention to the reward that one might receive for performing a commandment, even though there is a financial loss through its performance.  The same is true of the opposite.  Although one might make a financial gain by committing a sin, there is a loss that is worse than the financial gain.  Obviously the reward referred to in the first half of Rabbi’s statement and the loss in the second half are referring to those meted out by God.All of the above statements were based upon the belief that God rewards those who perform the commandments and punishes those who transgress.  [Note this statement is a matter of faith; it cannot be empirically observed in this world].  This is the direct meaning of Rabbi’s last statement.  God (figuratively) sees all of our actions, hears all of our words, and records them in a book.  A person should always act as if he is in the presence of God.  If he keeps that in mind he will distance himself from sin.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi said: excellent is the study of the torah when combined with a worldly occupation, for toil in them both keeps sin out of one’s mind;But [study of the] Torah which is not combined with a  worldly occupation, in the end comes to be neglected and becomes the cause of sin.And all who labor with the community, should labor with them for the sake Heaven, for the merit of their forefathers sustains them (the, and their (the forefather’ righteousness endures for ever; And as for you, [God in such case says] I credit you with a rich reward, as if you [yourselves] had [actually] accomplished [it all].Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi, is chronologically the last patriarch mentioned in Mishnah Avoth.  Although he lived after what is normally termed the “tannaitic period” some of his statements were nevertheless included in the Mishnah.  Note how this tanna’s name is slightly different.  Instead of calling him “Rabban Gamaliel ben Judah” as is typical, he is called Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi.  This probably alludes to the high status of his father.The first part of Rabban Gamaliel’s statement is connected to the last part of Rabbi Judah Hanasi’s statement from the previous mishnah:  how does one avoid sin?  Rabban Gamaliel teaches that the study of Torah is not sufficient to avoid sin, rather one should have a worldly profession as well.  Together the two will keep a person busy enough that he will not have the energy to sin.  This statement might also mean that because of his Torah study he will know what he is supposed to do, and because he works for his living, he will not have to steal or engage in fraudulent practices to earn money.A person who only studies and does not work, will in the end not even be able to reap the rewards of his study.  A person must somehow earn his daily bread.  Furthermore, such a lifestyle will ultimately lead to sin.The third statement probably also connects to the previous two.  People who work with the community should do so for the right reasons, “for the sake of Heaven” and not for their own personal glory or profit.  This also seems to be a warning against those teachers who might combine their Torah learning with their professional work.  If they do so they must be careful that all of their actions are for the right reasons: to guide people in the right direction, and to bring Torah more deeply into more people’s lives, and not so they can have the benefits of being called “rabbi” or the profit of a nice salary.Rabban Gamaliel points out that one who succeeds in working with the community should not chalk this solely up to his/her personal talents.  The Jewish community has merits by the very fact of their being the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose righteousness is bequeathed to all of the people of Israel.  Nevertheless, although the success of the community is not truly based on the efforts of the community’s leaders, God says to the leaders that for their efforts they receive reward as if the community’s successes were their personal successes.  In other words in a leader’s own mind he must be careful not to give himself the credit.  However, God does count the tremendous sacrifices that community leaders give, and treats them as if they themselves had performed the good deeds of the community.  Furthermore, even if a leader’s efforts do not result in an improvement of the community, they will receive a reward as if they had.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  Another statement by Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi.
  Be careful [in your dealings] with the ruling authorities for they do not befriend a person except for their own needs; they seem like friends when it is to their own interest, but they do not stand by a man in the hour of his distress. This is the second time in Avoth that we have seen a warning to be careful in dealing with the ruling authorities.  The first time was Shemaiah’s statement in 1:10: “love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority.”  According to Midrash Shmuel, Rabban Gamaliel is adding on to this statement.  One should “love work”, only when it is accompanied with Torah (see the previous mishnah).  One need not avoid all positions of leadership, only those that are not for the sake of Heaven.  Finally, Rabban Gamaliel realized that it is impossible to totally avoid the ruling authorities, but one should at least be careful, for they only look out for their own interest. This mishnah might connect to the previous mishnah, in that a person who has communal responsibilities will often find himself dealing with politicians.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  He used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His. Set aside your will in the face of His will, so that he may set aside the will of others for the sake of your will.Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge not your fellow man until you have reached his place. Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure.The first half of this mishnah contains another statement by Rabban Gamaliel, the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi.  The second half of the mishnah returns to the statements of Hillel, whose statements were already taught in the previous chapter.  The reason that the mishnah goes back to Hillel, is that he was the teacher of Rabban Johanan ben Zakai, whose statements are taught beginning in mishnah eight.  The interruption of Hillel’s statements was done in order to bring all of the patriarchs from Hillel’s line together.One way of understanding Rabban Gamaliel’s statement is that a person should do God’s will with such fervor that it is as if it is his own will.  In that way a person’s will will be done for him by God.  The first half of Rabban Gamaliel’s statement deals with positive commandments, those which a person “does” and the second half, “set aside your will” etc., deals with negative commandments, those things that a person should refrain from doing.  A person should negate his own desires before the commandments given by God.  In this way God will protect him against the evil designs of other people.  The last half of this statement can also be understood as referring in a respectful way to God.  That is to say, God will annul God’s own will to punish human beings, if that human being performs God’s will.  Understood in this way, the overall message is one of the unity of the divine and human will.  As one commentator (Rabbi Jonah) said, “There should be no distinction between the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, and one’s own will.  Both should be the same.”Do not separate yourself from the community.  Hillel’s first statement means that a person should join the community for both its celebrations and for its trials and tribulations.  This also has been understand as the reason for praying together as a community.  For when one prays by himself, he might ask for things that are detrimental to some.  But the community only prays for things which are of benefit to everybody.  A reed on its own is easily broken but a bundle of reeds standing together cannot be broken even by the strongest winds.Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death:  do not be sure of your righteousness until the day of your death, for a person can lose a lifetime of merit by doing the wrong things at the end of his life.  This lesson is learned from John Hyrcanus, the high priest from the Hasmonean dynasty who at the end of his life became a Sadducee.Do not judge not your fellow man until you have reached his place:  just as you cannot be sure of your own merits, all the more so you can not be sure of the merits and liabilities of your fellow.  You do not know what you would do were you in his situation.  A clever interpretation of this statement offered by the Meiri is that if one sees a person outside of his city and you find him full of extraordinary virtues, do not conclude that this is his true personality.  You can only judge his character by seeing if he acts the same way in “his place”.Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood:  a person should make his words clear from the outset, and not speak or write in an unclear manner.  Although in the end the matter might be cleared up, in the meanwhile the listener might make mistakes.Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure:  this is similar to the statement that Hillel made in chapter one, mishnah fourteen, “if not now, when?”  A person cannot delay studying Torah, saying that he will never have the opportunity to learn.  Thus Shammai stated, “make your Torah study a fixed practice” despite your being extremely busy.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  This statement of Hillel’s is about virtue and Torah learning.
  He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person pious; nor can a timid person learn, nor can an impatient person teach; nor will someone who engages too much in business become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man. A brute is not sin-fearing:  a “brute” is one who is not learned at all and has no or moral virtue.  However, he is not inherently evil.  Since he does not have any intellectual capacity, he does not know what are virtues and what are vices, hence he does not fear sin. Nor is an ignorant person pious:  An “ignorant person” the “am ha-aretz” is one who has not learned Torah.  This type of person can have fear of sin, because he is able to distinguish wrong from right.  However, he cannot be pious a “hasid”. Nor can a timid person learn:  Now that Hillel has emphasized how important Torah learning is towards the creation of a virtuous person, he discusses how a person can learn.  A person who is too timid to admit to what he doesn’t know cannot learn.  When in a class, if a teacher asks “did you understand?” the student who did not understand must respond that he did not.  This statement also means that it is never to late to begin learning Torah.  A person should not be intimidated by the fact that s/he reached a mature age and has not learned Torah.  Rather, they should be like Rabbi Akiva, who didn’t begin learning until he was 40! Nor can an impatient person teach:  The flip side to the previous statement is that an impatient person cannot teach.  A teacher must listen to his/her students’ questions, even if those questions are not good questions.  An impatient teacher will scare off students, intimidate them and be detrimental to their learning. Nor will someone who engages too much in business becomes wise:  A person who spends all of his life engaged in business, will not have the requisite time to acquire wisdom.  Rather a person must strike a balance between his work and his learning. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man:  Where there is no one else to take the initiative and assume responsibility, a person should take the leadership upon himself.  This person is not considered haughty, but rather responsible.  This also can be connected to the issue of learning.  Where there is no one to teach you Torah, you are not excused from your duty of Torah learning.  You must still try your best to learn what Torah you can on your own.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This saying of Hillel’s is in Aramaic, as was his saying in chapter one, mishnah thirteen.  Note that what in English requires 18 words, requires in Aramaic only six.
  Moreover he saw a skull floating on the face of the water. He said to it: because you drowned others, they drowned you.  And in the end, they that drowned you will be drowned. This mishnah expresses Hillel’s deep faith in the ultimate justice of the world.  In the end everyone receives not only a punishment for their crimes, but the exact punishment that fits their crimes.  The person who drowned others is not only punished by being killed as a murderer, but he receives the same type of death that he meted out to others. Although this may seem to be a statement purely of faith, one not empirically observable, Maimonides points out that it is borne out by experience all of the time and in all places.  People who do evil and introduce violence and corruption into society, fall eventually as victims to the very violence that they perpetuated.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Do you think that there is any specific symbolism to the skull and water?  If so, what?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Do you think that there is any specific symbolism to the skull and water?  If so, what?
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the last of Hillel’s statements in this list.  In it he preaches the living of a simple life, devoted not to fame and material acquisitions but to the study of Torah.
  He used to say: The more flesh, the more worms; The more property, the more anxiety; The more wives, the more witchcraft; The more female slaves, the more lewdness; The more slaves, the more robbery; [But] the more Torah, the more life; The more sitting [in the company of scholars], the more wisdom; The more counsel, the more understanding; The more charity, the more peace. If one acquires a good name, he has acquired something for himself; If one acquires for himself knowledge of torah, he has acquired life in the world to come. The more flesh, the more worms:  In our times being overweight is not a sign of wealth (and is often just the opposite).  In contrast in ancient times obesity was a sign of wealth; it meant that one had the financial means to eat in excess.  Hillel points out that in the end, the fat accumulated through wealth only turns into food for the worms when the body is buried.  In other words, unlike Torah, which Hillel will later state takes a person into the next world, material gains become food for worms at the time of death. The more property, the more anxiety:  A rich person may have more property, but that property is accompanied by more worries over its preservation. The more wives, the more witchcraft:  Witchcraft was associated primarily with women.  This is why the prohibition of sorcery in the Torah (Exodus 22:17) uses the feminine word for witch. The more female slaves, the more lewdness:  Throughout rabbinic literature, female slaves are considered to have lax sexual morality.  In truth this was probably because their masters took liberties with them.  In any case, although the possession of many female slaves may be a sign of wealth, the more that one has, the more likely that they will lead him into temptation and lewdness. The more slaves, the more robbery:  Male slaves were often not trusted.  Some slaves became slaves because they were sold to pay off debts incurred while robbing ohers. [But] the more Torah, the more life:  In this section, Hillel begins to list those things whose accumulation is beneficial.  This first statement is the counterpart of the first statement above, “the more flesh the more worms”.  Torah prolongs a man’s days in this world and in the world to come. The more sitting [in the company of scholars], the more wisdom:  In order to gain wisdom a disciple needs to join a group of scholars. The more counsel, the more understanding:  Similarly, a person who wishes to truly understand, must ask advice and counsel of those who know more than he. The more charity, the more peace:  According to Hillel, the best way to bring peace in the world was to strive for economic justice through charity. If one acquires a good name, he has acquired something for himself:  Unlike the material possessions, which Hillel so disparages in the first section of his statement, he does consider a good name to be of great value. If one acquires for himself knowledge of torah, he has acquired life in the world to come:  Even greater than a good name, is the knowledge of Torah, which goes with a person even into the next world.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah returns to the list of the “receivers” of the oral tradition.  Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, who received from Hillel and Shammai, was the patriarch who survived the destruction of the Second Temple and escaped to Yavneh, where he helped the Jewish people continue to exist despite the great trauma they had just suffered.  The legend is told that he escaped the besieged Jerusalem in a coffin and requested that Vespasion, the future Roman emperor, save Yavneh and its sages.
  According to a legend, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai was the least of Hillel’s 80 students.
  The reason that Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai’s words were not brought in their correct chronological place is that the editor of the Mishnah wanted to first teach all of the words of the descendents of Hillel, who also served as patriarchs.  The Mishnah now returns to Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai and will proceed in subsequent mishnayoth with statements of his students.
  Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created.  A person should not take credit for himself for learning Torah, but rather should realize that the study of Torah is the purpose of his creation.  This idea is also mentioned in a midrash that teaches that God made a stipulation that if Israel does not study Torah, He will wipe the world out of existence.  Another explanation of this statement is that if a person has learned much Torah, he should not merely give credit to himself, rather he is obligated to teach others.
  Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah   happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force.  We should note that the first two rabbis on this list, Rabbis Joshua and Eliezer, are two of the most famous rabbis that lived in the generation of the destruction of the Temple and they are found in many places in the mishnah.  The other three rabbis are much less known. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai lists the qualities of each of his five students.  Rabbi Eliezer is known for his fantastic memory.  In general Rabbi Eliezer is known to be an archconservative sage, one whose main goal was to preserve the Torah that he had received from his teachers.  He is not an innovator.  Rabbi Joshua is known for his great kindness, and therefore Rabban Yohanan says how happy his mother must have been.  Rabbi Yose is pious, meaning he goes beyond the letter of the law.  Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel fear sin and distances himself from it by creating “fences” around the Torah.  Rabbi Elazar ben Arach was known for his great intelligence and creativity which made him like an ever-increasing fountain.  Note that this is the contrast to Rabbi Eliezer, the conservative, who appears in the beginning of the list of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai’s students.
  He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.  As noted Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach are opposite characters, the first representing conservatism and the second innovation.  The battle between conservatism and innovation was an important ideological struggle during this time in Jewish history, with some claiming that now that the Temple had been destroyed there was a need to concentrate on the preservation of that which was received from previous generations and others claiming that now that the Temple was destroyed innovation was an imperative.  This ideological dispute is borne out in the last section of the mishnah.  According to Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai the conservative sage, Rabbi Eliezer, is the most essential to the Jewish people.  [This is interesting because Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai was known to be a great innovator himself]. Abba Shaul, a later sage, disagrees with this assessment and states that Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, the ever-increasing spring, is the most essential to the survival of the Jewish people and the oral Torah.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains interactions between Rabban Yohanan and his five students.  One interesting thing is that it shows one way in which rabbinic masters taught there students.  Rabban Yohanan sends them out on assignments and then evaluates their work when they return.
  He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.  The first question that Rabban Yohanan asks his students is what is the best quality that a person can acquire to lead himself to righteousness. Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye:  this refers to a person who does not begrudge his fellow his good fortune.  He is satisfied with what he has and he is not constantly “eyeing” what others have. Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion:  the ability to befriend a fellow human being teaches a person to be compassion and caring for all of humanity. Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor:  Rabbi Yose says that a person must make himself a good neighbor.  Although he can be a neighbor to only a small number of people, if everyone would strive to be a good neighbor, the world would be a much-improved place.   A person does not have to set out to fix the whole world on his own.  He begins by improving his own backyard, with the hope that others will follow his example and improve their “neighborhoods”. Alternatively there are those who explain that Rabbi Joshua says that a person should acquire for himself a good companion, who will aid him in acts of righteousness.  Rabbi Yose says that a person should seek good neighbors, who will positively influence his own actions. Rabbi Shimon said, foresight:  a person should always think ahead and contemplate what will be the results of his actions. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart:  a good heart, which according to ancient thought was the seat of one’s thoughts (and not feelings as it is thought of today) is interpreted in several different ways.  Maimonides explained it to mean that a person’s conduct should follow the golden mean.  Since this is the ideal behavior, Rabban Yohanah said that it was inclusive of all of the others’ words.  Rabbi Jonah said that it means one who doesn’t easily lose his temper. Rabban Yohanan prefers the words of Rabbi Elazar “a good heart” because one who has a good heart will be all of the other things mentioned by the other students.  He will be a good friend, a good neighbor, generous to his fellow human beings and he will think his actions through to the end.
  He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.  Most of this section is merely the opposite to the first part of the previous section.  I will comment only on Rabbi Shimon.  The worst evil according to Rabbi Shimon is a debtor who does not pay back his debts.  In some ways this negative quality is the opposite of the positive quality he mentioned in section one, foresight.  A person who does not pay back his debts does not realize that in the future no one will trust him.  Rabbi Shimon does not say that the “evil way” is “one who lacks foresight” because the lack of foresight in and of itself is not evil.  One might lack foresight and still strive to do the right thing. There is a midrash added to Rabbi Shimon’s statement here.  Not paying back one’s debts is not only a sin against one’s fellow man, but it is a sin against God as well.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Introduction
  The Mishnah now begins to list the sayings of the students of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai, each of whom said three things.  The first student is Rabbi Eliezer.  The second half of this mishnah is not part of the original list but a later addition to the mishnah.  This is why there are actually four sayings in the mishnah.
  Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own:  this is similar to the famous saying of Rabbi Akiva, “what is hateful to you, do not do to others.”  A person should be as careful about the honor of his fellow as he is about his own honor.  Another explanation of this statement is that if one sees that his close friend is being honored, instead of being jealous of his friend, he should enjoy that honor as if it was his own. And be not easily provoked to anger:  according to the rabbis, anger brings one to sin and to forget one’s Torah learning. And repent one day before your death:  since a person does not know when he will die, this statement means that one should constantly be repenting, lest he die.  One commentator explains that this is the reason that people do not know how long they will live.  If a person knew he was about to die, he would not engage in anything useful in this world; if he knew his day of death was far off, he would not engage in good works, for he would say, “There is still time”.
  And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire.  If a person comes to learn Torah, he must treat that Torah as if it were a dangerous, yet beneficial fire.  Just as a person who sits by a campfire sits as close as he can without getting burned, so too a student of Torah should draw as near as possible without coming too close and thereby being burned.  Mixing his metaphors, Rabbi Eliezer likens the words of the sages to the bite of a fox, the sting of a scorpion, the hiss of a snake and flaming coals.  This mishnah points out the awesome power of Torah, which can both heal and warm a person, and yet at the same time burn and destroy.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world. Rabbi Joshua lists three things that “put a man of the world”.  The first is an evil eye, which was already mentioned by Rabbi Joshua as the worst human quality in mishnah nine.  One who has an “evil eye” is one who is constantly begrudging others what they have.  One who loses control over his “evil inclination” is one who follows all of his base instincts and has no control over himself.  “Hatred for humankind” means that he hates others for no reason.  According to Rabbi Joshua all of these things “put a person of the world”.  An interesting way of explaining this mishnah is that it describes the downward moral spiral of a deteriorating human being.  He begins by being constantly jealous of what others have.  This leads him to stumble upon his evil inclination, for he may actually take what others have.  By giving in to his evil inclination he will begin to hate the entire world, and in essence he will not be part of the civilized world.
  
  Mishnah 12
  
  Rabbi Yose said:Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own;Make yourself fit to study torah for it will not be yours by inheritance;And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of heaven.Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own:  a person should take care of his fellows’ property as it were his own.  For instance, if you see a fire on your friend’s property you must help him protect his property.   This principle is learned from the Torah which teaches that one has a responsibility to return lost objects to their rightful owners.  From here the general principle is deduced that a person has a responsibility over his friend’s property.Make yourself fit to study torah for it will not be yours by inheritance:  while the Torah might in some ways be the “inheritance” of the Jewish people it is not acquired automatically, the way that an inheritance is.  Just because your father, or nowadays your mother, was a scholar of Torah does not mean that you will become one as well.  A person must labor over Torah, and push himself to study.This statement is also a statement against the concept of fate.  A person is not born “fated” to be a Torah scholar, or indeed anything else.  Rather a person works to shape his future; he must prepare himself for all that he will do in life.  First and foremost, he must prepare himself to study Torah.And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of Heaven:  this means that even ordinary actions that a person does, such as eating, drinking, sitting down, getting up, walking, lying down, sexual intercourse, conversation and all bodily needs, should be done in such a way that serves God.  All things that one does should lead to the improvement of his relationship to God and of his moral character.
  
