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The New Jew
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pp. 718-719
Minha for Shabbat

Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek Bet
פרקי אבות - פרק ב
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Ps. 37
Hebrew
רָע. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: הַלֹּוֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם, אֶחָד הַלֹּוֶה מִן הָאָדָם כְּלֹוֶה
מִן הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֹוֶה רָשָׁע וְלֹא יְשַׁלֵּם, וְצַדִּיק חוֹנֵן וְנוֹתֵן: רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר
אוֹמֵר: לֵב רָע. אָמַר לָהֶם: רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם,
שֶׁבִּכְלַל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם.
Sephardi
Ra. Rabi Shimon omer: Haloveh ve'eino meshalem, echad haloveh min ha'adam keloveh
min Hamakom, shene'emar: Loveh rasha velo yeshalem, vetzadik chonen venoten. Rabi Elazar
omer: Lev ra. Amar lahem: Ro'eh ani et divrei Elazar ben Arach midivreichem,
shebichlal devarav divreichem.
English
does not repay, for borrowing from a person is like borrowing from God, as it is said, “The wicked borrows and does not repay, but the Righteous One is gracious and repays.” Rabbi Elazar said: an evil heart. Then he said to them: I prefer the answer of Elazar ben Arakh, for his view includes all of yours.
Hebrew
הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ
כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְאַל תְּהִי נוֹחַ לִכְעוֹס. וְשׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ. וֶהֱוֵי מִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגֶד
אוּרָן שֶׁל חֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּגַחַלְתָּן שֶׁלֹּא תִכָּוֶה, שֶׁנְּשִׁיכָתָן נְשִׁיכַת שׁוּעָל,
וַעֲקִיצָתָן עֲקִיצַת עַקְרָב, וּלְחִישָׁתָן לְחִישַׁת שָׂרָף, וְכָל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ.
Sephardi
Heim amru sheloshah devarim. Rabi Eliezer omer: Yehi chevod chavercha chaviv alecha
keshelach, ve'al tehi no'ach lich'os. Veshov yom echad lifnei mitatcha. Vehevei mitchamem keneged
uran shel chachamim, vehevei zahir begachaltan shelo tichaveh, sheneshichatan neshichat shu'al,
va'akitzatan akitzat akrav, ulechishatan lechishat saraf, vechol divreihem kegachalei esh.
English
Each of the disciples said three things. Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your fellow be as precious to you as your own. Do not be easily provoked to anger. Repent one day before you die. [He also said:] Warm yourself by the fire of the sages, but be careful of their glowing coals lest you be burnt; for their bite is the bite of a fox, their sting is the sting of a scorpion, their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals.
Hebrew
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: עַיִן הָרַע וְיֵצֶר הָרַע וְשִׂנְאַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם
מִן הָעוֹלָם.
Sephardi
Rabi Yehoshua omer: Ayin hara veyetzer hara vesin'at habriyot, motzi'in et ha'adam
min ha'olam.
English
Rabbi Yehoshua said: The evil eye [envy], the evil impulse, and hatred of humankind drive a person out of the world.
Hebrew
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: יְהִי מָמוֹן חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ. וְהַתְקֵן עַצְמְךָ לִלְמֹד
תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵינָהּ יְרֻשָּׁה לָךְ. וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יִהְיוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם.
Sephardi
Rabi Yosei omer: Yehi mamon chavercha chaviv alecha keshelach. Vehatken atzmecha lilmod
Torah, she'einah yerushah lach. Vechol ma'asecha yihyu leshem Shamayim.
English
Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your fellow be as precious to you as your own. Prepare yourself to study Torah, for it does not come to you as an inheritance. And let all your deeds be for the sake of heaven.
Joel 2
Hebrew
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי זָהִיר בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִתְפִלָּה. וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה מִתְפַּלֵּל
אַל תַּעַשׂ תְּפִלָּתְךָ קֶבַע, אֶלָּא רַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
כִּי־חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם הוּא, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה: וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע
בִּפְנֵי עַצְמְךָ.
Sephardi
Rabi Shimon omer: Hevei zahir bikri'at Shema uvitfilah. Ucheshe'atah mitpalel
Al ta'as tefilatcha keva, ela rachamim vetachanunim lifnei Hamakom, shene'emar:
Ki-chanun verachum hu, erech apayim verav-chesed venicham al-hara'ah. Ve'al tehi rasha
bifnei atzmecha.
English
Rabbi Shimon said: Be meticulous in reciting the Shema and the [Amida] prayer. When you pray, do not do so as a fixed routine, but as a plea for mercy and grace before God, as it is said, “For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment.” Do not be evil in your own eyes.
Hebrew
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי שָׁקוּד לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה. וְדַע מַה שֶּׁתָּשִׁיב לָאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס.
וְדַע לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָמֵל, וּמִי הוּא בַּעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ, שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לָךְ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתְךָ.
Sephardi
Rabi Elazar omer: Hevei shakud lilmod Torah. Veda mah shetashiv la'apikoros.
Veda lifnei mi atah amel, umi hu ba'al melachtecha, sheyeshalem lach sechar pe'ulatcha.
English
Rabbi Elazar said: Be diligent in the study of Torah. Know how to answer a heretic. Know for whom you labor and who is your Employer who will pay you the reward of your work.
Hebrew
רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר: הַיּוֹם קָצָר, וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה, וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים עֲצֵלִים, וְהַשָּׂכָר
הַרְבֵּה, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק.
Sephardi
Rabi Tarfon omer: Hayom katzar, vehamelachah merubah, vehapo'alim atzelim, vehasachar
harbeh, uva'al habayit dochek.
English
Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short, the task is great, the laborers are lazy, the reward is much, and the Master insistent.
Hebrew
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לְהִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה.
אִם לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִין לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַּעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ,
שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתְךָ. וְדַע שֶׁמַּתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא.
Sephardi
Hu hayah omer: Lo alecha hamelachah ligmor, velo atah ben chorin lehibatel mimenah.
Im lamadta Torah harbeh, notnin lecha sachar harbeh. Vene'eman hu ba'al melachtecha,
sheyeshalem lecha sechar pe'ulatcha. Veda shematan secharan shel tzadikim le'atid lavo.
English
He used to say: It is not for you to complete the task, but neither are you free to stand aside from it. If you have studied much Torah, you will be given great reward, for your Employer will faithfully reward your work. Know, though, that the reward of the righteous is granted in the time to come.