בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה
Baruch ata Adonay eloheinu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu la-asok b'divrei torah.
"And all [study of the] Torah in the absence of a worldly occupation": And if one might ask, let him work in Torah [study] and its exertion will cause sin to be forgotten, therefore it is required to say, "all [study of the] Torah in the absence of a worldly occupation comes to nothing in the end." As it is impossible for him without food, and [so] he will rob the creatures and forget his study.
הוּא [רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא] הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה רְצוֹנוֹ כִרְצוֹנְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ כִרְצוֹנוֹ. בַּטֵּל רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל רְצוֹן אֲחֵרִים מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנֶךָ. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר, וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ, וְאַל תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ, וְאַל תֹּאמַר דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁמֹעַ, שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לְהִשָּׁמַע. וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִכְשֶׁאִפָּנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִפָּנֶה:
He [Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi] used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His. Set aside your will in the face of His will, so that he may set aside the will of others for the sake of your will. Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place. Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure.
Gamaliel III (Hebrew: רבן גמליאל ברבי, read as Rabban Gamaliel beRabbi, that is: son of Rebbi, after his father Judah haNasi) was a 3rd-century rabbi (first generation of amoraim), ~230CE.
His father appointed him his successor as nasi.[1] Little certain is known about his activities, but it is likely that the revision of the Mishnah was completed during his era.
He was the father of Judah II and Hillel (not to be mistaken with Hillel the Elder), and the brother of Shimon ben Judah HaNasi.
There is no reason to separate from the community except due to their dereliction. And he said that even though a person has a distinctive character trait in his soul and he has strengthened it, he should not remove his hand from redoubling his doing good and adding to its reinforcement. And he should not be be certain [about it] and say, "This virtue has already reached my hand and it is impossible that it will fall away." As it is possible that it will fall away. And that is [the meaning] of his saying, "until the day of your death."
ואל תאמן בעצמך עד יום מותך. הוא נדרש בין לחסידות בין לאמונה שאע"פ שנתכנה לך רוח אמונה ונכונה לא תהיה צדיק בעיניך.
Do not believe in yourself until the day of your death: This is learned out to be both about piety and about faith - that even though you have been fitted with a faithful and proper spirit, you should not be righteous in your (own) eyes.
אַף הוּא רָאָה גֻלְגֹּלֶת אַחַת שֶׁצָּפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם. אָמַר לָהּ, עַל דַּאֲטֵפְתְּ, אַטְפוּךְ. וְסוֹף מְטִיפַיִךְ יְטוּפוּן:
Moreover he saw a skull floating on the face of the water. He said to it: because you drowned others, they drowned you. And in the end, they that drowned you will be drowned.
"The more flesh, the more worms": One who engages in much eating and drinking to the point that he becomes fat and fleshy, increases the worms upon himself in the grave; and worms are as hard for the dead as a needle is for living flesh. And this teacher let us understand that all increase is difficult for a man except for the increase of Torah, wisdom and charity.
The more possessions, the more worry: Do not think that because of the honor of his wealth and the multitude of his assets, he will while away his days in bounty and his years in pleasantness. But [instead], he will worry about them the whole entire year. 'Ask him and he will tell you, your wealthy ones and they will say to you.'
Consider the years of ages past;
Ask your parent, who will inform you,
Your elders, who will tell you:
From Wikipedia:
Eleazar's name is connected with only a few halakhot, and with only one halakhic midrash. The reason for this paucity of teachings is found in the story of the period immediately succeeding the death of Yochanan ben Zakai. The disciples chose Yavne for their scene of activity, while Eleazar went to Emmaus, the residence of his wife — a particularly healthful place, blessed with good water, a pleasant climate, and warm baths.