  Mishnah 13
  
  Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem. Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer:  the “Shema” and the “prayer” which is known today as the “amidah” or the “shmoneh esreh” are the two central elements to Jewish prayer.  The “Shema” consists of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41.  It is recited in the morning and in the evening.  The “prayer” is recited three times a day on weekdays, four times a day on Shabbat and holidays mentioned in the Torah, and five times on Yom Kippur.  It contains praises of God and requests.  Rabbi Shimon teaches that a person should be careful to say these things the correct number of times and at the right time of day. And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God:  this statement balances out the previous statement.  One must be careful to recite prayers at the correct times but prayer can nevertheless not become automatic.  It must be a genuine plea for compassion before God, and not a mere recital of words that someone else composed.  This is the great challenge of Jewish prayer:  it has strict laws as to what must be said and when, and yet it is supposed to be a spontaneous outpouring from a person’s heart.  The idea of spontaneous/fixed prayer and the tension between the two is one of the most unique aspects of Jewish prayer. And be not wicked in your own esteem:  do not do something which you yourself know to be wrong, though others do not recognize the truth.  Another interpretation is that a person should not regard himself as wicked, for that will lead to despair.  A person should look upon himself as half-wicked, half-good; far from perfection but close enough to having his good side outweigh his bad side.  In this way he will always be motivated to do one more good deed, to “put himself over the top”. According to Maimonides this teaches that if a man thinks of himself as mean, he will not hesitate to act mean to others.  Having a positive image of oneself helps one be a better person.
  
  Mishnah 14
  
  Rabbi Elazar said:Be diligent in the study the torah;And know how to answer an epicuros,And know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.Be diligent in the study the torah:  diligence can either mean quick and energetic or it can mean regularity and faithful attendance.And know how to answer an epicuros:  a person should learn Torah in order to answer the questions of an epicuros.  An epicuros is explained several different ways in the Talmud.  He may be one who denies that there is a God, or one who denies that the Torah is of divine origin, or that , or one who despises Torah scholars.  The origin of the term is the name of the Greek philosopher Epicurus, who taught that the ultimate goal of life is to pursue the pleasures of this world.  He emphasized that the gods have nothing to do with human affairs.  Rabbi Elazar teaches that one should know the Torah well enough to be able to engage in a debate with the epicuros.  Interestingly, some commentators say that this is the reason that Jews are allowed to study Greek philosophy, for in order to know how to refute them with their own words, one must be learned in their works.And know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor:  this is connected to the previous statement, the rejection of the epicuros.  A Jew must have faith in the ultimate reward and punishment for his actions.  This is indeed one of Maimonides principles of Jewish faith.  Unlike Greek philosophy which did not conceive of a God who was involved in the moral affairs of human beings, a God who was at most a “primal cause”, Jews believe in a God that intimately cares about how they act.  The “toil” that a Jew does is before God, and not before an empty void.
  
  Mishnah 15
  
  Introduction
  Up until this point the statements in Avoth have been organized mostly according to chronological order, with a few minor excursions that also serve the overall order.  From this point and onwards the statements are not in chronological order.  The general order of the remainder of the tractate is more difficult to discern.
  The reason that Rabbi Tarfon’s statement is brought here is its similarity to the statement of Rabbi Elazar in the previous mishnah.  Both compare the Torah to “labor” and both talk about the reward for performing this labor.
  Rabbi Tarfon was also a student of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, but younger than the others.  He was one of the leading sages in Yavneh, after the destruction of the Temple.
  Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent. Rabbi Tarfon compares the study of Torah to pressing matters of work.  There is never enough time, because our lives are so short.  There is so much Torah to be learned and relearned that a person could never truly learn it all in his lifetime.  The laborers are indolent and put off the study of Torah and instead engage themselves in other matters.  The reward for the study of Torah is great, and the master is pressing his workers to work harder, as it says in Joshua 1:8, “and you shall meditate upon it night and day”. Rabbenu Jonah makes an interesting parable.  He teaches that when Moses went up to Sinai he did not sleep at all.  Compare this to a king who said to his servant:  “Count gold pieces from now until tomorrow, and whatever you count off will be yours.”  How can such a person sleep?  Why the time he spent in sleep he would be losing a fortune! So said Moses, “If I go to sleep, how many precious words of Torah I would lose!”
  
  Mishnah 16
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah is a continuation of Rabbi Tarfon’s statement in the previous mishnah.
  He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come. It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it:  although Rabbi Tarfon has already stated that the work is great and the day is short, this is not a cause for despair.  It is not our duty to “finish” the study of Torah, but only to push ourselves to continue in this endeavor.  A person must engage in study to the best of his abilities.  There is a parable made about a king who hires workers to fill in a gigantic hole.  The foolish worker takes a look at the hole and says, “How can I ever finish this?”  The intelligent worker says to himself, “I was only hired for a day, at least I have found work.”  Thus God says to his people, “You are all only hired for your day.  Do your day’s work and do not worry about the rest”. The end of the mishnah repeats a message that we have heard many times, that the study of Torah will bring reward and that God is faithful to pay this reward.  However, the end of the statement reminds us that rewards are not received in this world.  A person who fulfills the commandments and studies Torah as he is commanded to do and yet does not receive a reward should not despair and lose faith in God, for the reward is not received in this lifetime.  We should probably remind ourselves of Antigonus’s statement in chapter one, mishnah three.  Although the rabbis emphasize the reward for learning Torah, we are warned not to serve God in order to receive this reward. Note that there are different explanations for “the world to come” and it is obviously not a concept that human beings can truly grasp, for no human can ever achieve true knowledge of the “world to come”.  All of the statements made by Rabbis about the world to come are only meant to be understood as allegories and parables and not taken literally.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  Akabyah ben Mahalalel lived in the time of Hillel, before the destruction of the Temple.  We learned about the conflicts that this sage had with the other sages in Eduyoth 5:6-7.
  Akabyah ben Mahalalel said: mark well three  things and you will not come into the power of sin: Know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. From where do you come?   From a putrid drop. Where are you going?   To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot. Before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning?    Before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he. Akabyah ben Mahalalel teaches a strategy whereby a person can avoid the clutches of sin.  A person should first of all remember his humble origins, a drop of semen.  In Avoth de-Rabbi Nathan, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar teaches a parable:  to what may this be likened?  To a king who built a large palace and decorated it, but a tannery pipe led through it and emptied at its doorway.  Says every passerby: “How handsome and magnificent this palace would be if it were not for the tannery pipe coming through it!”  So too is man.  If then, with a foul stream issuing from his bowels, he exalts himself over other creatures, how much the more so would he exalt himself over other creatures if a stream of precious oil, balsam or ointment issued from him!. Where are you going?   To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot:  remembering that the end of all human beings is the same, and that in the end we will all go to our graves, keeps a person humble and prevents him from greedily seeking material gain. About this mishnah Maimonides comments, “Reflection on his origin will lead a man to humility.  When he contemplates his ultimate end, he will get to despise mundane matters.  And when he contemplates the majesty of the Commander, he will come to obey His commandments speedily.  And when a person succeeds in keeping his mind on these three things, he will sin no more.”
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  The first section of this mishnah contains a teaching of Rabbi Hanina who was the vice-high priest, (he would fill in for the high priest when he couldn’t serve).  Rabbi Hanina lived through the destruction of the Second Temple.  Perhaps there is a connection between his statement and the great political turmoil he witnessed during his lifetime.
  The second section contains the teaching of Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion, who was a contemporary of Rabbi Akiva’s.  He was martyred by the Romans during the Bar-Kochva revolt.  Legend has it that he was wrapped with a Torah scroll and then burned alive.  This legend is part of the Yom Kippur liturgy, contained in a section called the martyrology.
  Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive.  One should pray for the welfare of the government, even a non-Jewish government.  For without government anarchy reins, and people could not peacefully pursue their course of life.  Rabbi Hanina is aware that governments are not perfect, as he certainly was witness to the tyranny of being ruled by a foreign government.  Nevertheless, in this statement he recognizes that even the sometimes oppressive rule of the Roman is preferable to anarchy.
  R. Hananiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said:  “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward?   As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28).  From the verse in Psalms used as a prooftext we can see that the opposite of a gathering of scorners (synonymous with sinners) is a gathering for the study of Torah.  Therefore any gathering in which Torah study is completely absent is considered a gathering of scorners.  Furthermore, the statement is that there must be between them words of Torah. It is not sufficient that each studies or meditates upon Torah on his own. The words of Torah should be shared with others. However, even two people who gather to study Torah cause the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, to abide amongst them.  This is learned from the verse in Malachi, which implies that when the group of God-fearers gathered, God hearkened to their words, for He dwelled amongst them. Finally, even one who studies on his own, receives a reward for such study.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains the teaching of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a student of Rabbi Akiva’s.  It is brought here due to its topical connection to the previous mishnah.
  Note how important small gatherings are to the rabbis of this and the previous mishnah.  These were one of the ways that Torah was studied in the time of the Mishnah.  People would gather around in small circles, perhaps around a table, and learn Torah together.
  Rabbi Shimon said: if three have eaten at one table and have not spoken there words of Torah, [it is] as if they had eaten sacrifices [offered] to the dead, as it is said, “for all tables are full of filthy vomit, when the All-Present is absent” (Isaiah 28:8).  Rabbi Shimon’s first statement is based on a pun on the verse in Isaiah.  The literal translation of the verse according to JPS is, “Yea, all the tables are covered with vomit and filth so that no space is lift.”  The words “so that no space is lift” can also be interpreted to mean, “when the All-Present is absent” for the word for “All-Present” and “space” are one and the same.  Sacrifices to the dead are how Rabbi Shimon interprets the word “filthy vomit”.  The reason that he assumes that this is three is that a communal meal must have three.  This is also the minimum number that must be gathered in order to do a communal grace after meals “birkat hamazon”.
  But, if three have eaten at one table, and have spoken there words of Torah, [it is] as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be He, as it is said, “And He said unto me, ‘this is the table before the Lord’” (Ezekiel 41:2.  The verse in Ezekiel is discussing the altar, yet it refers to it as a “table”.  This fact is “midrashically” interpreted by Rabbi Shimon to mean that sometimes a normal table can become an altar.  This is so when the meal has been accompanied by the study of Torah.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakinai was one of Rabbi Akiva’s students.  According to legend he was also martyred.
  Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakinai said: one who wakes up at night, or walks on the way alone and turns his heart to idle matters, behold, this man is mortally guilty. One explanation for this statement is that nighttime is when demons are most active. So too, demons are especially present on the road.  The person who wakes up at night or who walks alone on the road is vulnerable to these demons (demons are less likely to attack two).  Therefore, if he is not engaged in the study of Torah, but rather in idle matters, he is liable to die.  In other words, this is a physically dangerous act.  [Many of us probably do not believe in demons.  Nevertheless there may be some deep psychological truth to this statement.  Waking up at night when no one else is around, or walking alone on a deserted path are times when a person is most likely to feel lonely and afraid.  The antidote for such fears is Torah.  Idle thoughts will only lead to more fear]. An alternative explanation for this statement is that these are golden opportunities to think about Torah.  One who wastes his time thinking about idle matters when he could be learning Torah is, at least metaphorically speaking, mortally guilty.  Maimonides actually teaches that the best time to learn, the time when a person is most likely to remember his studies, is at night.  We should note that Maimonides followed his own advice and is known to have barely slept.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah lived at the same time as Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai, that is around the time of the destruction of the Second Temple.
  Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah said: whoever takes upon himself the yoke of the Torah, they remove from him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns, and whoever breaks off from himself the yoke of the Torah, they place upon him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns. One interpretation of this statement is that one who takes upon himself the yoke of Torah, meaning he spends all of his time studying Torah, is not liable to pay taxes to the government, nor must he worry about earning a living for the Jewish community will make sure that he and his family are provided for.  Since Torah is such a high value to the Jewish community, the Jewish people are willing to relieve of their economic burdens if they wish to study Torah full time.  If, however, a person does not engage in Torah he must pay taxes and earn his living. Another possibility is that one who studies Torah will nevertheless need to work for a living as well, but his living will come to him so easily that he will have no trouble paying taxes or supporting those dependent on him.  In other words he will not feel that the government or his other worldly concerns are a “yoke” around his neck. The difference between this explanation and the previous one is that in this explanation God rewards the Torah scholar, whereas in the previous one the community rewarded the Torah scholar by supporting him.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Halafta was a student of Rabbi Meir (who himself was a student of Rabbi Akiva).  Kefar Hanania was a village on the border between the Lower and Upper Galillee.
  The most important aspect of this mishnah to note is its highly-crafted structure.  The mishnah begins by saying that God (the Shechinah) resides only when ten are gathered together to study Torah.  If the mishnah were to have stopped here one would think that any lesser number of people studying Torah do not merit the Shechinah’s presence.  However, the mishnah continues to lower the number until at the end it reaches the climax:  even one who studies Torah merits the presence of the Shechinah.  Since the idea of this mishnah is not difficult, and has been presented in previous mishnayoth, we will only explain now the use of the Biblical prooftexts.
  Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “God stands in the congregation of God” (Psalm 82:.  The word “congregation” is understood to refer to a minimum of ten.  See Sanhedrin 1:6 which makes reference to Numbers 14:27.
  How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said: “This band of His He has established on earth” (Amos 9:6).  The word “band” is understood to mean five, for a “band” is what is gathered in a person’s hand which has five fingers.
  How do we know that the same is true even of three? As it is said: “In the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalm 82:1)  The minimum number of judges for a court is three.
  How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard” (Malachi 3:16).  This verse, which uses the plural, must refer to at least two people.  Note that the same verse was used in a similar manner above in mishnah two of this chapter.
  How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said: “In every place where I cause my name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21).  Although this is not apparent from the English, the Hebrew uses the second person singular form of you.  Therefore it must mean that God will cause his presence to be with even a singular person who “mentions” His name by studying Torah.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  The first statement in our mishnah is from Rabbi Elazar of Bartotha, a colleague of Rabbi Akiva’s.
  The second statement in this mishnah is attributed to Rabbi Shimon, but this is probably a mistake in the printed edition of the mishnah.  The real author of the statement is Rabbi Jacob, who was one of Rabbi Judah Hanasi’s teachers.
  Rabbi Elazar of Bartotha said: give to Him of that which is His, for you and that which is yours is His; and thus it says with regards to David: “for everything comes from You, and from Your own hand have we given you” (I Chronicles 29:14).  Rabbi Elazar preaches that one should not be stingy in giving any form of charity (tzedakah), be it charity to the poor or any of the potential donations to the Temple (or nowadays Jewish organizations) for in the end everything comes from God.  According to a story in the Talmud, Rabbi Elazar did not only preach this, but fulfilled it himself.  Whenever the charity collectors saw him they would run away because he would always give them everything that he owned.
  Rabbi Jacob said: if one is studying while walking on the road and interrupts his study and says, “how fine is this tree!” [or] “how fine is this newly ploughed field!” scripture accounts it to him as if he was mortally guilty.  Rabbi Jacob’s statement is one of the more memorable statements (at least in my mind) in all of Avoth.  What seems to be an innocuous appreciation of nature or human agricultural work, is turned by Rabbi Jacob into a mortal sin.  Studying Torah is so important in the eyes of the rabbis that one must allow no distractions, even something as innocent as a tree or field. Note that the term “mortally guilty” was also used above in mishnah four.  However, there, where the person woke at night or walked alone on the road and didn’t learn Torah, he was actually “mortally guilty”. Here in our mishnah it is only “as if he was mortally guilty”.  For at least this person mixed the studying of Torah with other things, as opposed to the one mentioned in mishnah four who neglected Torah study altogether.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Dostai’s teaching is a continuation of the previous mishnah.  Whereas there the topic was one who interrupts his learning, here the topic is one who forgets that which he has already learned.
  Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: whoever forgets one word of his study, scripture accounts it to him as if he were mortally guilty, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes” (Deuteronomy 4:9). One could [have inferred that this is the case] even when his study proved [too] hard for him, therefore scripture says, “that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live” (ibid.). Thus, he is not mortally guilty unless he deliberately removes them from his heart. The problem of forgetting that which one has already learned is one of the most serious problems that the rabbis encountered.  Although we have the Mishnah in front of us in a book, for the rabbis who lived during this period the Mishnah and the Talmud and all of their works were oral.  Therefore one had to repeat his learning frequently in order to commit it to memory.  Indeed the meaning of the word “mishnah” is to teach through repetition.  One who forgets his learning is in some ways worse than one who has never learned, because the one who forgets had knowledge at one point but was careless in its preservation. The second half of Rabbi Dostai’s statement is an essential reservation on the first half.  One who has trouble learning, but genuinely tries his best, is not to be faulted for his forgetfulness.  Rabbi Dostai recognizes that remembering the complicated oral Torah is not easy, and that not all people are built for such types of intellectual activity.  Therefore he clarifies that only one who forgets out of negligence or on purpose neglects his study is mortally guilty. Perhaps I should emphasize here to those who have been learning Mishnah Yomit for some time that review of the material is as important, if not more important, than continuing to learn new material.  By reviewing that which you have already learned your background in Jewish learning will increase.  By analogy, think how much better you remember a movie after you have seen it two or three times.  Reading through mishnayoth which you learned in the past is essential.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, the author of this mishnah, was famous for his righteousness and for his close connection to God, a connection so close that God directly answered his prayers.  For instance, the following story is told of him in the Talmud (Berachot 34b):  It happened that Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa went to study Torah with Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai. The son of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai fell ill. He said to him: Hanina my son, pray for him that he may live. He put his head between his knees and prayed for him and he lived. Said Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai: If Ben Zakkai had stuck his head between his knees for the whole day, no notice would have been taken of him. Said his wife to him: Is Hanina greater than you are? He replied to her: No; but he is like a servant before the king (who has permission to visit the king at any time), and I am like a nobleman before a king (who only visits at appointed times).”  For a further reference see Mishnah Berachot 5:5.
  This mishnah clearly reflects Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa’s righteous qualities and his concern with instilling them in others.
  Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said: anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom is not enduring.  According to Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa a person who does not fear sin before he begins learning Torah, will not have his learning endure.  In other words, his fear of sin must be what leads him to study and not his study lead him to fear of sin. Rabbi Hanina is saying that the purely intellectual study of Torah, a type of study that does not have an impact on one’s character, will not last.  Maimonides extrapolated this to mean that proper moral behavior will lead to proper intellectual pursuit.  However, one who pursues evil and is a great sinner, but hopes that his study will bring him to better deeds, will not succeed even in his study. Others comment on this mishnah that practice of the commandments is what leads to proper belief.  One does not begin practicing Judaism by learning dogma or creed.  One begins by the performance of the commandments and only then follows up with learning about them.
  He [also] used to say: anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom is not enduring.  This statement is similar to the previous one, except here Rabbi Hanina talks about works and not the fear of sin.  Furthermore, whereas in the previous section he talked about chronological development, here he talks about a quantitative comparison.  A person whose works exceed his knowledge, will retain his knowledge.  However, a person whose knowledge exceeds his works, meaning he knows what he should do but does not carry it out, will in the end not retain his learning. Note that the worst consequence in these mishnayoth is forgetfulness.  The punishment is not that he will be judged unfavorably by God, but that he will not remember that which he learned.  As I mentioned in the previous mishnah, this is one of the great fears that the rabbis often had.  In a culture where learning is basically oral, the fear of forgetfulness is omnipresent.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Introduction
  The first half of the mishnah is another statement of Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, the author of the previous mishnah.  The second half of the mishnah is from Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas, a contemporary of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai.
  He used to say: one with whom men are pleased, God is pleased.  But anyone from whom men are displeased, God is displeased.  God’s approval or disapproval with a person is dependent upon the way that person acts with other human beings.  If the person helps his fellow neighbor and performs acts of charity and loving kindness, not only are people pleased with him, but God is as well.  However, if a person is not kind to others, and does not speak with them in a gentle manner, God is displeased with him even if he is a great scholar. One interesting note that a commentator on the mishnah made is that the mishnah speaks of him “with whom men are pleased” and not “all men are pleased” for there is no person who is pleasing to everyone.
  Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas said: morning sleep, midday wine, children’s talk and sitting in the assemblies of the ignorant put a man out of the world.  According to Rabbi Dosa, a person should not sleep late in the morning, for that is a waste of time.  Keep in mind that before electric light was invented people went to sleep much earlier than they do now.  Sleeping late in the morning was therefore truly oversleeping and a waste of time.  Drinking wine during the middle of the day is also a sign of laziness, for it will make one sluggish and less productive during his waking hours.  Speaking with children, while it may be fun, diverts one from engaging in higher pursuits (note that this is not directed at those educating the children).  Finally, engaging in pointless gatherings of the uneducated is not proper behavior for one who wants to lead a life of Torah.  This would include something like sitting and loitering on street corners.  All of these things “take a person out of the world”.  This is a phrase we saw in chapter two, mishnah eleven.  I understand this as meaning that they cause a person to lose the precious time he has on this earth, by wasting it with meaningless activity.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Elazar of our mishnah was from Modiin (which is where I live!), the ancestral home of the Hasmoneans (Maccabees).  This is his only appearance in the mishnah but he appears many times in aggadic texts in the Talmud.  According to legend he was Bar Kochba’s uncle but when Bar Kochba suspected that he wanted to surrender, Bar Kochba assassinated him.
  Rabbi Elazar of Modiin said: one who profanes sacred things, and one who despises the festivals, and one who causes his fellow’s face to blush in public, and one who annuls the covenant of our father Abraham, may he rest in peace, and he who is contemptuous towards the Torah, even though he has to his credit [knowledge of the] Torah and good deeds, he has not a share in the world to come. Rabbi Elazar lists five sins that cause a person to lose a share in the world to come (see the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin). One who profanes sacred things:  this refers to one who causes sacrificial animals to become impure, uses them for his own benefit, damages them or takes them out of the Temple precints.  His disrespect for them is a sign that he does not believe in their validity.  In other words he does not believe in the validity of the Temple and its worship service. One who despises the festivals:  this refers to one who does work on the intermediate days of the festivals.  Although it is permitted to do some types of work on these days, in situations where cessation of work will not cause a financial loss, work is generally forbidden (there are exceptions). One who causes his fellow’s face to blush in public:  a well-known aggadah teaches that one who causes his fellow to be embarrassed, it is as if he had killed him.  The rush of blood to his face is similar to bloodshed. One who annuls the covenant of our father Abraham:  this refers to one who does not circumcise his son or one who uncircumcises himself (this was a surgical procedure known in the ancient world, and mentioned many times in the Talmud, despite how painful it must have been).  This person is making a statement that he does not want to be part of the Jewish people, for circumcision is the most basic sign that identifies a person as a Jew (at least it was when most people did not circumcise, and especially in the Greek world where circumcision was abhorred.) He who is contemptuous towards the Torah:  this refers to one who ascribes disgraceful or improper meanings to the contents of the Torah. The Meiri notes that Rabbi Elazar does not speak of transgressions that come about as a result of an overpowering evil impulse, such as eating forbidden foods or performing forbidden acts.  Many of these are connected somehow to heresy (the possible exception being embarrassing one’s friend in public).
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Why is one who is not scrupulous in his observance of the intermediate days of the festival sanctioned so harshly?  In other words, why does Rabbi Elazar mention this transgression as opposed to one who breaks the Sabbath, for instance?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Why is one who is not scrupulous in his observance of the intermediate days of the festival sanctioned so harshly?  In other words, why does Rabbi Elazar mention this transgression as opposed to one who breaks the Sabbath, for instance?
  
