Chapter Four

Perek 4

פֶּרֶק ד

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Hebrew

שֶׁמֵּתוֹ מֻטָּל לְפָנָיו, וְאַל תִּשְׁאַל
לוֹ בִּשְׁעַת נִדְרוֹ, וְאַל תִּשְׁתַּדֵּל
לִרְאוֹתוֹ בִּשְׁעַת קַלְקָלָתוֹ.

Sephardi

shemeto mutal lefanav, ve-al tish'al
lo bish'at nidro, ve-al tishtadel
lir'oto bish'at kalkalato.

English

comforted at that time. Do not ask him, as soon as he makes a promise, if he will fulfill it without any conditions, because if he says yes, he will have to keep to his word and may later regret the decision. Do not try to see him when he is disgraced, because he is too embarrassed to see anyone.

Hebrew

יט שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר: בִּנְפֹל
אוֹיִבְךָ אַל תִּשְׂמָח,1 וּבְכַשְּׁלוֹ
אַל יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ, פֶּן יִרְאֶה יְיָ וְרַע
בְּעֵינָיו, וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ.

Sephardi

19 Shmuel Hakatan omer: Binfol
oyivcha al tismach,1 uvchashlo
al yagel libecha, pen yir'eh Adonai vara
b'einav, v'heshiv mei'alav apo.

English

19 Shmuel Hakatan says: Do not be happy when your enemy falls,1 and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles, in case the Lord sees your happiness, and it is bad in His eyes, and He will then turn His anger away from your enemy and toward you.

Hebrew

כ אֱלִישָׁע בֶּן אֲבוּיָה אוֹמֵר,
הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה יֶלֶד לְמָה
הוּא דּוֹמֶה: לִדְיוֹ כְּתוּבָה עַל
נְיָר חָדָשׁ, וְהַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה
זָקֵן לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה: לִדְיוֹ
כְּתוּבָה עַל נְיָר מָחוּק. רַבִּי
יוֹסֵי בַּר יְהוּדָה אִישׁ כְּפַר
הַבַּבְלִי אוֹמֵר, הַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה
מִן הַקְּטַנִּים, לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה:
לְאוֹכֵל עֲנָבִים קֵהוֹת וְשׁוֹתֶה
יַיִן מִגִּתּוֹ, וְהַלּוֹמֵד תּוֹרָה מִן
הַזְּקֵנִים, לְמָה הוּא דּוֹמֶה:
לְאוֹכֵל עֲנָבִים בְּשׁוּלוֹת
וְשׁוֹתֶה יַיִן יָשָׁן. רַבִּי מֵאִיר
אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּסְתַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן,
אֶלָּא בַּמֶּה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ, יֵשׁ
קַנְקַן חָדָשׁ מָלֵא יָשָׁן,2 וְיָשָׁן
שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ חָדָשׁ אֵין בּוֹ.

Sephardi

20 Elisha ben Avuyah omer,
halomed Torah yeled lamah
hu domeh: lidyo k'tuvah al
n'yar chadash, v'halomed Torah
zaken lamah hu domeh: lidyo
k'tuvah al n'yar machuk. Rabbi
Yosei bar Yehudah ish k'far
habavli omer, halomed Torah
min haktanim, lamah hu domeh:
l'ochel anavim kehot v'shoteh
yayin migito, v'halomed Torah min
hazkenim, lamah hu domeh:
l'ochel anavim b'shulot
v'shoteh yayin yashan. Rabbi Meir
omer: Al tistakel bakankan,
ela bamah sheyesh bo, yesh
kankan chadash male yashan,2 v'yashan
she'afilu chadash ein bo.

