1 Moses received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in the administration of justice, raise many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.
2 Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the Men of the Great Assembly. He used to say: The world stands on three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and acts of lovingkindness.
3 Antigonus, a man of Socho, received the oral tradition from Shimon the Righteous. He used to say: Do not be like servants who serve the master expecting to receive a reward, but be like servants who serve the master without expecting to receive a reward, and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.
4 Yose ben Yoezer, a man of Zeredah, and Yose ben Yohanan, a man of Jerusalem, received the oral tradition from them, that is, from Shimon the Righteous and Antigonus. Yose ben Yoezer used to say: Let your house be a meeting place for the sages, and sit in the dust at their feet, and drink in their words thirstily.
5 Yose ben Yohanan, a man of Jerusalem, used to say: Let your house be wide open, and let the poor be members of your household, and do not spend too much time talking with women. They said this about one’s own wife; how much more does the rule apply to another man’s wife! From this the sages said: When a man spends too much time talking with women, he brings harm on himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit Gehinnom.
6 Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received the oral tradition from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: Appoint for yourself a teacher, and find yourself a companion, and judge everyone with the scale weighted in his favor.
7 Nittai the Arbelite used to say: Stay away from an evil neighbor, do not associate with the wicked, and do not abandon faith in divine retribution.
8 Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shetach received the oral tradition from them. Judah ben Tabbai said: Do not, as a judge, play the part of an advocate; and when the litigants are standing before you, regard them as if they were both guilty; and when they leave your presence, regard them as if they were both innocent, once they have accepted the judgment.
9 Shimon ben Shetach used to say: Question witnesses thoroughly, and be careful with your words, so that witnesses do not learn from them how to lie.
10 Shemaiah and Abtalion received the oral tradition from them. Shemaiah used to say: Love work, hate acting superior to others, and do not try to gain access to the ruling authority.
11 Abtalion used to say: Sages, be careful with your words, so that you do not incur the penalty of exile and get carried off to a place of evil waters, where the disciples who follow you would drink and die, and the name of Heaven would then be profaned.
12 Hillel and Shammai received the oral tradition from them. Hillel used to say: Be among Aaron’s disciples, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving humankind and drawing them close to the Torah.
13 He also used to say: Someone who seeks a great name destroys his own name; one who does not add to his knowledge loses it; one who does not study the Torah deserves death; and one who makes unworthy use of the crown of learning will die.
14 He also used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am for myself only, what am I? And if not now, when?
15 Shammai used to say: Make your study of the Torah a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and welcome everyone with a friendly expression.
16 Rabban Gamaliel used to say: Appoint for yourself a teacher, avoid doubt, and do not make a habit of tithing by guesswork.
17 Shimon, his son, used to say: I have grown up among the sages all my life, and I have found nothing better for a person than silence. Study is not the most important thing, but actions; whoever talks too much brings about sin.
18 Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: The world stands on three things: justice, truth, and peace, as it is said, “Administer judgment with truth and peace in your gates.”Zechariah 8:16
1 Rabbi said: What straight path should a person choose? One that honors the person who adopts it and as a result brings him honor from others. And be as careful with a minor commandment as with a major one, for you do not know the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, weigh the loss that may result from fulfilling a commandment against the reward that comes from it, and the gain that may result from committing a transgression against the loss that comes from it. Keep three things in mind and you will not fall into sin. Know what is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.
2 Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah the Patriarch said: Studying the Torah is excellent when combined with an occupation, for working hard at both keeps sin out of one’s mind; but study of the Torah that is not combined with an occupation is eventually neglected and causes sin. And all who work for the community should work for it for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their ancestors sustains the community, and their ancestors’ righteousness endures forever. And as for you, God says in such a case: “I credit you with a rich reward, as if you yourselves had actually accomplished it all.”
3 Be careful in your dealings with the ruling authorities, for they do not befriend a person unless it serves their own needs; they seem like friends when it is in their own interest, but they do not stand by a person in 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 for 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 yourself until the day of your death. Do not judge another person until you have been in his position. 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 not have free time.
5 He used to say: An uncultivated person does not fear sin, and an ignorant person is not pious; a timid person cannot learn, and an impatient person cannot 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.
6 He also saw a skull floating on the water. He said to it: “Because you drowned others, they drowned you, and in the end, those who drowned you will 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 sexual misconduct;
the more male slaves, the more robbery.