  Mishnah 12
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Ishmael was a regular disputant with Rabbi Akiva.  His teachers were Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua.  From Rabbi Nahuniah haKaneh he learned his midrashic methodology, for which he later became famous.  His midrashic formula are still recited everyday by those who follow a traditional siddur (prayer book).
  In our mishnah Rabbi Ishmael discusses how one should act with other people of different social strata.
  Rabbi Ishmael said: be suppliant to a superior, submissive under compulsory service, and receive every man happily. Be suppliant to a superior:  According to Rabbi Ishmael, when one stands in the presence of a superior, he should consider himself inferior and serve him as he requests. Submissive under compulsory service:  If a person is called up by the government for compulsory service he should not resist. Note that I have translated this clause according to the explanation of Albeck.  The word for “compulsory service”, tishchoret, is an unusual word and is interpreted differently by others.  Some interpret the word to mean the young.  The interpretation is that when with young people, although one does not need to be suppliant with them, one should still treat them with respect. Receive every man happily:  This is similar to Shammai’s statement above in 1:15.
  
  Mishnah 13
  
  Rabbi Akiva said:Merriment and frivolity accustom one to sexual licentiousness;Tradition is a fence to the Torah;Tithes a fence to wealth,Vows a fence to abstinence;A fence to wisdom is silence.Rabbi Akiva is arguably the most famous and influential rabbi in Jewish history.  He was certainly the most influential rabbi in the mishnaic period.  The Mishnah is based largely on his teachings, although most of them are attributed to his students.There are numerous legends about Rabbi Akiva, perhaps the most famous one of them being that he did not begin to learn Torah until he was 40 years old.  He died the death of a martyer when the Romans used a steel comb to flay his skin.Merriment and frivolity accustom one to sexual licentiousness:  one who acts with frivolity and is merry in the company of the opposite sex will eventually have sex with those with whom sex is prohibited (such as adultery).Tradition is a fence to the Torah:  according to most commentators this refers to the comments which were added to the text of Biblical books, and are meant to explain how the words are sometimes read in a manner different from the way that they are spelled.  These comments act as a fence in the sense that they prevent misinterpretation of the Bible.  The reason that they are called “tradition” is that they were preserved as traditions that were added to the Biblical text itself.  [The Hebrew word for tradition is “masoret”.  Those who eventually put down in writing all of these marks and fixed the “correct” readings for the Bible were called the Masoretes.]Another explanation of this statement is that “tradition” refers to the Oral Torah, which was transmitted from generation to generation to teach us the correct interpretation of the Bible.Tithes a fence to wealth:  by properly tithing one’s produce one can ensure that he will grow rich.  By extension, according to the rabbis, one who wanted to ensure that he would prosper should give more charity.Vows a fence to abstinence:  by taking vows a person can prevent himself from engaging in forbidden sex.  If a person’s desires are strong, and he feels that he cannot overcome them, he may be better able to motivate himself and keep himself from sinning if he takes a vow not to do what is forbidden. In an interesting analogy, I know people who keep kosher who have no problem doing so but have terrible trouble sticking to their weight-loss diets.  Sometimes, in order to more motivate themselves not to eat heavy dairy deserts they will eat a small piece of meat, thereby making it forbidden to eat milk afterwards.  This is like the person who can only control his sexual desires if he takes a vow not to act upon them.A fence to wisdom is silence:  as we saw above in mishnah 1:17, one who tends to keep quiet will always at least seem wiser than one who can’t keep quiet.  Also by being silent a person can actually hear what others are saying and thereby learn from them.  According to a rabbinic teaching, this is why people were created with two ears and only one mouth, so that they could listen twice as much as they speak.
  
  Mishnah 14
  
  He used to say:Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said:  “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6).Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to the All-Present. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said:  “your are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1).Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that the desirable instrument, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).Mishnah fourteen contains another teaching of Rabbi Akiva.This mishnah contains one of the clearest statements in rabbinic literature about the special status that the Jewish people enjoy as the chosen people.  The mishnah begins with a general statement about humanity, that all of humanity was created in the image of God and that God actually tells human beings that they are created in His image.  In essence, this may be one of the Bible’s clearest statements as to the nature of God; man was created in His image, and perhaps we could say that by seeing and understanding other human beings we actually see a reflection of God.  [Although this may be obvious I use the word man in these situations to mean humankind and not to in any way exclude women].  God especially manifests His love by telling humanity that they were created in His image.Rabbi Akiva now jumps from discussing all of humanity to discussing the particular relationship that God has with the Jewish people.  This relationship, according to Rabbi Akiva, is not covenantal, that is based upon the Jews performance of the commandments.  Rather it is genealogical.  Jews are children of God, and just as a parent’s love for his/her child is (at least supposed to be) unconditional, so too is God’s love for Israel.  Furthermore, this relationship cannot be severed.  Imagine what a comforting image this must have been to those living through the tumultuous times in which Rabbi Akiva lived.We could perhaps interpret the next phrase in the same way.  The vessel under discussion is the Torah, which according to the rabbinic interpretation of Proverbs, was the blueprints through which the world was created.  Just as the previous two signs of love in this mishnah were unconditional and irrevocable, so too is the gift of the Torah.  Furthermore, according to Rabbi Akiva, the Torah was given to Israel and not as a gift to the entire world.We should note that this ideology expressed by Rabbi Akiva was not the only ideology that existed in the time of the Mishnah.  There were other sages who believed that God’s relationship to Israel was based conditionally upon Israel’s performance of the commandments and that the Torah belongs to all of humanity and not just Israel.  However, the dominant trend amongst the rabbis was certainly that represented by R. Akiva.
  
  Mishnah 15
  
  Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted,And the world is judged with goodness;And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works.This is another statement by Rabbi Akiva.  Note how in this extremely short mishnah, Rabbi Akiva succeeds in teaching some of the most basic theological principles of Judaism.  It is testimony not only to the depth of Rabbi Akiva in particular and the Mishnah in general, but to their poetic abilities as well.Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted:  this is one of the most deliciously paradoxical statement of the rabbis.  It captures in just four (Hebrew) words, much of the spirit of Jewish thought.  Since God is all-powerful, God must know everything, including the future.  However, our actions were totally due to fate, we would not be morally responsible for our actions.  In order to hold ourselves responsible for what we do, we must assume that we have free choice.  Judaism is therefore a religion based on these two beliefs:  God is the all-powerful, master of the universe and yet human beings have moral responsibility.And the world is judged with goodness:  this is a follow-up statement to the previous one.  The freedom of choice granted to human beings is in some senses frightening.  If human beings have choice then they are responsible for their choices, and at the end of the day, most of us don’t stack up to what we should be.  Therefore Rabbi Akiva assures us that God judges with goodness, meaning mercifully.  He allows repentance to remedy our submissions to the evil inclination.And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works:  a person is judged based on the majority of that person’s actions.  This may also relate to the previous statement.  Although God judges mercifully, one should not think that one’s performance of the commandments are not of consequence.  God judges a person not based on any single deed, but on a character that has been built up throughout his lifetime.  People who have built up a lifetime of good deeds will be justly rewarded.Another interpretation of this last statement is that it does not have to do with God’s judgement.  Rather it teaches that a person’s character is developed throughout his lifetime by the performance of works.  For example, one charitable gift does not make a person have a charitable nature.  However, a person who gives frequently will be described and act as a generally charitable person.  Note that in Judaism a person is mostly judged based on his actions;  he is what he does.  While belief is important, it is not the essential aspect of a person’s character.  Furthermore, character is shaped through action.
  
  Mishnah 16
  
  Introduction
  This is another statement by Rabbi Akiva.
  He used to say:  everything is given against a pledge, and a net is spread out over all the living; the store is open and the storekeeper allows credit, but the ledger is open and the hand writes, and whoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors go round regularly every day and exact dues from man, either with his consent or without his consent,  and they have that on which they [can] rely [in their claims], seeing that the judgment is a righteous judgment, and everything is prepared for the banquet. There are many metaphors employed in this mishnah and we shall attempt to make sense of them one by one. Everything is given against a pledge:  everything that a person receives in this world is given against a pledge that may be exacted from him in the future.  This means that everyone will have to pay eventually for their sins. A net is spread out over all the living:  there is no escaping from God’s power.  God sees all of the deeds of man and will eventually exact payment for them. The store is open and the storekeeper allows credit:  a person can take what he wishes in this world, and even take it temporarily without paying.  God does not punish sinners immediately, but rather extends them credit, hoping that eventually they will return to righteousness. But the ledger is open and the hand writes:  although God is merciful, this is not the same as forgetting or ignoring man’s deeds.  All of man’s deeds are written in a book; eventually he will be held accountable for them. And whoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow:  a person has free choice and may act wrongly today, hoping that in the future he will act better and be able to overcome the things he did wrong. But the collectors go round regularly every day and exact dues from man, either with his consent or without his consent:  although a person may borrow, he must be careful for he does not know when his day of judgement will arrive.  The “collectors” can come any day, and when they do they will collect whether he is ready to pay back his debt or not.  Therefore a person should be careful to make sure he is never in “overdraft”. And they have that on which they [can] rely [in their claims], seeing that the judgment is a righteous judgment:  in the end God’s judgement is righteous and fitting, even if humans cannot see it in this world. And everything is prepared for the banquet:  in the world to come each person will eat the meal that he has prepared for himself in this world.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Why does Rabbi Akiva use the metaphor of the world as a shop and God as the shopkeeper?
   What is the one central message of this mishnah?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   Why does Rabbi Akiva use the metaphor of the world as a shop and God as the shopkeeper?
   What is the one central message of this mishnah?
  
  Mishnah 17
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah was one of the rabbis at Yavneh, after the destruction of the Temple.  When Rabban Gamaliel was deposed as patriarch, Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah took his place.
  In this mishnah there are really two totally separate mishnayoth.  I have explained and numbered each individually.
  
