Chapter Six

Perek 6

פֶּרֶק ו

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Hebrew

יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ, בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר
וְכָבוֹד. וְאוֹמֵר: כִּי אֹרֶךְ יָמִים
וּשְׁנוֹת חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם יוֹסִיפוּ לָךְ.

Sephardi

yamim biminah, bismolah osher
v'chavod. Ve'omer: ki orech yamim
ushnot chayim veshalom yosifu lach.

English

commandment, it will still give us wealth and honor. It also says there: The words of the Torah will add to your length of days, your years of life, and your peace.

Hebrew

ח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה מִשּׁוּם
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר:
הַנּוֹי, וְהַכֹּחַ, וְהָעֹשֶׁר, וְהַכָּבוֹד,
וְהַחָכְמָה, וְהַזִּקְנָה, וְהַשֵּׂיבָה,
וְהַבָּנִים, נָאֶה לַצַּדִּיקִים וְנָאֶה
לָעוֹלָם,1 שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת
שֵׂיבָה, בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא.
וְאוֹמֵר: תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם,
וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה. וְאוֹמֵר:
עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים, וְתִפְאֶרֶת
בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם. וְאוֹמֵר: וְחָפְרָה
הַלְּבָנָה וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה, כִּי מָלַךְ
יְיָ צְבָאוֹת בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלָיִם,
וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן
מְנַסְיָא אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ שֶׁבַע מִדּוֹת
שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים לַצַּדִּיקִים, כֻּלָּם
נִתְקַיְּמוּ בְּרַבִּי וּבְבָנָיו.

Sephardi

8 Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah mishum
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai omer:
hanoi, v'hako'ach, v'ha'osher, v'hakavod,
v'hachochmah, v'haziknah, v'haseivah,
v'habanim, na'eh latzadikim v'na'eh
la-olam,1 shene'emar: ateret tiferet
seivah, bederech tzedakah timatzei.
Ve'omer: tiferet bachurim kocham,
vahadar zekenim seivah. Ve'omer:
ateret zekenim b'nei vanim, v'tif'eret
banim avotam. Ve'omer: v'chaferah
halevanah uvoshah hachamah, ki malach
Adonai tzeva'ot b'har Tziyon uviYerushalayim,
v'neged zekeinav kavod. Rabbi Shimon ben
Menasya omer: elu sheva midot
she'amru chachamim latzadikim, kulam
nitkaymu b'Rabbi uv'vanav.

English

8 Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai: Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom and maturity, old age, and children—it is good for the righteous to possess these traits so they can be more effective in teaching about God and sanctifying His Name, which in turn is good for the world.1 As it says in Proverbs: Ripe old age is a crown of "beauty," which also represents "riches;" it can be found on the path of righteousness. It also says there: The beauty of young men is their "strength," and the beauty of old men is "ripe old age." It also says there: Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the glory of "children" are their fathers. And it says in Isaiah: Due to their painful embarrassment and shame, the wicked will see even the moon and sun to be dark when the Lord, God of all creations, rules on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and "honor" is given before His "mature" and wise elders. Rabbi Shimon ben Menatya says: These seven traits the Sages listed as being fitting for the righteous—all of them were fulfilled by Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi and his sons, who possessed all these traits.

Hebrew

ט אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִסְמָא: פַּעַם
אַחַת הָיִיתִי מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וּפָגַע
בִּי אָדָם אֶחָד, וְנָתַן לִי שָׁלוֹם,
וְהֶחֱזַרְתִּי לוֹ שָׁלוֹם, אָמַר לִי: רַבִּי,
מֵאֵיזֶה מָקוֹם אַתָּה, אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ:

Sephardi

9 Amar Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma: pa'am
achat hayiti mehalech baderech, ufaga
bi adam echad, venatan li shalom,
v'hechezarti lo shalom, amar li: Rabbi,
mei'eizeh makom atah, amarti lo:

English

9 Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma says: I was once walking on the road while reviewing Torah, and a certain man met me. I didn't notice him, and so He greeted me first. He said, "Shalom!" and I answered back to him, "Shalom!" He said to me, "Rabbi, from which place are you?" I told him, "I am from a great city of Torah scholars and sages, and my

