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pp. 732-733

Minha for Shabbat

Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek 4

פרקי אבות – פרק ד

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Prov. 3

Hebrew

רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי גוֹלֶה לִמְקוֹם תּוֹרָה. וְאַל תֹּאמַר שֶׁהִיא תָבוֹא אַחֲרֶיךָ,
שֶׁחֲבֵרֶיךָ יְקַיְּמוּהָ בְיָדֶךָ. וְאֶל־בִּינָתְךָ אַל־תִּשָּׁעֵן:

Sephardi

Rabi Nehorai omer: Hevei goleh limkom Torah. Ve'al tomar shehi tavo acharecha,
shechaverecha yekayemuhah beyadecha. Ve'el-binatcha al-tisha'en:

English

Rabbi Nehorai said: Exile yourself to a place of Torah, and do not assume that it will come after you, for your fellow students will ensure that it will remain with you. “Do not rely on your own understanding.”

Hebrew

רַבִּי יַנַּאי אוֹמֵר: אֵין בְּיָדֵינוּ לֹא מִשַּׁלְוַת הָרְשָׁעִים וְאַף לֹא מִיִּסּוּרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים.

Sephardi

Rabi Yannai omer: Ein beyadeinu lo mishalvat haresha'im ve'af lo miyisurei hatzaddikim.

English

Rabbi Yannai said: It is not in our power to explain either the peace of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous.

Hebrew

רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶן חָרָשׁ אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מַקְדִּים בִּשְׁלוֹם כָּל אָדָם, וֶהֱוֵי זָנָב לָאֲרָיוֹת,
וְאַל תְּהִי רֹאשׁ לַשּׁוּעָלִים.

Sephardi

Rabi Matya ben Charash omer: Hevei makdim bishlom kol adam, vehevei zanav la'arayot,
ve'al tehi rosh lashu'alim.

English

Rabbi Matya ben Harash said: Be first in greeting everyone. Be a tail to lions rather than a head to foxes.

Hebrew

רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה דּוֹמֶה לִפְרוֹזְדוֹר בִּפְנֵי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. הַתְקֵן
עַצְמְךָ בַּפְּרוֹזְדוֹר, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס לַטְּרַקְלִין.

Sephardi

Rabi Yaakov omer: Ha'olam hazeh domeh lifrozdor bifnei ha'olam haba. Hatken
atzmecha baprozdor, kedei shetikkanes latraklin.

English

Rabbi Jacob said: This world is like an antechamber before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the antechamber so that you may enter the banqueting hall.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: יָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה,
מִכָּל חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וְיָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת שֶׁל קוֹרַת רוּחַ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, מִכָּל
חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

Sephardi

Hu hayah omer: Yafah sha'ah achat biteshuvah uma'asim tovim ba'olam hazeh,
mikol chayyei ha'olam haba. Veyafah sha'ah achat shel korat ruach ba'olam haba, mikol
chayyei ha'olam hazeh.

English

He used to say: Better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than all the life in the World to Come. Better one hour of bliss in the World to Come than the whole life of this world.

Hebrew

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: אַל תְּרַצֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בִּשְׁעַת כַּעֲסוֹ, וְאַל
תְּנַחֲמֵהוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מֻטָּל לְפָנָיו, וְאַל תִּשְׁאַל לוֹ בִּשְׁעַת נִדְרוֹ, וְאַל
תִּשְׁתַּדֵּל לִרְאוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁעַת קַלְקָלָתוֹ.

Sephardi

Rabi Shimon ben Elazar omer: Al teratzeh et chaverecha bish'at ka'aso, ve'al
tenachamehu besha'ah shemeto mutal lefanav, ve'al tish'al lo bish'at nidro, ve'al
tishtaddel lir'oto bish'at kalkalato.

English

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Do not try to placate your fellow in his hour of anger. Do not try to comfort him while his dead lies before him. Do not question him about his vow at the time he is making it. Do not try to see him in his hour of disgrace.

Prov. 24

Hebrew

שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר: בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל־תִּשְׂמָח, וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל־יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ: פֶּן־
יִרְאֶה יְהֹוָה וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו, וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ:

Sephardi

Shmuel Hakatan omer: Binfol oyivecha al-tismach, uvikashlo al-yagel libecha: Pen-
yir'eh Adonai vera be'einav, veheshiv me'alav apo:

English

Samuel the Younger used to quote: “If your enemy falls, do not rejoice; if he stumbles, let not your heart be glad; lest the LORD see it and be displeased, and divert His wrath from him to you.”

Hebrew

אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן אֲבוּיָה אוֹמֵר: הַלּוֹמֵד יֶלֶד, לְמָה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְּתוּבָה עַל נְיָר
חָדָשׁ. וְהַלּוֹמֵד זָקֵן, לְמָה הוּא דוֹמֶה, לִדְיוֹ כְּתוּבָה עַל נְיָר מָחוּק.

Sephardi

Elisha ben Avuyah omer: Halomed yeled, lemah hu domeh, lidyo ketuvah al neyar
chadash. Vehalomed zaken, lemah hu domeh, lidyo ketuvah al neyar machuk.

English

Elisha ben Abuya said: When you learn as a child, what is it like? Like ink written on clean paper. When you learn in old age, what is it like? Like ink written on blotted paper.

Hebrew

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַר יְהוּדָה אִישׁ כְּפַר הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר: הַלּוֹמֵד מִן הַקְּטַנִּים, לְמָה הוּא

Sephardi

Rabbi Yosei bar Yehudah ish Kefar Habavli omer: Halomed min haketanim, lemah hu

English

Rabbi Yose bar Judah of Kfar Bavli said: When you learn from the young, what is it like? Like eating unripe grapes or drinking wine straight from the

Commentary

4:19. It is not in our power to explain: Seen from beneath, a Turkish carpet looks like a meaningless tangle of threads. Only when we view it from the other side do we see its intricately designed pattern. So it is with the justice of events. On earth, we seem to see the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper. Only from the other side – Heaven – is it possible to see the logic, the pattern; but that is a vantage point we cannot attain in this life.

4:20. Be a tail to lions: The great seek the company of those greater than themselves.

4:23. Do not try to placate: There is a time and a place for everything, especially speech. The right word at the wrong time makes matters worse.

… worship; and Torah is the crown of Jewish study and education. The sages were critical of the Hasmonean kings, some of whom appointed themselves as High Priests, thus breaching the separation of the crowns of kingship and priesthood. The crown of a good name: an alternative translation is, “But the crown of a good name must accompany them all.” Unlike the other crowns, which exist in virtue of office or accomplishment, a good name is won by the individual him- or herself, regardless of office or accomplishment, by the integrity and grace with which he or she relates to others.

4:18. Exile yourself to a place of Torah: Be prepared to travel to a center of Torah study where there are outstanding teachers and scholars. Torah is learned not only from books but also, and essentially, from people, their conduct, and the fellowship of argument.