The Ethics of Top Ten Lists

(1) With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to extract payment from the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.

(2) [There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah, in order to make known how patient God is; for all those generations kept on provoking God, until God brought upon them the waters of the flood. [There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham, in order to make known how patient God is; for all those generations kept on provoking God, until Abraham, came and received the reward of all of them.

(3) With ten trials was Abraham, our father (may he rest in peace), tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon him).

(4) Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten plagues did the Holy Blessed One bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea. [With] ten trials did our ancestors try the Everpresent and Blessed God, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).

(5) Ten wonders were wrought for our ancestors in the Temple: [1] no woman miscarried from the odor of the sacred flesh; [2] the sacred flesh never became putrid; [3] no fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse; [4] no emission occurred to the high priest on the Day of Atonement; [5] the rains did not extinguish the fire of the woodpile; [6] the wind did not prevail against the column of smoke; [7] no defect was found in the omer, or in the two loaves, or in the showbread; [8] the people stood pressed together, yet bowed down and had room enough; [9] never did a serpent or a scorpion harm anyone in Jerusalem; [10] and no man said to his fellow: the place is too congested for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem.

(6) Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: and also the first tongs.

You should know that the reason that the world was created with 10 statements instead of 1, is to teach us that this world is on a very high level, and than the Presence of the Blessed God is in this world. And the number 10 represents this, because the Divine Presence is always with 10, but not with less than 10. As we said above (Avot 3:6), "Ten who sit and study Torah..." that the Divine Presence is with 10. From this you know that the number 10 receives the Glory of the Divine Presence because with 10, you have holiness.

(7) [There are] seven things [characteristic] in a clod, and seven in a wise person:A wise person does not speak before one who is greater than them in wisdom, And does not break into their fellow’s speech; And is not hasty to answer; They ask what is relevant, and they answer to the point; And they speaksof the first [point] first, and of the last [point] last; And concerning that which they have not heard, they say: I have not heard; And they acknowledge the truth. And the reverse of these [are characteristic] in a clod.

(8) Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of transgression:When some give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes, and some go hungry, and others are satisfied. When all have decided not to give tithes, a famine from tumult and drought comes; [When they have, in addition, decided] not to set apart the dough-offering, an all-consuming famine comes. Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for neglect of the law regarding the fruits of the sabbatical year. The sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment, and for the perversion of judgment, and because of those who teach the Torah not in accordance with the accepted law.

(9) Wild beasts come to the world for swearing in vain, and for the profanation of the Name. Exile comes to the world for idolatry, for sexual sins and for bloodshed, and for [transgressing the commandment of] the [year of the] release of the land. At four times pestilence increases: in the fourth year, in the seventh year and at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year. In the fourth year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the third year. In the seventh year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the sixth year; At the conclusion of the seventh year, on account of the produce of the seventh year; And at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year, for robbing the gifts to the poor.

A thing is ordered by way of 7, no less and no more, and with 7 the order is complete. And that is why it speaks of the wise person, whose mind is ordered in this way. Because all order is even, and without evenness one does not have order. And when something deviates from order, it deviates from evenness. And the most even thing is the middle, which does not lean to one side or another. And we see that the middle point of anything is the 7, for it does not go up or down, forward or back, right or left.

(10) There are four character traits in human beings: One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is an average type; and some say this is a Sodom-type. [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz); [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person. [One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.

(11) There are four types of temperments: Easy to become angry, and easy to be appeased: one's gain disappears in one's loss; Hard to become angry, and hard to be appeased: one's loss disappears in one's gain; Hard to become angry and easy to be appeased: a pious person; Easy to become angry and hard to be appeased: a wicked person.

(12) There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget: his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise person; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion.

(13) There are four types of charity givers. One who wishes to give, but that others should not give: their eye is evil to that which belongs to others; One who wishes that others should give, but that they themselves should not give: their eye is evil towards that which is their own; One who desires that they themselves should give, and that others should give: that is a pious man; One who desires that they themselves should not give and that others too should not give: that is a wicked person.

(14) There are four types among those who frequent the study-house (beit midrash):One who attends but does not practice: they receive a reward for attendance. One who practices but does not attend: they receives a reward for practice. One who attends and practices: this is a pious person; One who neither attends nor practices: this is a wicked person.

(15) There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve.A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.

You should know that 4 represents width and length. Just as it is in a 4-sided shape, one side is the width and one is the length. So this represents spreading outward on a plane... which is the beginning of the physical world.