Hebrew

מֵעִיר גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל חֲכָמִים וְשֶׁל
סוֹפְרִים אָנִי. אָמַר לִי: רַבִּי, רְצוֹנְךָ
שֶׁתָּדוּר עִמָּנוּ בִּמְקוֹמֵנוּ,2 וַאֲנִי
אֶתֵּן לְךָ אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים דִּנְרֵי זָהָב
וַאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וּמַרְגָּלִיּוֹת. אָמַרְתִּי
לוֹ: אִם אַתָּה נוֹתֵן לִי כָּל כֶּסֶף
וְזָהָב וַאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וּמַרְגָּלִיּוֹת
שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אֵינִי דָר אֶלָּא בִּמְקוֹם
תּוֹרָה, וְכֵן כָּתוּב בְּסֵפֶר תְּהִלִּים
עַל יְדֵי דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל: טוֹב
לִי תּוֹרַת פִּיךָ, מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף.
וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּשְׁעַת פְּטִירָתוֹ
שֶׁל אָדָם, אֵין מְלַוִּין לוֹ לָאָדָם
לֹא כֶּסֶף וְלֹא זָהָב וְלֹא אֲבָנִים
טוֹבוֹת וּמַרְגָּלִיּוֹת, אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה
וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בִּלְבַד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ תַּנְחֶה אֹתְךָ, בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ
תִּשְׁמוֹר עָלֶיךָ, וְהָקִיצוֹת הִיא
תְשִׂיחֶךָ. בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ תַּנְחֶה אֹתְךָ,

Sephardi

mei'ir gedolah shel chachamim v'shel
sofrim ani. Amar li: Rabbi, retzonekha
shetadur imanu bimkomeinu,2 va'ani
eten lecha elef alafim dinrei zahav
va'avanim tovot umargaliyot. Amarti
lo: im atah noten li kol kesef
v'zahav va'avanim tovot umargaliyot
sheba-olam, eini dar ela bimkom
Torah, vechen katuv besefer Tehillim
al yedei David melech Yisrael: Tov
li Torat picha, mei'alfei zahav vachasef.
V'lo od, ela shebish'at petirato
shel adam, ein melavin lo la-adam
lo kesef v'lo zahav v'lo avanim
tovot umargaliyot, ela Torah
uma'asim tovim bilvad, shene'emar:
b'hithalechcha tancheh otcha, b'shochb'cha
tishmor alecha, v'hakitzot hi
tesichecha. B'hithalechcha tancheh otcha,

English

purpose in life is to be occupied with Torah." He said to me, "Rabbi, if you would be willing to live with us in our place,2 I would give you a million golden dinar coins, as well as precious stones and pearls so you can be free to learn, and also give a lot of charity." I told him, "Even if you would give me all the silver and gold and all the precious stones and pearls in the world, I would only live in a place of Torah." And that is what is written in the book of Psalms by David, king of Israel: God—Torah of Your mouth is more precious to me than the thousands of gold and silver pieces that I own. Furthermore, when a person passes away, no silver, gold, precious stones, or pearls join him and go with him to the World to Come. Only his Torah learning and good deeds go with him to the World to Come, as King Solomon says in Proverbs: When you walk, the Torah will guide you; when you lie down, it will watch over you; when you wake up, it will speak for you. "When you walk, it will guide you"—in this world. "When you lie down, it will watch over you"—in the grave, after you pass away. "And when you wake up, it will speak for you"—in the World to Come. And it says in Haggai: The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,3 says the Lord, God of all

Commentary

1 A righteous person might not want the qualities mentioned here, because they may distract him from Torah study. For this reason they are referred to as "beauty"—something that has no benefit for the person himself, but is valuable to people who see him. The righteous person must accept these qualities because they are beneficial to the world at large.

2 R' Yosei refused the man's offer because he knew that his mission was only learning Torah, not leading a community.

3 Rabbi Yosei is hinting at the advantage of learning Torah over fulfilling its commandments. Many commandments require something physical (symbolized here by "gold and silver") with which to fulfill them. Since one is ultimately dependent on God for physical things, one may not always be able to fulfill certain commandments. The Torah, however, is given entirely to a person without any need for physicality. Nothing can prevent him from studying it.