  Mishnah 18
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Eliezer Hisma was a student of Rabban Gamaliel and of Rabbi Joshua.  Legend has it that he was a great mathematician.
  Rabbi Eliezer Hisma said:  the laws of mixed bird offerings and the key to the calculations of menstruation days these, these are the body of the halakhah. The calculation of the equinoxes and gematria are the desserts of wisdom. Rabbi Eliezer Hisma states that there are two different types of laws that are “the body of the halakhah”.  This means that they are essential halakhot, paradigmatic of the Oral Torah.  The “laws of mixed bird offerings” refers to cases where one type of bird offering accidentally became mixed up with a different type.  For instance an obligatory offering became mixed up (perhaps in a net or in a dovecote) with a voluntary offering; or a sin offering became mixed up with a whole burnt offering.  There is a whole tractate entitled Kinnim that deals with these situations.   The second type of halakhah are the calculations of menstruation days.  This refers to calculating how many days there are between a woman’s cycle.  It is important to figure this out so that women can distinguish between menstrual bleeding and other types of bleeding.  Much of tractate Niddah is devoted to this subject. There are two types of laws that are only “desserts of wisdom”.  That is they help learning, but they are not essential.  One is astronomy, that is the calculation of the seasons.  The other is gematria, which refers to the adding up of numbers (obviously this is from the same word as geometry). According to the Meiri, Rabbi Eliezer Hisma wants to guide a person in his course of study.  The first thing a person should learn is Torah.  The two areas of Torah learning that he mentions are representative of some of the most difficult subjects in the learning of Torah.  A person should first learn Torah so well, that he is able to master even tractates Kinnim and Niddah.  Afterwards, when he has completely mastered even in these subjects, a person should turn his attention to science and mathematics, represented here by astronomy and geometry.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  Ben Zoma’s full name was Shimon ben Zoma, and he is never called by the title Rabbi, although he was clearly quite learned.  He is famous for being one of the four rabbis who entered into the “Pardes”, the mythical orchard, which may refer to some type of esoteric theological speculation.  The experience was too much for him and he went crazy (one died, another became an apostate and one, Rabbi Akiva, became one of the great sages of Jewish history).
  In this mishnah Ben Zoma teaches the definitions of wise, mighty, rich and honored.  In my humble opinion the advice that he gives is amongst the best and most useful advice ever given.
  Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99).  A person who is ready to learn from anyone will not reject the things he learns from other people just because they do not have high social or economic standing.  For instance, a good teacher will not reject a suggested explanation from a student just because the student is younger and less experienced.  A truly wise person is always looking for ways to expand his knowledge. This is true even of one who does not know a lot.  If he is always looking for ways to learn, then he is truly wise.
  Who is mighty?  He who subdues his [evil] inclination,  as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:3.  This one statement may sum up 2000 years of Jewish experience.  The Jewish ideal of strength and might is not the same as the Greek ideal, which is that of the mighty warrior and champion athlete.  A person of great physical strength who performs amazing deeds is not necessarily mighty.  The most difficult thing to conquer is not others or even great armies, but our own inclination to do wrong things.  One who has control over this inclination is truly mighty.  This is why for thousands of years Jews did not look to soldiers as their heroes, but to rabbis and other thinkers.  Strength in Judaism is one of character and not one of might.  After all the strongest person in the world is no stronger than a weak gorilla or bear.  It is only through our ability to curb our appetites and control our instincts that human beings can differ themselves from animals.
  Who is rich?  He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy”  in this world, “and you shall prosper”   in the world to come.  This saying can be observed every day in newspapers and magazines. The rich and famous are not called the rich and happy for good reasons.  Wealth is not measured by how much money one has in the bank account, but by how satisfied one is with what one has.  This is not to say that people should not work hard in order to earn more money, or that people should renounce their material wealth and live lives of poverty.  Such is not a typically Jewish ideal.  However, along with working hard, a person who wants to be happy must be satisfied with what he has. In the middle of this section is a brief interpolated midrash on the verse from Psalms.  The verse seems superfluous for it would have been enough to state either that “you will be happy” or “and you shall prosper”. The repetition teaches, according to the mishnah, that the verse refers to happiness and prosperity in both this world and the next.
  Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said:  “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).  One who honors others is really bringing honor to himself.  Note that the prooftext from I Samuel is said by God, and not by a human being.  However, one could argue that all the more so this is true with regard to humans.  If God honors those who honor Him, even though we were only created to honor Him, all the more so will humans honor those who honor them.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  Ben Azzai’s full name was Shimon ben Azzai, and like Ben Zoma of the previous mishnah, he was never called Rabbi.  He is famous for his utter devotion to Torah, a devotion so great that he never married (to the disdain of the other rabbis).  Like Ben Zoma, he also entered the “pardes” the orchard of metaphysical speculation and died as a result.
  Ben Azzai said:Be quick in performing a minor commandment as in the case of a major one, and flee from transgression;  A person should be as careful in the performance of what seem in his eyes to be minor commandments as he is in the performance of what seem in his eyes to be major commandments.  Likewise a person should distance himself from transgression, even a transgression that does not seem to be so serious.
  For one commandment leads to another commandment, and transgression leads to another transgression;  This is the first reason for why one should be scrupulous in the performance of even minor commandments.  The performance of one commandment awakens a person to perform other commandments as well.  I think we can compare this statement to exercise and healthy eating habits.  A person who begins to physically exercise his body will naturally want to exercise more, to eat healthy and to stop bad habits such as smoking.  One good thing he does for his body will lead to another good thing.  So too with the negative side.  If a person does not exercise, chances are he will also eat poorly.  The worse he eats the less he will want to exercise, and he will deteriorate in a cycle.  So too with commandments, the spiritual equivalent to exercise.  The more a person performs the commandments, the more spiritually awake his soul will be and the more he will want to perform more commandments.  However, the more a person transgresses, the more spiritually dead he will progressively continue to be, and he will continue in a downward spiral of sin.
  For the reward for performing a commandment is another commandment and the reward for committing a transgression is a transgression.  This is an extremely important statement.  Throughout Avoth we have learned that the reward for the performance of commandments and the punishment for sin are meted out in the world to come.  This is basically saying that one cannot expect to see divine justice in this world.  However, Ben Azzai points out that there is one type of reward which is received in this world.  A person who performs a commandment is rewarded by God by having the next commandment become easier for him.  I think this means that one who takes the initiative to begin to lead a good and righteous life, will be rewarded by being able to continue to live a good and righteous life.  In essence, the performance of the commandments is a reward in and of itself.  The same is true with the opposite.  One who sins will be punished by performing another sin.  Once he is accustomed to sinning, his life will deteriorate into a life full of sin.  The punishment is then, in essence, a direct result of what he does, in other words his sinful life is a punishment for his sins.  Perhaps this is somewhat like the English saying, “you made your bed, now sleep in it”.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the relationship of section two to section three?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the relationship of section two to section three?
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  Introduction
  Mishnah three contains another teaching of Ben Azzai.
  He used to say:  do not despise any man, and do not discriminate against anything, for there is no man that has not his hour, and there is no thing that has not its place. The central idea in the first part of Ben Azzai’s statement is that every person has worth, just by the mere fact that humans were created in the image of God.  Indeed, whereas Rabbi Akiva says that the foundation of all ethics is “love your neighbor as yourself” according to Ben Azzai the foundation of ethics is that man was created in God’s image.  Since all humans are created in the image of God, a person should despise no man, for doing so would be like despising God.  Furthermore, even someone who seems to be worthless and a total detriment to society has his hour and his place.  One never knows when that hour or place might come. The second part of the statement teaches that one should one discriminate against things, thinking that they are useless.  This line could be read as an environmental message.  A person should not look at a piece of nature, for instance a fly or mosquito and wish that it had never been created.  For each piece of God’s creation has it’s place and what may look to us as unnecessary actually fulfills a function in nature. A different interpretation of this last section, “do not discriminate against anything… and there is no thing that has not its place”, is that a person should not treat lightly any of his material belongings.  What you may think is actually useless could be used by someone else or may even someday be useful to you.  This too can be read environmentally, urging people to not lightly cast away things that have outgrown their use but to think about how they might be further used in the future.
  Questions for Further Thought:
  What is the difference between Rabbi Akiva’s emphasis on “love your neighbor as yourself” and Ben Azzai’s emphasis on “in the image of God man was created”?
  Questions for Further Thought:
  What is the difference between Rabbi Akiva’s emphasis on “love your neighbor as yourself” and Ben Azzai’s emphasis on “in the image of God man was created”?
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Introduction
  There are actually two mishnayoth in mishnah four.  The first mishnah is from Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh, who does not appear anywhere else in the mishnah.
  Rabbi Yohanan ben Berokah was a student of Rabbi Joshua.
  Rabbi Levitas a man of Yavneh said: be exceeding humble spirit, for the end of man is the worm.  Usually a person should take the middle path and not be “exceedingly” anything.  However, with humility one can be even exceedingly humble.  For in the end all men end up in the ground, serving as food for worms.
  Rabbi Yohanan ben Berokah said: whoever profanes the name of heaven in secret, he shall be punished in the open. Unwittingly or wittingly, it is all one in profaning the name.  This refers to a person who commits a transgression in private which had he done it in public would have desecrated God’s name.  For instance, if he is a sage or other type of communal leader, if people would have seen him sinning, they would have learned from him.  Such a person will be punished in the open so that everyone can see his hypocrisy. Since profaning God’s name is such a great crime, one that can lead to other people committing even more sins, the punishment is meted out even to one who unwittingly profanes God’s name.  Maimonides points out that this is not to say that a person who unwittingly profanes God’s name receives the same punishment as one who does so wittingly.   This would be inherently unfair.  Rather what the mishnah teaches is that each gets their punishment in public.
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Introduction part one Since this mishnah is really two mishnayoth, I will treat each piece separately. Rabbi Ishmael of this mishnah is the son of Rabbi Yochanan ben Baroka.  He was a student of those rabbis who founded the yeshiva in Yavneh after the destruction of the Temple. Rabbi Ishmael his son said: He who learns in order to teach, it is granted to him to study and to teach; But he who learns in order to practice, it is granted to him to learn and to teach and to practice. Rabbi Zadok said: do not make them a crown for self-exaltation, nor a spade with which to dig.   So to Hillel used to say, “And he that puts the crown to his own use shall perish.”   Thus you have learned, anyone who derives worldly benefit from the words of the Torah, removes his life from the world. Although one who learns Torah only in order to teach is not really learning for “the sake of heaven”, he is nevertheless rewarded by God, by having the opportunity to learn and teach. However, one who learns in order to practice, which is an even higher commitment, is rewarded by even having the opportunity to practice the commandments. Note again that this mishnah considers the performance of the commandments a reward unto those who perform them.  In other words, the one who learns, teaches and studies is rewarded not with material wealth or with other promises, but with the opportunity to continue to perform these commandments.  He will not be persecuted by the ruling authorities, which would and did prevent many people from learning Torah throughout Jewish history. Introduction section two Rabbi Zadok lived before the destruction of the Temple.  According to legend he fasted for forty years before the destruction, praying that the Temple should not be destroyed.  When Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai fled Jerusalem and was granted three requests by Vespasion, the Roman general turned emperor, one of them was that a doctor be provided for Rabbi Zadok. The teaching of Rabbi Zadok is connected thematically to Rabbi Ishmael’s teaching from the previous mishnah. Rabbi Zadok’s first warning is clear.  One should not use Torah learning as means for self-aggrandizement.  Torah should be studied for the sake of God, and in the end honor will come of itself. To use the Torah as a spade means to use the Torah for a means to earn a living. The Talmud teaches that just as God taught the children of Israel for free, so too should you teach for free. We should note that although this was an ideal that Torah should be taught for free it has rarely been followed throughout Jewish history.   There were certain exemptions sought for this rule, and in practice, due largely to the exigencies of history, rabbis were often paid for their work.  Furthermore, Torah study and teaching is difficult enough that it often requires one to devote full time to its pursuit.  However, despite this, Maimonides excoriates those who earn a living teaching Torah.  He writes, “There is no basis at all for this [for earning a living teaching Torah] in the Torah.”  According to Maimonides the sages of the Talmud did not accept charity from their neighbors and were content to live a life of poverty, so devoted were they to Torah.  “They never permitted themselves this begging people for money.  They saw, indeed, that this taking founds would be profaning the Name of God in the sight of the masses because then people come to regard the study of Torah as no more than another occupation by means of which a man makes a living.”  Other medieval scholars vehemently disagreed with Maimonides and stated that Torah scholars who earn a living are not guilty of any transgression. Speaking personally, I believe that Maimonides rule is somewhat impractical, and would potentially lead to a deterioration in the study of Torah.  If people could not feed their families while studying Torah, they would not be able to study, nor teach.  However, I think that the spirit of his warning should remain in the ears of those who engage in the study of Torah or work as rabbis.  While it may be necessary to earn a living doing so, the primary motivation cannot be profit.  A rabbi who turns his training into a way to earn a buck and does not do so “for the sake of Heaven” seems to me to have broken this transgression. In the second half of this mishnah, Rabbi Zadok quotes Hillel.  This quote is taken from chapter one, mishnah thirteen.  This is the first time we have seen in our mishnah one rabbi quoting another.  Rabbi Zadok treats Hillel’s saying almost as if it were a prooftext from the Bible.  By Rabbi Zadok’s time, Hillel’s statements had become “sanctified” and were good enough to prove things.  This phenomenon is very important as we trace the development of Torah study and rabbinic literary compositions. According to Rabbi Zadok, one who receives financial compensation in this world for teaching Torah, will not get a reward in the world to come.  It is as if he uses up the reward which he deserves.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Yose was one of Rabbi Akiva’s students.  He was one of Rabbi Judah Hanasi’s teachers, and is one of more prevalent sages in the Mishnah.
  Rabbi Yose said: whoever honors the Torah is himself  honored by others, and whoever dishonors the Torah is himself dishonored by others. There are several explanations as to what it means to “honor the Torah”.  One is that to honor the Torah is not to place a Torah scroll on a bed or a bench, or a book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) on a Torah scroll, or a volume of the “Prophets” or “Writings” on a volume of the Torah, or a volume of the Talmud on top of any book of the Bible.  These are all physical ways of honoring the Torah. Others explain that honoring the Torah means to honor its commandments and to perform them eagerly. Still others explain that honoring the Torah means acting in a moral manner when performing the commandments.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Ishmael was the oldest of Rabbi Yose’s five sons.  Most of his statements in the Talmud were stated in the name of his father.  He lived in Tzippori (in the Galilee).
  In this mishnah and in the next, Rabbi Ishmael discusses judgement.  We should note that in the time of the Mishnah, being a judge was not a profession.  Jewish courts were not fixed institutions, such as an independent state might have.  While there may have been rabbis to whom people knew they could turn, this is not the same as an established court system.  Furthermore, in some cases, anyone could act as a judge, even those without any special qualifications.  A person could potentially gather three people and ask them to render a decision.  (See Sanhedrin, chapter three).  In such a system (or lack of system) it becomes especially important to give instructions to people when they should or should not judge.  This is the subject of the next two mishnayoth.
  Rabbi Ishmael his son said: he who refrains himself from judgment, rids himself of enmity, robbery and false swearing; But he whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision, is foolish, wicked   and arrogant. Seemingly, Rabbi Ishmael is asking all people to avoid acting as judges, saying that those who don’t judge avoid many pitfalls.  They don’t make enemies out of those whom they find guilty, they don’t misjudge, thereby in essence robbing from the falsely convicted, and they don’t make people swear when they shouldn’t have to. However, the second half of Rabbi Ishmael’s statement seems to imply that the first half is not referring to normal, qualified judges. A good judge is not “presumptuous”, in other words he carefully weighs his decisions, and makes sure he knows all of the facts and all of the laws before he renders his decision.  One who does not do so is foolish, for he thinks that he is smarter than he really is, wicked, for he recklessly renders decisions, and arrogant, for he assumes that he will not make a mistake.  According to Rabbi Ishmael it is the presumptuous, untrained judge that is problematic.  Rabbi Ishmael’s statement should be considered a warning not to judge when one is not qualified.  It is not a warning that even the qualified should refrain from judgement. Counterbalancing this tradition, there is an assumption that those who are trained have a duty to judge others, for if they did not, society would not be able to enforce its laws.  Other commentators point out that this mishnah only applies in a case where there are other, more qualified judges.  But if there is no one else more qualified, each person has an obligation to judge as best as he can.  Nevertheless, he must render his decision with fear and with the proper respect for the seriousness of his job.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  He used to say: judge not alone, for none may judge alone save one. And say not “accept my view”, for they are free but not you. According to the rabbis, the Torah does permit an expert judge to judge alone.  Nevertheless, Rabbi Ishmael warns judges not to do so, for only God can truly judge alone.  Human beings, even those who are expert in law, should set up courts of three, as is described in Sanhedrin, chapter three. When this expert judge is sitting with two others, and they disagree with his decision, he may not say to them “accept my view”.  He may not use force, even verbal force, to get them to acquiesce to his own view. “For they are free but not you”, means that since they are the majority, they may compel you to accept their, majority decision.  You, even though an expert, cannot compel them to accept your, minority decision.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Jonathan was a student of Rabbi Ishmael’s.  This is his only statement in the mishnah.  These two facts go hand in hand.  Rabbi Ishmael was the founder of a bet midrash (study house) that differed from the bet midrash founded by Rabbi Akiva.  The Mishnah is the product of Rabbi Akiva’s bet midrash, and therefore sages who were from Rabbi Ishmael’s bet midrash rarely have their statements included in it.
  Rabbi Jonathan said: whoever fulfills the Torah out of a state of poverty, his end will be to fulfill it out of a state of wealth; And whoever discards The torah out of a state of wealth, his end will be to discard it out of a state of poverty. One who studies Torah despite his poverty and despite the fact that he could earn more money if he worked more, will eventually be rewarded with wealth.  In contrast, one who neglects the study of Torah because he is so busy trying to earn more money, will eventually lose his wealth. Some commentators on the mishnah raise a difficulty.  Empirically speaking one can observe that this mishnah simply is not true.  We often see people who study Torah and yet do not become rich and we see people who do not study Torah and do not grow poor.  These commentators therefore interpret it to mean that anyone who studies the Torah out of poverty will continue to keep the Torah even if he becomes wealthy; and anyone who does not study the Torah while wealthy will not study it even if he becomes poor.  In other words we should not assume that his Torah study, or lack thereof, is a result of his economic status. Another interpretation is that wealth is not to be taken literally.  Rather it refers to the type of wealth mentioned in mishnah one of this chapter, that is being satisfied with one’s portion in life.  One who is poor but studies Torah will be satisfied with his life, and thereby will feel himself to be wealthy.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Meir was one of the great students of Rabbi Akiva, and according to the Talmud, the anonymous sayings in the mishnah were really stated by Rabbi Meir.  In other words, when Rabbi Judah Hanasi composed the mishnah, he used Rabbi Meir’s mishnah as the base.
  Rabbi Meir said:Engage but little in business, and busy yourself with the Torah.  A story is told of Rabbi Meir, that he earned three sela’s a week.  One he would spend on food, one on clothing and one he would give to support other scholars.  When asked why he was leaving nothing for his children as an inheritance, he replied that if they are righteous, they will merit their own living and if they are wicked, why should he leave his belongings to God’s enemies.  This story illustrates well Rabbi Meir’s faith that God would help provide for those who learn Torah.  Note that Rabbi Meir works for a living; he does not himself accept charity nor solely depend on God’s provenance.  Furthermore he recognizes that although he can earn a living while studying, others are not so successful.  God’s aid is not forthcoming to all and therefore he gives charity.   While he has faith that in the end God will provide, his faith does not prevent him from taking action.
  Be of humble spirit before all men.  A person should act humbly in front of all other human beings, not just those who are superior to him.  This is also true (or perhaps especially true) for those who are learned in Torah.  Although they are more learned than others, they must act humbly in front of all people.
  If you have neglected the Torah, you shall have many who bring you to neglect it,   but if you have labored at the study of Torah, there is much reward to give unto you  If a person neglects the study of Torah, there will continuously be things that further prevent him from studying Torah.  This can easily be observed.  When someone postpones doing something, be it study, exercise or any activity that can be postponed, it only gets more and more difficult to find the time to engage in that activity.  However, if one does start to study, Rabbi Meir has faith that he will receive a rich reward.  The commentators understand this to mean that God himself will reward such a person.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  Introduction
  Since this mishnah contains two mishnayoth from two different sages, we will treat each one individually.
  There were two Tannaitic sages by the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob.  The first lived during the time of the Second Temple, and the second was a student of Rabbi Akiva.  This mishnah is from the latter sage.
  
  Mishnah 12
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Elazar was another student of Rabbi Akiva’s.  In other places in the mishnah he is referred to as Rabbi Elazar without the name of his father, Shammua.
  Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua said: let the honor of your student be as dear to you as your own, and the honor of your colleague as the reverence for your teacher, and the reverence for your teacher as the reverence of heaven. Rabbi Elazar’s statement ranks the honor that a person would customarily give to others, and says that in each case one should give even more honor than is expected.  A teacher should respect students as if they were teachers themselves.  This is learned from Moses’s conduct, for in Exodus 17:9 he says to Joshua, “choose for us men”.  He does not say, “choose for me” but rather “us” even though he is clearly Joshua’s superior. Similarly, one should treat a colleague with the same reverence one would give a teacher, who is one step higher.  This is learned from Aaron who says to Moses in Numbers 12:11, “O my lord”, even though he was Moses’s brother. Finally, a person should have as much reverence for one’s teacher as he has for God.  This is learned from Joshua in Numbers 11:28, who tells Moses to execute Eldad and Medad, who Joshua believes are rebelling against Moses.  Joshua considers their rebellion against Moses to be like a rebellion against God, because Moses is Joshua’s teacher.
  
  Mishnah 13
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Judah, the author of the first saying in this mishnah, was the son of Rabbi Ilai, and was a student of Rabbi Akiva and of Rabbi Tarphon.  Rabbi Judah is the most prevalent sage in the entire Mishnah.  When he disputes with Rabbi Meir or Rabbi Shimon (two sages with whom he often disputes) the halakhah is always according to his view.
  Rabbi Shimon is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the famous sage who according to legend wrote the Zohar.  He is also a student of Rabbi Akiva’s.
  Rabbi Judah said: be careful in study, for an error in study counts as deliberate sin.  The study of Torah, of which Rabbi Judah speaks, is one in which the one studying compares different traditions and strives to learn the matter deeply, its reasons and its details, all in order to know what the correct halakhah should be.  One who errs in this type of learning, and therefore makes an incorrect halakhic ruling, is considered as if he did so intentionally, and therefore has intentionally caused someone else to sin.  A rabbi must be very careful in his rulings, and carelessness is considered to be as sinful as intentionally making a mistake. Note that in this mishnah we can detect the tension between tradition and innovation.  The “study of Torah” referred to does not mean the mere recitation of the learning one has received.  The “study of Torah” means delving into Torah to come up with rulings that have not been made before.  One who passes down his tradition word for word as it was received does not have to worry as much, because he is not adding anything of his own.  However, one who adds his own reasoning, must be extremely cautious, and if he carelessly makes an error, it is counted against him as if he did so intentionally.  While innovation, according to Rabbi Judah, is important and possible, it requires more caution than mere transmission.
  Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name supersedes them all.  There are three crowns that the Torah teaches us to respect:  1)  one who has learned Torah; 2) the priest; 3) the King.  These are representative of the three types of leadership in Israel, the sage/prophet, the priest who is connected to the Temple and the king who governs the people.  However, Rabbi Shimon says there is a crown greater than all three, and that is the crown of a good name.  This can be proven by the fact that if any of these three, the sage, the priest or the king behaves badly by sinning and thereby gains an ill reputation, we are no longer obligated to respect that person.  This is a statement of the responsibility of leaders.  A leadership position in society does not automatically entitle one to respect, without any connection to actions.  A leader who wishes to be respected must earn that respect by his deeds. An interesting commentary on the three crowns is that they are representative of three types of qualities that leaders often have:  the king is wealthy, the priest is from an aristocratic family, and the sage is intelligent.  In all of these cases the crown is meaningless, without the crown of a good name.
  
  Mishnah 14
  
  Introduction
  Some believe that name of Nehorai is a nickname for either Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Nehemiah or Rabbi Elazar ben Arach.  The word Nehorai means “full of light” in Aramaic.  Others believe that Nehorai is the name of a tanna who was a student of Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Tarphon.
  Rabbi Nehorai said: go as a [voluntary] exile to a place of Torah and say not that it will come after you, for [it is] your fellow [student]s who will make it permanent in your hand and “and lean not upon your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Rabbi Nehorai teaches that one should leave one’s home and search out someone with whom to learn Torah for one cannot learn Torah on one’s own.  Torah study is best done in the company of others, with a “hevruta” and with a teacher.  Remember that since the Oral Torah was not yet written down at this point, learning Torah on one’s own was next to impossible.  If one was lucky and wealthy he might have had a copy of the written Torah, but the Mishnah and all of the other compositions of the rabbis did not yet exist and even when they were compiled, they were learned orally.  Although in our day we have books and one can learn Torah without a hevruta, it is still far more effective to learn with a hevruta.  Furthermore, one cannot really begin to learn Talmud without a teacher, someone to explain how to read the Talmud and understand what the arguments mean. Rabbi Nehorai emphasizes that a person should not wait for a teacher to come to him.  He must go out and even go into exile in order to find a teacher.  Perhaps in the word “exile” Rabbi Nehorai hints that one may even leave the land of Israel to go study Torah.  In general exile from the land of Israel was seen as a punishment and it was forbidden for a person to initiate such an exile.  However, if exile is for the sake of Torah, it is permitted, and even under some circumstances, encouraged.
  
