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The New Jew
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pp. 710-711
Minha for Shabbat

Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek Alef
פרקי אבות - פרק א
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Hebrew
ג אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּהְיוּ
כַּעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁים אֶת הָרַב עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, אֶלָּא הֱווּ כַעֲבָדִים
הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁים אֶת הָרַב שֶׁלֹּא עַל מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, וִיהִי מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם.
Sephardi
3. Antigonos ish Socho kibel miShimon HaTzaddik. Hu hayah omer: Al tihyu
ka'avadim hameshamshim et harav al menat lekabel peras, ela hevu ka'avadim
hameshamshim et harav shelo al menat lekabel peras, vihi mora Shamayim aleichem.
English
3. Antigonos of Sokho received [the Torah tradition] from Shimon the Just. He used to say: Do not be like servants who serve their master on condition of receiving a reward, but be like servants who serve their master not on condition of receiving a reward; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.
Hebrew
ד יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה וְיוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יוֹסֵי בֶן
יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה אוֹמֵר: יְהִי בֵיתְךָ בֵּית וַעַד לַחֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר
רַגְלֵיהֶם, וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה בַצָּמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם.
Sephardi
4. Yosei ben Yo'ezer ish Tzereidah veYose ben Yochanan ish Yerushalayim kiblu meihem. Yosei ben
Yo'ezer ish Tzereidah omer: Yehi beitekha beit va'ad lachachamim, vehevei mit'abek ba'afar
ragleihem, vehevei shote batzama et divreihem.
English
4. Yose ben Yo’ezer of Zereda and Yose ben Yohanan of Jerusalem received [the tradition] from them. Yose ben Yo’ezer of Zereda used to say: Let your house be a meeting place for sages; sit in the dust at their feet, and with thirst, drink in their words.
Hebrew
ה יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אוֹמֵר: יְהִי בֵיתְךָ פָּתוּחַ לִרְוָחָה, וְיִהְיוּ עֲנִיִּים
בְּנֵי בֵיתֶךָ, וְאַל תַּרְבֶּה שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִשָּׁה. בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרוּ, קַל וָחֹמֶר בְּאֵשֶׁת
חֲבֵרוֹ. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: כָּל הַמַּרְבֶּה שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִשָּׁה, גּוֹרֵם רָעָה
לְעַצְמוֹ, וּבוֹטֵל מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְסוֹפוֹ יוֹרֵשׁ גֵּיהִנָּם.
Sephardi
5. Yosei ben Yochanan ish Yerushalayim omer: Yehi beitekha patuach lirvachah, veyihyu aniyim
benei veitecha, ve'al tarbe sichah im ha'ishah. Be'ishto amru, kal vachomer be'eshet
chavero. Mikan amru chachamim: Kol hamarbeh sichah im ha'ishah, gorem ra'ah
le'atzmo, uvotel midivrei Torah, vesofo yoresh Gehinnam.
English
5. Yose ben Yohanan of Jerusalem used to say: Let your house be open wide; let the poor join the members of your household; and do not gossip inordinately with women. This was said about one’s own wife; all the more so does it apply to another man’s wife. Hence the sages say: a man who talks too much with a woman brings trouble on himself, neglects the study of Torah, and in the end will inherit Gehinnom.
Hebrew
ו יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר:
עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת.
Sephardi
6. Yehoshua ben Perachyah veNittai Ha'Arbeli kiblu meihem. Yehoshua ben Perachyah omer:
Aseh lecha rav, ukneh lecha chaver, vehevei dan et chol ha'adam lekhaf zekhut.
English
6. Yehoshua ben Peraḥya and Nittai the Arbelite received [the tradition] from them. Yehoshua ben Peraḥya used to say: Get yourself a teacher, acquire a companion, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt.
Hebrew
ז נִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי אוֹמֵר: הַרְחֵק מִשָּׁכֵן רָע, וְאַל תִּתְחַבֵּר לָרָשָׁע, וְאַל תִּתְיָאֵשׁ
מִן הַפֻּרְעָנוּת.
