Ethics of the Fathers

Pirkei Avot - Perek 6

פרקי אבות – פרק ו

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Makkot 23bIs. 42

Hebrew

רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר: רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ
הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְהֹוָה חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ, יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:

Sephardi

Rabi Chananya ben Akashya omer: Ratzah HaKadosh Baruch Hu lezakot et Yisrael, lefichach
hirbah lahem Torah u'mitzvot. Shene'emar: Adonai chafetz lema'an tzidko, yagdil Torah veya'dir:

English

Rabbi Hananya ben Akashya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to confer merit on Israel. That is why He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, “It pleased the LORD, for the sake of [Israel’s] righteousness, to make the Torah great and glorious.”

If there is a minyan, mourners say the Rabbis’ Kaddish (page 628).

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 ששי

CHAPTER 6

Hebrew

שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים בִּלְשׁוֹן הַמִּשְׁנָה, בָּרוּךְ שֶׁבָּחַר בָּהֶם וּבְמִשְׁנָתָם.

Sephardi

Shanu chachamim bilshon hamishnah, Baruch shebachar bahem u'vemishnatam.

English

The sages taught the following in the style of the Mishna – blessed be He who chose them and their teaching.

Prov. 8

Hebrew

רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ, זוֹכֶה לִדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה. וְלֹא עוֹד,
אֶלָּא שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְדַאי הוּא לוֹ. נִקְרָא רֵעַ, אָהוּב, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמָּקוֹם,
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם, מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, וּמַלְבַּשְׁתּוֹ עֲנָוָה
וְיִרְאָה, וּמַכְשַׁרְתּוֹ לִהְיוֹת צַדִּיק, חָסִיד, יָשָׁר וְנֶאֱמָן, וּמְרַחַקְתּוֹ מִן הַחֵטְא,
וּמְקָרַבְתּוֹ לִידֵי זְכוּת, וְנֶהֱנִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה, בִּינָה וּגְבוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
לִי־עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה, אֲנִי בִינָה, לִי גְבוּרָה: וְנוֹתֶנֶת לוֹ מַלְכוּת וּמֶמְשָׁלָה, וְחִקּוּר
דִּין, וּמְגַלִּין לוֹ רָזֵי תוֹרָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כְמַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר וּכְנָהָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵק, וֶהֱוֵי
צָנוּעַ וְאֶרֶךְ רוּחַ, וּמוֹחֵל עַל עֶלְבּוֹנוֹ, וּמְגַדַּלְתּוֹ וּמְרוֹמַמְתּוֹ עַל כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים.

Sephardi

Rabi Meir omer: Kol ha'osek baTorah lishmah, zoche lidvarim harbeh. Velo od,
ela shekol ha'olam kulo chedai hu lo. Nikra rea, ahuv, ohev et hamakom,
ohev et habriyot, mesameach et hamakom, mesameach et habriyot, u'malbashto anavah
veyir'ah, u'machsharto lihyot tzaddik, chasid, yashar vene'eman, u'merachakto min hachet,
u'mekaravto lidei zechut, venehenin mimenu eitzah vetushiyah, binah ugevurah, shene'emar:
Li-etzah vetushiyah, ani binah, li gevurah: Venotenet lo malchut u'memshalah, vechikur
din, u'megalin lo razei Torah, vena'aseh kema'ayan hamitgaber u'chenahar she'eino posek, vehevei
tzanua ve'erech ruach, u'mochel al elbono, u'megadalto u'meromamto al kol hama'asim.

English

Rabbi Meir said: Whoever engages in Torah study for its own sake merits many things; moreover, the whole world is worthwhile for his sake alone. He is called friend, beloved, a lover of God and a lover of mankind. He brings joy to God; he brings joy to mankind. [The Torah] clothes him with humility and reverence. It prepares him to be righteous, pious, upright and faithful. It keeps him far from sin and near to virtue. People benefit from his advice and wisdom, understanding and courage, as it is said, “Mine are counsel and wisdom; I am understanding, courage is mine.” It gives him sovereignty, dominion and discerning judgment. To him the secrets of the Torah are revealed. He becomes like a never-failing fountain, like a river that never runs dry. He becomes modest and patient; he forgives insults. It makes him great, exalting him above all things.

Prov. 11Ex. 32Num. 21

Hebrew

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם, בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶזֶת
וְאוֹמֶרֶת, אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק
בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא נָזוּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר, אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם:
וְאוֹמֵר: וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה, וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא, חָרוּת
עַל־הַלֻּחֹת: אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק
בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל, וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת:

Sephardi

Amar Rabi Yehoshua ben Levi: Bechol yom vayom, bat kol yotzet mehar Chorev u'machrezet
ve'omeret, Oy lahem labriyot me'elbonah shel Torah, shekol mi she'eino osek
baTorah nikra nazuf, shene'emar: Nezem zahav be'af chazir, ishah yafah vesarat ta'am:
Ve'omer: Vehalluchot ma'aseh Elohim hemah, vehamichtav michtav Elohim hu, charut
al-halluchot: Al tikra charut ela cherut, she'ein lecha ben chorin ela mi she'osek
beTalmud Torah. Vechol mi she'osek beTalmud Torah, harei zeh mit'aleh, shene'emar:
U'mimatanah Nachaliel, u'miNachaliel Bamot:

English

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Every day a heavenly voice resounds from Mount Horeb, proclaiming and saying: “Woe to mankind for their contempt of the Torah!” For whoever does not occupy himself with the Torah is called reprehensible, as it is said, “Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of sense.” It also says, “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved (harut) on the tablets.” Read not harut (“engraved”) but herut (“freedom”), for the only person who is truly free is one who occupies himself with Torah study; and whoever occupies himself with Torah study will be exalted, as it is said, “And from Mattana to Naḥaliel, and from Naḥaliel to Bamot.”