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Save "Pirkei Avot Musings ~ Chapter Two
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Pirkei Avot Musings ~ Chapter Two

(א) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ. וְהִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, דַּע מַה לְּמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִין:

(1) Rabbi Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.

We open a new chapter today, and it’s no wonder: enter Rabbi. Which Rabbi? THE Rabbi in the Mishnah and in the Tosefta is always Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi, the editor. He is the son of Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel II, who closed the first chapter, and the seventh generation from Hillel.
Punishments and rewards are a big part of Rabbi’s worries, as we see in his story with Elisha ben Abuyah’s daughter (Chagigah 15b). Rabbi’s saying has four parts, opened by a rethorical question. Regarding the first part, Bartenura will explain that we are, following Maimonides, being advised to follow the middle path: searching for something that is both in the public interest (others) and in ours. The example Bartenura gives is tzedakah – if you give too much you will get glorified by others but not yourself, if you don’t give you will have glory for yourself as you will have a lot of riches, but not from others. This saying is repeated in Nedarim 22b, and seen as a way out of vows: if your vow brings you disgrace somehow, this is your way out. The Vilna Gaon shows to us that these directives are found in Proverbs 3:4 and 4:26. Yachin will add the fact that there are three ways in front of a person: the mitzvot, the middot (character development) and derech eretz (which he sees as the medium way in all physical needs and social niceties) and that all of them are included in this directive.
The second and third parts of his saying have to do with something that many people think they have clear: the value of each commandment. While Rabbi says you should observe it all, because there is no clear scale, Maimonides disagrees in part, as he reminds us that there is a clear scale for transgressions, which can be seen from the modes of the punishments. What we don’t have is a scale for positive commandments, and because of that we have two important guidelines: if you are busy with one commandment you are exempt from all others (one common example is taking care of burying someone, which makes you exempt from all other positive mitzvot); and you don’t pass over one mitzvah to do another: if you have two mitzvot in front of you, you don’t abandon one to do another. But then of course Maimonides is going to prove that even among the positive mitzvot there are gradations.
Finally, the “three things” can be read as the presence of God everywhere – even though Rabbi does not say the name of God, maybe because of the mitzvah of not using God’s name in vain. This absence makes Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch be unconvinced that Rabbi Is actually talking about God. Rabbi’s worry about rewards and punishments reminds me one of the lessons of Rabbi Micki Rosen z”l, from Yakar in Jerusalem, who would ask “is this religion or is this OCD?” when seeing this anxiety overflow to actions such as having a chronometer to check the length of the shofar blasts on Rosh Hashanah.

(ב) רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יְהוּדָה הַנָּשִׂיא אוֹמֵר, יָפֶה תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, שֶׁיְּגִיעַת שְׁנֵיהֶם מְשַׁכַּחַת עָוֹן. וְכָל תּוֹרָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ מְלָאכָה, סוֹפָהּ בְּטֵלָה וְגוֹרֶרֶת עָוֹן. וְכָל הָעֲמֵלִים עִם הַצִּבּוּר, יִהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים עִמָּהֶם לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, שֶׁזְּכוּת אֲבוֹתָם מְסַיַּעְתָּן וְצִדְקָתָם עוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד. וְאַתֶּם, מַעֲלֶה אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם שָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה כְּאִלּוּ עֲשִׂיתֶם:

(2) Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi said: excellent is the study of the Torah when combined with a worldly occupation, for toil in them both keeps sin out of one’s mind; But [study of the] Torah which is not combined with a worldly occupation, in the end comes to be neglected and becomes the cause of sin. And all who labor with the community, should labor with them for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their forefathers sustains them (the community), and their (the forefather’s) righteousness endures for ever; And as for you, [God in such case says] I credit you with a rich reward, as if you [yourselves] had [actually] accomplished [it all].

A statement to the greatness of Rabbi, his son is called Rabban Gamliel ben Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. This is not the typical way – one would expect “Rabban Gamliel ben Yehuda”. Also called Gamliel the Third, he is the last Nasi (prince or patriarch) mentioned in the Mishnah. There are at seven Nesi’im after him, three of them are named Gamliel – just to make things complicated. The office of Nasi was abolished by the emperors Honorious and Theodosius II in 415 CE; Gamliel the Sixth was so punished since he built a synagogue without authorization and defended Jews against Christians. Our Rabban Gamliel ben Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was active between 200 and 220 CE, and Avot has three mishnayot in his name. On 1954 there was a discovery of sepulchers that are believed to have been his and his brother’s, Rabbi Shime’on ben Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi, whose title was Hacham.

Gamliel the Third’s first mishnah has two parts. The first became famous because it has been used to remind people that the idea of spending the entire day studying Torah without an occupation is not desirable. Most, if not all, of our great names had an occupation besides studying Torah. Gamliel III explains that having both would keep someone occupied enough that there would have no time nor energy for someone to sin, and that “Torah all day” model eventually leads to Torah being neglected. Bartenura (Italy, 1445 – Jerusalem, 1515) affirms that this is due to the fact that one will steal at the end since one needs to eat. Even though Yachin (Rabbi Israel Lipschitz, Poland 1782–1860) sees the end like Bartenura, he reads “derech eretz” as Musar and humility. Avigdor Shinan prefers to read “Torah” as “intellectual pursuits”. The authors of Mishnat Eretz Israel note that “derech eretz” can also be read as conjugal relations, as both Mechilta deRabbi Yishmael and Mechilta deRabbi Shimon ben Yochai bring that, and several other collections of midrashim; and as politeness, besides work. Every one of these possibilities open different ways of understanding the place of Torah study in our lives, and what exactly is “Torah”, and how studying our tradition can affect our behavior – and how our behavior affects our people and our tradition. That work as we know it has to accompany Torah study is brought by the word “melacha” – and melacha is only read as work.

The second part deals with “laboring for the community”, and itself has three parts. The first is exhorting those who labor for the community to do so for the right reasons, and not for self-aggrandizement. Teaching is part of Jewish leadership, brings the Midrash Shmuel (Samuel de Uçeda, Tzfat 1545 – 1604) in the name of Rabbi Moshe Alashkar (Egypt, 1466-Jerusalem, 1542), even if it to teach that one does not separate oneself from the community. And second – they should not see their accomplishments as coming from their own talents alone: the community of Israel has merits that are the merits of the patriarchs and matriarchs. Rabbi David Wolpe once said that one cannot be a rabbi without “ahavat Israel”, dedicated love to see the best in the Jewish people – and one of the tools in that box is remembering that the Jewish people has the merit of the ancestors, zechut avot. Balancing all that comes the third part: the idea that God does reward Jewish leaders, even if they don’t accomplish everything they had set as goals. The Rambam adds an important idea: sometimes, as leaders are dealing with the needs of the community, they are prevented from doing mitzvot. This shouldn’t worry them, as long as they are dealing with the community for the sake of Heaven.