Separated from his colleagues, his faculties became stunted, and he is said to have completely forgotten all he had ever learned.[8] In later years he was pointed out as a warning to the self-opinionated; the Talmud applying to him the motto of Nehorai: "Go to a place where the Law is studied, and do not say that the Torah will follow you, for it is your companions who will make it your permanent possession. Do not rely upon your own understanding"
(י) הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְאַל תְּהִי נוֹחַ לִכְעֹס. וְשׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ. וֶהֱוֵי מִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגֶד אוּרָן שֶׁל חֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּגַחַלְתָּן שֶׁלֹּא תִכָּוֶה, שֶׁנְּשִׁיכָתָן נְשִׁיכַת שׁוּעָל, וַעֲקִיצָתָן עֲקִיצַת עַקְרָב, וּלְחִישָׁתָן לְחִישַׁת שָׂרָף, וְכָל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ:
(10) They [each] said three things: Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death. And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire.
Rabbi Eliezer says: The honor of your friend should be as dear to you as your own: We have learned the laws of the way of the world (derekh erets) here: He should seek the honor of his friend and desire that they honor him, as he desired his own honor. And this is the way of ethics.
but be cautious around their coals that you should not be burned: It is a metaphor of the one that warms himself by the fire: If he stands far from it as is fit for him, it comes out that he benefits and is not burned. But if he approaches too closely, it comes out that he gets burned. So [is it with] the one who warms himself by the fire of the sages and benefits from their wisdom - he must stand in front of them with awe, fear and seriousness of mind. And he should not act lightheadedly in front of them. And he should not approach them more than they have brought him close, as this trait pushes him away and makes him liable for a big punishment. And it is not necessary to say [that this is the case] at the time when [the sages] stumble in a matter of sin.
for their bite is the bite of a snake, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion: And lest it come into your mind that you can seduce him in the [same] way that we whisper to (charm) the snake and he does not bite; the matter is not like that. Rather their bite is the bite of a snake, but their whisper is the whisper of a viper that does not listen to the voice of whisperers (charmers).
and all of their words are like burning coals: (The editor said, "According to what appears, there is a word missing here, but the matter is understood") And to say, "I also have a living spirit and I will make arguments like him." But [you should be concerned that] the wisdom is not in your hand, lest you are mistaken in your argument. As their words are chosen and there is sharpness in their biting wisdom that is inside of them. And this thing is not from the three things that are counted that Rabbi Eliezer said, as he did not say it every day. And one time that he places into his heart to be careful about the honor of the sages is enough for him for a long time; as it is not something that needs reminding every day, like the first three.
Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.
"and hatred of the creations": baseless hatred. And Rambam explains that he despises the company of the creations and loves to sit alone. And I heard, [this is referring to] a hard man, who brings the hatred of the creations upon him and causes all to hate him.
(יב) רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, יְהִי מָמוֹן חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְהַתְקֵן עַצְמְךָ לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵינָהּ יְרֻשָּׁה לָךְ. וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יִהְיוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמָיִם:
(12) Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own; Make yourself fit to study Torah for it will not be yours by inheritance; And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of heaven.
אָסוּר לָאָדָם לְהַרְאוֹת עַצְמוֹ לְבַעַל חוֹבוֹ בִּזְמַן שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵין לוֹ. אֲפִלּוּ לַעֲבֹר לְפָנָיו שֶׁלֹּא יַפְחִידוֹ אוֹ יַכְלִימוֹ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ תּוֹבְעוֹ וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר אִם תְּבָעוֹ. וּכְשֵׁם שֶׁאָסוּר לְזֶה לִתְבֹּעַ כָּךְ אָסוּר לַלּוֶֹה לִכְבּשׁ מָמוֹן חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ וְלוֹמַר לוֹ לֵךְ וְשׁוּב וְהוּא שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ג כח) "אַל תֹּאמַר לְרֵעֲךָ לֵךְ וְשׁוּב". וְצִוּוּ חֲכָמִים (משנה אבות ב יב) "יְהִי מָמוֹן חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ":
One is forbidden to show himself to his debtor, or even to pass in front of him, when he knows that the debtor has no money to repay, lest he might frighten or embarrass him, although he makes no demand upon him, and needless to say if he does demand payment. Just as the creditor is forbidden to demand payment, so is the debtor forbidden to detain the creditor's money in his possession and to say to him go and come again. The sages have enjoined: "Let your friend's property be as precious to you as your own" (Avoth 2:17).
