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pp. 712-713

Minha for Shabbat

Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek Alef

פרקי אבות - פרק א

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Hebrew

הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם
וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה.

Sephardi

Hillel veShammai kiblu mehem. Hillel omer: Hevei mitalmidav shel Aharon, ohev shalom
verodef shalom, ohev et haberiyot umekarvan laTorah.

English

Hillel and Shammai received [the tradition] from them. Hillel said: Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and drawing them close to the Torah.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: נְגַד שְׁמָא אֲבַד שְׁמֵהּ, וּדְלָא מוֹסִיף יָסוּף, וּדְלָא יָלֵף קְטָלָא
חַיָּב, וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַגָּא חָלֵף.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Negad shema avad shemeh, udela mosif yasuf, udela yalef ketala
chayav, ude'ishtamesh betaga chalef.

English

He used to say: A name made great is a name destroyed. He who does not increase [his knowledge] loses it. He who does not study deserves to die, and he who makes worldly use of the crown [of Torah] passes away.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי מִי לִי, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי מָה אֲנִי, וְאִם לֹא
עַכְשָׁו אֵימָתָי.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Im ein ani li mi li, ucheshe'ani le'atzmi mah ani, ve'im lo
achshav eimatai.

English

He used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

Hebrew

שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה תוֹרָתְךָ קֶבַע, אֱמֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת
כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת.

Sephardi

Shammai omer: Asei Toratcha keva, emor me'at va'aseh harbei, vehevei mekabel et
kol ha'adam besever panim yafot.

English

Shammai used to say: Make your Torah study a fixed habit. Say little and do much; and greet everyone cheerfully.

Hebrew

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וְהִסְתַּלֵּק מִן הַסָּפֵק, וְאַל תַּרְבֶּה לְעַשֵּׂר
אֻמָּדוֹת.

Sephardi

Raban Gamliel omer: Asei lecha rav, vehistalek min hasafek, ve'al tarbeh le'aser
umadot.

English

Rabban Gamliel used to say: Get yourself a teacher, avoid doubt, and do not make a habit of giving tithes by guessing.

Hebrew

שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר: כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב מִשְּׁתִיקָה,
וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ עִקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים מֵבִיא חֵטְא.

Sephardi

Shimon beno omer: Kol yamai gadalti bein hachachamim, velo matzati laguf tov mishtikah,
velo hamidrash ikar ela hama'aseh, vechol hamarbeh devarim meivi chet.

English

Shimon, his son, used to say: All my life I grew up among sages and I found nothing is better for a person than silence. Not learning but doing is the main thing; and one who talks too much causes sin.

Zech. 8

Hebrew

רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם קַיָּם, עַל הַדִּין,
וְעַל הָאֱמֶת, וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:

Sephardi

Raban Shimon ben Gamliel omer: Al sheloshah devarim ha'olam kayam, al hadin,
ve'al ha'emet, ve'al hashalom, shene'emar: Emet umishpat shalom shiftu besha'areichem:

English

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel used to say: On three things does the world stand – on truth, justice and peace, as it is said, “Administer truth and the judgment of peace in your gates.”

Makkot 23bIs. 42

Hebrew

רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר: רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ
הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְהֹוָה חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ, יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:

Sephardi

Rabi Chananya ben Akashya omer: Ratzah hakadosh baruch hu lezakot et Yisrael, lefichach
hirbah lahem Torah umitzvot. Shene'emar: Adonai chafetz lema'an tzidko, yagdil Torah veya'dir:

English

Rabbi Hananya ben Akashya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to confer merit on Israel. That is why He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, “It pleased the LORD, for the sake of [Israel’s] righteousness, to make the Torah great and glorious.”

If there is a minyan, mourners say the Rabbis’ Kaddish (page 628).

Commentary

… away from situations in which you are called on to make a decision when the facts are unclear.

Rabbi Hananya ben Akashya: This paragraph is not part of the Pirkei Avot but a liturgical addition. According to Maimonides, its implication is that “It is a fundamental principle of Jewish faith that if a person fulfills even one of the 613 mitzvot fully and properly, without ulterior motive but simply for its own sake and out of love, he merits a share in the World to Come. Therefore Rabbi Hananya teaches that there are so many mitzvot that it is impossible that a person should not have fulfilled at least one in the course of a lifetime, and thereby merits eternal life” (commentary on the Mishna Makkot 3:17). The statement of Rabbi Hananya thus complements the teaching recited at the beginning, that “All Israel have a share in the World to Come.”

1:13. A name made great: Those who take pride in fame will eventually lose it. He who does not study: life is learning, and learning is life. He who makes worldly use of the crown: Torah scholarship must never be used for personal advantage. It is for us to honor the Torah, and not use the Torah to honor ourselves.

1:14. If I am not for myself: A succinct summary of Judaism’s philosophy of personal responsibility combined with social responsibility. If not now: a moment of opportunity, unseized, may never come again.

1:16. Get yourself a teacher: As with Yehoshua ben Peraḥya’s teaching (above, 1:6), the emphasis is on the choice of one particular teacher as primary mentor and role model. Scholarship depends on discipleship. Avoid doubt: keep …