(ג) הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לָאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחְקוֹ:

(3) Be careful [in your dealings] with the ruling authorities for they do not befriend a person except for their own needs; they seem like friends when it is to their own interest, but they do not stand by a man in the hour of his distress.

This is the second mishnah with a saying of Rabban Gamliel ben Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi – and this is the second warning about being dependent on a government. Shemaia said something similar in chapter 1, mishnah 10. One can see this saying as in dialogue with that mishnah – and so understand that Rabban Gamliel BRabbi (another way he’s called) is responding that those that are communal leaders have no choice but to deal with authorities, and they have to be careful. This is Rabbi Joshua Kulp’s idea. Yachin goes one step further and mentions that communal leaders have to be careful not to squander the community’s resources on the leaders of the government with too many gifts, since one cannot bet on their love. Avigdor Shinan wonders if Rabban Gamliel BRabbi is talking about internal Jewish politics, or with the government – either way, he writes, this is a truism that has not weakened in time, or as we say “has aged well”.

(ד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה רְצוֹנוֹ כִרְצוֹנְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ כִרְצוֹנוֹ. בַּטֵּל רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבַטֵּל רְצוֹן אֲחֵרִים מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹנֶךָ.

(4) He 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.

As we are following the Kaufmann manuscript, this mishnah is separated into two, wereas the Vilna edition combines them for reasons we will explore tomorrow. The first part contains the last saying (or meimra) of Rabban Gamliel ben Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Surprisingly, it is completely omitted in the Munich manuscript. It is assumed that the saying focuses on doing God’s will, even though there are those, like Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch who prefer seeing the “his will” as the will of another human being, since the text does not mention God’s name – the Midrash Shmuel on Avot (Samuel de Uçeda, Tzfat c.1525 – 1604 CE) brings that the Ritva (Yom Tov ben Avraham of Seville, Spain, c. 1260 – 1320) commented this saying as pointing to a regular king or ruler.

The saying can be divided into two parts, positive and negative mitzvot, as the first part focuses on action, and the second, on refraining from action, and this is Rabbi Joshua Kulp’s interpretation. Bartenura (Ovadiah MiBartenura, Italy, 1445 – 1515 CE) rereads this first part as tzedakah or hiddur mitzvah: use your possessions for His will, just as you use them for your own needs. Yachin (Israel Lipschitz, Poland 1782–1860) rereads it as learning Torah with the same dedication you do to pursue your profession. Midrash Shmuel brings an interesting manuscript variation in the name of Rabbi Yosef ibn Nahmias (Spain, 14th century) which instead of a kaf (כִרְצוֹנְךָ like your will; כִרְצוֹנוֹ like His will) it has a bet (ברְצוֹנְךָ with your [good] will; ברְצוֹנוֹ with His [good] will). That changes the text completely, and point to the idea that one shouldn’t do mitzvot with anger or resentment, according to both Tosfot Yom Tov (Yom Tov Lipman Heller, Prague, 1579 - 1654) and Midrash Shmuel, so that you won’t have your desires fulfilled out of resentment by God, and be punished through that.

The second part can be read as complete nullification or surrender. It is hard to find this concept of surrender in modern Jewish thought, I think, as it poses a general challenge to modernity’s focus on the individual. I particulary love the midrash brought by Midrash Shmuel to illustrate that balance, which is a famous Sifra Kedoshim (9:12), in which we are to look at the things we would desire, such as pork and sha’atnez, but say “what can I do? My Parent in Heaven has decreed I shouldn’t, so I don’t”. In that midrash, the individual’s desire is acknowledged, as is surrender to the system of mitzvot. The Vilna Gaon (Elijah ben Solomon Zalman 1720-1797) connects this to Mar Ukva’s difficulties in Gitin 7a, in which the verse from Ps. 37:7 is brought, and the general lesson is doing what is right and expecting patiently for results, that is, playing the long game, as they say.

Rabbinu Yona (Spain, 1200-1264) connects this with I Chronicles 29:14, in which King David asks God “how could I or my people be giving you all this, since all is from You and it is Your gift that we are giving You” – I understand this mishnah as talking about radical alignment with God’s will – being in the Flow of Life, in serendipity as they call it nowadays. And just as it is difficult to give a “how to” for that, so too this mishnah is difficult to explain, even though it is pretty short.

(ד) ... 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:

(4) .... 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.

