Chapter Four

Perek 4

פֶּרֶק ד

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Hebrew

לִלְמֹד, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לִלְמֹד
וּלְלַמֵּד, וְהַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת
לַעֲשׂוֹת, מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לִלְמֹד
וּלְלַמֵּד לִשְׁמוֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת. רַבִּי
צָדוֹק אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּפְרוֹשׁ מִן
הַצִּבּוּר,1 וְאַל תַּעַשׂ עַצְמְךָ
כְּעוֹרְכֵי הַדַּיָּנִין, וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה
עֲטָרָה לְהִתְגַּדֵּל בָּהּ, וְלֹא קַרְדּוֹם
לַחְתָּךְ בָּהּ, וְכָךְ הָיָה הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר:
וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַגָּא חָלַף, הָא
לָמַדְתָּ, כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה,
נוֹטֵל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם.

Sephardi

lilmod, maspikin b'yado lilmod
ul'lamed, v'halomed al m'nat
la'asot, maspikin b'yado lilmod
ul'lamed lishmor v'la'asot. Rabbi
Tzadok omer: Al tifrosh min
hatzibbur,1 ve-al ta'as atzm'cha
k'orchei hadayanim, ve-al ta'aseh
atarah l'hitgadel bah, v'lo kardom
lachtach bah, v'chach hayah Hillel omer:
Ud'ishtamesh b'taga chalaf, ha
lamadta, kol haneheneh midivrei Torah,
notel chayav min ha-olam.

English

it. Someone who learns Torah in order to fulfill what he has learned is given the opportunity to learn Torah, teach it, guard himself from sin, and do what the Torah says. Rabbi Tzadok says: Do not separate yourself from the community.1 If you are judging a case, do not act as a lawyer by giving advice to those being judged. Do not make the Torah like a crown—do not use it to make yourself great, and do not use it to earn money as a woodchopper uses an axe to earn a living by chopping wood. This is what Hillel would often say: Someone who uses the crown of Torah for his own benefit will be destroyed. You have learned from these words of Hillel that whoever seeks personal benefit from the words of Torah removes his life of reward from the World to Come.

Hebrew

ו רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַמְכַבֵּד
אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, גּוּפוֹ מְכֻבָּד עַל
הַבְּרִיּוֹת, וְכָל הַמְחַלֵּל אֶת
הַתּוֹרָה, גּוּפוֹ מְחֻלָּל עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת.

Sephardi

6 Rabbi Yosei omer: Kol ham'chabed
et haTorah, gufo m'chubad al
hab'riyot, vechol ham'chalel et
haTorah, gufo m'chulal al hab'riyot.

English

6 Rabbi Yosei says: Whoever brings honor to the Torah is himself honored by other people. Whoever brings disgrace to the Torah is himself disgraced by other people.

Hebrew

ז רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר:
הַחוֹשֵׂךְ עַצְמוֹ מִן הַדִּין, פּוֹרֵק
מִמֶּנּוּ אֵיבָה וְגָזֵל וּשְׁבוּעַת
שָׁוְא, וְהַגַּס לִבּוֹ בְּהוֹרָאָה,
שׁוֹטֶה רָשָׁע וְגַס רוּחַ.

Sephardi

7 Rabbi Yishmael beno omer:
hachosech atzmo min hadin, porek
mimenu eivah v'gazel ush'vuat
shav, v'hagas libo b'hora'ah,
shoteh rasha v'gas ruach.

English

7 Rabbi Yishmael, the son of Rabbi Yosei, says: A judge who holds himself back from making a judgment and instead works out a compromise, removes hatred from himself—because both sides involved in the case are satisfied, he avoids accidentally causing theft through an incorrect ruling, and avoids causing an unnecessary or false promise that might have been made had it proceeded to court. Someone who is too self-confident when issuing a ruling, is a fool and a wicked, arrogant person.

Hebrew

ח הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תְּהִי דָן
יְחִידִי,2 שֶׁאֵין דָּן יְחִידִי אֶלָּא
אֶחָד, וְאַל תֹּאמַר קַבְּלוּ דַעְתִּי,
שֶׁהֵן רַשָּׁאִין וְלֹא אָתָּה.