Sephardi
7. Nittai Ha'Arbeli omer: Harchek mishakhen ra, ve'al tit'chaber larasha, ve'al tit'ya'esh
min hapur'anut.
English
7. Nittai the Arbelite used to say: Keep far from a bad neighbor, do not associate with a bad person, and do not despair of divine retribution.
Hebrew
ח יְהוּדָה בֶן טַבַּאי וְשִׁמְעוֹן בֶן שָׁטַח קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוּדָה בֶן טַבַּאי אוֹמֵר: אַל
תַּעַשׂ עַצְמְךָ כְּעוֹרְכֵי הַדַּיָּנִין, וּכְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ בַעֲלֵי הַדִּין עוֹמְדִים לְפָנֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בְעֵינֶיךָ
כִרְשָׁעִים, וּכְשֶׁנִּפְטָרִים מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יִהְיוּ בְעֵינֶיךָ כְּזַכָּאִין, כְּשֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת
הַדִּין.
Sephardi
8. Yehudah ben Tabbai veShimon ben Shatach kiblu meihem. Yehudah ben Tabbai omer: Al
ta'as atzmekha ke'orkhei hadayanin, ukhsheyihyu ba'alei hadin omdim lefanecha yihyu be'einekha
kirsha'im, uksheniftarim milfanecha yihyu be'einekha kezaka'in, keshekiblu aleihem et
hadin.
English
8. Yehuda ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shataḥ received [the tradition] from them. Yehuda ben Tabbai used to say: [When sitting as a judge] do not act as an advocate; when the parties to a lawsuit appear before you, regard them both as guilty; but when they leave you, having accepted the verdict, regard them both as innocent.
Hebrew
ט שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מַרְבֶּה לַחְקֹר אֶת הָעֵדִים, וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בִּדְבָרֶיךָ,
שֶׁמָּא מִתּוֹכָם יִלְמְדוּ לְשַׁקֵּר.
Sephardi
9. Shimon ben Shatach omer: Hevei marbeh lachkor et ha'edim, vehevei zahir bidvarekha,
shema mitokham yilmedu leshaker.
English
9. Shimon ben Shataḥ used to say: Examine the witnesses thoroughly, and be careful in your words, lest through them they learn how to lie.
Hebrew
י שְׁמַעְיָה וְאַבְטַלְיוֹן קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. שְׁמַעְיָה אוֹמֵר: אֱהֹב אֶת הַמְּלָאכָה, וּשְׂנָא
אֶת הָרַבָּנוּת, וְאַל תִּתְוַדַּע לָרָשׁוּת.
Sephardi
10. Shemayah veAvtalyon kiblu meihem. Shemayah omer: Ehav et hamelakhah, usna
et harabbanut, ve'al titvada larashut.
English
10. Shemaya and Avtalyon received [the tradition] from them. Shemaya used to say: Love work, hate public office, and do not become too intimate with the ruling power.
Hebrew
יא אַבְטַלְיוֹן אוֹמֵר: חֲכָמִים הִזָּהֲרוּ בְדִבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁמָּא תָחוֹבוּ חוֹבַת גָּלוּת, וְתִגְלוּ
לִמְקוֹם מַיִם הָרָעִים, וְיִשְׁתּוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיכֶם וְיָמוּתוּ, וְנִמְצָא
שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִתְחַלֵּל
Sephardi
11. Avtalyon omer: Chachamim hizaharu vedivreikhem, shema tachovu chovat galut, vetiglu
limkom mayim hara'im, veyishtu hatalmidim haba'im achareikhem veyamutu, venimtza
sheim Shamayim mitchalel
English
11. Avtalyon used to say: Sages, be careful in what you say, lest you incur the penalty of exile and find yourself banished to a place of evil waters, where your disciples who follow you may drink from them and die, with the result that the name of Heaven will be profaned.