As we are following the Kaufmann manuscript, this mishnah is separated into two, whereas the Vilna edition combines them for reasons we will explore today. The Kaufmann manuscript has a resh and an alef, which are not present in the Munich manuscript. Sefaria has made both manuscripts available. Even though the Munich manuscript does have a little sign indicating two mishnayot, in the Vilna edition they were combined because the chronology is upended – we had Rabban Gamliel ben Rabbi Yehudah (200 CE) speaking, and suddenly we are back to Hillel (30 BCE). The ר' א' is seen as an acronym for רבן אומר, Rabban says [that], which enables the Mishnah to go back to Hillel. And since we are focusing in the manuscripts, it is interesting that the Kaufmann has a numbering system, but in this particular mishnah the numbering is odd – we have two heys (5) and no dalet (4). The Munich manuscript does not number the mishnayot. According to Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp, Hillel is inserted here to “to bring all of the patriarchs from Hillel’s line together”, as Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai (40-80 CE), Hillel’s student, is the next teacher. We will encounter him in a few days, as the Mishnah brings several sayings of Hillel.
Now let’s talk about the content. This is a rich mishnah. Hillel says five sentences, all beginning with “do not”. Do not separate from the congregation – both Bartenura and the Vilna Gaon bring a beautiful sugya from Taanit 11a, in which we read that a person that separates themselves from the congregation in times of trouble is cursed by two angels not to see the renewal of the congregation. And yet, given the times of Hillel, you could read this as a warning against separating the large community in many small groups, as we know the times of Hillel were the times when Jews were separated in sects (Saduccees, Pharisees, Zealots, Essenes to name a few). The Mishnat Eretz Israel (Shmuel, Chana and Ze’ev Safrai, 21st century) brings a commentary called Miktzat Maaseh Torah that adds the words “but you know that we separated from the community and we refrained from mix.” The very name Pharisees comes from Perushim, those who separated – and they point out that the Tosefta in Sanhedrin 13 brings a long list of those who are “out” of Judaism, as they espouse wrong beliefs.
Do not trust yourself until the day you die – almost every commentator will point out the story told in Brachot 29a, of Yonatan the High Priest aka John Hyrcanus, of the Hasmonean house, that after 80 years serving became a Saduccee. Maimonides will tell us: do not believe that you reached such a point that goodness cannot be taken from you. Always be on guard against your yetzer hara, says the Pirkei Moshe (Rabbi Moshe Almosnino, 16th-century Salonica).
Do not judge your fellow until you are in their place – the most common interpretation is not to judge someone when you are not “in their shoes”. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp brings the Meiri, who says that “if one sees a person outside of his city and you find him full of extraordinary virtues, do not conclude that this is his true personality. You can only judge his character by seeing if he acts the same way in his place”. Yachin sees this as a warning against judging too harshly when you are in a position of power.
Do not say anything that can’t be heard – two basic understandings of this one. Either make yourself very clear as a teacher, and make sure that all your students understand you clearly (Rambam and others); or do not say secrets, as per Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch. Similarly, Yachin affirms that this is a warning to leaders, to be careful with their words and not share personal things, and also never to speak in riddles, whether you are a teacher or a leader. I always understood this to be a caution again lashon hara, gossip and evil speech, as eventually the hurt of those words spreads – and gossip is only gossip because the expectation is that the subject will not know what’s being said about them by everyone else. It’s interesting that the other three come with no explanation, but this and the next one have a “because” clause.
Do not say ‘I will study/review when I have time…’ – we all know you have to make time for what is important. Reviewing learning is important. Yachin says that this again is a warning to leaders, whose schedule is tight.

(ה) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אֵין בּוּר יְרֵא חֵטְא, וְלֹא עַם הָאָרֶץ חָסִיד, וְלֹא הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד, וְלֹא הַקַּפְּדָן מְלַמֵּד, וְלֹא כָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִסְחוֹרָה מַחְכִּים. וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ:

(5) He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person pious; nor can a timid person learn, nor can an impatient person teach; nor will someone who engages too much in business become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.

We continue with the sayings of Hillel. If last mishnah had five negative verbs, אַל “do not”, this one has five negative subjects, the first beginning with אֵין, and the following with וְלֹא “and not”. It closes with a positive directive. Maimonides sees in this mishnah a call to accustom your soul to acquire virtues – and the positive directive means that in a place where you have no one to teach you, be self-taught. All commentaries I saw see the boor as a problematic person, either empty, untouched, similar to an uncultivated field: all potential is squandered. The am haaretz, translated here as ignorant, is better than the boor since at least he has derech eretz, or social awareness of propriety. The boor has nothing, and therefore cannot even have the first step for wisdom, which is awe (Ps. 111:10 and Prov. 1:7). The Am Haaretz, on the other hand, at least has that. The Talmud in Sotah 22a has a short discussion of those two words, and in their understanding the boor actually has read Torah, but has never seen Mishnah, while the am haaretz lacks other things.

The next two archetypes are connected to the learning process itself. Bayishan, here translated as timid, can also mean someone easily embarassed. Kapdan, here translated as impatient is also easily angered. Maimonides comes down on both of those like a ton of bricks, as he sees both of those as personal traits that have arrogance as their kernel – anger being a serious trap that prevents development of character. When the student is able to admit lack of understanding and when the teacher has patience to review or explain again the material, then learning can actually happen. Brachot 63b actually attributes this as a lesson from God to Moshe, as mentioned by the Vilna Gaon. To those four characters, Hillel adds a fifth: the person who engages in business. From his words it appears that from someone who only does that, a workaholic of sorts, whose only interest is in making deals, we can’t expect that such a person would be studying Torah with any sort of constancy. However, this depends on the person, as Tosfot Yom Tov points out that the word כָל, all, points to the fact that there are those who can do both. It is notable that the verb used by Hillel is מַחְכִּים, which really means “to make another wise”, as it is a hif’il verb. So this also may connect to teaching, after all, if one is away frequently it is a lot harder to be a teacher or a model of any sort. Nowadays, with the advent of Zoom, that might be somewhat different, but nothing supplants the physical presence, as we all know learning happens also through body language. Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch prefers reading the entire sentence as a metaphor, and believes that it is not about the quantity of knowledge one has, but how one deals with it. The last sentence, the only positive directive, can be read in various ways. We already mentioned how Maimonides sees it. There are those who see this as a call to responsible leadership, which is not to be arrogant but to take the reins when others are unwilling to do so. Avigdor Shinan connects this with doing the right thing when no one else will, since the same expression is found in the story of Moshe and the Egyptian taskmaster (Shemot 2:12). Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch sees it as a directive to find a place where there are no human beings, to be different in your interests than the majority.

(ו) אַף הוּא רָאָה גֻלְגֹּלֶת אַחַת שֶׁצָּפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם. אָמַר לָהּ, עַל דַּאֲטֵפְתְּ, אַטְפוּךְ. וְסוֹף מְטִיפַיִךְ יְטוּפוּן:

(6) 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.

We continue with the sayings of Hillel. This one has a Hebrew introduction and his saying in Aramaic. It is important to notice how concise Aramaic can be, as he uses only six words to express an idea that ultimately there is justice, even though we can’t see it immediately. Several texts in our tradition bring the same idea: "The wicked person will be trapped in their iniquities"(Proverbs 5:22); "My enemy has dug a pit and deepened it, they will fall into the trap they made" (Psalms 7:16); "With the measure that a person measures, [so] are they measured" (Sanhedrin 90a). The Vilna Gaon mentions that Makkot 10b brings a scenario of that, with two people meeting in an inn and justice being meted out in an accident. Maimonides affirms that this is true if you take a long view of history and peoples. Mishnat Eretz Israel (Safrai, 21st century) points out that the historical background for Hillel’s saying is the splinting of Judaism during the Herodian times, as generalized violence took over Judea. They also offer a second interpretation: violence cannot solve violence. The first drowned as obviously evil, the one who drowned him thought they were undoing his evil deed, but this is not true. Fire cannot put out fire.

