Chapter Five

Perek 5

פֶּרֶק ה

Visible layers

Hebrew

קָשֶׁה לִכְעוֹס וְקָשֶׁה לִרְצוֹת, יָצָא שְׂכָרוֹ
בְּהֶפְסֵדוֹ. קָשֶׁה לִכְעוֹס וְנוֹחַ
לִרְצוֹת, חָסִיד. נוֹחַ לִכְעוֹס
וְקָשֶׁה לִרְצוֹת, רָשָׁע.

Sephardi

kasheh lich'os v'kasheh lirtzot, yatza s'charo
b'hefsedo. Kasheh lich'os v'no'ach
lirtzot, chasid. No'ach lich'os
v'kasheh lirtzot, rasha.

English

2. Someone who is hard to anger and hard to calm—his loss outweighs his gain because he will remain angry. 3. Someone who is hard to anger and easily calmed is a chassid (devoted person). 4. Someone who is angered and hard to calm is a wicked person.

Hebrew

יב אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בַּתַּלְמִידִים:
מַהֵר לִשְׁמוֹעַ וּמַהֵר לְאַבֵּד,
יָצָא שְׂכָרוֹ בְּהֶפְסֵדוֹ. קָשֶׁה
לִשְׁמוֹעַ וְקָשֶׁה לְאַבֵּד,
יָצָא הֶפְסֵדוֹ בִּשְׂכָרוֹ. מַהֵר
לִשְׁמוֹעַ וְקָשֶׁה לְאַבֵּד, זֶה
חֵלֶק טוֹב. קָשֶׁה לִשְׁמוֹעַ
וּמַהֵר לְאַבֵּד, זֶה חֵלֶק רָע.1

Sephardi

12 Arba midot batalmidim:
maher lishmo'a umaher l'abed,
yatza s'charo b'hefsedo. Kasheh
lishmo'a v'kasheh l'abed,
yatza hefsedo bis'charo. Maher
lishmo'a v'kasheh l'abed, zeh
chelek tov. Kasheh lishmo'a
umaher l'abed, zeh chelek ra.1

English

12 There are four types of students: 1. Someone who is quick to understand and quick to forget—his loss outweighs his gain because he will remain with nothing. 2. Someone who is slow to understand and slow to forget—his gain outweighs his loss because he will eventually have much knowledge. 3. Someone who is quick to understand and slow to forget—this person received a good portion from God. 4. Someone who is slow to understand and quick to forget—this person received a bad portion.1

Hebrew

יג אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בְּנוֹתְנֵי
צְדָקָה: הָרוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּתֵּן
וְלֹא יִתְּנוּ אֲחֵרִים, עֵינוֹ
רָעָה בְּשֶׁל אֲחֵרִים. יִתְּנוּ
אֲחֵרִים וְהוּא לֹא יִתֵּן,
עֵינוֹ רָעָה בְּשֶׁלּוֹ. יִתֵּן
וְיִתְּנוּ אֲחֵרִים, חָסִיד.
לֹא יִתֵּן וְלֹא יִתְּנוּ אֲחֵרִים,
רָשָׁע.

Sephardi

13 Arba midot b'notnei
tzedakah: harotzeh sheyiten
v'lo yitnu acherim, eino
ra'ah b'shel acherim. Yitnu
acherim vehu lo yiten,
eino ra'ah b'shelo. Yiten
v'yitnu acherim, chasid.
Lo yiten v'lo yitnu acherim,
rasha.

English

13 There are four types of people who give charity: 1. Someone who wants to give charity but does not want others to give—such a person wishes bad for others, because he does not want them to fulfill the commandment of giving charity. 2. Someone who wants others to give charity, but he himself does not want to give—such a person wishes bad for himself, because he will not fulfill the commandment of giving charity. 3. Someone who wants to give charity and wants others to give is a chassid (devoted person). 4. Someone who does not want to give charity and does not want others to give is a wicked person.