Sephardi

8 Hu hayah omer: Al t'hi dan
y'chidi,2 she'ein dan y'chidi ela
echad, ve-al tomar kab'lu da'ti,
shehen rasha'in v'lo atah.

English

8 Rabbi Yishmael would often say: Do not judge alone,2 because there are none who can judge alone besides the one God. Even if you consider yourself greater than the other judges, do not say to them, "Accept my opinion." They are the majority, so they are allowed to say that to you, but you may not say that to them.

Hebrew

ט רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַמְקַיֵּם
אֶת הַתּוֹרָה מֵעֹנִי,3 סוֹפוֹ לְקַיְּמָהּ
מֵעֹשֶׁר, וְכָל הַמְבַטֵּל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה
מֵעֹשֶׁר, סוֹפוֹ לְבַטְּלָהּ מֵעֹנִי.

Sephardi

9 Rabbi Yonatan omer: Kol ham'kayem
et haTorah mei'oni,3 sofo l'kay'mah
mei'osher, vechol ham'vatel et haTorah
mei'osher, sofo l'vat'lah mei'oni.

English

9 Rabbi Yonatan says: Whoever fulfills the Torah even when he is poor3 will end up fulfilling the Torah when he is rich. But whoever neglects Torah learning when he is rich will end up neglecting it when he is poor.

Hebrew

י רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מְמַעֵט
בְּעֵסֶק וַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, וֶהֱוֵי
שְׁפַל רוּחַ בִּפְנֵי כָל אָדָם,4 וְאִם
בָּטַלְתָּ מִן הַתּוֹרָה, יֵשׁ לָךְ בְּטֵלִים
הַרְבֵּה כְּנֶגְדָּךְ, וְאִם עָמַלְתָּ בַּתּוֹרָה
הַרְבֵּה, יֵשׁ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה לִתֵּן לָךְ.

Sephardi

10 Rabbi Meir omer: Hevei m'ma'et
b'esek va'asok baTorah, vehevei
sh'fal ruach bifnei kol adam,4 ve'im
batalta min haTorah, yesh lach b'telim
harbeh k'negdekha, ve'im amalta baTorah
harbeh, yesh sachar harbeh liten lach.

English

10 Rabbi Meir says: Minimize your business activities and occupy yourself with Torah learning. Be humble before every person.4 If you neglect Torah learning due to business matters, you will find many other excuses to neglect Torah learning. Whereas if you work very hard to learn Torah despite any difficulties, there is much reward to be given to you.

Hebrew

יא רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר:
הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת, קוֹנֶה לוֹ
פְּרַקְלִיט אֶחָד, וְהָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה
אַחַת, קוֹנֶה לוֹ קַטֵּגוֹר אֶחָד,
תְּשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים5 כִּתְרִיס
בִּפְנֵי הַפּוּרְעָנוּת. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן

Sephardi

11 Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov omer:
ha'oseh mitzvah achat, koneh lo
p'raklit echad, v'ha'over averah
achat, koneh lo kategor echad,
teshuvah uma'asim tovim5 kitris
bifnei hapur'anut. Rabbi Yochanan

English

11 Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: Someone who does one commandment gets one supporting angel for himself, who will speak good about him to God, and someone who transgresses one sin gets one accusing angel for himself, who will tell God about the sin. Repentance and good deeds5 protect against punishments. Rabbi Yochanan the

Commentary

1 This is a general rule, not exclusive to Torah and Jewish life. All community customs should be kept by everyone.

2 When we judge ourselves and our Divine service, we should not do so alone, because our self-love might prevent us from making an honest judgment. We should allow a friend to advise us and guide us.

3 One who learns Torah while considering himself "poor" in knowledge will ultimately learn Torah out of "wealth"—his humility will lead him to succeed in his studies.

4 Some people occupy themselves only with Torah, and others engage in business. Each type has its advantages in serving God. A businessman who learns a lot might feel greater than both types, because he has both advantages.

Such a person must be especially careful to feel humble before everyone—Torah scholars and business people alike.

5 A commandment that was performed correctly but without any intention is like a gem covered in dust—the gem is perfect, but it does not shine. Through repentance, a person can transform a previously "dull" deed into מעשים טובים—a "good" and bright deed.