(ז) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, מַרְבֶּה בָשָׂר, מַרְבֶּה רִמָּה. מַרְבֶּה נְכָסִים, מַרְבֶּה דְאָגָה. מַרְבֶּה נָשִׁים, מַרְבֶּה כְשָׁפִים. מַרְבֶּה שְׁפָחוֹת, מַרְבֶּה זִמָּה. מַרְבֶּה עֲבָדִים, מַרְבֶּה גָזֵל. מַרְבֶּה תוֹרָה, מַרְבֶּה חַיִּים. מַרְבֶּה יְשִׁיבָה, מַרְבֶּה חָכְמָה. מַרְבֶּה עֵצָה, מַרְבֶּה תְבוּנָה. מַרְבֶּה צְדָקָה, מַרְבֶּה שָׁלוֹם. קָנָה שֵׁם טוֹב, קָנָה לְעַצְמוֹ. קָנָה לוֹ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, קָנָה לוֹ חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

(7) He used to say: The more flesh, the more worms; The more property, the more anxiety; The more wives, the more witchcraft; The more female slaves, the more lewdness; The more slaves, the more robbery; [But] the more Torah, the more life; The more sitting [in the company of scholars], the more wisdom; The more counsel, the more understanding; The more charity, the more peace. If one acquires a good name, he has acquired something for himself; If one acquires for himself knowledge of Torah, he has acquired life in the world to come.

This is the last of the sayings of Hillel. The Kaufmann manuscript and the Vilna edition are slightely different here in the order, and the Kaufmann manuscript is missing the sentences beginning with “sitting”, “charity” and “counsel”. We see here again the preferrence for the number five, as we had in the previous statement of Hillel, in mishnah 2:5, as there are five statements that are negative and six positive. The statements have a similar cadence, with the positive ending having a longer rhythm. Taken as a whole, all the statements point to the idea of living a simple life studying Torah as the goal. It is impossible not to notice that the Vilna edition and the Munich manuscript, bringing the line about “wives” to the third position, seem harsher regarding women than the Kaufmann manuscript, in which that line is in the fifth position. The connection between women and witchraft is known in many cultures, and in the middle ages and in America this led to unexcusable witch hunts – the assumption of some cmmentators is that having many wives would lead to them using witchcraft to make the one husband love one more than the other. One could try to defend this pointing out that Hillel lived in a time when having multiple wives was a sign of wealth, just as being overweight, having many possessions and many slaves, and that Hillel might be advocating for just one wife, as seems to have been the case with most sages. No rabbi mentioned in the Talmud was polygamous, with the exception of Rabbi Tarfon, who married 300 women when there was a famine in the land, so they could eat. As a kohen, he received the priestly tithes, which he could share only with wives and children, and seemed not to consumate the marriage with any of them. Still, the statement has not aged well, as they say.
The more flesh – Nowadays we don’t see being overweight as desirable, back in the first century this was a sign that you actually had the ability to eat more than you needed, and therefore you were rich. The more property – worries over preservation of what one has is still a time consuming activity. Bartenura will add that the government could just come and seize your assets. He also defends the order of the Vilna edition, stating that this is the natural order of increasing one’s wealth: body, possessions, women, maidservants for the women, slaves to work the properties and feed the large family. Yachin sees this as the regular development of a man: food and drink, work, marriage, enlargement of possessions. The more female slaves- the rabbis have always seen female slaves having lax sexual morality, and we should point out that in truth this was probably because their masters took liberties with them. The more slaves – while some slaves rose above the crowd, such as Tavi, male slaves were often not trusted, as some became slaves because they were sold to pay off debts incurred while robbing others.
The positive side of this saying, which deals with Torah, sitting and studying, getting counsel with wise or elderly people, giving tzedakah are all straight forward. The last two – a good name and words of Torah – are also very positive values found in all of rabbinic literature.

(ח) רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ.

(8) Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created.

The mishnah, having finished the sayings of Hillel, turns to R. Yochanan ben Zakkai, affirming that he “received” from Hillel and Shammai. While it is possible that Yochanan ben Zakkai studied directly with Hillel and Shammai, this seems historically unlikely, as there is a generation gap (20 years) between the end of Hillel and Shammai’s activity and the beginning of Yochanan ben Zakkai’s. That being said, it is true that Yochanan ben Zakkai saves rabbinic Judaism, being able to escape the Roman seige of Jeruslem and establishing Yavne as the center of Jewish learning – this transition is told in Gittin 56a. He also represents someone above the differences of the schools of Hillel and Shammai, being able to unify them in order to save Judaism.
As we are following the Kaufmann manuscript, we stop in the first two lines of the Vilna edition, and concentrate on Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s saying today, and on his students tomorrow. It is fascinating to see that both the Kaufmann and the Munich manuscripts have a different version than the Vilna edition: instead of לָמַדְתָּ אִם “if you learned” we read עָשִׂיתָ אִם “if you did”. Mishnat Eretz Israel (Safrai, 21st century) mentions a third version: אִם קיימת, “ if you fulfilled”. These last two versions point to a practical side of Torah – it is not enough to study, living Torah is fundamental. In American parlance, you have to walk the talk. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s full saying points to the peril of the ego, as one could see oneself very important for having studied or fulfilled or lived Torah all their lives, so he says “don’t credit yourself” – because “you were created for this”. This last bit reminds several commentators of the midrash in which God says that if Israel does not accept Torah, the world will go back to being empty and void (Pesikta Rabbati 20:1) – meaning that it is in the hand of every Jew to study and maintain the world. Yachin (Rabbi Israel Lipschitz, 1782–1860) points to one of the warnings of the Torah: the peril of saying “my own hand did this” (Deut. 8:17) – we are indebted to our teachers, our students, our parents and the Life of the Universes for anything we get to do or be. And he also says that if you are very smart, your duty is to know/do a lot of Torah, since “according to the effort is the reward”, and so those who have a harder time understanding show more effort than those for whom studying comes easily. The breadth and width of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s Torah, as well as his humility, is told in two different places in the Talmud: Sukkah 28a and Bava Batra 134a. We will explore his five great students tomorrow.

(ח) רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ. חֲמִשָּׁה תַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ. הוּא הָיָה מוֹנֶה שִׁבְחָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, בּוֹר סוּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְאַבֵּד טִפָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתּוֹ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, חָסִיד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, יְרֵא חֵטְא. וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ, מַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר.

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force.

Since we are following the Kaufmann manuscript, we continue with 2:8, in which we read the praises that Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had for his five students. First, it is interesting to see that instead of one student, we have here five – and also, note again the presence of the number five, which we had seen in many of Hillel’s sayings. It is also notable that the Munich manuscript will follow the Kaufmann’s separation of the text in shorter mishnayot than the Vilna edition, which combines three mishnayot into one. In terms of content, it is fascinating to see that each student is seen for specific qualities.