  Mishnah 15
  
  Introduction
  Again, this mishnah is really two mishnayoth and we will treat each separately.
  Rabbi Yannai is probably the father of Rabbi Dostai who was mentioned above in mishnah 3:8.  This is his only statement in the mishnah
  Rabbi Yannai said: it is not in our hands [to explain the reason] either of the security of the wicked, or even of the afflictions of the righteous. Rabbi Mathia ben Harash said: Upon meeting people, be the first to extend greetings; And be a tail unto lions, and not a head unto foxes. Although we have seen that on several occasions tractate Avoth attempts to answer the question why do the wicked sometimes prosper and the righteous suffer, Rabbi Yannai admits that humans do not truly know the answer to this question.  Usually the rabbis say that the wicked receive whatever reward is due to them in this world, so that in the world to come they will only suffer, whereas the opposite is true of the righteous.  However, Rabbi Yannai evidently finds this answer, or others of its nature, not to be satisfactory. We should note that the translation above reflects one explanation of this mishnah.  The words “to explain the reason” do not actually appear in the mishnah itself.  Without them, others explain that Rabbi Yannai is making a statement about life without a Temple in Jerusalem.  In this time, we don’t have the security that the wicked often enjoy, nor do we have the afflictions that the righteous suffer.  In other words, Rabbi Yannai considers his generation to be neither fully wicked, nor totally righteous. Upon meeting people, be the first to extend greetings: When relating to others we should always try to be the first to wish them well, even, and perhaps especially, to those that we consider to be below our social status. One of the praises that was told of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was that no one ever greeted him before he greeted them. And be a tail unto lions, and not a head unto foxes:  It is better to attach oneself to a group of people who are above you, in wisdom and goodness and to be accounted the least among them, then to be the head of a group of people who are below you in wisdom or goodness, and to be the first among them.  A person should not measure himself against a lower group of people and thereby make himself feel better about his standing.  Rather he should strive to join a higher group, one where he can grow more.  We could apply this saying to many situations.  For example an athlete will grow more when he plays with other players better than he, than if he were to play with those of lesser talent. Midrash Shmuel makes an interesting note on this saying.  A lion waves its tail above his head whereas a fox puts it between his legs.  So too honorable people honor those who are lesser than them and are not concerned that their own honor will be thereby impinged; whereas dishonorable people belittle those lesser in order to (seemingly) increase their own import.
  
  Mishnah 16
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Jacob was the teacher of Rabbi Judah Hanasi, who composed the mishnah.  He appeared above in chapter three, mishnah seven (the printed edition of the Mishnah mistakenly reads Rabbi Shimon).  In another place Rabbi Jacob was famous for stating that all heavenly punishments and rewards are meted out in the world to come.  In other words, in this world there is no correlation between a person’s virtues and his fate.
  Rabbi Jacob said: this world is like a vestibule before the world to come; prepare yourself in the vestibule, so that you may enter the banqueting-hall. The world in which we live is, according to Rabbi Jacob, merely a vestibule in preparation for the main meal, that is the world to come.  A person must perform good deeds in this world, in order to ensure himself a place in the world to come. In a midrash on Proverbs a similar teaching appears.  “In the future the wicked will ask God to give them a chance to repent.  God will answer them saying ‘you fools, the world you were in was like the day before the Sabbath and this world [the world to come] is like the Sabbath.  If one doesn’t prepare on the Sabbath eve, how will he have to eat on the Sabbath…[God further said], ‘the world you were in was like dry land and the world to come like sailing on the sea.  If one doesn’t prepare food while on dry land, how will he have to eat while at sea.’”
  
  Mishnah 17
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah is a continuation of Rabbi Jacob’s statement from the previous mishnah.
  He used to say: more precious is one hour in repentance and good deeds in this world, than all the life of the world to come;  In this world one has a chance to perform good deeds and to repent and thereby earn a greater reward in the world to come, which as we learned yesterday is where, according to Rabbi Jacob, all rewards are meted out.  In the world to come, it is too late to repent.  Actions are not truly categorically possible in the world to come.  Note that the meaning of this statement is that one must take every opportunity to use wisely his time in this world.  In the past I have heard people say that Judaism is “this-world religion”.  This is true and not true.  As we have seen time and time again, the rabbis firmly believed in the world to come; disbelief in it was probably one of the causes of the split between the Pharisees and Sadducees.  However, a person cannot know anything about the world to come, and what counts is our actions in this world. Furthermore, one should not want to hurry his entrance into the world to come, an idea that has gained some popularity in other religions.  One should desire to live as long as possible in this world, not because of its inherent, material delights, but because humans need the time in this world to perform good deeds and thereby earn themselves a greater reward in the world to come.  In this sense Judaism is a religion which concentrates on this world.
  And more precious is one hour of the tranquility of the world to come, than all the life of this world.  Rabbi Jacob’s statement finishes by emphasizing how peaceful and tranquil is the world to come.  One hour in the world to come is worth more than all of the physical pleasures one could ever find in this world.
  
  Mishnah 18
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar was a student of Rabbi Meir and a colleague of Rabbi Judah Hanasi.
  Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Do not try to appease your friend during his hour of anger; Nor comfort him at the hour while his dead still lies before him; Nor question him at the hour of his vow; Nor strive to see him in the hour of his disgrace. The first two statements in this mishnah are statements of sound psychological advice.  Appeasing a friend while he is still angry is not going to be effective, nor will trying to offer comfort to a mourner before he has buried his dead. Nor question him at the time of his vow:  this refers to something called “the undoing of vows” (we will learn this subject in greater detail when we learn tractate Nedarim (vows).  If a person takes a vow not to do something, for instance see his father, but then wants to do that which he vowed not to do, he may ask a sage to “undo his vow”.  The way that a sage does this is by asking him questions to see if he may have vowed not fully understanding the consequences.  For instance the sage might ask him, “when you vowed not to see your father did you know that it would cause your parents such emotional pain?”  Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar teaches that one should not ask these questions right at the time of his vow, for not enough time has passed for him to regret taking the vow.  At this time he is still angry and he will not want to get out of his vow. Nor strive to see him in the hour of his disgrace:  when a person has just done something disgraceful, he doesn’t want anyone to see him.  Therefore you should avoid him during this time, for it will be embarrassing to him to be seen and may cause him to take his anger out at you.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What do these four sayings have in common?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What do these four sayings have in common?
  
  Mishnah 19
  
  Introduction
  Shmuel Hakatan means “Little Samuel” (or “Little Sammy”).  The Palestinian Talmud provides two reasons for such a strange nickname.  The first is that he would belittle himself in front of others; in other words he was exceedingly humble.  The second reason is that he was he was just a little below the level of Samuel from the Bible.  Shmuel Hakatan was at Yavneh after the destruction and he conducted one of the benedictions in the Amidah, namely the benediction directed against heretics.  Despite his nickname he was evidently held in great regard.
  Shmuel Hakatan said: “If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and avert his wrath from you” (Proverbs 24:17). The most interesting thing about this saying is that it is only a verse from the book of Proverbs.  Whereas in every other case in the Mishnah, there are words of the rabbis, this mishnah contains only a biblical verse.  While there are some versions of this mishnah in which there appears a midrash, in which case Shmuel Hakatan does add his own words and does not merely quote a verse, these are probably later versions and do not reflect the original.  The traditional explanation for this phenomenon is that Shmuel Hakatan regularly quoted this verse.  The verse’s meaning is that one should not rejoice at the fall of one’s enemy and that if one does God’s wrath will be placed upon the one rejoicing.
  
  Mishnah 20
  
  Introduction
  Elisha ben Abuyah was a colleague of Rabbi Akiva and a teacher of Rabbi Meir.  According to legend he was one of the four sages who went into the “orchard” (perhaps a reference to metaphysical speculation). As a result he became an apostate.  As a result of his apostasy, he is referred to in most places as “aher”, which means “other”.  There are many fascinating legends about Elisha ben Abuya, many of which have been compiled into a novel called, As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg.  This is a truly remarkable book that I cannot recommend highly enough.  It is both a good read and provides a setting in which the mishnah might have taken place.  Another good place to look for legends about Elisha ben Abuya is Sefer Haaggadah, by Bialik and Ravnitzky.  This is a compilation of many talmudic legends.
  Elisha ben Abuyah said: He who learns when a child, to what is he compared? To ink written upon a new writing sheet. And he who learns when an old man, to what is he compared? To ink written on a rubbed writing sheet.  A young person is like a blank slate upon which things may be written clearly and read easily by others.  However, an old person is like a piece of paper previously written upon and then erased.  Subsequent writing on this paper will not be clear.  This statement is not quite as negative about learning as an adult as the English saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” but it is said in a similar vein.
  Rabbi Yose ben Judah a man of Kfar Ha-babli said: He who learns from the young, to what is he compared? To one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat; And he who learns from the old, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine. Rabbi said: don’t look at the container but at that which is in it: there is a new container full of old wine, and an old [container] in which there is not even new [wine].  This section of the mishnah refers not to the age of the student, but to the age of the teacher.  Rabbi Yose says that it is preferable to learn from an older person, who is like ripe grapes and vintage wine.  One who learns from the young is like one who eats unripe grapes or drinks straight from the vat.  While these are edible and drinkable, they do not taste good nor are they particularly satisfying.  According to Rabbi Yose a person’s teaching needs time to settle down, to “ripen” within him, before he becomes an effective teacher.  If we combine this with the previous section, we see that the best situation is one in which someone learns while young and doesn’t begin to teach until much older. However, Rabbi [Judah Hanasi], in one of the most famous statements in Avoth, says that it is not the outer container that determines the nature of the wisdom but rather that which is inside.  Just as with wine, an outer container can be deceiving as to the inner content, so too with wisdom.  There may be young people contain mature wisdom and older people who remain immature with regards to their wisdom, and even empty.  Perhaps Rabbi would disagree with the first statement as well; if one can teach while young, maybe he would hold that one can learn when old.  All is determined not by one’s physical age, but by one’s inner character.
  
  Mishnah 21
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Elazar Ha-kappar was one of the last of the tannaim.  One interesting note is that this name was found in the Galilee written on a lintel piece dated to the mishnaic period.  While we cannot be certain that this refers to the same person who is named in the mishnah, it is likely that this was from his residence.
  Rabbi Elazar Ha-kappar said: envy, lust and [the desire for] honor put a man out of the world. This saying is parallel to the saying of Rabbi Joshua which we saw in mishnah 2:11, “Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.”  It may even be that Rabbi Elazar is interpreting Rabbi Joshua’s statement.  An evil eye causes a person to be envious, lustfulness comes from the evil inclination and hatred for humankind stems from an overwhelming desire to rise above everyone else, hence a pursuit of honor. These things “put a man out of the world”, meaning they interfere with his ability to function in this world and they cause him to lose entrance into the world to come.
  