But the more Torah, the more life;
the more time spent in the company of scholars, the more wisdom;
the more counsel, the more understanding;
the more charity, the more peace. If someone gains a good name, he has gained something for himself; if someone gains 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 you were created for this purpose. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples, and they were: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose the Priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethanel, and Rabbi Elazar 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 Nethanel fears sin;
and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach is like a spring that always grows stronger. 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 Elazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.
9 He said to them: Go out and see which is the right path to which a person should hold.
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 his words include yours. He said to them: Go out and see which is the evil path that a person should shun.
Rabbi Eliezer said: An evil eye.
Rabbi Joshua said: A bad companion.
Rabbi Yose said: A bad neighbor.
Rabbi Shimon said: One who borrows and does not repay, for one who borrows from a human being is like one who borrows from the Omnipresent, blessed be He, as it is said, “The wicked person borrows and does not pay back, while the righteous person is generous and keeps giving.”Psalms 37:21
Rabbi Elazar said: An evil heart. He said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for his words include yours.
10 They each said three things. Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; do not be easily angered; and repent one day before your death. And he also said: Warm yourself by the fire of the sages, but beware of their glowing coals, so that you do not get burned, 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 snake, and all their words are like coals of fire.
11 Rabbi Joshua said: An evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind drive a person out of the world.
12 Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your neighbor be as precious to you as your own; prepare yourself 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.
13 Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful to recite the Shema and the prayer; and when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion and supplication before the Omnipresent, blessed be He, as 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; and know how to answer a heretic, and know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.
15 Rabbi Tarfon said: The day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are lazy, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.
16 He used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but you are not free to neglect it either. If you have studied much Torah, you will be given much reward; and your employer is faithful to pay you the reward of your labor; and know that the reward of the righteous is in the age to come.
1 Akabyah ben Mahalalel said: Pay close attention to three things and you will not fall under the power of sin. Know where you come from, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. Where do you come from? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots. Before whom are you destined to give an account and reckoning? Before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
2 Rabbi Hanina, the deputy high priest, said: Pray for the welfare of the government, for without the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. Rabbi Hananiah ben Teradion said: If two sit together and there are no words of Torah spoken between them, then this is a gathering of mockers, as it is said, “Nor did he sit in the seat of mockers.”Psalms 1:1 But if two sit together and there are words of Torah spoken between them, then the Shekhinah dwells among them, as it is said, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another, and the Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared the Lord and who thought about His name.”Malachi 3:16 Now I have scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah only among two. How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, grants a reward even to one who sits and studies Torah? As it is said, “Though he sits alone and meditates in stillness, he still receives a reward for himself.”Lamentations 3:28
3 Rabbi Shimon said: If three have eaten at one table and have not spoken words of Torah there, it is as if they had eaten sacrifices offered to the dead, as it is said, “For all tables are full of filthy vomit, when the All-Present is absent.”Isaiah 28:8 But if three have eaten at one table and have spoken words of Torah there, it is as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be He, as it is said, “And He said to me, ‘This is the table before the Lord.’”Ezekiel 41:22
4 Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakinai said: Someone who wakes up at night, or walks along the road alone, and turns his attention to idle matters has forfeited his life.
5 Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah said: Whoever takes on the yoke of the Torah, they remove from that person the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns; and whoever throws off the yoke of the Torah, they place on that person the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns.
6 Rabbi Halafta, a man of Kefar Hananiah, said: When ten sit together and study Torah, the Shekhinah dwells among them, as it is said, “God stands in the congregation of God.”Psalms 82:1 How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said, “He has established His band on earth.”Amos 9:6 How do we know that the same is true even of three? As it is said, “He judges among the judges.”Psalms 82:1 How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said, “Then those who fear the Lord spoke with one another, and the Lord listened and heard.”Malachi 3:16 How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said, “In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you.”Exodus 20:24
7 Rabbi Elazar, a man of Bartotha, said: Give to Him from what is His, for you and everything you have belong to Him; and so it says about David, “For everything comes from You, and we have given You what comes from Your own hand.”1 Chronicles 29:14 Rabbi Jacob said: If someone is studying while walking on the road and interrupts his study and says, “How fine this tree is!” or “How fine this newly plowed field is!” Scripture regards him as if he had forfeited his life.
