Chapter Six

Perek 6

פֶּרֶק ו

Visible layers

Hebrew

כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ
אָרֶץ, נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר.

Sephardi

Kol Yisrael yesh lahem chelek la-olam haba,
shene'emar: v'amecha kulam tzaddikim, le'olam yirshu
aretz, netzer mata'ai ma'aseh yadai l'hitpa'er.

English

All the Children of Israel have a portion in the World to Come of the Jewish Nation: Your people are all righteous, and they will all inherit the Land of Israel forever—they will never be exiled from it again. Everyone will recognize that they are the branch of My planting and the work of My hands, in which I, God, take pride.

Hebrew

א שָׁנוּ חֲכָמִים בִּלְשׁוֹן הַמִּשְׁנָה,
בָּרוּךְ שֶׁבָּחַר בָּהֶם וּבְמִשְׁנָתָם. רַבִּי
מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה1
לִשְׁמָהּ זוֹכֶה לִדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה, וְלֹא
עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ
כְּדַאי הוּא לוֹ. נִקְרָא רֵעַ, אָהוּב,
אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמָּקוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת
הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַמָּקוֹם,
מְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת,2 וּמַלְבַּשְׁתּוֹ
עֲנָוָה וְיִרְאָה, וּמַכְשַׁרְתּוֹ לִהְיוֹת
צַדִּיק, חָסִיד, יָשָׁר, וְנֶאֱמָן,
וּמְרַחַקְתּוֹ מִן הַחֵטְא, וּמְקָרַבְתּוֹ
לִידֵי זְכוּת, וְנֶהֱנִין מִמֶּנּוּ עֵצָה
וְתוּשִׁיָּה, בִּינָה וּגְבוּרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
לִי עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה, אֲנִי בִינָה,
לִי גְּבוּרָה, וְנוֹתֶנֶת לוֹ מַלְכוּת

Sephardi

a Shanu chachamim bilshon hamishnah,
baruch shebachar bahem uv'mishnatam. Rabbi
Meir omer: Kol ha'osek baTorah1
lishmah zocheh lidvarim harbeh, v'lo
od, ela shekol ha-olam kulo
k'dai hu lo. Nikra re'a, ahuv,
ohev et hamakom, ohev et
hab'riyot, m'same'ach et hamakom,
m'same'ach et hab'riyot,2 umalbashto
anavah v'yirah, umachsharto lihyot
tzadik, chasid, yashar, vene'eman,
umrachakto min hachet, umkaravto
lidei zechut, v'nehenin mimenu etzah
v'tushiyah, binah ugvurah, shene'emar:
Li etzah v'tushiyah, ani binah,
li gevurah, v'notenet lo malchut

English

1 The Sages taught the following statements in Hebrew, the language of the Mishnah. Blessed is God, Who chose the Sages and their teachings. Rabbi Meir says: Whoever involves himself in Torah1 learning for its own sake—because it is a commandment—will merit many good things. Not only that, but even the creation of the entire world is worthwhile just for him. Some of the many things he merits are: He is called a "friend" and "beloved" of God. He loves God and he loves God's creations. He makes God happy and he makes people happy.2 The Torah clothes and surrounds him with humility and awe of God. It prepares him to be righteous, dedicated to God, upright, and trusted. It also distances him from sin and brings him close to merit. People enjoy his good advice, wisdom, understanding, and strength. As it says in Proverbs: Good advice and wisdom are mine, says the Torah. I am understanding; strength is mine. The Torah

Hebrew

וּמֶמְשָׁלָה, וְחִקּוּר דִּין, וּמְגַלִּין
לוֹ רָזֵי תוֹרָה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעְיָן
הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר וּכְנָהָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ
פּוֹסֵק, וְהֹוֶה צָנוּעַ, וְאֶרֶךְ
רוּחַ, וּמוֹחֵל עַל עֶלְבּוֹנוֹ,
וּמְגַדַּלְתּוֹ וּמְרוֹמַמְתּוֹ עַל
כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים.

Sephardi

umemshalah, v'chikur din, um'galin
lo razei Torah, v'na'aseh k'ma'yan
hamitgaber uchnahar she'eino
posek, v'hoveh tzanua, v'erech
ruach, umochel al elbono,
umgadalto umromamto al
kol hama'asim.

English

gives these good qualities to those who learn it. The Torah also gives him royalty and authority, and the ability to judge properly. The secrets of the Torah are revealed to him. He becomes like a fountain that flows with ever-increasing strength, and like a river that never stops flowing. He becomes modest, patient, and forgiving when he is insulted. The Torah makes him great and it raises him above all things.

Hebrew

ב אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן
לֵוִי, בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל
יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב וּמַכְרֶזֶת
וְאוֹמֶרֶת: אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת
מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, שֶׁכָּל
מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה
נִקְרָא נָזוּף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נֶזֶם
זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר, אִשָּׁה יָפָה
וְסָרַת טָעַם. וְאוֹמֵר: וְהַלֻּחֹת
מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה,
וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים
הוּא, חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת, אַל
תִּקְרֵי חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת,
שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶּן חוֹרִין, אֶלָּא מִי
שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה,
וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד
תּוֹרָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה,
שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל,
וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת.

Sephardi

2 Amar Rabbi Yehoshua ben
Levi, bechol yom vayom bat kol
yotzet meihar Chorev umachrezet
v'omeret: Oi lahem lab'riyot
mei'elbonah shel Torah, shekol
mi she'eino osek baTorah
nikra nazuf, shene'emar: Nezem
zahav b'af chazir, ishah yafah
v'sarat ta'am. Ve'omer: V'haluchot
ma'aseh Elohim hemah,
v'hamichtav michtav Elohim
hu, charut al haluchot, al
tikrei charut ela cherut,
she'ein lecha ben chorin, ela mi
she'osek b'talmud Torah,
vechol mi she'osek b'talmud
Torah, harei zeh mitaleh,
shene'emar: Umimatanah Nachali'el,
umiNachali'el Bamot.

English

2 Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Every single day, a heavenly voice that is heard by the soul comes out from Mount Horeb (Mount Sinai). It announces and says, "Woe is to people who insult the Torah by not learning excitedly." They are to be pitied because anyone who does not excitedly occupy himself with Torah is called "shamed." As it says in Proverbs: A beautiful woman (the Torah) without flavor (without excitement and pleasure) is like a golden ring on a pig's nose. Torah must be "flavorful" and exciting. There is another advantage of being occupied with Torah, as it says in the Torah: The Tablets are God's work, and the writing is God's writing, engraved on the Tablets. Do not read the word as "charut" (engraved) but rather as "cherut" (freedom), because there is no person who is free from social pressures and able to reach his full potential except for someone who involves himself in Torah learning. Whoever involves himself in Torah learning becomes elevated and great. As it says in the Torah: In listing the places the Jewish Nation traveled through in the desert, the Torah says: The Jewish Nation traveled from Mattanah to Nachaliel, and from Nachaliel to Bamot. The Sages explain the deeper meaning of this verse as follows: When a person uses the Mattanah (gift) of Torah, God becomes his Nachaliel (inheritance), which causes him to become Bamot (elevated).