  Mishnah 22
  
  He used to say: the ones who were born are to die, and the ones who have died are to be brought to life, and the ones brought to life are to be judged; So that one may know, make known and have the knowledge that He is God, He is the designer, He is the creator, He is the discerner, He is the judge, He the witness, He the complainant, and that He will summon to judgment. Blessed be He, before Whom there is no iniquity, nor forgetting, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes, for all is His. And know that all is according to the reckoning. And let not your impulse assure thee that the grave is a place of refuge for you; for against your will were you formed, against your will were you born, against your will you live, against your will you will die, and against your will you will give an account and reckoning before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. In this long mishnah, full of rhetorical speech, Rabbi Elazar Ha-kappar teaches about the certainty of the judgment day to come.  In the beginning of the mishnah, Rabbi Elazar goes through the stages in human existence, from birth to death to resurrection on judgment day.  A person should know, tell others and let the whole world know that there is one God responsible for all this. The same God that created us will eventually act as our judge, witness and complainant.  [Today we would say that He is the judge, jury and executioner.]  Next, Rabbi Elazar reminds us that God is not like human judges, who can be bribed, nor is it possible that He will forget or somehow pervert justice.  Everyone will receive his fair due.  There is indeed no way to bribe God, for in the end, all of the world belongs to God.  All of our deeds count at the time of judgment [see above, 3:15].  One should not fool himself into thinking that the grave will be a place where one can escape the consequences of one’s life, for just as humans were created and will die without their consent, so too will they eventually be judged without their consent. The Rambam notes that the mishnah lists “natural” phenomenon as being out of a person’s control.  A person cannot control where, when and into what family he is born, nor does he have a lot of control over when and where he will die.  However, the mishnah does not state that a person’s moral actions are out of his control, for a person has full choice over whether he sins or does good deeds.  In this way, while we have no control over whether we will be judged in the future, we do have ultimate control with regard to our sentence, because only we can control our actions.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  Introduction
  All of the mishnayoth in chapter five are taught anonymously.  The chapter begins with mishnayoth that revolve around the numbers 10, 7, and 4.
  With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances. In the first chapter of Genesis the phrase “and God said” appears nine times.  If you add to this the first three words of the Torah, which are also considered an “utterance”, you get to the number ten, which is considered a number of completion. God could have created the world with one utterance, but He took more effort in His creation in order to teach human beings their awesome responsibility in being stewards over the world.  The wicked who ruin the world are ruining something that took God ten utterances to create and therefore there crime is greater.  The opposite is true for the righteous, who preserve the “ten-utterance” world, and are therefore greatly rewarded for their actions. The ways that the wicked destroy the world and the righteous preserve the world can  be understood on several levels.  One explanation is that this refers to religious or moral wickedness or righteousness.  When the wicked corrupt the world, they bring ruin on our great world, and when the righteous act morally and with piety, they preserve our world, which took a full ten utterances to create.  On another level it may be taken environmentally.  The world was not created with great ease and therefore those who destroy it, are destroying a carefully crafted structure.  Those who physically take care of the world, are preserving this incredibly complicated world which God gave over to humanity.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  Mishnah two continues to provides things that came in ten in the Bible and that teach lessons about God.  This mishnah contains a highly schematic version of history.  In other words, history and its length are divided into equal periods and in those equal periods we can detect God’s directing hand at work.  This type of learning from history and from its division into equal periods was extremely prevalent in ancient Judaism both amongst the rabbis and amongst other sects of Jews.
  [There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the flood.  Although all of the generations between Adam and Noah were evil, God did not destroy them immediately.  He put up with their provocation until the tenth generation, when He decided to destroy the world with a flood.  In God’s long-suffering we can learn a lesson of patience and forgiveness.  Even though in the end God did decide to destroy the world, He did not do so immediately, but gave the world a chance to repent.  We also, by the way, learn that God will not tolerate provocation forever; He will eventually bring judgment.  Jewish commentators in the Middle Ages found in this comfort, for they lived under terrible oppression at the hands of the Muslims and especially the Christians.  A Jew should not despair, for God will eventually punish them for their evil acts.
  [There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until Abraham, came and received the reward of all of them.  This section is a little more difficult to explain, for what does the phrase, “Abraham came and received the reward of all of them” mean.  Rashi explains that Abraham received the reward that they would have received had they repented.  Others explain that based upon the merit of Abraham God did not destroy again the whole world. Abraham taught them that repentance was possible and therefore God did not destroy the world.  A third explanation is that Abraham received the reward that they all would have received had they learned from him the principles of monotheism.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  With ten trials was Abraham, our father (may he rest in peace), tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon him). The ten trials which Abraham withstood can be counted in several different ways.  One count is as follows:  twice when ordered to move (Gen. 12:1 ff., 12:10), twice in connection with his two sons (21:10, 22:1 ff.), twice in connection with his two wives (12:11 ff., 21:10), once on the occasion of his war with the kings (14:13 ff.), once at the covenant between the pieces (14:13 ff.), once in Ur of the Chaldees, when he was thrown into a fire furnace by Nimrod (this one is not in the Bible but appears in a midrash), and once at the covenant of circumcision (17:9 ff.). Some commentators point out the connection between Abraham’s trials and the ten utterances with which the world was created.  Abraham was tried with ten trials and withstood them all, thereby proving that he was worthy of sustaining the world which was created by ten utterances. A scholar of midrash and ancient Jewish literature named James Kugel (Harvard University) has shown in his book, The Bible as It Was, that the idea that Abraham was tested was an ancient idea, common to many ancient Biblical commentators.  Indeed Abraham’s life does seem to have been full of trials; he is told to leave his homeland, he faces famine, war, troubles with his wives and son, Ishmael, and especially obvious, his command to sacrifice his son, Isaac.  It is not surprising that many ancient commentators would assume that he was “tried” by God many times. As an aside, this fascinating book is highly recommended.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea.Ten plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea.[With] ten trials did our ancestors try God, blessed be He, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).The ten miracles that were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt were their being spared from the ten plagues that were afflicted upon the Egyptians.The ten miracles that were performed at the sea are not mentioned in the Torah but are contained in a midrash and are listed as follows by the Rambam:  1)  the sea was split; 2) the water formed a tent over their heads; 3) the land became firm (not muddy); 4) when the Egyptians tried to cross the land in the sea returned to being muddy; 5) the sea was split into 12 strips so each tribe could travel separately; 6) the water froze and became hard as a rock; 7) the water which became as a rock was actually many rocks and was beautifully arranged; 8) the water remained clear so that the tribes could see each other; 9) water that was fit for drinking leaked from the sides; 10) after they finished drinking the water, the water that was left immediately again froze.The ten plagues that were wrought upon the Egyptians in Egypt are well known and listed in the Torah.The ten plagues at the sea are, according to some commentators, the ten different verbs used to describe the death of the Egyptians in chapter 15 of Exodus, “he has thrown” (15:2); “he has cast” (15:4); “deeps cover them” (15:5); “they went down into the depths” (15:5); “dashes in pieces the enemy” (15:6); “You overthrow them that rise up against You” (15:7); “it consumes them like straw” (15:7); “the waters were piled up, the floods stood upright as a heap” (15:8); “they sank as lead” (15:10).The ten times that the children of Israel tried God are as follows:  1) at the sea (Ex. 14:11); 2) at Marah (ibid. 15:24); 3) in the wilderness of Sin (ibid. 16:3); 4) with the Manna (ibid. 16:20); 5) again with the Manna (ibid. 16:27); 6) at Rephidim (ibid. 17:2); 7) with the golden calf (ibid. 32:1); 8) at Tavera (Numbers 11:1); 9) at Kivroth-taaverah (ibid. 11:4); 10) in the wilderness of Paraan, at the incident of the spies (ibid. 13:3).
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  In the first three miracles in this mishnah we can see reflected the practical problems that one would have imagined to have occurred in Jerusalem and specifically in the Temple.  Many of these are issues of cleanliness.  The Temple would have been full of animals and of meat, and in times when there was no refrigeration and running water was a luxury, it must have been very difficult to keep the place clean.  Therefore the mishnah teaches that miracles were wrought that prevented a woman from miscarrying due to the smell of the sacrifices, the meat from going bad and flies from gathering.
  If the high priest were to have a seminal emission, he would be disqualified from performing the special Yom Kippur worship.
  Even though the altar was uncovered, the fire underneath never was extinguished by rain.
  The pillar of smoke coming up from the altar always went straight up without being effected by the wind (according to the Rambam, there was never wind at the time when sacrifices were being offered).
  On the sixteenth of Nissan they would bring the omer sacrifice, which consisted of barley.  After this sacrifice people were allowed to eat from the new harvest.  The two loaves refers to the two loaves brought on Shavuoth.  After these two loaves were offered, new wheat could be used for minhah sacrifices.  The showbread was baked on the eve of the Sabbath and remained on the table for a week.  According to the mishnah, disqualifying defects were never found in these three things.
  Although it must have been crowded in the Temple during the pilgrimage festivals, and people stood pressed up against each other, when it came time to bow, miraculously there was room to do so.
  If a snake or scorpion killed someone in Jerusalem, it would have potentially caused sudden impurity to any of those standing near.  The miracle that this didn’t ever happen would have prevented this problem.
  Although it must have been unpleasantly crowded in Jerusalem during the pilgrimage festivals, no one ever complained.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the difference between the last miracle and all of the previous ones?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the difference between the last miracle and all of the previous ones?
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah lists fourteen things (10 + 3 + 1) that seem to defy the laws of nature.  These are problematic because God is supposed to have created a world that acts upon the laws of nature.  In order to solve this metaphysical problem, the mishnah claims that these supernatural items were created for this very purpose during the six days of creation.  They were created during this in-between time, right before creation ended at the end of the sixth day.  These items are therefore part of God’s ultimate plan and they are not in essence “supernatural”.
  Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say:  and also tongs, made with tongs. [1] the mouth of the earth:  which swallowed Korah and his congregation (Numbers 16:32). [2] the mouth of the well:  that gave the children of Israel water in the desert.   (See Numbers 21:16-18). [3] the mouth of the donkey:  that spoke to Balaam (Numbers 22:28). [4] the rainbow:  that was a sign to Noah (Genesis 9:13). [5] the manna:  (Exodus 16:15). [6] the staff [of Moses]:  (Exodus 4:17). [7] the shamir:  this was the strong stone used to cut rocks for the breastplate used during the first temple. [8] the letters:  the shape of the letters used to write the Ten Commandments. [9] the writing:  See Exodus 32:16.  The writing, according to legend, could be seen from all four sides of the tablets. [10] and the tablets:  this refers to the first set of the tablets (ibid.)  Moses made the second set of tablets (Exodus 34:1). Demons:  In the ancient world, people firmly believed in demons, much as we believe in bacteria and viruses even if we have never seen one.  These being unnatural phenomenon, must have been created on the twilight of the sixth day. The grave of Moses:   Since no one was there for Moses’s burial, we could surmise that it was not created by any human being (Deuteronomy 34:6). And the ram of Abraham, our father:  which seemed to have miraculously appeared before Abraham sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22:13).  The mishnah teaches that God all along created the ram to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place.  Otherwise it might seem that if the ram had not gotten caught in the bushes, Abraham would have been allowed to sacrifice his son. Tongs made with tongs:  One cannot forge tongs in fire, without already having a set of tongs. The first set of tongs must therefore have been made during the twilight of the sixth day.  Why do you think that the mishnah divides its list into three parts, a list, then a list of three and then one last item?  Why aren’t miracles such as the splitting of the sea and the standing still of the sun mentioned here?
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  [There are] seven things [characteristic] in a clod, and seven in a wise man:A wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom,And does not break into his fellow’s speech;And is not hasty to answer;He asks what is relevant, and he answers to the point;And he speaks of the first [point] first, and of the last [point] last;And concerning that which he has not heard, he says: I have not heard;And he acknowledges the truth. And the reverse of these [are characteristic] in a clod.In what may or may not be a coincidence, the seventh mishnah of our chapter begins to list things that come in sevens.Our mishnah lists the differences between a “clod” and a wise man.  According to Maimonides a “clod” is a person in whom are to be found moral and intellectual virtues, but in state of incompleteness, and not functioning properly.  That is why he is called a clod; he is like an implement beginning to take shape in the hands of a craftsman, but still lacking completion.The mishnah lists the qualities of the wise man and then at the end tells us that the opposite is true for the clod.  Note that many of these qualities are important in the learning of Torah.  In other words, the mishnah is discussing the type of behavior that is most appropriate for inside the bet midrash, the rabbinic study hall.  Also, many of the qualities are important in a learning environment that is all oral, without books, as learning was during the time of the Mishnah.  In an “oral” culture, properly organized speech is a highly regarded quality.Some of these qualities are self-explanatory, so we will only explain those which require some clarification.And does not break into his fellow’s speech:  it is extremely important to wait to fully hear what your fellow has said, lest by interrupting him you distract his train of thought or ask a question that will be answered later.And is not hasty to answer: the wise man must consider his answer before he gives it, for others will take his words quite seriously.He asks what is relevant, and he answers to the point:  Asking what is relevant means that when discussing one subject, for instance the laws of Sabbath observance, he doesn’t ask about another subject, such as the laws of prayer.  He answers to the point means that the wise man does not give long-winded arguments that others will not understand.And he speaks of the first [point] first, and of the last [point] last:  In an oral culture, organized speech is easiest to remember and is therefore most effective.And concerning that which he has not heard, he says: I have not heard:  This does not mean that he admits that he doesn’t know the answer to something.  The mishnah is stating that if he has reasoned out an answer to a question on his own, but does not have a tradition as to what the right answer is, he must admit that his answer is based upon reason and not tradition.  In the eyes of many of the rabbis tradition was a stronger criterion in determining points of law than reason.And he acknowledges the truth:  If he realizes he has lost an argument, he admits itAnd the reverse of these [are characteristic] in a clod.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  The purpose of this saying is that people should check their behavior to see if perhaps calamities are punishments for what they have done.  While it is true that humans will often not be able to see a direct correlation between what happens to them and what their actions are, Judaism continues to believe that there is such a correlation. We should also note a couple of other theological statements made by this mishnah.  First of all, the mishnah talks about collective punishments and not individual ones.  Second of all, the mishnah teaches that God’s punishments are “measure against measure”, in other words, the punishments somehow fit the crime.  Third, and perhaps most important, God is seen as responsible for everything, even the bad things that happen in this world.
  Seven kinds of punishment come to the world  for seven categories of transgression:When some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes some go hungry, and others are satisfied.  In this section and in the following two, we will see that tithes are connected to rain.  In a perhaps more modern interpretation of this concept, we might say that our attitude towards the food that we grow can have an effect on the earth itself. In the first section the punishment of famine due to drought, is seen as the least of the types of famine (it is also clearly not uncommon in the dry land of Israel).  Since some tithe and some do not, the punishment will only fall on part of the community.  However, the mishnah does not state that those who tithe will not be punished and those who don’t will.
  When they have all decided not to give tithes, a famine from tumult and drought comes;  If all people decide not to tithe, then famine comes not only as a result of lack of rain, but also as a result of war.  Since people will be out fighting war, they are not able to tend to their lands and many more people will go hungry.
  [When they have, in addition, decided] not to set apart the dough-offering, an all-consuming famine comes.  When making bread, Jewish law dictates that a piece of the dough be separated and given to the priests.  This dough is called “challah”.  If Jews don’t separate the challah and they don’t separate tithes, a total famine will come.  In this famine people will die of their hunger.
  Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for neglect of the law regarding the fruits of the sabbatical year.  There are several possible explanations for “sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court”.  This might refer to crimes that should have been punished by death, but were not brought to trial for various reasons (for example not enough witnesses or the perpetrator was not properly warned).  Another explanation is that this refers to cases that could have been brought to trial, and maybe were, but for some reason the courts neglected their duty to execute.  Yet another explanation is that this refers to crimes punishable by death at the hand of Heaven (in other words they were not referred to the court because by definition the court could not punish for these crimes.  If enough people commit these crimes, perhaps reasoning that a court won’t punish them anyway, pestilence will come to the world. In addition, pestilence comes to the world because people transgress the laws of the fruit of the sabbatical year.  According to Jewish law, fruit that grows on its own during the sabbatical year may be collected in order to eat, but not in order to sell. If one collects in order to eat but then has extra, he may sell the extra.  Since this system is open to abuse, for only God can tell what a person’s intentions were when he collected, the punishment is great.  One who thinks that he won’t bring punishment into the world because people do not see his sins, is actually causing even greater punishment.
  The sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment, and for the perversion of judgment, and because of those who teach the Torah not in accordance with the accepted law.  The sword, representative of war, comes to the world because of delay and perversion of justice.  In other words because the system of justice was not implemented properly, society will decay into the anarchy of war, an inherently unjust situation.  The sword also comes when people teach Torah not according to the accepted halakhah.  Although there are many interpretations of this sentence, my sense is that it means that this person teaches Jewish law from what seems to them to be the simple meaning of the Torah.  Jewish law is derived from the Torah, but it is mitigated by the oral Torah, the traditional teachings that have always accompanied the Torah.  The Sadducees were the ones who taught literal interpretations of the Torah, whereas the Pharisees used tradition to help them interpret and make legal rulings.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah continues to list calamities that come to the world as a result of sin.
  Wild beasts come to the world for swearing in vain, and for the profanation of the Name.  A vain oath is one taken unnecessarily (see Shevuoth 3:8).  Profaning God’s name refers to one who sins in public, thereby giving not only himself a bad name but all of Judaism.  It can also refer to the sin committed by a respectable person, from whom others learn.  When such a person sins it causes a greater profanation of God’s name than when a regular person sins.  The Meiri draws a connection between the punishment and the crime.  By taking a vain oath and profaning God’s name, the person attempts to bring God’s holiness down a level.  As a punishment God brings him down to the level of an animal and wild animals come and attack him.
  Exile comes to the world for idolatry, for sexual sins and for bloodshed, and for [transgressing the commandment of] the [year of the] release of the land.  Exile, which is the ultimate punishment, comes from a trio of the worst crimes: idol worship, sexual crimes (incest and adultery) and murder.  Generally, if a person is told that he must sin or he will be killed, he is supposed to commit the sin.  The three exceptions are idol worship, sexual crimes and adultery.  When people willingly commit these sins, God will exile them from their land.  According to Jewish legend, it is for these three sins that the first Temple was destroyed. During the seventh year Jews are not allowed to work their land.  The punishment for not observing this law is that the land itself will exile you from living on it.  This is another case of “measure for measure”; the punishment fits the crime.
  At four times pestilence increases: in the fourth year, in the seventh year and at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year. In the fourth year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the third year. In the seventh year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the sixth year; At the conclusion of the seventh year, on account of the produce of the seventh year; And at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year, for robbing the gifts to the poor.  This section expands on section four of the previous mishnah, where we learned that “Pestilence comes to the world for …neglect of the law regarding the fruits of the sabbatical year.”  Fruits of the sabbatical year (which grow on their own without the field having been worked) should be left in the field to be collected by the poor.  One who collects them is actually stealing from the poor.  Our mishnah teaches that pestilence can come as a result of other crimes committed involving food intended for the poor, and that the punishment comes after immediately after the sin has been committed.  In the third and sixth years, the second tithe goes to the poor.  When people don’t give those tithes, there will be pestilence in the fourth and seventh years.  The punishment that comes at the end of the seventh year was already mentioned above.  The pestilence that comes after the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) is retribution for not leaving parts of the harvest for the poor.  According to the Torah the corners of the field, things that have fallen and things that have been forgotten must be left for the poor.  Since the main harvest time in Israel is in the fall, the punishment for not leaving these things to the poor comes after Sukkoth.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  There are four types of character in human beings:One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character.[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am;[One that says:] “mine is yours is yours is yours” is a pious person.[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.The Mishnah now begins to list things that come in fours.One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type:  a person who acts in this way is not pious, for he does not give of his own to others, but neither is he wicked for he is careful not to take others property.And some say this is a sodom-type of character:  Some say that this is the way that the people of Sodom acted.  When the angelic visitors visited Lot in Sodom, the people of Sodom were angered by Lot’s generosity (Genesis 19:5).  Ezekiel states, “Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom:  arrogance!  She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy” (Ezekiel 16:49).  We see that one of the cardinal crimes of the people of Sodom was their lack of generosity, especially when contrasted with the generosity and hospitality of Abraham.The commentators also point out that one who does not want to give of himself to others will eventual never want to give anything to others, even if it costs him nothing.[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz):  One explanation is that this literally refers to the “am haaretz”, which literally translates as the “people of the land”, who live in partnership on the land.  There is no concept of ownership amongst this type of people, and therefore they don’t recognize any border between what is theirs and what belongs to others.  In a positive manner, we could state that they share everything equally.  Others explain this as having a negative connotation, and “am haaretz” refers to an uncivilized, unlearned, almost barbaric people.[One that says:] “mine is yours is yours is yours” is a pious person:  A person who does not want to ever take of others’ property but does want to give to others is truly pious, for he gives without expecting anything in return.[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person:  He is wicked for he wishes to take and not give anything in return.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  There are four kinds of temperments:Easy to become angry, and easy to be appeased: his gain disappears in his loss;Hard to become angry, and hard to be appeased: his loss disappears in his gain;Hard to become angry and easy to be appeased: a pious person;Easy to become angry and hard to be appeased: a wicked person.One commentator points out that although the mishnah calls these qualities “temperaments”, human beings have the ability to change their “temperaments” from one to the other.  Otherwise the one who is slow to anger and quick to be appeased would not be considered pious, for these qualities would be out of his control.  While we might be born genetically disposed to certain characteristics, he can overcome our predisposition.  Human beings, unlike animals, have control over their temperaments and therefore their moral attributes can be described by their level of self-control.Easy to become angry, and easy to be pacified: his gain disappears in his loss:  The fact that he is easily appeased is not helpful since he is so easily angered.   This person ends up with a net loss.Hard to become angry, and hard to be appeased: his loss disappears in his gain:  The fact that he is “hard to be appeased” is compensated for by the fact that he rarely becomes angry.  This person ends up with a net gain, although there is still room for improvement.Hard to become angry and easy to be appeased: a pious person:  Note that the pious person does occasionally get angry.  He is not perfect.  However, even on the rare occasions when he does get angry, he is subsequently easily appeased.Easy to become angry and hard to be appeased: a wicked person:  This person is constantly getting angry and can never be appeased.  No one can get along with him and he is therefore accounted as wicked by most people.
  
  Mishnah 12
  
  There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget:  his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise man; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion. If you belong to the first category of this mishnah, you will quickly grasp that you belong to the first category, but you will quickly forget what you just realized.  Your quick comprehension will be meaningless for you will not retain what you have comprehended. If you belong to the second category, you may have to read this mishnah over many times before you understand that you are actually in this category.  However, once you finally understand, you won’t forget it.  Your slow comprehension is compensated by your strong memory, and in the end you are left with a gain. If you belong to the third category, congratulations, you are lucky to be so wise. If you belong to the fourth category, this mishnah will take you a long time to comprehend, and then you will forget it anyway.  It is too bad that you have not been blessed with either quick comprehension or a good memory, but don’t give up hope.  You will have to work harder to learn but the mishnah has already taught us that “according to the effort is the reward”.  Since you will have to make a great effort to learn, at least your reward will be commensurate.
  
  Mishnah 13
  
  There are four types of charity givers. He who wishes to give, but that others should not give: his eye is evil to that which belongs to others; He who wishes that others should give, but that he himself should not give: his eye is evil towards that which is his own; He who desires that he himself should give, and that others should give: he is a pious man; He who desires that he himself should not give and that others too should not give: he is a wicked man. This mishnah is straightforward and not difficult to understand.  However, a few notes can be made.  First of all, the “evil eye” is one that begrudges and does not want to give charity to the poor. The mishnah is not only concerned with whether or not a person gives charity but whether or not he encourages others to give charity.  The truly pious person gives of himself and encourages others to do the same. The type of person who wants to give but does not want others to give is probably a familiar figure.  He wants to give not because giving is the correct thing to do, but because of the honor he will accrue from being known as generous.  Others giving more than him eclipses his honor and hence he begrudges their generosity.  He is not looking out for the ultimate welfare of the poor who really need the charity. One who does not want to give and also does not want others to give, is probably the most wicked type of person we have yet encountered in this series of mishnayoth.  Despite the fact that he does not benefit from others’ generosity, his cruelty towards the poor and his desire to see them suffer, makes him begrudge even others’ generosity. It is also possible that he does not want others to give so that they should not be seen as more generous than him.  His greediness and pursuit of honor at the cost of the welfare of the needy make him an evil and perhaps even dangerous figure.
  
  Mishnah 14
  
  There are four types among those who frequent the study-house (bet:He who attends but does not practice: he receives a reward for attendance.He who practices but does not attend:  he receives a reward for practice.He who attends and practices: he is a pious man;He who neither attends nor practices: he is a wicked man.“Practice” in this mishnah does not refer to one who does not observe any of the commandments, for the mishnah would not describe such a person as receiving any reward.  Rather, “practice” refers to one who applies himself diligently to his learning.He who attends but does not practice: he receives a reward for attendance:  This person goes to the bet midrash to learn, but does not apply himself there and work hard at learning Torah.  What he has learned will probably not stay with him for very long.  Nevertheless, he receives a reward just for making the effort to go.He who practices but does not attend:  he receives a reward for practice:  This refers to a person who learns at home but does not attend the bet midrash.  He receives a reward for learning Torah, but he would have received a greater reward had he gone to the bet midrash.  He also would have learned a great deal more had he gone to the bet midrash.He who attends and practices: he is a pious man:  This person could have learned on his own at home, but in order to set a good example for others and to participate in the community of Torah-learners he attends the bet midrash.  He is considered pious.He who neither attends nor practices: he is a wicked man:  This person’s contempt for learning Torah makes the mishnah consider him wicked.There are other mishnaic commentators who explain that this mishnah does refer to the observance of the commandments.  However, one who does not “practice” does not refer to one who doesn’t practice any of the commandments.  Rather he does not make an effort to learn more about what he should do.  He therefore receives no special reward for his lackadaisical observance, but neither is he considered wicked.
  
  Mishnah 15
  
  There are four types among those who sit before the sages:  a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve.A sponge, soaks up everything;A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other;A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees;A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.Above in mishnah twelve we learned about four types of disciples.  This mishnah is similar but instead of just describing the different types of students, it uses metaphors to compare them to different instruments in the kitchen.  Furthermore, whereas that mishnah was considered with comprehension and retention, our mishnah is also concerned with the proper selection of what is worthy of retaining.  The discussions in the mishnaic and talmudic study halls were probably very long, and no one could remember everything that was said.  It would have been extremely important for the listeners to decide which statements were important and worthy of preservation and which were not.A sponge, soaks up everything;  The sponge soaks up all liquids, whether or not they are good or yucky.  So too there are some students who remember everything that was said, whether or not it was reasonable and worthy of being remembered.A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other:  The student who is like a funnel is able to take in all that is said, but he easily forgets it, like a funnel which lets everything out the other end.A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees:  This is the most unfortunate type of student, who does not retain any of the well-reasoned valuable statements out, and only retains that which is not worthy of retention.  It isn’t that he simply forgets the important things which were said, because he does remember some of what he has heard. Rather he cannot discern what was worthy of remembering in the first place.A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour:  After all of the bran is removed from the flour, the flour is passed through a sieve.  What remains in the sieve are the larger, useful pieces of fine flour and the stuff that falls out is not useful [this is evidently not like the sieve we use today].  So too there are students who retain only that information which is important and remove the extraneous things that they have heard.  This is obviously the best kind of student.
  
  Mishnah 16
  
  All love that depends on a something, [when the] thing ceases, [the] love ceases; and [all love] that does not depend on anything, will never cease.What is an example of love that depended on a something? Such was the love of Amnon for Tamar.And what is an example of love that did not depend on anything? Such was the love of David and Jonathan.The previous mishnah was the last mishnah that was based on numbers.  The mishnah which we learn today teaches about love.Love which is based on something tangible, such as beauty or financial gain, will not last.  Since “things” can end, when the “thing” upon which the love is based does end, the love will end.  Such was the love of Amnon for Tamar, which is better described as lust than love.  The story takes place in II Samuel 13.  Amnon falls in love with his beautiful half-sister, Tamar.  Once he rapes her (verse 14) her beauty and lack of accessibility are gone and he hates her.The love of David and Jonathan is opposite.  Jonathan, son of Saul, loved David with all of his soul (see I Samuel 18:1) and indeed tried to save his life when Saul sought to kill David, even though David was a threat to his father’s crown, as well as his own right to inherit the kingship.  David too loved Jonathan despite his own inevitable rivalry with him.  Their love was not based on any sexual relationship nor was it based on a gain that one would receive from the other.  It was as the love of a parent for a child, totally unconditional.
  
  Mishnah 17
  
  Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of Heaven, will not endure.Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai.And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.This mishnah discusses legitimate and non-legitimate disputes.  While reading the mishnah we should keep in mind that the Mishnah is the first Jewish book which records disputes between different viewpoints without claiming that one viewpoint is necessarily illegitimate.  150 years before the Mishnah was composed, Judaism had certainly been rife with disputes which caused splinter movements, such as the early Christians and the Dead Sea sect.  Part of the overall goal of the Mishnah’s composers was to say that sages can disagree and still live together.  We will soon see a classic exmple of this philosophy when we begin to learn tractate Yevamoth.In Judaism debate is legitimate.  Indeed Jews are famed worldwide for being an argumentative people, and this is considered (at least by most Jews themselves) a positive attribute.  What is problematic is not debate itself, but debate that does not attempt to reveal the truth, and especially God’s truth.  Debate that is only self-serving, an attempt to be victorious over the other side is considered to be illegitimate.  The debate that is for the sake of Heaven, which  stems from a desire to seek the truth, will endure.  The classic example of this are the debates between Shammai and Hillel.  This debate endured in several ways.  First of all, in the time of the Mishnah, there were probably still scholars who followed Shammai.  The debate literally endured, because scholars were still arguing about who is right.  Second, students of the Mishnah and Talmud continue to study the debates of Shammai and Hillel.  Although by the time of the Talmud law usually follows Hillel, the debate endures as study material throughout the generations.Korah and his congregation rose up against Moses’s leadership in Numbers 16.  Their intent was not a pure complaint against the perceived autocratic style of Moses’s leadership.  Rather it was a blatant attempt to gain power for themselves.  As our mishnah teaches, it was not a dispute for the sake of Heaven, but rather for their own profit.  Therefore, the dispute did not endure, for Korah and his congregation were all wiped out (either by the earth swallowing them or by fire).Note that the mishnah does not say “the dispute of Moses and Korah”, but rather only mentions Korah and his congregation.  This is in contrast to the previous section where both Hillel and Shammai were mentioned.  This discrepancy is because Moses and Korah were not operating out of the same motives.  Moses disputed with Korah not for his own glory, but for the sake of Heaven.  Therefore the mishnah could not mention them together.
  
