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pp. 748-749
Minha for Shabbat

Ethics of the Fathers

פרקי אבות – פרק ו

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Esther 2
Hebrew
בְּמִעוּט דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, בְּמִעוּט תַּעֲנוּג, בְּמִעוּט שֵׁנָה, בְּמִעוּט שִׂיחָה, בְּמִעוּט
שְׂחוֹק, בְּאֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, בְּלֵב טוֹב, בֶּאֱמוּנַת חֲכָמִים, בְּקַבָּלַת הַיִּסּוּרִין, הַמַּכִּיר
אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ, וְהַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, וְהָעוֹשֶׂה סְיָג לִדְבָרָיו, וְאֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה
לְעַצְמוֹ, אָהוּב, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמָּקוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַצְּדָקוֹת,
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמֵּישָׁרִים, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת, וּמִתְרַחֵק מִן הַכָּבוֹד, וְלֹא מֵגִיס
לִבּוֹ בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ שָׂמֵחַ בְּהוֹרָאָה, נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ, וּמַכְרִיעוֹ לְכַף
זְכוּת, וּמַעֲמִידוֹ עַל הָאֱמֶת, וּמַעֲמִידוֹ עַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, וּמִתְיַשֵּׁב לִבּוֹ בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ,
שׁוֹאֵל וּמֵשִׁיב, שׁוֹמֵעַ וּמוֹסִיף, הַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לְלַמֵּד, וְהַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת
לַעֲשׂוֹת, הַמַּחְכִּים אֶת רַבּוֹ, וְהַמְכַוֵּן אֶת שְׁמוּעָתוֹ, וְהָאוֹמֵר דָּבָר בְּשֵׁם אוֹמְרוֹ.
הָא לָמַדְתָּ, כָּל הָאוֹמֵר דָּבָר בְּשֵׁם אוֹמְרוֹ, מֵבִיא גְאֻלָּה לָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לַמֶּלֶךְ בְּשֵׁם מָרְדֳּכָי:
Sephardi
Bemi'ut derech eretz, bemi'ut ta'anug, bemi'ut sheinah, bemi'ut sichah, bemi'ut
sechok, be'erech apayim, belev tov, be'emunat chachamim, bekabalat hayisurin, hamakir
et mekomo, vehasame'ach bechelko, veha'oseh seyag lidvarav, ve'eino machazik tovah
le'atzmo, ahuv, ohev et haMakom, ohev et habriyot, ohev et hatzedakot,
ohev et hameisharim, ohev et hatochachot, umitrachek min hakavod, velo megis
libo betalmudo, ve'eino same'ach behora'ah, nose be'ol im chavero, umachri'o lechaf
zechut, uma'amido al ha'emet, uma'amido al hashalom, umityashev libo betalmudo,
sho'el umeshiv, shomea umosif, halomed al menat lelamed, vehalomed al menat
la'asot, hamachkim et rabo, vehamechaven et shemu'ato, veha'omer davar beshem omro.
Ha lamadta, kol ha'omer davar beshem omro, meivi ge'ulah la'olam, shene'emar:
Vatomer Ester lamelech beshem Mordechai:
English
oneself; being loved, loving God, loving mankind and loving righteousness, justice and admonishment; shunning honors, avoiding arrogance in one’s learning or delight in giving decisions; sharing someone else’s burden, giving him the benefit of the doubt, guiding him to truth and peace; concentrating on one’s study, asking and answering questions, listening and adding to one’s knowledge; learning in order to teach, learning in order to do, making one’s teacher wiser, being precise in one’s studies, and reporting a saying in the name of the one who said it. For you have learned: Whoever reports a saying in the name of the one who said it brings deliverance to the world, as it is said, “And Esther told the king in the name of Mordekhai.”
Prov. 4Prov. 3Prov. 1Prov. 4Prov. 9Prov. 3Ibid.
Hebrew
ז גְּדוֹלָה תוֹרָה, שֶׁהִיא נוֹתֶנֶת חַיִּים לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי־חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם, וּלְכָל־בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּא: וְאוֹמֵר: רִפְאוּת תְּהִי
לְשָׁרֶּךָ, וְשִׁקּוּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶיךָ: וְאוֹמֵר: עֵץ־חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ, וְתֹמְכֶיהָ
מְאֻשָּׁר: וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ, וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ: וְאוֹמֵר: תִּתֵּן
לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵן, עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶךָּ: וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי־בִי יִרְבּוּ יָמֶיךָ, וְיוֹסִיפוּ
לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּים: וְאוֹמֵר: אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ, בִּשְׂמֹאולָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד: וְאוֹמֵר:
כִּי אֹרֶךְ יָמִים וּשְׁנוֹת חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם יוֹסִיפוּ לָךְ:
Sephardi
7 Gedolah Torah, shehi notenet chayim le'osehah ba'olam hazeh uva'olam haba,
shene'emar: Ki-chayim heim lemotze'eihem, ulechol-besaro marpe: Ve'omer: Rif'ut tehi
lesharecha, veshikui le'atzmotecha: Ve'omer: Etz-chayim hi lamachazikim bah, vetomchehah
me'ushar: Ve'omer: Ki livyat chein heim leroshecha, va'anakim legargerotecha: Ve'omer: Titen
leroshecha livyat-chen, ateret tiferet temagenecha: Ve'omer: Ki-vi yirbu yamecha, veyosifu
