Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek 5

פרקי אבות - פרק ה

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Hebrew

וּמֵשִׁיב כַּהֲלָכָה, וְאוֹמֵר עַל רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן וְעַל אַחֲרוֹן אַחֲרוֹן, וְעַל מַה שֶּׁלֹּא
שָׁמַע אוֹמֵר לֹא שָׁמָעְתִּי, וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת. וְחִלּוּפֵיהֶן בַּגֹּלֶם.

Sephardi

Umeshiv kahalachah, ve'omer al rishon rishon ve'al acharon acharon, ve'al mah shelo
shama omer lo shamati, umode al ha'emet. Vechilupeihem bagolem.

English

last things last; (6) about something he has not heard he says, “I have not heard”; and (7) he acknowledges the truth. The opposites of these characterize an uncultured person.

Hebrew

שִׁבְעָה מִינֵי פֻרְעָנִיּוֹת בָּאִין לָעוֹלָם עַל שִׁבְעָה גוּפֵי עֲבֵרָה. מִקְצָתָן מְעַשְּׂרִין
וּמִקְצָתָן אֵינָן מְעַשְּׂרִין, רָעָב שֶׁל בַּצֹּרֶת בָּא, מִקְצָתָן רְעֵבִים וּמִקְצָתָן שְׂבֵעִים.
גָּמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְעַשֵּׂר, רָעָב שֶׁל מְהוּמָה וְשֶׁל בַּצֹּרֶת בָּא. וְשֶׁלֹּא לִטֹּל אֶת
הַחַלָּה, רָעָב שֶׁל כְּלָיָה בָּא.

Sephardi

Shiv'ah minei puraniyot ba'in la'olam al shiv'ah gufei aveirah. Miktzatan me'asrin
umiktzatan einan me'asrin, ra'av shel batzoret ba, miktzatan re'evim umiktzatan seve'im.
Gamru shelo le'aser, ra'av shel mehumah veshel batzoret ba. Veshelo litol et
hachallah, ra'av shel kelayah ba.

English

Seven types of punishment come into the world for seven kinds of transgression: (1) If some tithe and others do not, a famine caused by drought occurs, so that some go hungry while others have sufficient. (2) If all decide not to tithe, a famine comes through tumult [of war] as well as drought. (3) If they also decide not to set apart halla, a fatal famine ensues.

Hebrew

דֶּבֶר בָּא לָעוֹלָם עַל מִיתוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, וְעַל
פֵּרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית. חֶרֶב בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עִנּוּי הַדִּין, וְעַל עִוּוּת הַדִּין, וְעַל הַמּוֹרִים
בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה.

Sephardi

Dever ba la'olam al mitot ha'amurot baTorah shelo nimseru leveit din, ve'al
peirot shevi'it. Cherev ba'ah la'olam al inuy hadin, ve'al ivut hadin, ve'al hamorim
baTorah shelo kahalachah.

English

(4) Pestilence comes to the world for crimes that, according to the Torah, carry the death penalty, but are not the preserve of a human tribunal, and also for violation of the laws relating to produce of the seventh year. (5) The sword comes to the world for delay of justice, the perversion of justice, and for those who give a legal decision in violation of normative Torah law.

Hebrew

חַיָּה רָעָה בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא וְעַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם. גָּלוּת בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם
עַל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעַל גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל שְׁמִטַּת הָאָרֶץ.

Sephardi

Chayah ra'ah ba'ah la'olam al shevu'at shav ve'al chilul Hashem. Galut ba'ah la'olam
al avodah zarah, ve'al giluy arayot, ve'al shefichut damim, ve'al shemitat ha'aretz.

English

(6) Wild beasts come to the world because of perjury and the desecration of God’s name. (7) Exile comes to the world for idolatry, sexual immorality and bloodshed, and for violating the sabbatical year of the land.

Hebrew

בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְרָקִים הַדֶּבֶר מִתְרַבֶּה, בָּרְבִיעִית, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית, וּבְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית,
וּבְמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה. בָּרְבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר עָנִי שֶׁבַּשְּׁלִישִׁית,
בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר עָנִי שֶׁבַּשִּׁשִּׁית. בְּמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי פֵרוֹת
שְׁבִיעִית. בְּמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה, מִפְּנֵי גֶזֶל מַתְּנוֹת עֲנִיִּים.

Sephardi

Be'arba'ah perakim hadever mitrabe, barvi'it, uvashevi'it, uvemotza'ei shevi'it,
uvemotza'ei hechag shebechol shanah veshanah. Barvi'it, mipnei ma'aser ani shebashlishit,
bashevi'it, mipnei ma'aser ani shebashishit. Bemotza'ei shevi'it, mipnei peirot
shevi'it. Bemotza'ei hechag shebechol shanah veshanah, mipnei gezel matnot aniyim.

English

At four periods [of the seven-year sabbatical cycle] pestilence increases: in the fourth year, the seventh year, the year following the sabbatical year, and annually at the conclusion of the Festival of Sukkot. In the fourth year, [pestilence increases] because of neglect of the tithe for the poor in the third year; in the seventh year, because of neglect of the tithe for the poor in the sixth year; in the year following the sabbatical year, because of the violation of the laws of the seventh-year produce; and at the conclusion of the Festival of Sukkot, for robbing the poor of their gifts.

Hebrew

אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם. הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלְּךָ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית, וְיֵשׁ

Sephardi

Arba midot ba'adam. Ha'omer sheli sheli veshelcha shelcha, zo midah beinonit, veyesh

English

There are four types of human character: (1) One who says, “What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours,” is an average person, though some say this is a Sodom type. (2) One who says, “What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine,” is an ignoramus. (3) One who says, “What is mine is yours and what

Commentary

“There is nothing new under the sun” (1:9). On the eve of the Sabbath at twilight – between the six days of nature, and the seventh, which belongs to the One who transcends nature. The mouth of the earth, which opened to swallow Koraḥ; the mouth of the well, which accompanied the Israelites on their journey through the wilderness; the mouth of [Balaam’s] ass, which spoke (Num. 22:28); the rainbow, which appeared after the Flood; the manna, which descended as “bread from heaven”; the staff, with which Moses performed signs and wonders; the Shamir, the miraculous worm which, according to tradition, split the stones from which the Temple was made; the writing [on the Tablets], which could be seen from both sides; the inscription of the Tablets and the Tablets themselves, hewn and inscribed by God. Some say, also tongs made with tongs: the infinite regress – what held the first implement forged by fire, if not another implement forged by fire?

5:10. Seven types of punishment: As heirs to the prophetic tradition, the sages sought to understand national calamities as divine punishment, measure for measure, for national failings, religious, ethical or social. Thus the appropriate response to tragedy was collective penitence and rededication of the nation to the principles on which it was founded.

5:13. Robbing the poor of their gifts: The gleanings of the harvest, the corners of the field, and forgotten sheaves. These were to be left for the poor at harvest time; hence the connection with Sukkot, the harvest festival.

5:14. Some say this is a Sodom type: The sin of Sodom, according to Ezekiel 16:49, was that “they did not help the poor and needy.” Insisting on property rights, they frowned on charity. An ignoramus: this, according to some scholars, is a critique of the property-sharing communes associated with the Essenes.