  Mishnah 18
  
  Introduction
  Our mishnah talks about the responsibility of leadership, its rewards and its punishments.
  Whoever causes the multitudes to be righteous, sin will not occur on his account; And whoever causes the multitudes to sin, they do not give him the ability to repent.  One who causes, through his example and his teaching, others to be righteous, will not accidentally sin or accidentally cause others to sin. He will receive help from Heaven in his endeavors.  This is to prevent a situation whereby his followers are rewarded for following his teachings and he is punished for the sins upon which he stumbled. The opposite is true of one who himself sins and causes others to sin as well.  Although in general anyone may repent of his sins, this person will not be given the opportunity to do so.  According to the Rambam, this means that he does not have the free will to not sin.  It would, after all, not be right for him to repent and earn a place in the world to come, while his students are punished for the sinful ways which he taught them.
  Moses was righteous and caused the multitudes to be righteous, [therefore] the righteousness of the multitudes is hung on him, as it is said, “He executed the Lord’s righteousness and His decisions with Israel” (Deut. 33:21). Jeroboam, sinned and caused the multitudes to sin, [therefore] the sin of the multitudes is hung on him, as it is said, “For the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he caused Israel to sin thereby” (I Kings 15:30).  Moses is the greatest example of leadership that the Jewish people has ever known.  He was righteous in his own right and he taught others to be righteous as well.  As a reward, the righteous acts that the people performed are accredited to him, as if he himself performed them.  The verse in Deuteronomy quoted in the mishnah is understood as referring to Moses (although this is not at all clear from the verse itself).  According to the mishnah’s understanding, the verse states that Moses did God’s righteousness, and that all of the acts of Israel were counted as his acts as well.  From here we learn that when students perform the righteous acts which they have learned from their teachers, the teachers receive credit themselves. Jeroboam was the first king of the northern kingdom (Israel) when it split from the southern kingdom (Judea) after Solomon’s death.  Jeroboam told Israel that they no longer had to go to Jerusalem to worship, but could worship at Bethel as well as other places in the north.  He made two golden calves and told the people “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (I Kings 12:28).  Jeroboam did not only himself sin, but he caused others to sin as well.  In I Kings 15:25-30, Baasha son of Ahijah kills Nadav, son of Jeroboam and all of Jeroboam’s house as well (Jeroboam himself had already died).  Verse 30 concludes that the Jeroboam’s house was killed on account of Jeroboam and his sin and the sins that he caused Israel to sin.  From here we can conclude that Jeroboam himself was held accountable for those sins which he caused others to do.
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the overall statement of the mishnah with regards to education and the educator?
  Questions for Further Thought:
   What is the overall statement of the mishnah with regards to education and the educator?
  
  Mishnah 19
  
  Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit and a moderate appetite he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father. An evil eye, a haughty spirit and a limitless appetite he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked.What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and the disciples of Balaam, the wicked? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world, and inherit the world to come, as it is said: “I will endow those who love me with substance, I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8:21). But the disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit gehinnom, and descend into the nethermost pit, as it is said: “For you, O God, will bring them down to the nethermost pit those murderous and treacherous men; they shall not live out half their days; but I trust in You” (Psalms 55:24).This mishnah contrasts those who follow the ways of Abraham with those who follow the ways of Balaam, the wicked prophet who was hired by Balak to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24).  We should note that the rabbis understood Balaam as an archetype of evil, even though in the Torah itself he seems to be more of an ambivalent character, acting as merely a passive messenger of God.  In Sanhedrin 10:2 we learned that Balaam does not have a portion in the world to come.  Balaam is also seen by the rabbis as greedy for he attempted to take a bribe to curse Israel.In contrasting Abraham with Balaam we should note that both saddle their own donkeys in the Torah (Abraham in Genesis 23:2 and Balaam in Numbers 22:21).  Perhaps this similarity led to their comparison in our mishnah, and in several other sources.Abraham is known for three things:  generosity, humility and temperance. He demonstrates his generosity when he brings generous portions of food to the messengers who visit his home (Genesis 18:17).  He is humble when he negotiates the purchase of a grave for Sarah.  He states, “I am a resident alien among you” (Genesis 23:4, see also his words in 18:27).  His temperance in appetite is learned from a midrash on Gen. 12:11, where he states to Sarah, “Behold, I now know that you are a beautiful woman”.  According to the midrash Abraham had not looked at her until that moment.In contrast, Balaam is greedy for he pursues the reward he would have received for cursing Israel.  In Numbers 22:18 he states, “Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold”.  Rashi comments that from here we can see that Balak had already begun to think about the material reward that he might receive.  He is haughty as we can see from his statement, “The word of him who hears God’s speech, who obtains knowledge from the Most High” (Num 24:16).  He has a limitless appetite, for a midrash teaches that after he failed in cursing Israel, he advised Balak to allow the Moabite women to prostitute themselves to Israel, and thereby ensnare them in idol worship (see the beginning of Numbers 25).  He would not have advised such a thing if he himself did not desire such sexual licentiousness.The second half of the mishnah teaches the rewards that will be given to the disciples of Abraham and the punishments that will be given to the disciples of Balaam.  The verse from Proverbs is understood as referring to Abraham’s disciples since “those who love me” is also used in reference to Abraham (Isaiah 41:18).  The verse in Psalms is understood as referring to Balaam since he was murderous, for he advised Balak to seduce Israel and thereby led to the death of 24,000 Israelites (Num 25:9).
  
  Mishnah 20
  
  Introduction
  From the fact that this mishnah ends in a short prayer, it can be concluded that it was originally the last mishnah in the tractate.  The remaining mishnayoth in this chapter, and all of chapter six are addenda added in post-Mishnaic times (I will discuss chapter six later).
  Judah ben Tema is not mentioned anywhere else in the Mishnah.
  Judah ben Tema said: Be strong as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fleet as a gazelle, and brave as a lion, to do the will of your Father who is in heaven.  Judah ben Tema uses images that are taken from the animal world.  He at first seems to be making statements about a man’s physical strength.  These statements would sound more appropriate in the Greek gymnasium than in the rabbinic study house.  It is only at the end of his statement that we learn that these physical attributes are to be used for following God’s will and not for human glory. Strong like a leopard to stand up against people who denounce those who observe the Torah.  Others say that this refers to the strength needed to rebuke those who don’t observe the commandments. Swift as an eagle to run away from sin.  Others say this refers to ministering to Torah scholars, which should be performed with great speed. Fleet as a gazelle to perform the commandments.  Others say that this refers to moving to a place where one can study Torah. Brave as a lion to conquer one’s evil inclination.  Others say that this refers to getting up at night to learn Torah.
  He used to say: the arrogant is headed for Gehinnom and the blushing for the garden of Eden.  The word “arrogant” in Hebrew is the same word used in section one to mean “strong”.  Although one should be strong, this is only so if the strength is used for holy purposes, for the sake of Heaven.  However, arrogance, which is unjustified demonstrations of strength, leads one to despise those who might legitimately criticize him.  An arrogant person will not check his deeds to make sure that he is acting correctly. One who is embarrassed and blushes at his mistakes, will learn from them and will not continue to sin.  Judaism does not seek out perfection, but rather moral progress.  One who is capable of such embarrassment will, in the end, inherit the garden of Eden.
  May it be the will, O Lord our God, that your city be rebuilt speedily in our days and set our portion in the studying of your Torah.  According to the Rambam, after having spoken of the virtue of blushing, the mishnah utters a prayer:  O our God, even as in Your grace You have bestowed upon us this virtue, so be gracious unto us and have Your city rebuilt speedily in our days.
  
  Mishnah 21
  
  He used to say:At five years of age the study of Scripture;At ten the study of Mishnah;At thirteen subject to the commandments;At fifteen the study of Talmud;At eighteen the bridal canopy;At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood];At thirty the peak of strength;At forty wisdom;At fifty able to give counsel;At sixty old age;At seventy fullness of years;At eighty the age of “strength”;At ninety a bent body;At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world.This mishnah gives ages that are appropriate for the different stages in life.  We should note that in most places in the Mishnah, the age at which a child is obligated or allowed to do something is dependent not on his true age but either on his/her physical or mental development.  Indeed this mishnah, which lists true ages, is probably more of a guide and not to meant to be legally binding.  The Meiri states that it is meant as a stimulus to parents to teach their children the right subject at the right time.   In modern times we also give rough ages of development but realize that some children will be quicker to reach those milestones and some will be slower.Although this mishnah begins “he used to say” and therefore seems to be Judah ben Tema’s words, according to the Tosafot Yom Tov it is actually the words of Shmuel Hakatan.  As we noted in the previous mishnah, this mishnah and the next two are addenda to tractate Avoth.At five years of age the study of Scripture:  Some interpret this to mean that at five the child should begin formal schooling, where he will first learn how to read the words of Scripture and later understand them.  Interestingly, in modern times it is still typical to begin to learn to read at five.At ten the study of Mishnah:  The study of mishnah refers not to the study of the Mishnah as we have it today, but rather to the rote memorization of brief, usually halakhic material, which is the literary format of most of the Mishnah.At thirteen subject to the commandments:  At thirteen a child is liable for his own sins.  This was the average age of puberty at the time of the Mishnah.  This is the earliest reference to “bar-mitzvah” in Talmudic literature.  The concept of a celebration of the bar-mitzvah does not appear until the fifteenth century.  The idea of a “bat-mitzvah” does not appear until the 19th century.At fifteen the study of Talmud:  Talmud refers to the learning of the reasons and the Biblical proof of the laws that are “mishnah”.  At this age the child is more intellectually developed and can begin to learn the more difficult material.  Note that most children probably did not go to school this long.  The mishnah is referring to an ideal and not to common practice.At eighteen the bridal canopy:  According to many scholars, this is also an ideal.  In practice men (but not necessarily women) got married later.At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood]:  Once he has married a woman and had a child or two, he must pursue means to support his family.  By twenty a person should have a profession.  Others interpret this to mean that at twenty a person stops learning Torah and begins to work.  Still others interpret this to mean that at twenty he pursues the enemy in war.  This is the age at which one is liable to join the army, according to the Torah (Numbers 1:3).At thirty the peak of strength:  At thirty a person is at the peak of his strength.  In the Torah the Levites only begin to work in the Tabernacle at thirty (see Numbers 4:47).At forty wisdom:  At forty a person’s wisdom comes to fruition.  This is traditionally the age at which a person can be considered a “rabbi”. Nowadays people becomes rabbis at a much earlier age.At fifty able to give counsel:  In order to give advice a person needs to be wise but he also needs experience.  At fifty a person still has the wisdom he reached at forty, and he now has the experience needed to advise others.At sixty old age:  A person enters old age at 60.  Interestingly, the retiring age in our society is usually considered 65 (although in our society, with its advances in nutrition and health care, people are often able to work well past this age).At seventy fullness of years:  David died at 70 years of age, and I Chronicles 29:28 states, “And David died at a full age”.At eighty the age of “strength”:  See Psalms 90:10, which states that the given strength, one can live until 80.At ninety a bent body:  We should note that in the time of the Mishnah it was probably quite unusual to live this long.At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world:  In the time of the Mishnah one who lived to one hundred probably could not see or walk, and was probably extremely senile.  This mishnah considers such a person as good as dead.  If you are over one hundred and you are reading this or even having someone read it to you, a hearty Mazal Tov.  You have outlived the mishnah’s wildest dreams.  And for the rest of you, may you live and continue to learn until 120!
  
  Mishnah 22
  
  Ben Bag Bag said:Turn it over, and [again] turn it over, for all is therein.And look into it;And become gray and old therein;And do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it.According to legend, Ben Bag Bag and Ben He He (the author of the next mishnah) were converts.  In order to hide them from the Roman authorities who forbade conversion, they were called by nicknames (these are obviously not real names).  Both nicknames are in essence the letter “heh”, which is the letter that was added to Sarai and Avram’s, the first two converts, names.  Bag Bag is in gematria (numerical value) five (bet is two and gimmel is three), which is equivalent to He He, the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The language of the next two mishnayoth is Aramaic, as are the sayings of Hillel that we saw in chapter one, mishnah thirteen.  It is possible that these two sages are from the same time period as Hillel.Ben Bag Bag’s four statements all refer to the study of Torah.  The first statement teaches that one should continuously study Torah, turning it over and over, for all wisdom is contained in it.  He also comes to warn man not to be satisfied with superficial learning of the Torah.  Rather he must study it over many times to delve into its deeper meanings.One should continue to look into Torah even after he has gotten old.  Torah study does not end in youth but is a lifelong endeavor.One should not leave the Torah for there is nothing better in the world than the study of Torah.This mishnah is a quintessential example of how precious the study of Torah was in the eyes of the rabbis. It is one of the most studied books in human history and no people has ever developed such a devotion to the study of texts as have the Jews.
  
  Mishnah 23
  
  Introduction
  In the previous mishnah we learned that one must continuously study Torah.  In our mishnah Ben He He adds that one must work hard at Torah study in order to gain the greater reward of true understanding.
  Ben He He said: According to the labor is the reward. This might remind us of the modern saying, “no pain, no gain.”  The difference between the two statements is that the mishnah refers to study whereas our modern saying refers to physical exercise. Wisdom which is acquired with great labor will last longer than that which is acquired through casual reading.  We might experience this if we notice that things upon which we are tested are easier to remember than the casual reading we might do on our own.
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishnah 1
  
  The sages taught in the language of the mishnah. Blessed be He who chose them and their teaching. Rabbi Meir said:  Whoever occupies himself with the Torah for its own sake, merits many things;  not only that but he is worth the whole world.He is called beloved friend; one that loves God; one that loves humankind; one that gladdens God; one that gladdens humankind.And the Torah clothes him in humility and reverence, and equips him to be righteous, pious, upright and trustworthy; it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to merit.And people benefit from his counsel, sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine” (Proverbs 8:14).And it bestows upon him royalty, dominion, and acuteness in judgment.To him are revealed the secrets of the Torah, and he is made as an ever-flowing spring, and like a stream that never ceases.And he becomes modest, long-suffering and forgiving of insult.And it magnifies him and exalts him over everything.The sixth chapter of Avoth is not truly part of the Mishnah and was not originally part of tractate Avoth.  It is not found in the good manuscripts of the mishnah, but is generally found in early manuscripts of tractate Avoth as recorded in the siddur.  It was added to Avoth in the middle ages as a result of the custom to learn Avoth during the Sabbaths between Pesach and Shavuoth.  Since there are six Sabbaths between the two festivals, and the original tractate Avoth was only five chapters, another chapter was added.  The chapter that was chosen was originally part of tractate Kallah, one of the minor tractates.  It deals with the study of Torah, and is hence called “Perek Kinyan Torah”, “The Acquisition of Torah”.  The chapter was chosen because of its similarity in content and style to Avoth and because Shavuoth, the holiday which immediately follows the reading of this chapter in synagogues, is the time when the Torah was given.Although this material is not really mishnah, it has been included in Mishnah Yomit since it is now part of printed editions of the mishnah.  Throughout my commentary I will call each individual unit a “mishnah”, even though this is not truly accurate.The first section of the mishnah is an introduction, which lets the reader know that this is not truly part of the Mishnah, but that it is similar to the mishnah.  It also contains a short, opening praise for God. These two lines were added in the middle ages when this chapter was appended to Avoth.The remainder of the mishnah contains the ultimate praise of the one who studies Torah for its own sake.  We should also note that the mishnah can be divided into seven sections (although there may be other ways of dividing the mishnah).  This may not be accidental and this “perfect number” may part of the poetics of Rabbi Meir’s praise of Torah study.  Each section seems to move forward in its praise, until it reaches the thundering crescendo the Torah scholar sits at the top of God’s creation.Most of the mishnah is self-explanatory but we should note that although there is great glory to the Torah scholar, and he has royalty and strength and is above everyone else, he is nevertheless humble, and is not easily insulted.  The Torah scholar is not a prima donna, using his knowledge to show everyone his superiority.  His leadership and closeness to God is not expressed through deriding others, but he is loved by people as much as he is loved by God.  Without this balance, he probably could not truly be called a Torah scholar, for his learning has not perfected his personal attributes.  He also would not fit the category of one who studies Torah for “its own sake”.  The great attributes that Rabbi Meir describes would not be used for one who studies Torah for ulterior motives.
  
  Mishnah 2
  
  Introduction
  Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was not a tanna (a sage from the Mishnaic period) but an amora, a sage who lived during the time of the Talmud.  He was a student of one of Rabbi Judah Hanasi’s students (Bar Kapara).  He was originally from Lod (close to where Ben Gurion airport is currently located) and later in life he moved to Tiberius.
  Although the word “and” connects the parts of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi’s complex statement, the different sections are probably best understood as separate statements, all denouncing one who does not study Torah and praising one who does.
  Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: every day a bat kol (a heavenly goes forth from Mount Horeb and makes proclamation and says: “Woe unto humankind for their contempt towards the Torah”, for whoever does not occupy himself with the study of Torah is called, nazuf (the rebuked.  Mount Horeb is synonymous with Mt. Sinai, where the Torah was given.  A bat kol is some sort of heavenly voice.  It literally translates as “the daughter of a voice”.  It was considered a means of receiving knowledge of the intent of God, after prophecy had ended (which was during the rebuilding of the 2nd Temple).  However, the use in this mishnah may be more metaphorical.
  As it is said, “Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense” (Proverbs 22:11).  In the literal meaning of this verse, the gold ring on the snout of a pig serves as a simile for a beautiful woman bereft of sense.  Although she may have outer beauty, like the gold ring, it is useless, for like the gold ring it is attached to something disgraceful.  The verse is being used as an analogy in our mishnah to one who knows Torah but does not learn.  The Torah is figuratively “in his nose” but like the pig, he does not learn it.
  And it says, “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets” (Exodus 32:16).   Read not haruth [‘graven’] but heruth [ ‘freedom’].   For there is no free man but one that occupies himself with the study of the Torah.  There are several rich layers of meaning in the midrash in this section.  First of all, the midrash makes a word play on the word “harut” and instead of reading it as meaning “engraved” it reads it as meaning “freedom” or “herut”.  We learn that at the Sinaitic revelation the Israelites received their freedom (and not at the Exodus).  However, “freedom” in Jewish thought does not mean freedom from responsibility but it actually means the study of Torah.  According to the rabbis, there is no person freer than the one who learns Torah.
  And whoever regularly occupies himself with the study of the Torah he is surely exalted, as it is said, “And from Mattanah to Nahaliel; and Nahaliel to Bamoth” (Numbers 21:19).  There is a word play in this section.  According to its simple meaning, the verse refers to the travels of Israel in the desert.  Israel traveled from a place called “Matanah” to “Nahaliel”.  “Matanah” means “present” and “Nahaliel” can be understood as a compound word meaning “the inheritance of God”.  From the Torah, which is a gift, Israel inherits God.  From there, Israel went to “Bamoth” which means “high places”.  Once Israel has inherited God, they will merit being exalted in the “high places”.
  
