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Pirkei Avot

Chapter Four

Perek 4

פֶּרֶק ד

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Hebrew

הַסַּנְדְּלָר אוֹמֵר: כָּל כְּנֵסִיָּה
שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם סוֹפָהּ
לְהִתְקַיֵּם, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם
אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם.

Sephardi

haSandlar omer: Kol k'neisiyah
shehi l'shem shamayim sofah
l'hitkayem, v'she'einah l'shem shamayim
ein sofah l'hitkayem.

English

Sandlar says: Any gathering that is held for the sake of Heaven will have a lasting effect, but any gathering that is not held for the sake of Heaven will not have a lasting effect.

Hebrew

יב רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן שַׁמּוּעַ
אוֹמֵר: יְהִי כְבוֹד תַּלְמִידְךָ
חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וּכְבוֹד
חֲבֵרְךָ כְּמוֹרָא רַבָּךְ, וּמוֹרָא
רַבָּךְ כְּמוֹרָא שָׁמָיִם.

Sephardi

12 Rabbi Elazar ben Shamu'a
omer: Yehi kevod talmid'cha
chaviv alecha k'shelach, uch'vod
chaver'cha k'mora rabach, umora
rabach k'mora shamayim.

English

12 Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua says: Your student's honor should be as dear to you as your own honor, your friend's honor should be treated with the same importance as the awe and respect you have for your teacher, and the awe and respect you have for your teacher should be as great as the awe and respect you have for God in heaven.

Hebrew

יג רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי זָהִיר
בְּתַלְמוּד, שֶׁשִּׁגְגַת תַּלְמוּד1
עוֹלָה זָדוֹן. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן
אוֹמֵר, שְׁלֹשָׁה כְתָרִים הֵן:
כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה,2 וְכֶתֶר כְּהֻנָּה,
וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת, וְכֶתֶר שֵׁם טוֹב
עוֹלֶה עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן.

Sephardi

13 Rabbi Yehudah omer: Hevei zahir
b'talmud, sheshiggat talmud1
olah zadon. Rabbi Shimon
omer, sh'loshah ch'tarim hen:
keter Torah,2 v'cheter k'hunah,
v'cheter malchut, v'cheter shem tov
oleh al gabeihen.

English

13 Rabbi Yehudah says: Be careful to learn and teach Torah correctly, because if your incorrect learning1 causes the unintentional transgression of a sin, it will be considered intentional. Rabbi Shimon says: Respect those who possess any of these three crowns: the crown of Torah,2 possessed by Torah scholars, the crown of priesthood, possessed by Kohanim, and the crown of kingship, possessed by kings. However, there is another crown of respect—the crown of having a good name and reputation—which is higher and greater than the other three.

Hebrew

יד רַבִּי נְהוֹרַאי אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי
גּוֹלֶה לִמְקוֹם תּוֹרָה, וְאַל
תֹּאמַר שֶׁהִיא תָבוֹא אַחֲרֶיךָ,
שֶׁחֲבֵרֶיךָ יְקַיְּמוּהָ בְיָדֶךָ, וְאַל
בִּינָתְךָ אַל תִּשָּׁעֵן.3

Sephardi

14 Rabbi Nehorai omer: Hevei
goleh limkom Torah, ve-al
tomar shehi tavo acharecha,
shechaverecha y'kay'muhah b'yadecha, ve-al
binat'cha al tisha'en.3

English

14 Rabbi Nehorai says: If there are no other Torah learners where you live, exile yourself to a place of Torah learning. Do not say that you will remain and wait for other Torah learners to follow you, because it is vital to have fellow Torah learners nearby with whom to discuss your studies, as only they will establish Torah within you. Do not rely on your own understanding.3

Hebrew

טו רַבִּי יַנַּאי אוֹמֵר: אֵין בְּיָדֵינוּ
לֹא מִשַּׁלְוַת הָרְשָׁעִים, וְאַף לֹא
מִיִּסּוּרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים. רַבִּי מַתְיָא בֶּן
חָרָשׁ אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מַקְדִּים בִּשְׁלוֹם
כָּל אָדָם, וֶהֱוֵי זָנָב לָאֲרָיוֹת, וְאַל
תְּהִי רֹאשׁ לַשּׁוּעָלִים.