The two first students are famous. R. Eliezer ben Hurkanos and R. Yehoshua ben Hananya are mentioned many times in the mishnah. R. Yosi HaKohen, R. Shimeon ben Netanel and R. Eleazar ben Arach are less known. R. Eliezer ben Hurkanos is known for his incredible memory: not a single thing is forgotten. In Avot deRabi Natan 14:3 he is also called “sealed bottle” that keeps all its wine. He is known for being conservative in his teachings, in the sense of preserving tradition. Another of his names is Eliezer HaGadol, Eliezer the Great. His personal story is fascinating. His dedication to begin learning under difficult circumstances is inspirational and is told in Avot deRabi Natan 6:3. He is the Rabbi Eliezer put under ban in the famous story of the oven of Akhnai (Bava Metzia 59a-b), and apparently possessed abilities that would rival Uri Geller’s and David Copperfield’s. Midrash Shmuel points out that the waters in a completely impermeable container are not as fresh as a flowing river’s, and that it is interesting that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai chooses that quality for Eliezer ben Hurkanos, even though he will teach new halachot (see the full story in ADRN) – and his most famous student, Rabbi Akiva, will be a towering name later on.

R. Yehoshua ben Hananya, who is described through his mother’s happiness, is known for being independent and clashing with Rabban Gamliel II (see Rosh Hashanah 25a and Brachot 27b, in that order). His mother would carry his craddle to the beit midrash according to Yevamot 3a. In ADRN 14:3 he is called “triple knot” as in Ecclesiastes 4:12, leading to the speculation that this is because he had three threads of traditional learning, midrash, haggadah and halachah. I prefer seeing this with the dispute with Rabban Gamliel in the background: moral fiber is difficult to find, but hard to break as well. He was a needle maker.

R. Yosi haKohen, called here Hasid, or Pious, and in ADRN “Hasid HaDor” or The Pious one of the generation. A mystic, he is simply less known in part because he did not get into the fights and drama described in the stories surrounding the beit midrash. However, he did seem to have been able to delve into mysticism successfully, which is saying a lot, given the story of the Four that entered the Garden. Midrash Shmuel brings R. Moshe Alashkar’s addition that he was the embodiment of good so much that the entire world would say “we are fortunate that this one was born, we are fortunate that this one grew”. Hasid, according to Bartenura, means to go beyond the letter of the law. Since following the letter of the law is one of the reasons that Jerusalem was destroyed (Baba Metzia 30b) this is saying quite a lot.

R. Shimon ben Netanel is the fourth student in Avot, however, ADRN 14 does not mention him, but a different student. He married one of the daughters of Rabban Gamliel II, and studied mysticism together with R. Yossi haKohen. Described as “fearing sin”, according to Bartenura he would forbid for himself even what was permitted – which has to be a novelty, since we know that an am haaretz, and ignorant person, can also fear sin. Midrash Shmuel brings the opinion of R. Yehuda Lerma (unclear which) that the two students are brought in contrast to one another, as one who fears sin and one who is a Hasid follow halachot from different perspectives.

R. Eleazar ben Arach is called “a Flowing Stream”, and ADRN 14 calls him also a “Bubbling Brook”. He was known for his effective counsel, his creativity and great intelligence. He is credit with saying “Any advice that is for the sake of Heaven will eventually be fulfilled” (Midrash Tehillim 1:3). It is impossible not to see the contrast between him and Eliezer ben Hurkanos. Yet because he did not join the sages in Yavneh, and instead went to Emaus, he forgot most of his learning (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:7).

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם, וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר מִשְּׁמוֹ, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס אַף עִמָּהֶם, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם:

He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.

We are seeing today the last two sentences of mishnah 8 in the Vilna edition, as we are following the Kaufmann manuscript. These last two sentences seem to dispute one another, as Eliezer ben Hurkanos is first selected as the best, and then Abba Shaul brings another saying in which Eleazar ben Arach is the best, above Eliezer ben Hurkanos. Bartenura brings an interpretation that harmonizes both: concerning expertise and memory Rabbi Eliezer is the best; and concerning sharpness and analysis, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh is the best. This, according to Tosfot Yom Tov, makes sense given that “all the sages of Israel” would include Eleazar ben Arach at the first instance and Eliezer ben Hurkanos at the second. Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch and Avigdor Shinan raise the possibility that this is about two types of learning, and not the students themselves as individuals, as one would not expect a teacher to compare students in a public fashion. Avigdor Shinan points out that in the Kaufmann manuscript the this saying does not bring the title of the students as “rabbi” and so this could indicate that the sayings were made while they were still studying. Be as it may, our next mishnayot will bring Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai preferring the all-encompassing words of Eleazar ben Arach. This shows that Rabbi Yehuda haNasi, the compiler of the Mishnah, gathered whatever traditions were found and did not try to harmonize them. Having traditions that contradict each other is a common phenomenon in an oral environment. Abba Shaul, we should mention, is mentioned frequently in the Mishnah. He was of the generation of Rabbi Akiva – and he worked as a gravedigger.

(ט) אָמַר לָהֶם, צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיִּדְבַּק בָּהּ הָאָדָם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַיִן טוֹבָה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, חָבֵר טוֹב. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, שָׁכֵן טוֹב. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הָרוֹאֶה אֶת הַנּוֹלָד. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, לֵב טוֹב. אָמַר לָהֶם, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁבִּכְלָל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם.

(9) He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.

