Pirke Avot

Document Text

Chapter I.

1. Moses received the Torah from Sinai, and he delivered it to Jehoshua, and Jehoshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets delivered it to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment; and raise up many disciples; and make a fence to the Torah.

2. Shime’on ha-Tsaddik was of the remnants of the Great Synagogue. He used to say, On three things the world is stayed; on the Torah, and on the Worship, and on the bestowal of Kindnesses.

3. Antigonus of Soko received from Shime’on ha-Tsaddik. He used to say, Be not as slaves that minister to the lord with a view to receive recompense; but be as slaves that minister to the lord without a view to receive recompense; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.

4. Jose ben Jo’ezer of Tseredah and Jose ben Jochanan of Jerusalem received from them. Jose ben Jo’ezer of Tseredah said, Let thy house be a meeting-house for the wise; and powder thyself in the dust of their feet; and drink their words with thirstiness.

5. Jose ben Jochanan of Jerusalem said, Let thy house be opened wide; and let the needy be thy household; and prolong not converse with woman.

[His own wife, they meant, much less his neighbour’s wife. Hence the wise have said, Each time that the man prolongs converse with the woman he causes evil to himself, and desists from words of Torah, and in the end he inherits Gehinnom.]

6. Jehoshua ben Perachiah and Nittai the Arbelite received from them. Jehoshua ben Perachiah said, Make unto thyself a master; and possess thyself of an associate; and judge every man in the scale of merit.

7. Nittai the Arbelite said, Withdraw from an evil neighbour; and associate not with the wicked; and grow not thoughtless of retribution.

8. Jehudah ben Tabai and Shime’on ben Shatach received from them. Jehudah ben Tabai said, Make not thyself as them that predispose the judges; and while the litigants stand before thee, let them be in thine eyes as guilty; and when dismissed from before thee let them be in thine eyes as righteous, because they have received the doom upon them.

9. Shime’on ben Shatach said, Make full examination of the witnesses; but be guarded in thy words, perchance from them they may learn to lie.

10. Shema’iah and Abtalion received from them. Shema’iah said, Love work; and hate lordship; and make not thyself known to the government.

11. Abtalion said, Ye wise, be guarded in your words; perchance ye may incur the debt of exile, and be exiled to the place of evil waters; and the disciples that come after you may drink and die, and the Name of Heaven be profaned.

12. Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel said, Be of the disciples of Aharon; loving peace, and pursuing peace; loving mankind, and bringing them nigh to the Torah.

13. He used to say, A name made great is a name destroyed; he who increases not decreases; and he who will not learn (or teach) deserves slaughter; and he who serves himself with the tiara perishes.

14. He used to say, If I am not for myself who is for me? And being for my own self what am I? If not now when?

15. Shammai said, Make thy Torah an ordinance; say little and do much; and receive every man with a pleasant expression of countenance.

16. Rabban Gamliel said, Make to thyself a master, and be quit of doubt; and tithe not much by estimation.

17. Shime’on his son said, All my days I have grown up amongst the wise, and have not found aught good for a man but silence; not learning but doing is the groundwork; and whoso multiplies words occasions sin.

18. Rabban Shime’on ben Gamliel said, On three things the world stands; on Judgment, and on Truth, and on Peace.

Chapter II.

1. Rabbi said, Which is the right course that a man should choose for himself? Whatsoever is a pride to him that pursues it, (and) brings him honour from men. And be attentive to a light precept as to a grave, for thou knowest not the assigned reward of precepts; and reckon the loss for a duty against its gain, and the gain by a transgression against its loss. And consider three things, and thou wilt not fall into the hands of transgression: know what is above thee—a seeing eye, and a hearing ear, and all thy deeds written in a book.

2. Rabban Gamliel, son of R. Jehudah ha-Nasi, said, Excellent is Torah study together with worldly business, for the practice of them both puts iniquity out of remembrance; and all Torah without work must fail at length, and occasion iniquity. And let all who are employed with the congregation act with them in the name of Heaven, for the merit of their fathers sustains them, and their righteousness stands for ever. And ye yourselves shall have reward reckoned unto you as if ye had wrought.

