Chapter Two

Visible layers

Hebrew

מַחְכִּים, וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין
אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ.

Sephardi

machkim, uvamakom she'ein
anashim, hishtadel lihyot ish.

English

time in business cannot become wise with Torah knowledge. In a place where there are no leaders, try hard to become a leader.

Hebrew

ו אַף הוּא רָאָה גֻּלְגֹּלֶת אַחַת
שֶׁצָּפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם, אָמַר
לָהּ: עַל דְּאַטֵּפְתְּ אַטְפוּךְ,
וְסוֹף מְטַיְּפָיךְ יְטוּפוּן.

Sephardi

6 af hu ra'ah gulgolet achat
shetzafah al p'nei hamayim, amar
lah: al d'ateift atfuch,
vesof m'taifayich yetufun.

English

6 Hillel also once saw a skull that was floating on the water. He said to the skull: God always causes justice in the end—because you drowned others, you were drowned. And those who drowned you will eventually be drowned as well, in retribution for drowning you.

Hebrew

ז הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: מַרְבֵּה
בָּשָׂר מַרְבֵּה רִמָּה, מַרְבֵּה
נְכָסִים מַרְבֵּה דְאָגָה, מַרְבֵּה
נָשִׁים מַרְבֵּה כְשָׁפִים, מַרְבֵּה
שְׁפָחוֹת מַרְבֵּה זִמָּה, מַרְבֵּה
עֲבָדִים מַרְבֵּה גָזֵל. מַרְבֵּה
תּוֹרָה מַרְבֵּה חַיִּים, מַרְבֵּה
יְשִׁיבָה מַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה, מַרְבֵּה
עֵצָה מַרְבֵּה תְבוּנָה, מַרְבֵּה
צְדָקָה מַרְבֵּה שָׁלוֹם. קָנָה
שֵׁם טוֹב קָנָה לְעַצְמוֹ, קָנָה
לוֹ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה קָנָה לוֹ חַיֵּי
הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.

Sephardi

7 hu hayah omer: marbeh
basar marbeh rimah, marbeh
nechasim marbeh de'agah, marbeh
nashim marbeh keshafim, marbeh
shefachot marbeh zimah, marbeh
avadim marbeh gazel. Marbeh
Torah marbeh chayim, marbeh
yeshivah marbeh chochmah, marbeh
etzah marbeh tevunah, marbeh
tzedakah marbeh shalom. Kanah
shem tov kanah le'atzmo, kanah
lo divrei Torah kanah lo chayei
ha-olam haba.

English

7 Hillel would often say: Do not indulge in too much eating, because the more flesh a person's body has, the more there will be for the worms to eat in the grave. The more possessions someone has, the more worry he has. The more wives someone has, the more jealousy he creates amongst them, and they might even practice witchcraft in order to gain the husband's attention. The more maids someone has, the more immorality there is in the house. The more servants someone has, the more stealing there is in the house. However, the more Torah someone learns, the more life he has. The more someone sits and learns, the more wisdom he has. The more advice someone receives from Torah scholars, the more he understands things on his own. The more charity someone gives, the more blessings of peace he causes. Someone who has acquired a good reputation has acquired something good for himself only in this world. However, someone who has acquired for himself Torah knowledge has acquired for himself everlasting life in the World to Come.

Hebrew

ח רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל
מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמַּאי. הוּא הָיָה
אוֹמֵר: אִם לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה
הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה
לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ.

Sephardi

8 Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai kibel
meiHillel umiShammai. Hu hayah
omer: im lamadeta Torah
harbeh, al tachazik tovah
le'atzmecha, ki lechach notzarta.

English

8 Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai received and learned Torah from Hillel and Shammai. He would often say: If you have learned a lot of Torah, do not take credit for yourself, because you have only done that which you were created to do.

Hebrew

ט חֲמִשָּׁה תַּלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ
לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, וְרַבִּי
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָא, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי
הַכֹּהֵן, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל,
וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֵרֶךְ. הוּא הָיָה
מוֹנֶה שְׁבָחָם: רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן
הוֹרְקְנוֹס בּוֹר סוּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְאַבֵּד
טִפָּה, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָא
אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתּוֹ,1 רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן
חָסִיד, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל
יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֵרֶךְ
כְּמַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר:
אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף
מֹאזְנַיִם, וְאֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס
בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם.2
אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר מִשְּׁמוֹ: אִם
יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף
מֹאזְנַיִם וְאֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס
אַף עִמָּהֶם, וְאֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֵרֶךְ בְּכַף
שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם.

Sephardi

9 chamishah talmidim hayu lo
l'Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, ve'elu hen:
Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos, v'Rabbi
Yehoshua ben Chananya, v'Rabbi Yosei
haKohen, v'Rabbi Shimon ben Netan'el,
v'Rabbi Elazar ben Erech. Hu hayah
monah shivcham: Rabbi Eliezer ben
Horkenos bor sud she'eino me'abed
tipah, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya
ashrei yoldato,1 Rabbi Yosei haKohen
chasid, Rabbi Shimon ben Netan'el
yerei chet, v'Rabbi Elazar ben Erech
kema'yan hamitgaber. Hu hayah omer:
im yihyu kol chachmei Yisrael b'chaf
moznayim, v'Eliezer ben Horkenos
b'chaf sheniyah, machria et kulam.2
Aba Shaul omer mishmo: im
yihyu kol chachmei Yisrael b'chaf
moznayim v'Eliezer ben Horkenos
af imahem, v'Elazar ben Erech b'chaf
sheniyah, machria et kulam.

English

9 Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had five special students. They were: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Yosei the Kohen, Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach. He used to list their praiseworthy qualities as follows: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus is like a cemented tank that does not lose a drop of water, because he does not forget anything. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya—his mother is fortunate that she gave birth to such a son.1 Rabbi Yosei the Kohen is a chassid—he does more than the law requires. Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel is a person who fears sin. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach is like a fountain that flows with ever-increasing strength, because he always adds to his wisdom. Rabban Yochanan would often say: If all the wisdom of the Sages of the Jewish Nation would be on one side of a scale, and the knowledge of Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus would be on the other side, his knowledge would outweigh all of theirs.2 Abba Shaul says a different version of this statement in Rabban Yochanan's name: If all the wisdom of the Sages of the Jewish Nation would be on one side of a scale, including the wisdom of Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus, and the wisdom of Rabbi Elazar ben Arach would be on the other side, his wisdom would outweigh all of theirs.