Since we are following the Kaufmann manuscript, we will see half of mishnah 9 today. In this mishnah we have several interesting points. The first is that whereas the Vilna edition has the word “יְשָׁרָה”, right or straight to describe the way that a person should cleave to, Kaufmann brings “טובה” good, and the Munich manuscript brings both words. In terms of content, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai shows one of his strategies for teaching: to send students into the world, in an assignment, and once everyone shares their findings, he evaluates. The assignment here is what is the best quality personal one should develop. Maimonides calls this “the highest virtue”, middah מדה. Yachin understands this to be the assignment to find what can regular people do to get to your level, the assignment becoming ‘get out of your heads and facilitate for others to get to your spiritual level’. Mishnah Eretz Israel will point out that this question is asked in many different cultures, and that the expression “way” will be found in other places in traditional Jewish literature such as Psalms, Proverbs and Ben Sira. “A good eye” – Bartenura affirms we are talking of two aspects in behavior: being content with what you have and not being envious of what others have. Yachin adds to be happy with other’s achievements; and not worrying and not getting angry since these weaken the power to remember things clearly. Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanos would, in Yachin’s reading, be indicating how to become a plastered container that does not lose even one drop. Avigdor Shinan has an expansive reading: being generous with sharing both resources and knowledge, following Proverbs 22:9. He also points out a beautiful midrash about why Moshe was chosen to give Torah to the Jews: he had a good eye (Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 35). “A good friend” – Bartenura sees this as someone who rebukes you when you do something improper. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp sees the ability to befriend someone as the gateway to have compassion and caring for all humanity, a good friend aids you in acts of righteousness. Mishnat Eretz Israel brings the fact that a good friend is there for you in constant or occasional ways in difficult times. “A good neighbor” - Yachin reminds us that good neighbors do good to each other, and because of that they raise one another, becoming accostumed to hasidut, Rabbi Yose’s basic virtue. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp will affirm that it is easy to set your eyes on fixing your own neighborhood than the entire world. Nowadays we know how much the environment affects the individual, so even if they are not friends, being surrounded by good people tends to make us good. “Foresight” is the translation offered for “the one who sees the consequence.” To try to see what your actions will bring about is an important quality. Mishnat Eretz Israel points out that wisdom is what gives birth, in a way, and so a wise person sees what they are putting out into the world. Ecclesiastes 2:14 has this as a basic way for the wise to be in the world: the wise has eyes on their head, eyes wide open, aware. Yachin, following his reading which I really appreciate, points out that this is why one would make fences around one’s actions, which is Rabbi Shimon’s basic way to be in the world. “A good heart” – Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach’s words are preferred. Yachin sees this as the discipline that will make goodness become your second nature, which is different than what we usually think when we think of heart. He sees “good eye” as the intellectual appreciation, and “good heart” as the feeling of happiness for others, and the more you get accostumed to feeling good about other people’s accomplishments, the better person you become – and then you will be among good neighbors, good friends, you will love God and be able to ponder the consequences before acting. A good heart never lets you loose your cool, get angry, loose your temper, being the gateway to the golden balance – Maimonides and Rabbi Dr. Kulp. The Vilna Gaon brings Yerushalmi Berakhot 1:5 – as God saying: if you give Me your heart and eyes I know you’re Mine”.

אָמַר לָהֶם צְאוּ וּרְאוּ אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ רָעָה שֶׁיִּתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנָּה הָאָדָם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, עַיִן רָעָה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, חָבֵר רָע. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, שָׁכֵן רָע. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, הַלֹּוֶה וְאֵינוֹ מְשַׁלֵּם. אֶחָד הַלֹּוֶה מִן הָאָדָם, כְּלֹוֶה מִן הַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים לז) לֹוֶה רָשָׁע וְלֹא יְשַׁלֵּם, וְצַדִּיק חוֹנֵן וְנוֹתֵן. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, לֵב רָע. אָמַר לָהֶם, רוֹאֶה אֲנִי אֶת דִּבְרֵי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ מִדִּבְרֵיכֶם, שֶׁבִּכְלָל דְּבָרָיו דִּבְרֵיכֶם:

He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.

The next assignment of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai to his students is to find the way people should avoid in life. It is possible to live life not being good or evil – so the teacher asks what should absolutely not be done. Most of this section is the opposite of the provious section, and so only Rabbi Shimon has a different saying. One who “borrows and does not repay” is then the opposite of “sees the consequences”, and that is an interesting exploration. It is possible that nothing bad is intended by not anticipating consequences, and so Rabbi Shimon needs a different idea. Bartenura offers the scenario of famine – in such a case, eventually when you need others they will not help you. It is interesting that the text offers a break from its pattern, giving a textual support through a very short midrash. God is called here - as in many places in the Mishnah, and in the Haggadah as well – HaMakom, the Place. The Vilna edition adds the words בָּרוּךְ הוּא “blessed”, which is not present in the two manuscripts available in Sefaria. Avot DeRabi Natan 14:5, which adds to all the sages a few words, does not add anything to Rabbi Shimon, as the thought seems complete. Rambam rereads the entire midrash as applying to God – God is the “righteous” spoken in the verse. It is possible that not being able to repay a loan is the opposite of knowing the consequences in that one does not see the possibilities of headwinds that would make it impossible to repay a loan, says Avigdor Shinan. This is particularly true if the loan spoken about is money. Mishnat Eretz Yisrael raises the possibility that Rabbi Shimon is talking here about a person who does not offer their sacrifices at the approppriate time, as the Tosefta of Chagiga will use this verse plus “the crooked cannot be made straight” for this scenario. The theological idea behind Rabbi Shimon’s words is that God, as the Place of the universe, is the actual owner of everything. Everything we believe we “have” is simply borrowed from God, and so not repaying a loan is stealing from the Life of the Universes. Believing that you actually own something is already a stretch – all our possessions disappear the moment we leave this life. But then hurting someone else through their own goodness – they loaned something to you – is going against the general Good of the universe.

(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.

The mishnah begins with “they said three things”. Which is odd, since R. Eliezer says four sentences, and rabbi Yehoshua in the next mishnah will say only one, the other students will say three sentences each. With some massaging you could see three things for Rabbi Eliezer, which is what Bartenura does, combining the first two: the honor of your friend should be like yours even when you are angry, and maybe especially then. Yachin says that the three things are good character traits, keeping mitzvot and studying Torah. Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp affirms that the second half – the part of the sages – is a latter addition, and that originally you had only three things. When searching for this saying, I saw that it was repeated, without the attribution to R. Eliezer, in a few other midrashic collections: Tanchuma, Bereshit Rabbah and Pesikta Rabbati. Bereshit Rabbah and Pesikta Rabbati connect the saying to an Amora, R. Chiya bar Abba (290 CE). Avot deRabbi Natan adds it to the end of the mishnah, bringing a long list of delivery back to R. Eliezer.

Regarding what R. Eliezer says, the first sentence has a different wording in the Kaufmann manuscript. Instead of “כְּשֶׁלָּךְ”, “as your own”, it brings “כנפשךְ”, “as your soul”. Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch brings the idea that hurting someone else’s dignity is like hurting your soul. I see this in connection to Baba Metzia 59a, in which we learn that embarrassing others is like killing them. Later, in Avot 4:12, Eleazar ben Shamu’a will raise the bar: instead of “honor of your friend” he will ask for “honor of you student”. Avigdor Shinan affirms that there are manuscripts that have that attributed to R. Eliezer. It is a reality that, in the beit midrash and in life in general, anger can get the best of us in arguments, and the discussion degenerates into personal attacks. Rambam will use this moment to remind us how destructive anger can be, and how the rabbis see it as worshiping idols (Shabbat 105b) and as a way to forget your learning (Nedarim 22b).

