Chapter Five

Perek 5

פֶּרֶק ה

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Hebrew

וּמִקְצָתָן אֵינָן מְעַשְּׂרִין, רְעָב
שֶׁל מְהוּמָה בָּא, מִקְצָתָן
רְעֵבִים וּמִקְצָתָן שְׂבֵעִים.
גָּמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְעַשֵּׂר, רְעָב שֶׁל
בַּצֹּרֶת בָּא. וְשֶׁלֹּא לִטּוֹל אֶת
הַחַלָּה, רְעָב שֶׁל כְּלָיָה בָּא.
דֶּבֶר בָּא לָעוֹלָם עַל מִיתוֹת
הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא
נִמְסְרוּ לְבֵית דִּין, וְעַל פֵּרוֹת
שְׁבִיעִית. חֶרֶב בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם,
עַל עִנּוּי הַדִּין, וְעַל עִוּוּת
הַדִּין, וְעַל הַמּוֹרִים בַּתּוֹרָה
שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה.1

Sephardi

umiktzatam einan m'asrin, ra'av
shel mehumah ba, miktzatam
r'eivim umiktzatam s'vei'im.
Gamru shelo l'aser, ra'av shel
batzoret ba. V'shelo litol et
hachalah, ra'av shel k'layah ba.
Dever ba la-olam al mitot
ha'amurot batorah shelo
nims'ru l'veit din, ve'al perot
shevi'it. Cherev ba'ah la-olam,
al inuy hadin, ve'al ivut
hadin, ve'al hamorim batorah
shelo chahalachah.1

English

due to disrupting events, in which some people go hungry and some are satisfied. 2. If they all decided not to tithe, a famine of drought comes, and there will not be enough rain. 3. If they also decided not to separate challah when baking bread, a famine of destruction comes, in which there is no rain, and even rivers and lakes dry up. 4. Deadly plagues come to the world when people commit sins that according to Torah law require the death penalty from God, and the Jewish court of law is not given the responsibility to carry it out—God causes a plague to do so instead. Plagues also come to the world when the laws regarding produce grown during the seventh (Sabbatical) year are neglected. 5. The sword of war comes to the world because of the agony that judges cause when they delay announcing a verdict; because of judges corrupting a verdict; and because of people who interpret and teach Torah matters not in accordance with the Jewish law.1

Hebrew

ט חַיָּה רָעָה בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל
שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא וְעַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם.
גָּלוּת בָּא לָעוֹלָם עַל עֲבוֹדָה
זָרָה,2 וְעַל גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל
שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל שְׁמִטַּת
הָאָרֶץ. בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְּרָקִים
הַדֶּבֶר מִתְרַבֶּה, בָּרְבִיעִית,
וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית, וּבְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית,
וּבְמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה
וְשָׁנָה. בָּרְבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר
עָנִי שֶׁבַּשְּׁלִישִׁית. בַּשְּׁבִיעִית,
מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר עָנִי שֶׁבַּשִּׁשִּׁית.
בְּמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי פֵּרוֹת

Sephardi

9 Chayah ra'ah ba'ah la-olam al
shevu'at shav ve'al chilul hashem.
Galut ba la-olam al avodah
zarah,2 ve'al giluy arayot, ve'al
shefichut damim, ve'al shemitat
ha'aretz. B'arba'ah p'rakim
hadever mitrabeh, barevi'it,
uvashevi'it, uvemotza'ei shevi'it,
uvemotza'ei hechag sheb'khol shanah
v'shanah. Barevi'it, mipnei ma'asar
ani shebashlishit. Bashevi'it,
mipnei ma'asar ani shebashishit.
Bemotza'ei shevi'it, mipnei perot

English

6. Wild beasts come to the world because of unnecessary oaths that people make and because of people desecrating God's Name. 7. Exile comes to the world because of idol-worship,2 immorality, murder, and for not letting the earth rest during the Sabbatical year. At four periods during every seven-year Sabbatical cycle, deadly plagues increase: in the fourth year, in the seventh year, in the year after the seventh year, and every year after the end of the Festival of Sukkot. The plagues increase at those specific periods for the following reasons: in the fourth year they increase because of people not giving the tithe to the poor as required in the preceding third year; in the seventh year, they increase because of people not giving the tithe to the poor as required in the preceding sixth year; in the year after the seventh (Sabbatical) year,

Hebrew

שְׁבִיעִית. בְּמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג
שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה, מִפְּנֵי גֵּזֶל
מַתְּנוֹת עֲנִיִּים.