8 Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Whoever forgets one word of his study, Scripture regards him as if he had forfeited his life, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes.”Deuteronomy 4:9 Someone could have inferred that this applies even when his study proved too hard for him; therefore Scripture says, “And so that they do not fade from your heart all the days of your life.”Deuteronomy 4:9 Thus, he has not forfeited his life unless he sits idly and removes them from his heart.
9 Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said: Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures; but anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure. He also used to say: Anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures; but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom does not endure.
10 He used to say: Anyone with whom human beings are pleased, the All-Present is pleased with him; and anyone with whom human beings are not pleased, the All-Present is not pleased with him. Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas said: Morning sleep, midday wine, children’s talk, and sitting in the assemblies of the ignorant drive a person out of the world.
11 Rabbi Elazar of Modiin said: One who profanes sacred things, and one who despises the festivals, and one who humiliates another person in public, and one who annuls the covenant of our father Abraham, may he rest in peace, and one who interprets the Torah contrary to the accepted law, even though he has to his credit knowledge of the Torah and good deeds, has no share in the world to come.
12 Rabbi Ishmael said: Be deferential to an elder, accommodating to the young, and welcome everyone cheerfully.
13 Rabbi Akiva said: Joking and frivolity accustom a person to sexual immorality. Tradition is a fence around the Torah; tithes are a fence around wealth; vows are a fence around abstinence; a fence around wisdom is silence.
14 He used to say: Humanity is beloved, for it was created in the image of God. Humanity is especially beloved, for it was made known to people that they had been created in the image of God, as it is said, “For in the image of God He made man.”Genesis 9:6 Israel is beloved in that they were called children of the All-Present. They are especially beloved, for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said, “You are children to the Lord your God.”Deuteronomy 14:1 Israel is beloved in that a precious vessel was given to them. They are especially beloved, for it was made known to them that the precious vessel with which the world had been created was given to them, as it is said, “For I give you good instruction; do not abandon My teaching.”Proverbs 4:2
15 Everything is foreseen, yet freedom of choice is granted; the world is judged with goodness, and everything is according to the majority of one’s deeds.
16 He used to say: Everything is given on the security of a pledge, and a net is spread out over all the living. The store is open, and the storekeeper allows credit, and the ledger is open, and the hand writes, and whoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors make their rounds regularly every day and collect payment from each person, with or without his knowledge, and they have grounds on which they can rely in their claims, and the judgment is a true judgment, and everything is prepared for the banquet.
17 Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said:
Where there is no Torah, there is no right conduct; where there is no right conduct, there is no Torah.
Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no fear of God, there is no wisdom.
Where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge; where there is no knowledge, there is no understanding.
Where there is no flour, there is no Torah; where there is no Torah, there is no flour. He used to say: What is someone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds like? A tree whose branches are many but whose roots are few, so that when the wind comes, it uproots it and overturns it, as it is said, “He will be like a bush in the desert, which does not sense the coming of good. It is set in the scorched places of the wilderness, in a barren land where no one lives.”Jeremiah 17:6 But what is someone whose deeds exceed his wisdom like? A tree whose branches are few but whose roots are many, so that even if all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they cannot move it out of its place, as it is said, “He will be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by a stream. It does not sense the coming of heat, its leaves are always fresh. It is not anxious in a year of drought; it keeps producing fruit.”Jeremiah 17:8
18 Rabbi Eliezer Hisma said: The laws of mixed bird offerings and the principles for calculating menstrual periods are the essentials of the laws; calculations of the equinoxes and numerical values are the condiments of wisdom.
1 Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? Someone who learns from everyone, as it is said, “I have gained understanding from all who taught me.”Psalms 119:99 Who is mighty? Someone who controls his evil inclination, as it is said, “Someone who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and someone who rules his spirit is better than someone who captures a city.”Proverbs 16:32 Who is rich? Someone who is happy with his lot, as it is said, “You will enjoy the fruit of your labors; you will be happy and you will prosper.”Psalms 128:2 “You will be happy” in this world, “and you will prosper” in the world to come. Who is honored? Someone who honors his fellow human beings, as it is said, “For I honor those who honor Me, but those who spurn Me will be dishonored.”1 Samuel 2:30
2 Ben Azzai said: Be as quick to perform a minor commandment as a major one, and flee from transgression; for one commandment leads to another commandment, and one transgression leads to another transgression; for the reward for performing a commandment is another commandment, and the punishment for committing a transgression is another transgression.
