Chapter Three

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Hebrew

הֵימֶנּוּ, אֵין רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה
הֵימֶנּוּ. רַבִּי דּוֹסָא בֶּן הָרְכִּינַס
אוֹמֵר: שֵׁנָה שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית, וְיַיִן שֶׁל
צָהֳרַיִם, וְשִׂיחַת הַיְלָדִים, וִישִׁיבַת
בָּתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת שֶׁל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ,
מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם.

Sephardi

heimeinu, ein ruach hamakom nochah
heimeinu. Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas
omer: sheinah shel shacharit, v'yayin shel
tzohorayim, vesichat hayeladim, vishivat
batei kenesiyot shel amei ha'aretz,
motzi'in et ha'adam min ha-olam.

English

sanctifies God's Name. But anyone who people do not find to be pleasant, God does not find to be pleasant either, because he desecrates God's Name. Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas says: Sleeping in the late morning, drinking wine in the middle of the day, childish conversations, and sitting in places where ignorant people gather—remove a person from having a fulfilled life in the world.

Hebrew

יא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר:
הַמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַקָּדָשִׁים, וְהַמְבַזֶּה
אֶת הַמּוֹעֲדוֹת, וְהַמַּלְבִּין פְּנֵי
חֲבֵרוֹ בָּרַבִּים, וְהַמֵּפֵר בְּרִיתוֹ
שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, וְהַמְגַלֶּה
פָּנִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה, אַף
עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ תּוֹרָה וּמַעֲשִׂים
טוֹבִים,1 אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.

Sephardi

11 Rabbi Elazar hamoda'i omer:
hamchallel et hakodashim, vehamvazeh
et hamo'adot, vehamalbin p'nei
chavero barabim, vehamefer berito
shel Avraham avinu, vehamgaleh
panim batorah shelo kahalachah, af
al pi sheyesh b'yado Torah uma'asim
tovim,1 ein lo chelek la-olam haba.

English

11 Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: Someone who disgraces holy things, someone who disrespects the festivals, someone who embarrasses his friend in public, someone who nullifies the covenant of Abraham our forefather by not having a circumcision, and someone who explains Torah not according to its correct meaning—even if one of these people has learned much Torah and performed many good deeds,1 he has no part in the World to Come unless he repents for his actions.

Hebrew

יב רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי קַל
לְרֹאשׁ, וְנוֹחַ לְתִשְׁחֹרֶת, וֶהֱוֵי
מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּשִׂמְחָה.2

Sephardi

12 Rabbi Yishmael omer: hevei kal
lerosh, venoach letishchoret, vehevei
mekabel et kol ha'adam besimchah.2

English

12 Rabbi Yishmael says: Give in easily to an important person, be pleasant to a younger person, and greet every person cheerfully.2

Hebrew

יג רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: שְׂחוֹק
וְקַלּוּת רֹאשׁ, מַרְגִּילִין אֶת
הָאָדָם לְעֶרְוָה. מָסֹרֶת סְיָג
לַתּוֹרָה, מַעַשְׂרוֹת סְיָג לָעֹשֶׁר,
נְדָרִים סְיָג לִפְרִישׁוּת, סְיָג
לַחָכְמָה שְׁתִיקָה.

Sephardi

13 Rabbi Akiva omer: sechok
vekalut rosh, margilin et
ha'adam le'ervah. Masoret seyag
latorah, ma'asrot seyag la'osher,
nedarim seyag lifrishut, seyag
lachochmah shetikah.

English

13 Rabbi Akiva says: Laughter and silliness accustom a person to immorality. Our tradition—the Oral Torah—is a fence around the Torah, protecting it from misinterpretation. The various types of tithes that we are commanded to give are a fence for riches because they increase and protect a person's wealth. Vows to refrain from certain permitted things can be a fence to separate ourselves from forbidden things. The fence for wisdom is silence because being silent allows us to listen and gain wisdom from others.

Hebrew

יד הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: חָבִיב
אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְּצֶלֶם, חִבָּה
יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא
בְּצֶלֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי בְּצֶלֶם
אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם.
חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ
בָּנִים לַמָּקוֹם, חִבָּה יְתֵרָה3
נוֹדַעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ
בָּנִים לַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיְיָ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.
חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתַּן
לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה,4 חִבָּה
יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּתַּן
לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם,
תּוֹרָתִי אַל תַּעֲזֹבוּ.

Sephardi

14 Hu hayah omer: chaviv
adam shenivra betzelem, chibah
yeterah noda'at lo shenivra
betzelem, shene'emar: ki betzelem
Elohim asah et ha'adam.
Chavivin Yisrael shenikre'u
banim lamakom, chibah yeterah3
noda'at lahem shenikre'u
banim lamakom, shene'emar:
banim atem la-adonai Eloheichem.
Chavivin Yisrael shenitan
lahem keli chemdah,4 chibah
yeterah noda'at lahem shenitan
lahem keli chemdah, shene'emar:
ki lekach tov natati lachem,
Torati al ta'azovu.

English

14 Rabbi Akiva would often say: Man is loved by God because he was created in His image, and the fact that it was made known to man that he was created in the image of God shows an even greater love. It was made known to man as it says in the Torah: Because in the image of God He created man. The Children of Israel are loved by God because they are called children of God, and the fact that it was made known to them that they are called children of God shows an even greater love.3 It was made known to them, as it says in the Torah: You are children of the Lord, your God. The Children of Israel are loved by God because a precious item was given to them,4 and the fact that it was made known to them that a precious item was given to them shows an even greater love. It was made known to them as it says in Proverbs: I have given you a good teaching; do not turn away from My Torah.

Hebrew

טו הַכֹּל צָפוּי, וְהָרְשׁוּת
נְתוּנָה, וּבְטוֹב הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן,
וְהַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה.

Sephardi

15 Hakol tzafui, vehar'shut
netunah, uv'tov ha-olam nidon,
vehakol lefi rov hama'aseh.

English

15 Rabbi Akiva said: Everything that happens in the world is seen beforehand by God, yet the choice to do good or bad is given to people. The world is judged by God in a good and kind way, but everything depends on the amount of good deeds—the more good deeds one does, the more kindly he will be judged by God.5

Commentary

1 The mishnah speaks of a person whose Torah and good deeds are merely “in his hand”—they have not become one with him. Had they truly permeated him, he would never have been capable of committing such sins.

2 The mishnah stresses that you must greet every person cheerfully, whether old and wise or young and ignorant. This must be done with sincere joy, not just politeness.

3 The fact that God has told us how special we are is itself a great gift for us. Just as one must know his faults in order to rectify them, so must we be aware of our special qualities so that we may live up to our great potential.

4 The world was created so that the Jewish Nation could make a dwelling place for God. The Torah is the “tool” that enables us to create that dwelling place.

5 When we fulfill a commandment, we draw down God's holiness into the world. Therefore, the more commandment-acts performed, the better. For example, it is better to give small amounts of tzedakah multiple times than to give a large amount all at once.