Sephardi

15 Rabbi Yannai omer: Ein b'yadeinu
lo mishalvat har'sha'im, v'af lo
miyisurei hatzadikim. Rabbi Matya ben
Charash omer: Hevei makdim bishlom
kol adam, vehevei zanav la'arayot, ve-al
t'hi rosh lashu'alim.

English

15 Rabbi Yannai says: We are unable to understand neither the reason why wicked people have peace nor the reason for the suffering of righteous people. Rabbi Matya ben Charash says: Be the first to greet everyone, and do not wait for them to greet you. Better be a tail—a humble follower—of lions—great people, and do not be a leader of foxes—low people.

Hebrew

טז רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה
דּוֹמֶה לִפְרוֹזְדוֹר בִּפְנֵי הָעוֹלָם
הַבָּא, הַתְקֵן עַצְמְךָ בִּפְרוֹזְדוֹר
כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּכָּנֵס לַטְּרַקְלִין.

Sephardi

16 Rabbi Ya'akov omer: Ha-olam hazeh
domeh lifrozdor bifnei ha-olam
haba, hatken atzm'cha bifrozdor
kedei shetikanes latraklin.

English

16 Rabbi Yaakov says: This world is like an entrance lobby before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the entrance lobby by keeping God's commandments, so that you may enter the banquet hall—the World to Come.

Hebrew

יז הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: יָפָה שָׁעָה
אַחַת בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים
בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, מִכָּל חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם
הַבָּא, וְיָפָה שָׁעָה אַחַת שֶׁל
קוֹרַת רוּחַ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, מִכָּל
חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.4

Sephardi

17 Hu hayah omer: Yafah sha'ah
achat biteshuvah uma'asim tovim
ba-olam hazeh, mikol chayei ha-olam
haba, v'yafah sha'ah achat shel
qorat ruach ba-olam haba, mikol
chayei ha-olam hazeh.4

English

17 Rabbi Yaakov would often say: One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the World to Come, because in the World to Come one is no longer able to repent and good deeds. However, one hour of pleasure in the World to Come is better than all the life of this world,4 because one cannot enjoy God's presence in this world as much as in the World to Come.

Hebrew

יח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר:
אַל תְּרַצֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בִּשְׁעַת
כַּעֲסוֹ, וְאַל תְּנַחֲמֵהוּ בְּשָׁעָה

Sephardi

18 Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar omer:
Al t'ratzeh et chaver'cha bish'at
ka'aso, ve-al t'nachamehu b'sha'ah

English

18 Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Do not try to calm your friend as soon as he becomes angry, because you might only make him angrier. Do not comfort him while his dead relative is still lying before him, because he cannot be

Commentary

1 The term שִׁגְגַת תַּלְמוּד is specifically referring to the study of the Talmud, i.e. Gemara. Since Gemara demands independent thinking and comparing etc. (in contrast to the study of Chumash or even Mishnah), which is where you are most likely to make an error.

2 The mishnah doesn't count the "crown of a good name" as a "fourth" crown because it is not in addition to the other three, but rather an integral part of them. As long as one lacks a good name, his other three crowns will remain incomplete.

3 The mishnah can also be referring to someone who is already learned in Torah and only needs Torah scholars to "lean" on, not for constant support. Even such a person should be careful to lean on the advice of Torah scholars, and not rely on his own understanding.

4 Both this world and the World to Come have advantages over each other. This world has the advantage of the opportunity to perform God's commandments, thereby connecting to His Essence. The disadvantage is that you can't feel the connection in this physical world. The World to Come has the advantage of feeling and enjoying (קוֹרַת רוּחַ) God's radiance. The disadvantage is that it's a lower level, not God's essence.