3 He used to say: Do not despise anyone, and do not disregard anything, for there is no person who does not have his hour, and there is nothing that does not have its place.
4 Rabbi Levitas, a man of Yavneh, said: Be extremely humble in spirit, for the hope of mortal humanity is worms. Rabbi Yohanan ben Berokah said: Whoever profanes the name of Heaven in secret will be punished openly; whether unintentional or intentional, it is all the same in profaning the divine name.
5 Rabbi Ishmael his son said: Someone who learns in order to teach is granted the opportunity to learn and to teach; and someone who learns in order to practice is granted the opportunity to learn, to teach, to observe, and to practice. Rabbi Zadok said: Do not separate yourself from the community, and do not act as an advocate while serving as a judge. Do not make the Torah a crown to magnify yourself with, or a spade to dig with. So too Hillel used to say: “And whoever makes use of the crown will pass away.” Thus you have learned that anyone who derives personal benefit from the words of the Torah removes his life from the world.
6 Rabbi Yose said: Whoever honors the Torah is himself honored by people, and whoever dishonors the Torah is himself dishonored by people.
7 Rabbi Ishmael his son said: Someone who holds back from serving as a judge frees himself from hostility, robbery, and an unnecessary oath; while someone who is overconfident in handing down legal decisions is foolish, wicked, and arrogant.
8 He used to say: Do not judge alone, for no one may judge alone except One; and do not say to your fellow judges, “Accept my view,” for they are permitted to decide by a majority, and not you.
9 Rabbi Jonathan said: Whoever fulfills the Torah in poverty will eventually fulfill it in wealth; and whoever neglects the Torah in wealth will eventually neglect it in poverty.
10 Rabbi Meir said: Engage little in business and occupy yourself with the Torah, and be humble in spirit before everyone. If you neglect the Torah, you will have many excuses to neglect it; but if you labor in the Torah, He has a great reward to give you.
11 Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said: Someone who performs one commandment acquires one advocate for himself, and someone who commits one transgression acquires one accuser against himself. Repentance and good deeds are like a shield against punishment. Rabbi Yohanan HaSandlar said: Every assembly that is for the sake of Heaven will in the end endure, and every assembly that is not for the sake of Heaven will not endure in the end.
12 Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua said: Let the honor of your student be as dear to you as your own, and the honor of your colleague like the reverence for your teacher, and the reverence for your teacher like the reverence for Heaven.
13 Rabbi Judah said: Be careful in study, for an error in study counts as a deliberate transgression. Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name surpasses them all.
14 Rabbi Nehorai said: Go into voluntary exile to a place of Torah, and do not say that it will follow you, for it is your fellow students who will make it stay with you; and “do not rely on your own understanding.”Proverbs 3:5
15 Rabbi Yannai said: It is not in our power to explain the reason for either the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous. Rabbi Mattithiah ben Harash said: Be first to greet everyone; and be a tail to lions rather than a head to foxes.
16 Rabbi Jacob said: This world is like an entrance hall before the world to come; prepare yourself in the entrance hall so that you may enter the banquet hall.
17 He used to say: One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the world to come; and one hour of spiritual bliss in the world to come is better than all the life of this world.
18 Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Do not try to appease your friend in the hour of his anger; do not comfort him while his dead still lies before him; do not question him at the moment he makes a vow; and do not strive to see him in the hour of his disgrace.
19 Samuel the Small said: “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles, or else the Lord will see it and be displeased, and turn His anger away from him.”Proverbs 24:17–18
20 Elisha ben Abuyah said: What is someone who learns as a child like? Ink written on a clean sheet of paper. And what is someone who learns in old age like? Ink written on a blotted sheet of paper. Rabbi Yose ben Judah of Kefar HaBavli said: What is someone who learns from the young like? Someone who eats unripe grapes and drinks wine straight from his vat. And what is someone who learns from the old like? Someone who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine. Rabbi said: Do not look at the container, but at what is in it: there can be a new container full of aged wine, and an old container that does not even hold new wine.