“Return one day before your death” – the Vilna Gaon brings that this same saying appears in Shabbat 153a, with the explanation: as you don’t know when you will die, repent every day, just as Eccl. 9:8 says “let your clothes be white at every moment”. Teshuvah is an ever-present action, and a important value in a Jewish life.

The last sentence, about the sages, can be read with the background of the herem in which Rabbi Eliezer was put after the famous story of the oven of Achnai (Baba Metzia 59b), but this is not necessary. This saying could just be regarding the proper attitude with which to approach people that are higher in learning, as the Rambam reads.

(יא) רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, עַיִן הָרָע, וְיֵצֶר הָרָע, וְשִׂנְאַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, מוֹצִיאִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִן הָעוֹלָם:

(11) Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.

Today’s mishnah continues the three statements of each of the sages that studied under Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai. It’s Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananya’s turn. He’s much more concise than his colleagues, as we will see. His “three things” are all in one single sentence, whereas all others will say at least three discrete sentences.

We should notice here a small but important variation on the manuscripts: Kaufmann brings “עין רעה” and the Munich and the Vilna edition “עין הרעה”. The presence or absence of the definite article changes the understanding of what Rabbi Yehoshua wants to say. The specific wording would give us a personal attitude, while the general wording would give us a more social reality, something brought onto the individual by others.

The evil eye is known as an attitude in the folk lore of many peoples. Don Itzchak Abarbanel () in his Nachalat Avot, brings that the Muslims, too, affirm that the evil eye “brings a person to the grave and a lamb to the cauldron”. The evil eye is called in Brazil as “olho gordo”, literally “fat eye” or “mau olhado”; in other Latin America cultures one speaks of the “mal de ojo”, literally “illness of the eye”. Each culture will have different ways of protecing against this, plants, colors, devices or impromptu ceremonies. Generally, it is thought to be a negative attitude of jealousy, meaning, begrudging others for what they have, and so it is found in several of our commentators. Mishnat Eretz Israel will rightly point out that the attitudes toward this will be different according to the times and developments in Jewish history and culture, and brings about the question of the connections of magic and mysticism. Bartenura will affirm that this can be the personal attitude of never being satisfied with what one has, or greed, besides jealousy. Abarbanel will point out two interesting things: people who have such an attitude will eventually do evil to their own bodies. And then he adds that the idea that women have more evil eye than men is “a saying of clowns, never verified”.

Much has been written about the impulse to evil, or yetzer hara. While Yoma 69b brings it as a necessary force in the world, without which life would not happen, the understanding is that this force is also the impulse within us that makes us do things that go against our values of right and wrong, or even our common sense.

Hatred of people – this is described as “being hard” by Midrash Shmuel, and he continues explaining that this is what brings hatred of others onto the person. Bartenura and Rabbi Dr. Kulp affirm this is general baseless hatred of humankind, Yachin will see this as not sharing what you have.

Rambam will see all these three things as symptoms of pathology: he calls these “sickness of the black bile”, and will see in these attitudes (which he understands to be greed, intense desires and badness of the soul) precursors for those who would isolate themselves because they are misanthropes, not out of devotion.

Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp brings an understanding of the entire mishnah as “a downward moral spiral of a deteriorating human being: He begins by being constantly jealous of what others have. This leads him to stumble upon his evil inclination, for he may actually take what others have. By giving in to his evil inclination he will begin to hate the entire world, and in essence he will not be part of the civilized world.”

This got longer than I expected, and yet I can’t finish without bringing the ideas of Yachin, which has been captivating me. He brings the connection with the three things that sustain the world (Torah, devotion and lovingkindness, see Avot 1:2), and shows how each of them correspond to personal tendencies connected to that. So the evil eye weakens our trust in Torah and in all spiritual matters; the yetzer hara weakens our ability to do mitzvot and good deeds, preventing our devotion,; and the hatred for humankind prevents one from doing lovingkindness.

According to Rabbi Yehoshua all of these things “put a person of the world”. Which world are we talking about is also an interesting question. Most commentators see Rabbi Yehoshua as talking about life in this world, there are those who say this world and the next.

(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.

Our mishnah brings the three things that Rabbi Yosi, student of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, said. Yachin is consistent in his approach, and show to you that the three things do correspond to “Torah, worship and lovingkindness”. He explains that the first saying corresponds to lovingkindness, that you should be happy and help your fellow by increasing their money and properties, as well as their honor, intellectual abilities and bodily health, just as you would do to yours, and this is all through lovingkindness. Avigdor Shinan adds that all the more so this applies to public money and to taking care of communal property. Given that R. Eliezer talked about honor, it is understandable that R. Yosi would add to that – so it appears that Avigdor Shinan would like to read all these as complementary to each other.
Yachin brings the saying “morashah kehilat yaakov” (Deut. 33:4), to explain that even though the Torah is called an inheritance, this is not an inheritance that arrives just because you are Jewish, it is something we have to strive for. In this, every single commentator agrees, Avigdor Shinan adding that there are no shortcuts. Yachin adds several other sayings in our tradition that could be understood as automatic inheritance and proves that it is not. The Vilna Gaon sends us to Yoma 72b, in which the study of Torah is compared to the crown of the Ark, which is available for all who study Torah – and is the most basic to the three crowns, that of kingship and that of kehunah (priesthood). He also mentions Tanchuma, Pinchas 1:11, in which God responds to Moshe, as Moshe asks for a leader, that Moshe’s sons did not “tend the fig tree” (ie, Torah) and so Yehoshua (Joshua) is the one to lead the people.
The Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Judah Loew ben Bezalel, 1512–1609) in his Derech Chayim, tells us that the main intention of all of Pirkei avot is the perfectionl of the human being, and that R. Yosi is bringing how to perfect yourself. His last saying “may all your deeds be in the name of Heaven” indicates that every thing one does, even the most physical, should be connected to the Transcendent. The Maharal does reread it as “your intentions”. Bartenura reads into this “acts”, meaning, eating and drinking and the like should not be for pleasure, but to have strength to serve God. Kulp softens that instance a bit by saying that all things should be done in a way that improves our character and our relationship to God.