Sephardi

shevi'it. Bemotza'ei hechag
sheb'khol shanah v'shanah, mipnei gezel
matnot aniyim.

English

they increase because of people not keeping the laws concerning produce of the preceding seventh year; and every year, after the end of the Festival of Sukkot, when the harvesting season has ended, they increase because of people stealing from the poor by withholding the harvest gifts that should have been given to them.

Hebrew

י אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם: הָאוֹמֵר
שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם
הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ
שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵּינוֹנִית, וְיֵשׁ
אוֹמְרִים זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם. שֶׁלִּי
שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד.3
שֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע.

Sephardi

10 Arba midot ba'adam: ha'omer
sheli shelcha v'shelcha sheli, am
ha'aretz. Sheli sheli v'shelcha
shelach, zo midah beinonit, v'yesh
omrim zo midat S'dom. Sheli
shelcha v'shelcha shelach, chasid.3
Shelcha sheli v'sheli sheli, rasha.

English

10 There are four types among people: 1. Someone who says, "There should not be any private ownership; my property is yours, and your property is mine" is an ignorant person. 2. Someone who says, "My property is mine and your property is yours"—this is a normal character. Some say that it is the character of the city of Sedom, where it was a crime to share things or give charity. 3. Someone who says, "My property is yours and your property is also yours" is a chassid,3 (devoted person), because he goes beyond what the law requires by giving and not expecting anything in return. 4. Someone who says, "Your property is mine and my property is mine" is wicked because he wants everything for himself without giving anything in return.

Hebrew

יא אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בְּדֵעוֹת: נוֹחַ
לִכְעוֹס וְנוֹחַ לִרְצוֹת, יָצָא
הֶפְסֵדוֹ בִּשְׂכָרוֹ. קָשֶׁה לִכְעוֹס
וְקָשֶׁה לִרְצוֹת, יָצָא שְׂכָרוֹ
בְּהֶפְסֵדוֹ. קָשֶׁה לִכְעוֹס וְנוֹחַ
לִרְצוֹת, חָסִיד.4 נוֹחַ לִכְעוֹס
וְקָשֶׁה לִרְצוֹת, רָשָׁע.

Sephardi

11 Arba midot bede'ot: no'ach
lich'os v'no'ach lirtzot, yatza
hefsedo bischaro. Kasheh lich'os
v'kasheh lirtzot, yatza s'charo
behefsedo. Kasheh lich'os v'no'ach
lirtzot, chasid.4 No'ach lich'os
v'kasheh lirtzot, rasha.

English

11 There are four types of temperaments:4 1. Someone who is easily angered and easily calmed—his gain outweighs his loss because his anger passes quickly.

Commentary

1 The Torah contains certain guidelines under which the sages may deduce laws from it. A person who abuses this privilege by explaining the Torah in a way that does not fit with these guidelines has no portion in the World to Come.

2 Literally, "foreign service." Everything a Jew does must be for the purpose of serving God. We must avoid doing something that is not for the service of God, even if it is not a sin, because it is considered "foreign" to our true service and mission.

3 Speech is as important as action when it comes to giving charity. Even a person who has nothing to give to the poor but comforts them with words, by saying, "What's mine is yours," is considered a chassid (devoted person). On the other hand, one who gives charity but embarrasses the recipient by saying, "What's yours is mine" is considered wicked.

4 The mishnah discusses four types of "temperaments," not four types of conduct. While we are certainly responsible to control our actions, this mishnah is adding that we must also work on improving our natural tendencies and habits.