21 Rabbi Elazar HaKappar said: Envy, lust, and the desire for honor drive a person out of the world.
22 He used to say: Those who are born are destined to die, and those who are dead are destined to be brought to life, and those who are living are destined to be judged, so as to know, to make known, and to become aware that He is God, He is the Fashioner, He is the Creator, He is the Discerner, He is the Judge, He is the Witness, He is the Plaintiff, and He is going to judge. Blessed be He, before whom there is no iniquity, nor forgetfulness, nor partiality, nor taking of bribes, for all is His. And know that everything is according to the reckoning. And do not let your evil inclination assure you that the grave will be a place of refuge for you; for against your will you were formed, against your will you were born, against your will you live, against your will you die, and against your will you are destined to give an account and reckoning before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
1 The world was created with ten utterances. What does this teach, since it could surely have been created with one utterance? This was to punish 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, to show how patient He is, for all those generations kept on provoking Him until He brought the waters of the flood upon them. There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to show how patient He is, for all those generations kept on provoking Him until our father Abraham came and received the reward of all of them.
3 Abraham, our father, may he rest in peace, was tested with ten trials, and he withstood them all, to make known how great the love of Abraham, our father, peace be upon him, was.
4 Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in Egypt and ten at the sea.
The Holy One, blessed be He, brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea.
Our ancestors tested God, blessed be He, with ten trials in the wilderness, as it is said, “And they have tested Me these ten times and have not listened to My voice.”Numbers 14:22
5 Ten wonders were performed for our ancestors in the Temple:
no woman miscarried from the odor of the sacred meat;
the sacred meat never spoiled;
no fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse;
no nocturnal emission occurred to the high priest on the Day of Atonement;
the rains did not extinguish the fire of the woodpile on the altar;
the wind did not prevail over the column of smoke;
no disqualifying defect was found in the omer, the two loaves, or the showbread;
the people stood pressed together, yet bowed down with plenty of room;
no snake or scorpion ever harmed anyone in Jerusalem;
and no one ever said to his fellow, “There is too little room for me to stay overnight in Jerusalem.”
6 Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and they are: the mouth of the earth, the mouth of the well, the mouth of the donkey, the rainbow, the manna, the staff of Moses, the shamir, the letters, the writing, and the tablets. And some say: also the destructive spirits, the burial place of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: also tongs made with tongs.
7 There are seven things characteristic of an uncultivated person and seven of a wise person:
a wise person does not speak before someone who is greater than he is in wisdom and in years,
and does not interrupt another person’s words,
and is not hasty to answer;
he asks what is relevant and answers to the point;
he speaks of the first point first and of the last point last;
about what he has not heard, he says, “I have not heard”;
and he acknowledges the truth. And the opposite of these is characteristic of an uncultivated person.
8 Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of transgression: when some of the people give tithes and others do not give tithes, a famine caused by drought comes, so that some go hungry and others are satisfied; when they have all decided not to give tithes, a famine caused by unrest and drought comes; and when they have, in addition, decided not to set aside the dough offering, an all-consuming famine comes. Pestilence comes to the world for capital offenses mentioned in the Torah that have not been referred to the court, and for violating the laws regarding the produce of the sabbatical year. The sword comes to the world for the delay of justice, for the perversion of justice, and because of those who interpret the Torah contrary to the accepted law.
9 Wild beasts come to the world for swearing false oaths and for profaning the divine Name. Exile comes to the world for idolatry, for sexual immorality, for bloodshed, and for transgressing the commandment of the year of the release of the land. Pestilence increases at four periods: in the fourth year, in the seventh year, at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles every year.
In the fourth year, because of neglecting the tithe for the poor in the third year;
in the seventh year, because of neglecting the tithe for the poor in the sixth year;
at the conclusion of the seventh year, because of violating the laws of the produce of the seventh year;
and at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles every year, for robbing the poor of the gifts due to them.
10 There are four character types among people:
Someone who says, “Mine is mine, and yours is yours”—this is an average character type, and some say this is the character type of Sodom.
Someone who says, “Mine is yours, and yours is mine”—he is an ignoramus.
Someone who says, “Mine is yours, and yours is yours”—he is a pious person.
Someone who says, “Yours is mine, and mine is mine”—he is a wicked person.
11 There are four temperaments:
quick to anger and easy to calm, his loss is offset by his gain;
slow to anger and hard to calm, his gain is offset by his loss;
slow to anger and easy to calm, he is a pious person;
quick to anger and hard to calm, he is a wicked person.
12 There are four types of disciples:
quick to understand and quick to forget, his loss outweighs his gain;
slow to understand and slow to forget, his gain outweighs his loss;
quick to understand and slow to forget, he is wise;
slow to understand and quick to forget, this is a bad lot.