Hebrew

יד אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בְּהוֹלְכֵי
בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ: הוֹלֵךְ וְאֵינוֹ
עוֹשֶׂה, שְׂכַר הֲלִיכָה
בְּיָדוֹ. עוֹשֶׂה וְאֵינוֹ הוֹלֵךְ,
שְׂכַר מַעֲשֶׂה בְּיָדוֹ. הוֹלֵךְ

Sephardi

14 Arba midot b'holchei
beit hamidrash: holech v'eino
oseh, s'char halichah
b'yado. Oseh v'eino holech,
s'char ma'aseh b'yado. Holech

English

14 There are four types of people who go to the House of Study: 1. Someone who goes to the House of Study but does not learn—he still gets a reward for going. 2. Someone who does learn Torah at home but does not go to the House of Study—he gets a reward for the learning he did. 3. Someone who goes to the House of

Hebrew

וְעוֹשֶׂה, חָסִיד. לֹא הוֹלֵךְ
וְלֹא עוֹשֶׂה, רָשָׁע.

Sephardi

v'oseh, chasid. Lo holech
v'lo oseh, rasha.

English

Study and does learn is a chassid (devoted person). 4. Someone who does not go to the House of Study and does not learn at home is a wicked person.

Hebrew

טו אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בְּיוֹשְׁבִים
לִפְנֵי חֲכָמִים: סְפוֹג, וּמַשְׁפֵּךְ,2
מִשְׁמֶרֶת, וְנָפָה. סְפוֹג, שֶׁהוּא
סוֹפֵג אֶת הַכֹּל. מַשְׁפֵּךְ,
שֶׁמַּכְנִיס בְּזוֹ וּמוֹצִיא בְּזוֹ.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאָה אֶת
הַיַּיִן וְקוֹלֶטֶת אֶת הַשְּׁמָרִים.
וְנָפָה, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאָה אֶת הַקֶּמַח
וְקוֹלֶטֶת אֶת הַסֹּלֶת:

Sephardi

15 Arba midot b'yoshvim
lifnei chachamim: s'fog, umashpech,2
mishmeret, v'nafah. S'fog, shehu
sofeg et hakol. Mashpech,
shemachnis b'zo umotzi b'zo.
Mishmeret, shemotzi'ah et
hayayin v'koletet et hashemarim.
V'nafah, shemotzi'ah et hakemach
v'koletet et hasolet:

English

15 There are four types of students who sit in front of Torah scholars—a sponge, a funnel,2 a strainer, and a sifter: 1. A sponge represents a student who absorbs everything. 2. A funnel takes in something from one end and spills it out from the other end. This represents a student who listens to his teacher but quickly forgets what he said. 3. A strainer lets the wine flow through and traps the sediment. This represents a student who forgets important lessons but remembers less-important lessons. 4. A sifter lets the flour-dust pass through and keeps the fine flour. This represents a student who only remembers important lessons.

Hebrew

טז כָּל אַהֲבָה שֶׁהִיא תְּלוּיָה
בְּדָבָר, בָּטֵל דָּבָר בְּטֵלָה
אַהֲבָה, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה
בְּדָבָר, אֵינָהּ בְּטֵלָה לְעוֹלָם.
אֵיזוֹ הִיא אַהֲבָה שֶׁהִיא תְּלוּיָה
בְּדָבָר, זוֹ אַהֲבַת אַמְנוֹן
וְתָמָר, וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה בְּדָבָר,
זוֹ אַהֲבַת דָּוִד וִיהוֹנָתָן.

Sephardi

16 Kol ahavah shehi t'luyah
b'davar, batel davar b'telah
ahavah, v'she'einah t'luyah
b'davar, einah b'telah le'olam.
Eizo hi ahavah shehi t'luyah
b'davar, zo ahavat Amnon
v'Tamar, v'she'einah t'luyah b'davar,
zo ahavat David viYehonatan.

English

16 Any love that depends on a specific thing will cease when that thing ceases, and any love that does not depend on any specific thing will never cease. What is an example of a love that depended on a specific thing? The love between Amnon and Tamar. Amnon loved Tamar for her beauty. What is an example of a love that did not depend on any specific thing? The love between King David and his close friend Jonathan. Jonathan encouraged David to be king—even though that prevented Jonathan from being king—because he loved David.

Hebrew

יז כָּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם

Sephardi

17 Kol machloket shehi l'shem

English

17 Any argument that is for the sake of God