"All of your actions should be for the sake of Heaven": even at the time that you are involved in eating and drinking and in the way of the world (derekh erets), do not have the intention to give pleasure to your body, but rather that you should be healthy [in order] to do the will of your Creator.
(יג) רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי זָהִיר בִּקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבַתְּפִלָּה. וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה מִתְפַּלֵּל, אַל תַּעַשׂ תְּפִלָּתְךָ קֶבַע, אֶלָּא רַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יואל ב) כִּי חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם הוּא אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וְנִחָם עַל הָרָעָה. וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע בִּפְנֵי עַצְמְךָ:
(13) Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem.
"fixed": like a person who has something fixed that he is obligated in and says, "When will I unload this obligation from upon me?" And also (another explanation is) "fixed" - like a person for whom it is fixed that he read a chapter and a section which he says only as a recitation and does not say in the language of supplications, as a person who is requesting mercy [would use].
"And do not be wicked in your own eyes": Do not do something that will cause you to consider yourself wicked today and tomorrow. And Rambam explained, "do not be wicked in your own eyes" - that is to say, don't consider yourself wicked, as from such you would completely go out to the culture of delinquency. And I heard, "do not be wicked" in [the previous] matter that you separate yourself from the community and stand on your own.
(יד) רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי שָׁקוּד לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, וְדַע מַה שֶּׁתָּשִׁיב לְאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס. וְדַע לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָמֵל. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֶּם לָךְ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךְ:
(14) Rabbi Elazar said: Be diligent in the study of the Torah; And know how to answer an epicuros, And know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.
Rambam on Pirkei Avot 2:14:
know what to respond to one who denigrates the Torah (epikoros): He said that you need to study things which you can respond to the epikoros from the [gentiles] and disagree with them and answer them if they challenge you... ..And he said, "Even though you study the opinions of the nations to know what to answer them, guard yourself that anything from these opinions come into your heart; and know that the One before whom you serve knows what is hidden in your heart." And this is his saying, "Know before Whom you labor" - wanting to say that he direct his heart to faith in God, may He be blessed.
Rabbi Elazar says: Be diligent in learning Torah, and know what to respond to one who denigrates the Torah (apikoros): That one dedicate oneself to study Torah, so that he will know what to respond to the apikoros. As if he will not respond to him according to his arguments and his lies, the world will learn from them and 'drink evil waters' - in their seeing that he is defeated, and it will come out that the name of Heaven will be profaned. And an apikoros here is one who denies the oral Torah, as well as those that issue rulings not in accordance with the law (halakha). And apikoros is [from the word] hefker (chaos; literally, ownerless).
the Master of your work is trustworthy to pay you the wage for your activity: That you not make your labor in Torah fraudulent, since God, may He be blessed, is the Master of your work and there is nothing hidden from in front of His eyes. And also, since how is it that you would not strain yourself on it, as behold you will have a great wage for your activity? And even thought they said (Avot 1:3), "Do not be as servants who are serving the master in order to receive a reward"; it is in order to overcome the impulse that sways one form doing the commandments and from walking in the straight path.
Even though He is the Master of all the creations and the Maker of all and we are all His servants to serve Him and service Him like a slave that is His property without giving a wage, He [nonetheless] gives that the reward and wage be with us. And on top of everything, we will increase our love from this and we will serve Him with fear and love.
(טו) רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַיּוֹם קָצָר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה, וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים עֲצֵלִים, וְהַשָּׂכָר הַרְבֵּה, וּבַעַל הַבַּיִת דּוֹחֵק:
(15) Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.