lecha shenot chayim: Ve'omer: Orech yamim biminah, bismolah osher vechavod: Ve'omer:
Ki orech yamim ushenot chayim veshalom yosifu lach:
English
7. Great is Torah for it gives life to its practitioners in both this world and the World to Come, as it is said, “For they are life to those that find them, and healing to all their flesh”; and it says, “It shall be healing for your body and marrow for your bones”; and it says, “It is a tree of life to those who grasp it, and those who support it shall be happy”; and it says, “They shall be a garland of grace on your head, and pendants for your neck”; and it says, “It will adorn your head with a garland of grace, and bestow on you a crown of glory”; and it says, “Through me shall your days increase, and years of life shall be added to you”; and it says, “At its right hand is length of days; in its left, riches and honor”; and it says, “For length of days and years of life and peace shall they add to you.”
Prov. 16Prov. 14Prov. 17Prov. 20Is. 24
Hebrew
ח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן מְנַסְיָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: הַנּוֹי, וְהַכֹּחַ,
וְהָעֹשֶׁר, וְהַכָּבוֹד, וְהַחָכְמָה, וְהַזִּקְנָה, וְהַשֵּׂיבָה, וְהַבָּנִים, נָאֶה לַצַּדִּיקִים וְנָאֶה
לָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה, בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא: וְאוֹמֵר: עֲטֶרֶת
חֲכָמִים עָשְׁרָם: וְאוֹמֵר: עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים, וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם:
וְאוֹמֵר: תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם, וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה: וְאוֹמֵר: וְחָפְרָה הַלְּבָנָה
וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה, כִּי־מָלַךְ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד:
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן מְנַסְיָא אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ שֶׁבַע מִדּוֹת שֶׁמָּנוּ חֲכָמִים לַצַּדִּיקִים, כֻּלָּם
נִתְקַיְּמוּ בְּרַבִּי וּבְבָנָיו.
Sephardi
8 Rabi Shimon ben Menasya mishum Rabi Shimon ben Yochai omer: Hanoy, vehako'ach,
veha'osher, vehakavod, vehachochmah, vehaziknah, vehaseivah, vehabanim, na'eh latzadikim vena'eh
la'olam, shene'emar: Ateret tiferet seivah, bederech tzedakah timatze: Ve'omer: Ateret
chachamim oshram: Ve'omer: Ateret zekeinim benei vanim, vetif'eret banim avotam:
Ve'omer: Tiferet bachurim kocham, vahadar zekeinim seivah: Ve'omer: Vechafrah halevanah
uvoshah hachamah, ki-malach Adonai Tzeva'ot behar Tziyon uvirushalayim, veneged zekenav kavod:
Rabi Shimon ben Menasya omer: Eilu sheva midot shemanu chachamim latzadikim, kulam
nitkayemu beRabi uvevanav.
English
8. Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: Beauty, strength, wealth, honor, wisdom, old age, gray hair, and children are fitting for the righteous and for the world, as it is said: “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained by the way of righteousness”; and it says, “The crown of the wise is their wealth”; and it says, “Grandchildren are the crown of their elders; the glory of children is their parents”; and it says, “The glory of the young is their strength; the majesty of the old is their gray hair”; and it says, “Then the moon shall be ashamed and the sun shall be abashed, for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and glory shall be before His elders.” Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: These seven qualities which the sages attributed to the righteous were all present in Rabbi [Judah the Prince] and his sons.
Hebrew
ט אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶן קִסְמָא: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיִיתִי מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וּפָגַע בִּי אָדָם
אֶחָד, וְנָתַן לִי שָׁלוֹם וְהֶחֱזַרְתִּי לוֹ שָׁלוֹם. אָמַר לִי, רַבִּי, מֵאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם אַתָּה.
אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ, מֵעִיר גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל חֲכָמִים וְשֶׁל סוֹפְרִים אָנִי. אָמַר לִי, רַבִּי, רְצוֹנְךָ
Sephardi
9 Amar Rabi Yosei ben Kisma: Pa'am achat hayiti mehalech baderech, ufaga bi adam
echad, venatan li shalom vehechezarti lo shalom. Amar li, Rabi, me'eizeh makom atah.
Amarti lo, me'ir gedolah shel chachamim veshel soferim ani. Amar li, Rabi, retzoncha
English
9. Rabbi Yose ben Kisma said: Once I was walking along the road when a man met and greeted me, and I returned his greeting. He said to me, “Rabbi, where do you come from?” I replied, “I come from a great city of sages and scribes.” He said to me, “Rabbi, if you are willing to live with us in our place I will give you a million gold dinars, as well as precious stones and pearls.” I replied, “Were you to give me all the silver and gold and precious stones and pearls