(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.

Our mishnah brings the three things that Rabbi Shimeon ben Netanel, student of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, said. The Kaufman manuscript reads more fluently, as it does not have the words “and the prayer”, giving more weight, in a certain way, to the next statement about prayer. Rav Avi Novis-Deutsch affirms that the lack of these words imply that R. Shimeon sees the Shema as a daily obligation, but not prayer yet. The question of being careful with the reading of the Shema is due to the fact that the Shema has a time stamp to be counted as that mitzvah and, as we learn in Berachot 2a, it is said twice a day already in Mishnaic times. It is true that the same applies to the Amidah, three times a day, and this is probably why “and the prayer” was added. “Something automatic” or “fixed” are common translations of the word קֶבַע – that has its counterpart כַּוָּנָה, which is what R. Shimeon ben Netanael is stressing: pour out your heart, as God is always ready to receive supplications. The Rambam says that one should not see prayer as a chore. Yachin instills in the need to add something new in every blessing of the Amidah. In Mishnah Brachot 4:4 we have a similar idea being brought in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanos, that a fixed prayer is not supplication. R. Yehuda Betzalel ben Loeb, the Maharal of Prague, brings in his Derech Chayim that doing such a prayer is not a “full service”. The verse brought was initially a mix between similar verses brought by the prophets Joel and Jonah, according to the Melekhet Shlomo (R. Shlomo Adani, Yemen 1567– Hevron c.1630), who had seen several manuscripts. Eventually the versions crystallized into the verse from Joel (2:13). The context of the verse supports this idea, as it is God saying to “rend your heartsm not your clothes” as a symbol of teshuvah. The last bit of R. Shimeon ben Natanel’s saying is a fascinatingly modern idea: do nto see yourself as evil. Bartenura connects us to the Haggadah’s idea: the wicked is the one who separates from the community, standing alone. Many commentators read this as a serious slippery slope: the moment you see yourself as wicked or evil you do not prevent yourself from doing evil and wicked things (Rambam, Kulp, Bartenura). Yachin will say that this actually prevents prayer, as if you see yourself as wicked you will despair from receiving compassion from the Holy One, and believe that your prayer will not help anything. The Maharal brings a read that is “don’t be evil even to yourself”, by which he menas that a person is considered evil due to what they do to others, but doing evil things to oneself also falls in this category. Avigdor Shinan brings also the idea that the moment you see yourself as evil you despair from fixing yourself, and from fixing your deeds. In a non-religious read, Shinan brings two ideas: one should not act in evil ways when alone, “in front of oneself”, without others to see. And that one should not engage in acts one knows are evil, even if the group is doing so.

(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.

In this mishnah we see the three sayings of the last student in Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai’s list of students, and the preferred, Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. Here the discrepancies between the Kaufmann manuscript and the Vilna edition are quite obvious and very interesting. The first line, which are two clunky sentences in the Vilna edition are one sentence in the Kaufmann and read smoothly: Be diligent in learning what to respond to the apikorus. And that actually makes the “three things” be three, in the Vilna edition the three things become four with the addition of the words “[learning] Torah, and know [what]”. The Munich manuscript skips the word “know”, reading “learning Torah and what to answer”. Another addition seemes to have happened in the last sentence, as the Kaufman manuscript ends with “know before whom you toil, and who is your employer”. The Vilna has the words “is faithful” and a bit about reward. The Munich manuscript has the bit about the reward, but skips the “is faithful”. And while minor, the word “diligent” in the Vilna edition is written שָׁקוּד, an adjective (or maybe passive verb), while in the Kaufmann we have שָׁקֵד, a noun. Surprisingly, the Munich manuscript brings זָהִיר, careful, which is how the last mishnah opened, giving an impression of dispute between Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on what one should be careful about. Many of those discrepancies were commented by Tosfot Yom Tov, Rabbeinu Yona, Midrash Shmuel and can also be sensed in Rambam’s commentary. Yachin points out that the adjective is better, given that the active verb, שׁוֹקֵד, gives the actor a choice of doing it or not, and he sees in this the directive to see oneself as working diligently due to a bigger force. Melekhet Shlomo (Shlomo Adani, 1600s, Yemen and Israel) has seen many versions, and compares them with the Talmud, which brings this in Sanhedrin 38b. Now the version of the Talmud that the Melekhet Shlomo has does not have the word Torah in it, even though the Vilna edition does. I love the fact that he is categorical: the word “Torah” is not found, this whole bit about reward is to be erased. Since I personally have trouble with the idea of doing mitzvot for reward, I am squarely on the side of the Melekhet Shlomo and all the others.

The word apikorus, translated as epicurean or epicuros comes from the Greek, and has to do with a philosopher, Epicurus. If you encountered a site with such a name, it is devoted to food, as Epicurus was given the popular patronage of drunks and gluttons. However, the crux of his views, that were stamped out by Christianity, is that death is the end of both soul and body, and not to be feared. The Greek gods exist but are not involved in human affairs. He advocated for a self-sufficient life surrounded by friends, in which ethical and good behavior happens because of our own conscience of having created suffering in the world brings guilt. It is interesting that it is this philosophy and the need to respond to it that will enable Jews to study Greek philosophy – so as to be able to answer.

In our mishnah, it is definitely not clear if we are talking about a group of followers of this philosopher or the philosopher himself. Bartenura creatively derives the word from the Hebrew word הֶפְקֵר, which means ownerless, and that works well with the image of God being the בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ, the owner of your work. Bartenura will add that ownerless here is not being concerned with the soul, which is exactly what the philosopher taught. Rambam will explain to you that there are both non-Jews and Jews in this category, and that regarding Jewish apikorsim you shouldn’t even bother talking to them. The word שָׁקֵד diligent, coming from the same root as almond tree, שְׁקֵדֶיהָ, gives the vision of quick and exuberant, as the almond tree is the first to give beautiful blossoms in Israel, and also can be connected to constancy of service, as the staff of Aharon was also an almod (see Numbers 16-17), and also unweavering, as in Jeremiah 1:12. Derech Chayim (Yehudah Loeb of Prague, the Maharal) points out that we have been already warned not to work for reward (Avot 1:3) – so here, he says, Eleazar ben Arach is trying to awaken a person just as we awaken the desires in a child. Once we admit that we are made of different parts, all interconnected, (in his reading soul, body and a general view) we need musar to each f those parts, and the lowest one needs the idea of reward.

(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.

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