Rabbi Tarfon was a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and the fall of Betar (135 CE). He also was a student of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakay, aligned himself with the House of Shamay, and confronted many times Rabbi Akiva. He is called out in the Haggadah of Pesach. Some sources believe that he is one of the ten martyrs (along with Rabbi Akiva), others say that he fled from the Romans before they got to him.
Rambam on Pirkei Avot 2:15:
This is a metaphor for the brevity of years and multitude of wisdoms and the laziness of men to seek it, in spite of the great reward for them and the multitude of notices in the Torah and its warnings to seek wisdom and study.
Orchot Tzadikim 26:7 and 10:
For seven reasons should a man repent early while still in his youth when his power is strong. The first is that the labor needed to acquire Torah and reverence for God and all qualities that a man must possess is exceedingly great.
"The day is short" (Aboth 2:20). For this world is a very short day. "Like a shadow are our days upon the earth" (I Chron. 29:15). And our Sages, of blessed memory, said, "Not like the shadow of a wall and not like the shadow of a tree, but like the shadow of a bird in flight" (Gen. Rabbah 96:2).
And as to the expression, "And the workers are lazy" (Aboth 2:20), this refers to a man who has within him the quality of laziness.
The third reason that a man should hasten to repent while still in his youth is that the time is so little and the work is so much — the work of studying the Torah, and the improvement of the soul, the attainment of good qualities such as love, reverence, and cleaving to God. As our Sages said, "The day is short, and the work is great" (Aboth 2:15).
Sukkah 26b:2
Apropos the duration of a brief nap, the Gemara cites that Rav said: It is prohibited for a person to sleep during the day longer than the duration of the sleep of a horse. One who sleeps for longer is derelict in the study of Torah. And how long is the duration of the sleep of a horse? It is sixty breaths long.
(טז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, נוֹתְנִים לְךָ שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֵּם לְךָ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךָ. וְדַע מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
(16) He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.
Bartenura:
"It is not your responsibility to finish the work": The Holy One, blessed be He, did not hire you to finish it all, so that you would lose your wage if you do not finish it. And lest you say, "I will not study [Torah], and I will not take the wage," [it states,] "but neither are you free to desist " - against your will is the yoke placed upon you to labor.
Rambam on Pirkei Avot 2:16:
In the future to come: He meant to say in the world to come. And we have already elucidated the [concept of the] world to come in the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin, with that which is fit to mention about it.
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov:
"And know, etc.": Which means to say, my intention is not that you should serve in order to receive a reward - rather, my intention is this: that you should know it intellectually, and as above. And some have the textual variant, "shematan (that the giving of the reward") with a [letter,] shin. And according to that, one can say that it is coming to say that even the reward which is the gift, 'it is not in this world.' And therefore, do not wonder when you see that the righteous are going from one misfortune to another. So is it written in Midrash Shmuel.
Rabenu Yonah
but neither are you free to desist from it: That you not say, "Since I am not obligated to finish the work, I will not pain myself, but rather I will study one hour each day." The matter is not like this, as you are an acquired slave to [the work] to 'meditate over it day and night' 'and then you will make your paths successful and then you will be enlightened.'
And know, the giving of reward to the righteous is in the future to come And if you think about this, your hand will be strengthened to [study] the Torah, 'the measure of which is longer than the earth and it is wider than the sea,' and none can reach down to its end (- and [to do] His commandments). From this you will put upon your heart the greatness of the kindnesses of the Holy One, blessed be He, and you will increase [your] love for Him.
רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יְהֹוָ֥ה חָפֵ֖ץ לְמַ֣עַן צִדְק֑וֹ יַגְדִּ֥יל תּוֹרָ֖ה וְיַאְדִּֽיר׃
Mishnah Makkot 3:16:
Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashia says: “The Holy Blessed One, desired to make Israel worthy, therefore He gave them much Torah [to study] and many commandments [to perform]: for it is says, “The Lord desires [his servant’s] vindication, that he may magnify and glorify [His] teaching” (Isaiah 42).