Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek 4

פרקי אבות - פרק ד

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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 רביעי

CHAPTER 4

Ps. 119Prov. 16Ps. 1281 Sam. 2

Hebrew

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר: אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִכָּל־מְלַמְּדַי
הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי, כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִי: אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: טוֹב
אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר: אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ: אַשְׁרֶיךָ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְטוֹב
לָךְ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי־מְכַבְּדַי
אֲכַבֵּד, וּבוֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:

Sephardi

Ben Zoma omer: Eizehu chacham, halomed mikol adam, shene'emar: Mikol-melamdai
Hiskalti, ki eidvotecha sichah li: Eizehu gibor, hakovesh et yitzro, shene'emar: Tov
Erech apayim migibor umoshel berucho miloched ir: Eizehu ashir, hasame'ach bechelko,
Shene'emar: Yegia kapecha ki tochel ashrecha vetov lach: Ashrecha ba'olam hazeh vetov
Lach la'olam haba. Eizehu mechubad, hamechabed et habriyot, shene'emar: Ki-mechabdai
Achabed, uvozai yekalu:

English

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? One who learns from everyone, as it is said, “From all my teachers I have learned, for Your testimonies are my meditation.” Who is strong? One who masters his evil impulse, as it is said, “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules over his spirit is better than he who conquers a city.” Who is rich? One who rejoices in what he has, as it is said, “When you eat from the labor of your hands, you will be happy and all will be well with you.” “You will be happy” – in this world, “and all will be well with you” – in the World to Come. Who is honored? One who honors others, as it is said, “Those who honor Me, I will honor; but those who scorn Me will be despised.”

Hebrew

בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי רָץ לְמִצְוָה קַלָּה וּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה. שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה,
וַעֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה. שֶׁשְּׂכַר מִצְוָה מִצְוָה, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה עֲבֵרָה.

Sephardi

Ben Azzai omer: Hevei ratz lemitzvah kallah uvore'ach min ha'aveirah. Shemitzvah goreret mitzvah,
Va'aveirah goreret aveirah. Sheschar mitzvah mitzvah, uschar aveirah aveirah.

English

Ben Azzai said: Run to do even a minor mitzva, and flee from sin, for one mitzva leads to another, and one sin leads to another – for the reward of a mitzva is another mitzva, and the recompense of a sin is another sin.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תְּהִי בָז לְכָל אָדָם, וְאַל תְּהִי מַפְלִיג לְכָל דָּבָר, שֶׁאֵין
לְךָ אָדָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שָׁעָה, וְאֵין לְךָ דָבָר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Al tehi vaz lechol adam, ve'al tehi maflig lechol davar, she'ein
Lecha adam she'ein lo sha'ah, ve'ein lecha davar she'ein lo makom.

English

He used to say: Despise no one and disdain nothing, for there is no one who does not have his hour and there is nothing that does not have its place.

Hebrew

רַבִּי לְוִיטָס אִישׁ יַבְנֶה אוֹמֵר: מְאֹד מְאֹד הֱוֵי שְׁפַל רוּחַ, שֶׁתִּקְוַת אֱנוֹשׁ רִמָּה.

Sephardi

Rabi Levitas ish Yavne omer: Me'od me'od hevei shefal ru'ach, shetikvat enosh rimmah.

English

Rabbi Levitas of Yavne said: Have extreme humility of spirit, for the end of mortal man is the worm [the grave].

Hebrew

רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָא אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַמְחַלֵּל שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בַּסֵּתֶר, נִפְרָעִין מִמֶּנּוּ
בַגָּלוּי. אֶחָד שׁוֹגֵג וְאֶחָד מֵזִיד בְּחִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם.

Sephardi

Rabi Yochanan ben Beroka omer: Kol hamechallel Sheim Shamayim baseter, nifra'in mimenu
Bagalui. Echad shogeg ve'echad mezid bechilul Hashem.

English

Rabbi Yohanan ben Beroka said: Whoever profanes God’s name in secret will be punished in public. Profaning the name is the same whether done inadvertently or deliberately.

Hebrew

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר: הַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לְלַמֵּד, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לִלְמֹד וּלְלַמֵּד.
וְהַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לַעֲשׂוֹת, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לִלְמֹד וּלְלַמֵּד, לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת.

Sephardi

Rabi Yishmael beno omer: Halomed al menat lelamed, maspikin beyado lilmod ulelamed.
Vehalomed al menat la'asot, maspikin beyado lilmod ulelamed, lishmor vela'asot.

English

Rabbi Yishmael his son said: One who learns in order to teach will be given the opportunity to learn and teach. One who learns in order to do will be given the opportunity to learn, teach, keep and do.

Hebrew

רַבִּי צָדוֹק אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַל תַּעַשׂ עַצְמְךָ כְּעוֹרְכֵי הַדַּיָּנִין,
וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה עֲטָרָה לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהּ, וְלֹא קַרְדֹּם לַחְפֹּר בָּהּ. וְכָךְ הָיָה הִלֵּל
אוֹמֵר: וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַגָּא חָלֵף. הָא לָמַדְתָּ, כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, נוֹטֵל
חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם.

Sephardi

Rabi Tzadok omer: Al tifrosh min hatzibur, ve'al ta'as atzmecha ke'orchei hadayanin,
Ve'al ta'aseh atarah lehitgadel bah, velo kardom lachpor bah. Vechach hayah Hillel
Omer: Ude'ishtamesh betaga chalaf. Ha lamadta, kol hanehene midivrei Torah, notel
Chayav min ha'olam.

English

Rabbi Tzadok said: Do not separate yourself from the community. [When sitting as a judge] do not act as a lawyer. Do not use [the Torah] as a crown for self-glorification, or as a spade with which to dig. Likewise Hillel used to say: One who makes worldly use of the crown [of the Torah] shall fade away. From this you learn that one who seeks personal benefit from the words of Torah risks destroying his life.