3. Be cautious with (those in) authority, for they let not a man approach them but for their own purposes; and they appear like friends when it is to their advantage, but stand not by a man in the hour of his need.

4. He used to say, Do His will as if it were thy will, that He may do thy will as if it were His will. Annul thy will before His will, that He may annul the will of others before thy will.

5. Hillel said, Separate not thyself from the congregation, and trust not in thyself until the day of thy death; and judge not thy friend until thou comest into his place; and say not of a word which may be heard that in the end it shall be heard; and say not, When I have leisure I will study; perchance thou mayest not have leisure.

6. He used to say, No boor is a sinfearer; nor is the vulgar pious; nor is the shamefast apt to learn, nor the passionate to teach; nor is every one that has much traffic wise. And in a place where there are no men endeavour to be a man.

7. Moreover he saw a skull which floated on the face of the water, and he said to it, Because thou drownedst they drowned thee, and in the end they that drowned thee shall be drowned.

He used to say, More flesh, more worms: more treasures, more care: more maidservants, more lewdness: more menservants, more theft: more women, more witchcrafts: more Torah, more life: more wisdom, more scholars: more righteousness, more peace. He who has gotten a good name has gotten it for himself. He who has gotten to himself words of Torah, has gotten to himself the life of the world to come.

8. Rabban Jochanan ben Zakai received from Hillel and from Shammai. He used to say, If thou hast practised Torah much, claim not merit to thyself, for thereunto wast thou created.

Five disciples were there to Rabban Jochanan ben Zakai, and these were they: R. Eli’ezer ben Hyrcanos, and R. Jehoshua ben Chananiah, and R. Jose the Priest, and R. Shime’on ben Nathanael, and R. Ele’azar ben Arak. He used to recount their praise: Eli’ezer ben Hyrcanos is a plastered cistern, which loseth not a drop; Jehoshua ben Chananiah—happy is she that bare him; Jose the Priest is pious; Shim’eon ben Nathanael is a sinfearer; Ele’azar ben Arak is a welling spring.

He used to say, If all the wise of Israel were in a scale of the balance, and Eli’ezer ben Hyrcanos in the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name, If all the wise of Israel were in a scale of the balance, and Eli’ezer ben Hyrcanos with them, and Ele’azar ben Arak in the other scale, he would outweigh them all.

9. He said to them, Go and see which is the good way that a man should cleave to. Rabbi Eli’ezer said, A good eye; R. Jehoshua said, A good friend; and R. Jose said, A good neighbour; and R. Shime’on said, He that foresees what is to be; R. Eleazar said, A good heart. He said to them, I approve the words of Ele’azar ben Arak rather than your words, for his words include your words.

He said to them, Go and see which is the evil way that a man should shun. R. Eli’ezer said, An evil eye; and R. Jehoshua said, An evil companion; and R. Jose said, An evil neighbour; and R. Shime’on said, He that borroweth and repayeth not—he that borrows from man is the same as if he borrowed from God (blessed is He)—for it is said, The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again, but the righteous is merciful and giveth (Ps. 37:21). R. Ele’azar said, An evil heart. He said to them, I approve the words of Ele’azar ben Arak rather than your words, for your words are included in his words.

10. And they said (each) three things. R. Eli’ezer said, Let the honour of thy friend be dear unto thee as thine own; and be not easily provoked; and repent one day before thy death. And warm thyself before the fire of the wise, but beware of their embers, perchance thou mayest be singed, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss the hiss of a fiery-serpent, and all their words are as coals of fire.

11. R. Jehoshua said, An evil eye, and the evil nature, and hatred of the creatures put a man out of the world.

12. R. Jose said, Let the property of thy friend be precious unto thee as thine own; set thyself to learn Torah, for it is not an heirloom unto thee; and let all thy actions be to the name of Heaven.

13. R. Shime’on said, Be careful in reading the Shema and in Prayer; and when thou prayest, make not thy prayer an ordinance, but an entreaty before God, blessed is He, for it is said, For God is compassionate and easily-entreated, longsuffering, and plenteous in grace (Joel 2:13); and be not wicked unto thyself.

