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 which brings him honor from others. Be as careful with a light commandment as with a grave one,⁠a for you do not know the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments.⁠b Weigh the loss incurred by fulfilling a commandment against its reward, and the gain from a transgression against the loss it entails.⁠c 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.⁠d 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;⁠e but study of the Torah which is not combined with a worldly occupation comes to be neglected in the end 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 the community's forefathers sustains them, and their righteousness endures forever. As for you, God says: I credit you with a rich reward, as if you had accomplished it all yourselves. 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. 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. Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community. Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death.⁠f Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place.⁠g Do not say something that cannot be understood, trusting that in the end it will be understood. Do not say, "When I have free time I will study," for perhaps you will never have free time. 5 He used to say: A brute does not fear sin, nor is an ignorant person pious. A timid person cannot learn, an impatient person cannot teach, and one who engages too much in business will not become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man. 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, those who drowned you will themselves be drowned. 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. 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. 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 used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern that does not lose a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, happy is the woman who gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose the priest is a pious man; Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel is one who fears sin; and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that keeps gathering force. He 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. 9 He said to them: go out and see which is the right way to which a man should cling. 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 said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.⁠h He said to them: go out and see which is the evil way that 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 one who 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 said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. 10 They each said three things. Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own;⁠i do not be easily provoked to anger; and repent one day before your death. 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, their sting is the sting of a scorpion, their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire. 11 Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.⁠j 12 Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your fellow be as precious to 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.⁠k 13 Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer. 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 do not regard yourself as wicked. 14 Rabbi Elazar said: Be diligent in the study of the Torah; know how to answer an apikoros, a heretic; and know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.⁠l 15 Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, the work is plentiful, the laborers are lazy, the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.⁠m 16 He used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to neglect it. If you have studied much Torah, you will be given much reward. Your employer can be trusted to pay you the reward of your labor, and know that the reward of the righteous is given in the age to come.