English

20 Elisha ben Avuyah says: Someone who learns Torah as a child—to what is he compared? To ink written on fresh paper, which will not fade. Similarly, one does not forget the Torah he learned as a child. Whereas someone who only studies Torah as an old person—to what is he compared? To ink written on worn out paper, which fades easily. Similarly, one more easily forgets what he studies in old age. Rabbi Yosei bar Yehudah of Kfar Habavli says: Someone who learns Torah from young people—to what is he compared? To someone who eats unripe grapes and drinks wine from its container before it is ready, since he learns from a young person, whose mind is not fully developed. Someone who learns Torah from old people—to what is he compared? To someone who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine. Rabbi Meir, however, says: Do not judge a wine (teacher) by looking at its container (physical age). Rather, judge it by what (knowledge) is inside it; there can be a new vessel (young teacher) filled with good, aged wine (knowledge),2 and there can be an old (teacher) that contains nothing, not even new wine (knowledge).

Hebrew

כא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַקַּפָּר אוֹמֵר:
הַקִּנְאָה וְהַתַּאֲוָה וְהַכָּבוֹד,
מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן
הָעוֹלָם.

Sephardi

21 Rabbi Elazar Hakapar omer:
hakin'ah v'hata'avah v'hakavod,
motzi'in et ha'adam min
ha-olam.

English

21 Rabbi Elazar Hakapar says: Jealousy, desire for pleasure, and the pursuit of honor lead to evil and will therefore remove a person from the World to Come, and also prevent him from enjoying his life in the world, because he will never feel satisfied.

Hebrew

כב הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: הַיִּלּוֹדִים
לָמוּת, וְהַמֵּתִים לְהֵחָיוֹת,
וְהַחַיִּים לָדוֹן, לֵידַע וּלְהוֹדִיעַ
וּלְהִוָּדַע שֶׁהוּא אֵל, הוּא
הַיּוֹצֵר, הוּא הַבּוֹרֵא, הוּא
הַמֵּבִין, הוּא הַדַּיָּן, הוּא
הָעֵד, הוּא בַּעַל דִּין, הוּא
עָתִיד לָדוֹן. בָּרוּךְ הוּא,
שֶׁאֵין לְפָנָיו לֹא עַוְלָה, וְלֹא
שִׁכְחָה, וְלֹא מַשּׂוֹא פָּנִים,
וְלֹא מִקַּח שֹׁחַד,3 וְדַע שֶׁהַכֹּל
לְפִי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן. וְאַל יַבְטִיחֲךָ
יִצְרְךָ שֶׁהַשְּׁאוֹל בֵּית מָנוֹס
לָךְ, שֶׁעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹצָר,
וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹלָד, וְעַל

Sephardi

22 Hu hayah omer: hayilodim
lamut, v'hametim l'hehayot,
v'hachayim ladon, leida ul'hodia
ul'hivada shehu El, hu
hayotzer, hu habore, hu
hamevin, hu hadayan, hu
ha'ed, hu ba'al din, hu
atid ladon. Baruch hu,
she'ein lefanav lo avlah, v'lo
shikchah, v'lo maso panim,
v'lo mikach shochad,3 v'da shehakol
l'fi hacheshbon. Ve-al yavtichacha
yitzr'cha shehash'ol beit manos
lach, she'al korchacha atah notzer,
ve'al korchacha atah nolad, ve'al

English

22 Rabbi Elazar Hakapar would often say: Those who are born will eventually die, those who are dead will be eventually brought back to life, and even those who are brought back to life will be judged by God on the Day of Judgment. This happens in order for people to know, to let others know, and to make it known throughout the world that God is God, He is the Maker of the universe, He is the Creator of the universe, He is the One Who understands everything, He is the Judge Who decides what happens in this world, He is the Witness to every action, He is the Plaintiff Who was wronged and demands the trial, and He will judge in the future, in the World to Come. He is blessed, because there is no injustice before Him, there is no forgetfulness, no favoritism, and no bribery,3 so every verdict is correct and fair. Know that all of God's rewards and punishments are given according to the account that He has kept. Do not let your evil inclination assure you that once you die, your grave will be a place of safety for you to avoid judgment, because just as you were forced to be formed—without your agreement, and