14. R. Ele’azar said, Be diligent to learn Torah, wherewith thou mayest make answer to an Epicurus; and know before whom thou toilest; and who is the Master of thy work.

15. R. Tarphon said, The day is short, and the task is great, and the workmen are sluggish, and the reward is much, and the Master of the house is urgent.

16. He said, It is not for thee to finish the work, nor art thou free to desist therefrom; if thou hast learned much Torah, they give thee much reward; and faithful is the Master of thy work, who will pay thee the reward of thy work, and know that the recompence of the reward of the righteous is for the time to come.…

Chapter V.

1. By ten Sayings the world was created. And what is learned therefrom? For could it not have been created by one Saying? But it was that vengeance might be taken on the wicked, who destroy the world that was created by ten Sayings; and to give a goodly reward to the righteous, who maintain the world that was created by ten Sayings.

2. Ten generations were there from Adam to Noach, to shew how great was His longsuffering; for all the generations were provoking Him, till He brought the deluge upon them.

3. Ten generations were there from Noach to Abraham, to shew how great was His longsuffering; for all the generations were provoking Him, till Abraham our father came, and received the reward of them all.

4. With ten temptations was Abraham our father tempted, and he withstood them all; to shew how great was the love of Abraham our father.

Ten miracles were wrought for our fathers in Egypt; and ten by the sea.

Ten plagues brought the Holy One, blessed is He, upon the Egyptians in Egypt; and ten by the Sea.

With ten temptations did our fathers tempt God in the wilderness, for it is said, And they have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice (Numb. 14:22).

5. Ten miracles were wrought in the Sanctuary. No woman miscarried from the scent of the holy meat; and the holy meat never stank; and an uncleanness befel not the highpriest on the day of the Atonement; and a fly was not seen in the slaughterhouse; and a defect was not found in the sheaf; nor in the two loaves; nor in the shewbread; and rains quenched not the pile; and the wind prevailed not against the pillar of smoke; they stood serried, and bowed down at ease; and serpent and scorpion harmed not in Jerusalem; and a man said not to his fellow, The place is too strait for me (Is. 49: 20) to lodge in Jerusalem.

6. Ten things were created between the suns. The mouth of the earth; and the mouth of the well; and the mouth of the ass; and the bow (Gen. 60:13); and the manna; and the rod; and the shamir-worm; and the character; and the writing; and the tables. And some say, the spirits also; and the sepulchre of Moses (Deut. 34:6); and the ram of Abraham our father (Gen. 22:13). And some say, tongs also, made with tongs.

7. Seven things are in a clod, and seven in a wise man. The wise man speaks not before one who is greater than he in wisdom; and does not interrupt the words of his companion; and is not hasty to reply; he asks according to canon, and answers to the point; and speaks on the first thing first, and on the last last; of what he has not heard he says, I have not heard; and he acknowledges the truth. And their opposites are in the clod.

8. Seven kinds of punishments come on account of seven main transgressions. When some men tithe, and some do not tithe, dearth from drought comes: some of them are hungry, and some of them are full. When they have not tithed at all, a dearth from tumult and from drought comes. And when they have not offered the dough-cake, a deadly dearth comes.

Pestilence comes into the world for the capital crimes mentioned in the Torah, which are not brought before the tribunal; and for the seventh year fruits.

The sword comes upon the world for suppression of judgment; and for perversion of judgment; and for explaining Torah not according to canon.

9. Noisome beasts come into the world for vain swearing; and for profanation of the name of God.

Captivity comes upon the world for strange worship; and for incest; and for shedding of blood; and for (not) giving release to the land.

At four seasons the pestilence waxes: in the fourth (year); in the seventh; at the ending of the seventh; and at the ending of the Feast in every year. In the fourth (year), on account of the poor’s tithe in the third; in the seventh, on account of the poor’s tithe in the sixth; and at the ending of the seventh, on account of the seventh year fruits; and at the ending of the Feast in every year, on account of the largesses of the poor.