  Mishnah 3
  
  One who learns from his fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, is obligated to treat him with honor; for so we find with David, king of Israel, who learned from Ahitophel no more than two things,  yet called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend, as it is said, “But it was you, a man mine equal, my guide and my beloved friend” (Psalms 55:14). Is this not [an instance of the argument] “from the less to the greater” (kal vehomer)?  If David, king of Israel who learned from Ahitophel no more than two things, nevertheless called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend; then in the case of one who learns from his fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, all the more so he is under obligation to treat him with honor. And “honor’” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “It is honor that sages inherit” (Proverbs 3:35). “And the perfect shall inherit good” (Proverbs 28:10), and “good” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “For I give you good instruction; do not forsake my Torah” (Proverbs 4:2). This mishnah teaches that one who learns even the smallest amount of Torah from someone else, must treat him with honor.  This lesson is learned from King David’s treatment of Ahitophel.  Ahitophel was David’s adviser, who betrayed him when Absalom, David’s son rebelled and claimed the kingship (See II Samuel 15:12).  When Absalom did not take his advice to immediately wage war on David, Ahitophel committed suicide (17:23).  According to rabbinic aggadah (legend), Ahitophel was a great sage, but came to an dishonorable end due to his excessive honor.  Psalms 55:13-15 is understood as being a lament by David referring to Ahitophel (this is even how the ancient Aramaic translation, targum, translates the verse).  David refers to Ahitophel with three titles of respect, due to the mere two things that Ahitophel taught him.  According to various legends found in rabbinic literature these two things are:  1)  That the Levites should carry the ark on their shoulders and not on a cart (see II Samuel 6:3-8); 2)  That he could write the name of God on a piece of clay in order to prevent the primal waters from rising (this is a legend found in Sukkah 53b).  If David, King of Israel treated Ahitophel, who only taught him these two things, with such honor, all the more so must a normal person treat those from whom he learns with respect. The mishnah ends with two midrashim.  The first teaches that honor is equated with Torah and the second teaches that goodness is also equated with Torah.  Keep in mind that this whole chapter is about the supreme value of the Torah.
  
  Mishnah 4
  
  Such is the way [of a life] of Torah:  you shall eat bread with salt, and rationed water shall you drink; you shall sleep on the ground, your life will be one of privation, and in Torah shall you labor. If you do this, “Happy shall you be and it shall be good for you” (Psalms 128:2):   “Happy shall you be” in this world, “and it shall be good for you” in the world to come.  This mishnah teaches the way of life of one who is totally dedicated to the study of Torah, so much so that he neglects his worldly, material needs.  His life will be one of privation.  He will eat little and sleep on the hard floor.  Paradoxically this seemingly poor life, will in actuality be one of great happiness and reward.  The materially deprived Torah scholar will be happy in this world for he will fall so in love with the study of Torah that nothing else will matter.  In the world to come he will be justly rewarded for his efforts. Others explain that this mishnah as a warning to the rich, that their delights in worldly pleasures may make it more difficult for them to learn Torah.  For once a person becomes too accustomed to worldly pleasures, that person will need to work harder and harder to earn more money to keep up his extravagant lifestyle. This excessive work will make it impossible for him to learn Torah.  [Note how big of a problem this is still in our society.  People work harder and harder to earn more and more money, yet no matter how much money they have, they are not satisfied.  It is a rare person who finally says, “I have enough” and turns his attention to things more important than earning money.  The people who are able to do so, are often greatly admired by our society, a society which rarely can deny material pleasure.]
  
  Mishnah 5
  
  Do not seek greatness for yourself, and do not covet honor.  The mishnah further warns that even when one has attained the status of being a learned person, he should not exalt himself over others, but rather remain faithful to his humble beginnings.  Similarly, he should not seek honor for himself, meaning he should not learn in order that others will call him “Rabbi”.
  Practice more than you learn.  As great as his learning may be, he must remember to practice more that he has learned.  The goal of learning is not knowledge for its own sake, but practice as well.  We learned this above in chapter three, mishnah nine.
  Do not yearn for the table of kings, for your table is greater than their table, and your crown is greater than their crown, and faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor.  The mishnah finishes with a warning, similar to that with which it began.  One should not crave the wealth or power of kings, for the table of Torah is even greater than theirs.  [Some explain this to mean that your reward in the world to come is greater than that of a king].  The crown of Torah is greater than the crown of kingship, as we learned above in chapter four, mishnah thirteen.  Finally, God, who is truly the master (employer) of all human beings, is faithful to pay your reward in the world to come.  While the king never truly knows what awaits him, a righteous Torah scholar can be confident that in the end, he will receive his just due.
  
  Mishnah 6
  
  Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight thingsBy study,Attentive listening,Proper speech,By an understanding heart,By an intelligent heart,By awe,By fear,By humility,By joy,By attending to the sages,By critical give and take with friends,By fine argumentation with disciples,By clear thinking,By study of Scripture,By study of mishnah,By a minimum of sleep,By a minimum of chatter,By a minimum of pleasure,By a minimum of frivolity,By a minimum of preoccupation with worldly matters,By long-suffering,By generosity,By faith in the sages,By acceptance of suffering.This mishnah begins by stating that the crown of Torah is greater than that of the priesthood or royalty.  This message has been one of the central themes of all of tractate Avoth.  The hereditary position of the priest and the king, two of the central figures of leadership in the Bible and in the Second Temple period, is surpassed, according to the rabbis, by the exalted position of the Torah scholar.  Indeed this is one of the revolutions wrought by the rabbis.  Jewish leadership was open not just to those born into a certain class, but to any person who worked hard enough to earn it through the study of Torah.The mishnah states that royalty is earned through thirty “stages”.  This is understood by commentators to mean thirty special rights that only a king has.  Some of these were listed in chapter two of Mishnah Sanhedrin and some are in the Bible.  We will not list these here, because, in my opinion, this is only an aside in the mishnah.  The twenty-four stages of the priesthood are the twenty-four different types of things they receive as gifts from other Israelites (agricultural and sacrificial gifts).With regard to Torah, the mishnah contains the first twenty-four of a list of forty-eight ways in which Torah is acquired.  Since most are self-explanatory, I will only comment on things that require further explanation.Proper speech:  this means that he must put his learning into proper order, much in the same way that the Mishnah is ordered in an organized fashion.By awe:  this refers to fear of one’s teacher.By fear:  this refers to fear of God.By humility:  humility prevents the student from being too afraid to ask a question.By joy:  only by enjoying learning can a student hope to be good at what he is doing or learning.By attending to the sages:  a student of Torah does not only learn from a sage’s words, but from his actions as well.  This is why the student must serve as an apprentice to his teacher.By critical give and take with friends:  Torah cannot be studied alone.By fine argumentation with disciples:  once a person acquires the status of Teacher, he must learn from the questions his students/disciples ask him.  From personal experience I can testify that I have to teach what I am learning to others.  Indeed, as much as you may be learning from Mishnah Yomit, I guarantee that I am learning more by being your teacher.By a minimum of sleep:  too much sleep is a waste of time and leads one to be lazy.  However, not enough sleep also can be damaging to the study of Torah, for it weakens the body and mind.  The ancient rabbis recommended eight hours of sleep a night.By long-suffering:  an angry person will have great difficulty in learning.  In order to learn a person must be tolerant and patient.By acceptance of suffering:  this refers to one who accepts his fate in life and does not challenge God.
  [Learning of Torah is also acquired by one]Who recognizes his place,Who rejoices in his portion,Who makes a fence about his words,Who takes no credit for himself,Who is loved,Who loves God,Who loves [his fellow] creatures, Who loves righteous ways,Who loves reproof,Who loves uprightness,Who keeps himself far from honors,Who does not let his heart become swelled on account of his learning,Who does not delight in giving legal decisions,Who shares in the bearing of a burden with his colleague,Who judges with the scales weighted in his favor,Who leads him on to truth,Who leads him on to peace,Who composes himself at his study,Who asks and answers,Who listens [to others], and [himself] adds [to his knowledge],Who learns in order to teach,Who learns in order to practice,Who makes his teacher wiser,Who is exact in what he has learned,And who says a thing in the name of him who said it. Thus you have learned: everyone who says a thing in the name of him who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22).This mishnah is a continuation of the previous mishnah which listed ways in which Torah is acquired.  The first twenty-four were in mishnah five and the final twenty-four are here.  [Note that 31a is not counted to the forty-eight.  According to some commentators this line should not be part of the mishnah.]As I did in the previous mishnah, I will only explain those things which require explanation.Who recognizes his place:  Some say that this means that he comes early to the bet midrash (study house).  Others interpret it to mean that the person knows in which study house it is appropriate for him to learn.Who rejoices in his portion:  he is satisfied with the abilities that God has given him and is not jealous of others.  This is similar to one “who recognizes his place.”Who makes a fence about his words:  this refers to one who is careful with his words, so that others should not come to err by them.Who loves [his fellow] creatures:  if a Torah scholar hates humanity, others who observe him will begin to hate Torah.  In such a way he will desecrate God’s name.  A true student of Torah must also love God’s human creations, as much as he loves God’s legal/theological manifesto.Who loves reproof:  one who seeks wisdom must also appreciate the necessity of reproof.  Only by accepting criticism for his errors will he grow, both as a human being and as a scholar.Who keeps himself far from honors:  as we learned above in mishnah four.Who does not delight not in giving legal decisions:  see above, chapter four, mishnah seven.Who shares in the bearing of a burden with his colleague:  when a fellow student bears a burden, such as having to act on behalf of the government, he should help him complete his duty, and together resume learning as quickly as possible.  This also may mean that when a fellow student grieves, he must grieve with him.Who judges with the scales weighted in his favor:  as we learned in tractate Sanhedrin, it is always preferable to seek to exculpate the accused.Who leads him on to truth:  this statement balances out the previous statement. Although the judge should look to weigh the scales in favor of the accused, this does not come at the expense of truth.Who leads him on to peace:  one who learns and teaches Torah should use his knowledge to bring peace and friendship between others.Who composes himself at his study:  he learns cautiously and not with excess haste.Who asks and answers:  note that asking the right questions is as important if not more important than giving the right answers.Who listens [to others], and [himself] adds [to his knowledge]:  although he may be the teacher, he learns from his students.  See above, chapter one, mishnah thirteen.Who learns in order to teach:  see above, chapter four, mishnah five.Who makes his teacher wiser:  by asking intelligent questions.  Thus his teacher will be able to say that he “has learned most from my students”.Who is exact in what he has learned:  he does not add to the tradition that he has received, nor detract from it.And who says a thing in the name of him who said it:  he does not attribute that which he has learned from his teacher, to himself.Thus you have learned: everyone that says a thing in the name of him who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22):  and it was through Esther’s words to the king that the Jewish people were saved.
  
  Mishnah 7
  
  Great is Torah for it gives life to those that practice 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” (Proverbs 4:22),And it says:  “It will be a cure for your navel and marrow for your bones” (ibid. 3:8)And it says: “She is a tree of life to those that grasp her, and whoever holds onto her is happy” (ibid. 3:18),And it says:  “For they are a graceful wreath upon your head, a necklace about your throat” (ibid. 1:9),And it says:  “She will adorn your head with a graceful wreath; crown you with a glorious diadem” (ibid. 4:9)And it says:  “In her right hand is length of days, in her left riches and honor” (ibid. 3:1,And it says:  “For they will bestow on you length of days, years of life and peace” (ibid. 3:2).This mishnah is basically a series of prooftexts taken from Proverbs, and used to prove the life-giving qualities of Torah.  The book of Proverbs was an especially rich source for quotes in rabbinic literature.  Note that there are seven prooftexts, a number that is surely not accidental.This mishnah is a series of quotes from Proverbs, each of which proves that Torah is beneficial, that it bestows life and wealth.  I will only comment on a few of these texts.Section three:  The Torah is a tree of life, but only for those who “grasp her”.  This means that the words of Torah require reinforcement, that is continuous study.Section four:  According to the commentators, the head mentioned in this verse refers to thought and the throat refers to speech.  Torah learning is only acquired by engaging both one’s head and one’s throat.Section seven:  Just as the Amidah prayer concludes with a request for peace, so too does this mishnah.
  
  Mishnah 8
  
  Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai:    Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, [old age], gray hair, and children are becoming to the righteous, and becoming to the world,As it is said: “Gray hair is a crown of glory (; it is attained by way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:3,And it says: “The ornament of the wise is their wealth” (ibid. 14:24),And it says: “Grandchildren are the glory of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents” (ibid. 17:6),And it says: “The glory of youths is their strength; and the beauty of old men is their gray hair” (ibid. 20:29),And it says:  “Then the moon shall be ashamed, and the sun shall be abashed.  For the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and God’s Honor will be revealed to his elders” (Isaiah 24:23). Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: these seven qualities, which the sages have listed [as becoming] to the righteous, were all of them fulfilled in Rabbi and his sons.Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya was a colleague of Rabbi Judah Hanasi.  He and another rabbi were part of a group called “the holy assembly” for one of two reasons.  Either they split their day into three parts, one third in study, one third in prayer and one third working.  Alternatively they worked during the summer and learned Torah all winter.Similar to the previous mishnah, this mishnah employs mostly verses from Proverbs.Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya lists seven qualities that when possessed by a righteous person, are beneficial to him and beneficial to the whole world.  In this list I have placed the words “old age” in parentheses, for they should not be part of the source.  Old age is synonymous with “gray hair” (my apologies if this insults those who have gone prematurely gray).  Furthermore, if this were part of the list there would be eight qualities and not seven.  It is obvious from the end of the mishnah that there are supposed to be only seven.1.  Beauty although we may not like to admit this, good-looking people are more admired and listened to than not good-looking people.  The righteous person’s good looks benefit him and the rest of the world for others will listen to his sage advice.2. Strength with strength the righteous person will be able to vanquish the wicked.3. Wealth to be used to support the poor.4. Honor when the righteous person is honored, others will listen to his words.5. Wisdom to learn what it is that God wants him to do.6. Gray hair with gray hair and the accompanying onset of old age comes the important quality of experience, which is so essential to any teacher.7. Children who will hopefully inherit his righteous ways.In order to facilitate the understanding of the texts brought as support, I have highlighted the appearance of each of these qualities in the various verses.At the end of the mishnah Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya testifies that all of these characteristics were fully present in Rabbi [Judah Hanasi], the editor of the Mishnah, and his sons.
  
  Mishnah 9
  
  Introduction
  This mishnah contains a beautiful story of Rabbi Yose ben Kisma and his desire to live in a city where other sages live.
  Rabbi Yose ben Kisma said:  Once I was walking by the way when a man met me, and greeted me and I greeted him. He said to me, “Rabbi, where are you from?” I said to him, “I am from a great city of sages and scribes”. He said to me, “Rabbi, would you consider living with us in our place?  I would give you a thousand thousand denarii of gold, and precious stones and pearls.” I said to him: “My son, even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls that are in the world, I would not dwell anywhere except in a place of Torah; for when a man passes away there accompany him neither gold nor silver, nor precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone, as it is said, “When you walk it will lead you.  When you lie down it will watch over you; and when you are awake it will talk with you” (Proverbs 6:22). “When you walk it will lead you”  in this world. “When you lie down it will watch over you”  in the grave; “And when you are awake it will talk with you” in the world to come. And thus it is written in the book of Psalms by David, king of Israel, “I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of pieces of gold and silver” (Psalms 119:71), And it says: “Mine is the silver, and mine the gold, says the Lord of Hosts” (Haggai 2:8). The teaching in this mishnah is similar to the words of Rabbi Nehorai in chapter four, mishnah fourteen, “go as a [voluntary] exile to a place of Torah and say not that it will come after you”  Rabbi Nehorai teaches that one should leave a city where one cannot learn Torah to go to a place where one can learn Torah.  In our mishnah we see a reverse move:  Rabbi Yose ben Kisma will not leave his city which is full of sages, even to go to a place where they will give him all of the money in the world.  The wealth of Torah accompanies not only in this world, but to the grave and onwards to the world to come.  Note how opposite this idea is from the ancient practice of burying a person with some of his material possessions, which were to go on with him to the world to come.  In Judaism what accompanies a person to the world to come are not his material possessions but his spiritual accomplishments:  learning Torah and performing good deeds.  This is what God truly cares about.  Rabbi Yose uses several texts to prove that true wealth belongs to God and is given through His Torah.  The wealth of money and jewels cannot tempt Rabbi Yose to leave a life of Torah.
  
  Mishnah 10
  
  Five possessions did the Holy Blessed One, set aside as his own in this world, and these are they:The Torah, one possession;Heaven and earth, another possession;Abraham, another possession;Israel, another possession;The Temple, another possession. 1 The Torah is one possession.  From where do we know this? Since it is written, “The Lord possessed (usually translated as ‘created’ me at the beginning of his course, at the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22).  , 2 Heaven and earth, another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said:    “Thus said the Lord:  The heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool;  Where could you build a house for Me, What place could serve as My abode? (Isaiah 66:1) And it says: “How many are the things You have made, O Lord; You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalms 104:24). 3 Abraham is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “He blessed him, saying, “Blessed by Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 15:19). 4 Israel is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “Till Your people cross over, O Lord, Till Your people whom You have possessed” (Exodus 15:16). And it says:  “As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, my whole desire ( is in them” (Psalms 16:3). 5 The Temple is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “The sanctuary, O lord, which your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17”, And it says: “And He brought them to His holy realm, to the mountain, which His right hand had possessed” (Psalms 78:54).This mishnah lists five things that are mentioned in the Torah as having been “possessed” or acquired by God.  The Hebrew root for this word is knh, which can also mean, in Biblical Hebrew, “create”.  Hence you will note that some of the verses quoted are usually translated as “create”.  However to make the connections between the verses and their use in the mishnah more clear, I have translated the word as “possess”.Since this mishnah is simple and self-explanatory, I have refrained from commenting. However, it may be worthwhile to think about what these five things have in common, beside the fact that the verb knh is used in connection with them in various places in the Bible.
  
  Mishnah 11
  
  Whatever the Holy Blessed One created in His world, he created only for His glory, as it is said: “All who are linked to My name, whom I have created, formed and made for My glory” (Isaiah 43:7), And it says: “The Lord shall reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18).  In the previous mishnah we learned that God has five possessions in this world.  Our mishnah expands this idea and states that all of creation is meant to glorify God.  Even pieces of our world that we may think are extraneous and unnecessary, are somehow linked into the great web called God’s creation.  Each piece, as unexplainable as it may be to us, has its place and ultimately it too gives glory to God.  As much as this mishnah teaches about God, it teaches more about the world and how we, as God’s caretakers, must look at it. You may note that the second verse does not seem to support the idea in this section.  It was probably brought as a small prayer, to be said at the end of the last mishnah of the chapter (the next section is not truly part of this chapter).
  Said Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashya:  It pleased the Holy Blessed One to grant merit to Israel, that is why He gave them Torah and commandments in abundance, as it is said, “The Lord was pleased for His righteousness, to make Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21).  This last section appears as the last mishnah in tractate Makkot.  In order to save you the trouble of looking back, I will quote what I wrote there (with a few minor additions which I have thought about since then): This oft-quoted mishnah responds to an important theological question regarding the performance of commandments.  Why does God care, or how is God affected, by Israel performing ritual commandments, for instance, kashruth, the dietary laws? Many have asked, what does God care how I eat my meat, whether I eat it with milk or not?  The answer that Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashiah gives is that by performing God’s commandment, Israel accrues merit with God.  It is a way for Israel to live up to a covenant, entered into with the infinite divine.  The mitvoth, the commandments, and the learning of Torah, are not magical rites, performed in order to manipulate God into treating us better.  Rather they are a symbol God’s grace to Israel, a means by which Israel can act out the will of the divine.  They are means by which Israel can show God how much they love God.  Note that this concept is opposed to that which Paul, the leader of early Christianity posited, namely that the law causes people to be sinners, and without the law there is no sin.  In Judaism halakhah is not a stumbling block but an opportunity for people to perform God’s will.  This is not an opportunity that should be taken for granted. This mishnah is customarily recited in synagogues after the completion of each chapter of Avoth, which is studied between Pesach and Shavuoth.  Since it is one of the core ideas in all of Judaism, it has become in essence a prayer recited liturgically, and not just a learned text. Congratulations!  We have finished Avoth. As I have mentioned at the end of every tractate, it is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us to finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives.  I might add that now that we have learned many tractates, it becomes more important to go back and look over material.  You will have noted how different and special tractate Avoth really was.  The lessons that we have learned should be internalized, for they contain some of the most important concepts in all of Judaism. Tomorrow we begin tractate Horayoth, and with God’s help, when we complete Horayoth, we will have finished all of Seder Nezikin!