Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek Bet

פרקי אבות - פרק ב

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Sanhedrin 90aIs. 60

Hebrew

כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ
נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי, מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר:

Sephardi

Kol Yisrael yesh lahem chelek la'olam haba. Shene'emar:
Ve'amech kulam tzadikim, le'olam yirshu aretz
Netzer mata'ai, ma'aseh yadai lehitpa'er:

English

All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is said: “Your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever; they are a shoot of My own planting, a work of My own hands, that I may be glorified.”

פרק שני

CHAPTER 2

Hebrew

רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵיזוֹ הִיא דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ
וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְּבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ
מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה
כְּנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ. הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, וְאֵין אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע
מַה לְמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה, וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַּסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִים.

Sephardi

Rabi omer: Eizo hi derech yesharah sheyavor lo ha'adam, kol shehi tiferet le'osehah
vetiferet lo min ha'adam. Vehevei zahir bemitzvah kalah kevachamurah, she'ein atah yodea
matan secharan shel mitzvot. Vehevei mechashev hefseid mitzvah keneged secharah, usechar aveirah
keneged hefseidah. Histakel bishloshah devarim, ve'ein atah va lidei aveirah. Da
mah lema'lah mimecha, ayin ro'ah, ve'ozen shoma'at, vechol ma'asecha basefer nichtavim.

English

Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: What is the right path a person should choose for himself? Whatever is honorable to one who chooses it and honorable in the eyes of others. Be as meticulous in the observance of a minor mitzva as a major one, for you do not know the reward for each mitzva. Against the loss that fulfilling a mitzva may entail, reckon its reward, and against the benefit a transgression may bring, reckon the loss it involves. Reflect on three things and you will not fall into transgression: know what is above you – a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and a book in which all your deeds are written.

Hebrew

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא אוֹמֵר: יָפֶה תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ
אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְּגִיעַת שְׁנֵיהֶם מְשַׁכַּחַת עָוֹן. וְכָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ מְלָאכָה, סוֹפָהּ
בְּטֵלָה וְגוֹרֶרֶת עָוֹן. וְכָל הָעוֹסְקִים עִם הַצִּבּוּר, יִהְיוּ עוֹסְקִים עִמָּהֶם לְשֵׁם
שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁזְּכוּת אֲבוֹתָם מְסַיְּעָתַם, וְצִדְקָתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד. וְאַתֶּם, מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי
עֲלֵיכֶם שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה כְּאִלּוּ עֲשִׂיתֶם.

Sephardi

Raban Gamliel beno shel Rabi Yehudah Hanasi omer: Yafeh Talmud Torah im derech
eretz, sheyegi'at sheneihem meshakachat avon. Vechol Torah she'ein imah melachah, sofah
betelah vegoreret avon. Vechol ha'oskim im hatzibur, yihyu oskim imahem leshem
Shamayim, shezechut avotam mesaya'atam, vetzidkatam omedet la'ad. Ve'atem, ma'ale ani
aleichem sachar harbeh ke'ilu asitem.

English

Rabban Gamliel, son of Rabbi Judah the Prince, said: It is good to combine Torah study with a worldly occupation, for the effort involved in both makes one forget sin. Torah study without an occupation will in the end fail and lead to sin. And all who work for the community should do so for the sake of Heaven, for their ancestral merit will support them and their righteousness endures for ever. And as for you [God will say], I count you worthy of great reward as though you yourselves had accomplished it all.

Hebrew

הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לָאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין
בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחֳקוֹ.

Sephardi

Hevu zehirin barashut, she'ein mekarevin lo la'adam ela letzorech atzman. Nir'in ke'ohavin
bish'at hana'atan, ve'ein omdin lo la'adam bish'at dachako.

English

Be wary in your dealings with the ruling power, for they only befriend a man when it serves their needs. When it is to their advantage, they appear as friends, but they do not stand by a person in his hour of need.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה רְצוֹנוֹ כִּרְצוֹנְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ. בַּטֵּל
רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל רְצוֹן אֲחֵרִים מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנְךָ.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Ase retzono kirtzonecha, kedei sheya'ase retzoncha kirtzono. Batel
retzoncha mipnei retzono, kedei sheyevatel retzon acherim mipnei retzonecha.

English

He used to say: Do His will as if it were yours, so that He may do your will as if it were His. Set aside your will for the sake of His, that He may set aside the will of others before yours.

Hebrew

הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתָךְ, וְאַל
תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ. וְאַל תֹּאמַר דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁמֹעַ,
שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לְהִשָּׁמַע. וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִכְשֶׁאֶפָּנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִפָּנֶה.

Sephardi

Hillel omer: Al tifrosh min hatzibur, ve'al ta'amin be'atzmecha ad yom motach, ve'al
tadin et chaverecha ad shetagi'a limkomo. Ve'al tomar davar she'i efshar lishmo'a,
shesofo lehishama. Ve'al tomar lichshe'epane eshne, shema lo tifane.

English

Hillel said: Do not separate yourself from the community. Do not be sure of yourself until the day you die. Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his place. Do not say anything that cannot be understood [at once] in the hope that it will eventually be understood. And do not say, I will study when I have the time, for you may never have the time.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן
לָמֵד, וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד, וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִּסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים. וּבִמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין
אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Ein bur yerei chet, velo am ha'aretz chasid, velo habayshan
lamed, velo hakapdan melamed, velo chol hamarbeh bis'chorah machkim. Uvimkom she'ein
anashim, hishtadel lihyot ish.

English

He used to say: An uncouth person cannot be sin-fearing, nor can an ignoramus be pious. A shy person cannot learn, nor can an impatient one teach. A person over-occupied in business does not always become wise. In a place where there are no worthy people, strive to be worthy.