10. There are four characters in men: He that saith, Mine is mine, and thine is thine, is an indifferent character; but some say, It is the character of Sodom; (He that saith) Mine is thine, and thine is mine, is ’am ha-arets; Mine and thine are thine, pious; Thine and mine are mine, wicked.

11. There are four characters in dispositions. Easily provoked, and easily pacified, his gain is cancelled by his loss; hard to provoke and hard to pacify, his loss is cancelled by his gain; hard to provoke, and easily pacified, pious; easily provoked, and hard to pacify, wicked.

12. There are four characters in scholars. Quick to hear and quick to forget, his gain is cancelled by his loss; slow to hear and slow to forget, his loss is cancelled by his gain; quick to hear, and slow to forget, is wise; slow to hear, and quick to forget, this is an evil lot.

13. There are four characters in almsgivers. He who is willing to give, but not that others should give, his eye is evil towards the things of others; that others should give, and he should not give, his eye is evil towards his own; he who would give and let others give, is pious; he who will not give nor let others give, is wicked.

14. There are four characters in college-goers. He that goes and does not practise, the reward of going is in his hand; he that practises and does not go, the reward of practice is in his hand; he that goes and practises is pious; he that goes not and does not practise is wicked.

15. There are ba in those who sit under the wise: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, and a bolt-sieve. A sponge, which sucks up all; a funnel, which lets in here and lets out there; a strainer, which lets out the wine and keeps back the dregs; a bolt-sieve, which lets out the pollard and keeps back the flour.

16. All love which depends on some thing, when the thing ceases, the love ceases; and such as does not depend on anything, ceases not for ever.

What love is that which depends on some thing? The love of Amnon and Tamar. And that which does not depend on anything? This is the love of David and Jonathan.

17. Whatsoever gainsaying is for the name of Heaven will in the end be established; and that which is not for the name of Heaven will not in the end be established.

What gainsaying is that which is for the name of Heaven? The gainsaying of Shammai and Hillel. And that which is not for the name of Heaven? This is the gainsaying of Korach.

18. Whosoever makes the many righteous, sin prevails not over him; and whosoever makes the many to sin, they grant him not the faculty to repent.

Moses was righteous, and made the many righteous, and the righteousness of the many was laid upon him, for it is said, He executed the justice of the Lord and His judgments, with Israel (Deut. 33:21).

Jerobe’am sinned, and caused the many to sin, (and) the sin of the many was laid upon him, for it is said, Because of the sins of Jerobe’am who sinned, and made Israel to sin (I Kings 14:16; 15:30).

19. In whomsoever are three things, he is a disciple of Abraham; and three (other) things, a disciple of Bile’am.

A good eye, and a lowly soul, and a humble spirit (belong to) the disciple of Abraham; an evil eye, and a swelling soul, and a haughty spirit, to the disciple of Bile’am. And what difference is between the disciples of Abraham and the disciples of Bile’am? The disciples of Bile’am, go down to Gehinnom, for it is said, But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction (Ps. 55:24), but the disciples of Abraham inherit the Garden of Eden, for it is said, That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures (Prov. 8:21).

20. R. Jehudah ben Thema said, Be bold as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fleet as a hart, and strong as a lion, to do the will of thy Father which is in Heaven.

He used to say, The bold of face to Gehinnom; and the shamefaced to the garden of Eden. May it be well-pleasing in thy sight, Lord, our God, and the God of our fathers, that thy city may be built in our days; and give us our portion in thy Torah.

[21. He used to say: At five years old for the Scripture, at ten years for the Mishnah, at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen for the Talmud, at eighteen for the bride-chamber, at twenty for pursuing a calling, at thirty for authority, at forty for discernment, at fifty for counsel, at sixty for to be an elder, at seventy for gray hair, at eighty for special strength, at ninety for bowed back, and at a hundred a man is as one that has already died and passed away and ceased from the world.]

22. Ben Bag-bag said, Turn it, and again turn it, for the all is therein, and thy all is therein; and swerve not therefrom, for thou canst have no greater excellency than this.

23. Ben He-he said, According to the toil is the reward.