Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek 5

פרקי אבות – פרק ה

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Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת
הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַמַּבּוּל.

Sephardi

Asarah dorot me'Adam ve'ad Noach, lehodia kamah erech apayim lefanav, shekol hadorot
hayu machisin uvo'in, ad shehevi aleihem et mei hamabul.

English

There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to make known how patient God is, for all those generations increasingly provoked Him until He brought on them the waters of the Flood.

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל
הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד שֶׁבָּא אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וְקִבֵּל שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם.

Sephardi

Asarah dorot miNoach ve'ad Avraham, lehodia kamah erech apayim lefanav, shekol
hadorot hayu machisin uvo'in, ad sheba Avraham avinu vekibel sechar kulam.

English

There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to make known how patient God is, for all those generations increasingly provoked Him until Abraham our father came and received the reward which could have been theirs.

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִתְנַסָּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ וְעָמַד בְּכֻלָּם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה חִבָּתוֹ
שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ.

Sephardi

Asarah nisyonot nitnasah Avraham avinu ve'amad bechulam, lehodia kamah chibato
shel Avraham avinu.

English

Abraham our father was tested with ten trials and he withstood all of them, to make known how deep was our father Abraham’s love of God.

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם, וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל הַיָּם. עֶשֶׂר מַכּוֹת הֵבִיא
הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל הַמִּצְרִיִּים בְּמִצְרַיִם, וְעֶשֶׂר עַל הַיָּם.

Sephardi

Asarah nisim na'asu la'avoteinu beMitzrayim, va'asarah al hayam. Eser makot hevi
Hakadosh Baruch Hu al haMitzriyim beMitzrayim, ve'eser al hayam.

English

Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the Sea. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought ten plagues against the Egyptians in Egypt, and ten at the Sea.

Num. 14

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִסּוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֶת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְנַסּוּ
אֹתִי זֶה עֶשֶׂר פְּעָמִים, וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹלִי.

Sephardi

Asarah nisyonot nisu avoteinu et Hakadosh Baruch Hu bamidbar, shene'emar: Vayenasu
oti zeh eser pe'amim, velo sham'u bekoli.

English

With ten trials our ancestors tried the patience of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the wilderness, as it is written, “They have tested Me these ten times, and did not listen to My voice.”

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. לֹא הִפִּילָה אִשָּׁה מֵרֵיחַ
בְּשַׂר הַקֹּדֶשׁ, וְלֹא הִסְרִיחַ בְּשַׂר הַקֹּדֶשׁ מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא נִרְאָה זְבוּב בְּבֵית
הַמִּטְבָּחַיִם, וְלֹא אֵרַע קֶרִי לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, וְלֹא כִבּוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים
אֵשׁ שֶׁל עֲצֵי הַמַּעֲרָכָה, וְלֹא נִצְּחָה הָרוּחַ אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָשָׁן, וְלֹא נִמְצָא פְסוּל
בָּעֹמֶר וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַלֶּחֶם וּבְלֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, עוֹמְדִים צְפוּפִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים רְוָחִים,
וְלֹא הִזִּיק נָחָשׁ וְעַקְרָב בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא אָמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ: צַר לִי
הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁאָלִין בִּירוּשָׁלָיִם.

Sephardi

Asarah nisim na'asu la'avoteinu beveit hamikdash. Lo hipilah ishah merei'ach
besar hakodesh, velo hisriach besar hakodesh me'olam, velo nir'ah zevuv beveit
hamitbachayim, velo era keri lechohen gadol beYom HaKipurim, velo kibu hageshamim
eish shel atzei hama'arachah, velo nitzchah haruach et amud he'ashan, velo nimtza pesul
ba'omer uvishtai halechem uvlechem hapanim, omdim tzefufim umishtachavim revachim,
velo hizik nachash ve'akrav biYerushalayim me'olam, velo amar adam lachavero: Tzar li
hamakom she'alin biYerushalayim.

English

Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Temple: (1) No woman miscarried from the aroma of the sacrificial meat; (2) the sacrificial meat never became putrid; (3) no fly was seen in the slaughterhouse; (4) the High Priest never suffered ritual pollution on Yom Kippur; (5) rain never extinguished the fire of the wood-pile on the altar; (6) the wind never blew away the column of smoke that rose from the altar; (7) no defect was ever found in the Omer, the Two Loaves, or the Showbread; (8) the people stood crowded together, yet there was ample space when they prostrated themselves; (9) no serpent or scorpion ever harmed anyone in Jerusalem; and (10) no one ever said to his fellow, “There is no room for me to stay overnight in Jerusalem.”

Hebrew

עֲשָׂרָה דְבָרִים נִבְרְאוּ בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת בֵּין הַשְּׁמָשׁוֹת. וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, פִּי הָאָרֶץ, פִּי
הַבְּאֵר, פִּי הָאָתוֹן, הַקֶּשֶׁת, וְהַמָּן, וְהַמַּטֶּה, וְהַשָּׁמִיר, הַכְּתָב, וְהַמִּכְתָּב,
וְהַלּוּחוֹת. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף הַמַּזִּיקִין, וּקְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, וְאֵילוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם
אָבִינוּ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, אַף צְבָת בִּצְבָת עֲשׂוּיָה.

Sephardi

Asarah devarim nivre'u be'erev Shabbat bein hashmashot. Ve'eilu hen, pi ha'aretz, pi
habe'er, pi ha'aton, hakeshet, vehaman, vehamate, vehashamir, haketav, vehamichtav,
vehaluchot. Veyesh omrim, af hamazikin, ukevurato shel Moshe, ve'eilo shel Avraham
avinu. Veyesh omrim, af tzevat bitzevat asuyah.

English

Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight. They were: (1) the mouth of the earth; (2) the mouth of the well; (3) the mouth of [Balaam’s] ass; (4) the rainbow; (5) the manna; (6) the staff; (7) the Shamir; (8) the writing [on the Tablets]; (9) the inscription; and (10) the Tablets. Some say: also the demons, Moses’ burial place, and the ram of our father Abraham. And some say: also tongs made with tongs.

Hebrew

שִׁבְעָה דְבָרִים בַּגֹּלֶם, וְשִׁבְעָה בֶּחָכָם. חָכָם אֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ
בְּחָכְמָה, וְאֵינוֹ נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי חֲבֵרוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ נִבְהָל לְהָשִׁיב, שׁוֹאֵל כָּעִנְיָן

Sephardi

Shiv'ah devarim bagolem, veshiv'ah bechacham. Chacham eino medaber lifnei mi shegadol mimenu
bechachmah, ve'eino nichnas letoch divrei chavero, ve'eino nivhal lehashiv, sho'el ka'inyan

English

Seven traits characterize an uncultured person, and seven a sage. A sage: (1) does not speak before one who is wiser than he; (2) does not interrupt the words of his fellow; (3) does not answer impetuously; (4) asks relevant questions and gives appropriate answers; (5) deals with first things first, and