13 There are four types of charity givers:
someone who wants to give, but does not want others to give, has a grudging eye toward what belongs to others;
someone who wants others to give, but does not want to give himself, has a grudging eye toward what is his own;
someone who wants both himself and others to give, he is a pious person;
someone who wants neither himself nor others to give, he is a wicked person.
14 There are four types among those who attend the study house:
someone who goes but does not practice receives a reward for going;
someone who practices but does not go receives a reward for practicing;
someone who goes and practices, he is a pious person;
someone who neither goes nor practices, he 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 lets out the wine and retains the sediment;
a sieve lets out the coarse meal and retains the fine flour.
16 All love that depends on something ends when the thing ends; and all love that does not depend on anything will never cease. What is an example of love that depended on something? The love of Amnon for Tamar. And what is an example of love that did not depend on anything? The love of David and Jonathan.
17 Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven will endure in the end; and one that is not for the sake of Heaven will not endure in the end. Which dispute was for the sake of Heaven? The dispute between Hillel and Shammai. And which dispute was not for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Korah and all his company.
18 Whoever leads the multitudes to righteousness will not bring about sin; and whoever leads the multitudes to sin is not given the opportunity to repent. Moses was righteous and led the multitudes to righteousness; therefore the righteousness of the multitudes is credited to him, as it is said, “He carried out the Lord’s righteousness and His judgments with Israel.”Deuteronomy 33:21 Jeroboam sinned and led the multitudes to sin; therefore the sin of the multitudes is attributed to him, as it is said, “Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and into which he led Israel.”1 Kings 15:30
19 Whoever possesses these three things is among the disciples of Abraham, our father; and whoever possesses three other things is among the disciples of Balaam, the wicked.
A good eye, a humble spirit, and a moderate appetite: he is among the disciples of Abraham, our father.
An evil eye, an arrogant spirit, and a limitless appetite: he is among the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and the disciples of Balaam, the wicked? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world and inherit the world to come, as it is said, “To endow those who love Me with wealth, and that I may fill their treasuries.”Proverbs 8:21 But the disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit Gehinnom and descend into the deepest pit, as it is said, “For You, God, will bring them down to the deepest pit; murderous and treacherous men will not live out half their days; but I trust in You.”Psalms 55:23
20 Judah ben Tema said: Be strong as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fast as a gazelle, and brave as a lion, to do the will of your Father who is in Heaven. He used to say: The arrogant person is headed for Gehinnom, and the modest person for the Garden of Eden. May it be Your will, Lord our God, that Your city be rebuilt soon in our days, and grant us our share in Your Torah.
21 He used to say:
At age five, the study of Scripture;
at ten, the study of Mishnah;
at thirteen, the commandments;
at fifteen, the study of Talmud;
at eighteen, the bridal canopy;
at twenty, the pursuit of livelihood;
at thirty, full strength;
at forty, understanding;
at fifty, counsel;
at sixty, old age;
at seventy, gray hair;
at eighty, special strength;
at ninety, a bent body;
at one hundred, it is as if he were dead and had passed away and vanished from the world.
22 Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it over, and again turn it over, for everything is in it; and look into it, and grow old and worn in it, and do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it.
23 Ben He He said: The reward is in proportion to the effort.
1 The sages taught in the language of the Mishnah. Blessed be He who chose them and their teaching. Rabbi Meir said: Whoever studies the Torah for its own sake merits many things; not only that, but he is worth the whole world. He is called a friend, beloved, one who loves God, one who loves humankind, one who gladdens God, and one who gladdens humankind. And the Torah clothes him in humility and reverence, and equips him to be righteous, pious, upright, and trustworthy; it keeps him away from sin, and brings him closer to merit. And people benefit from his counsel, sound knowledge, understanding, and strength, as it is said, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine.”Proverbs 8:14 And it grants him royalty, authority, and sharp judgment. The secrets of the Torah are revealed to him, and he is made like an ever-flowing spring, and like a stream that never ceases. And he becomes modest, patient, and forgiving of insult. And it makes him great and exalts him over everything.
2 Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Every day a heavenly voice comes from Mount Horeb and proclaims, “Woe to humankind for their contempt toward the Torah,” for whoever does not study Torah is called rebuked, as it is said, “Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman without sense.”Proverbs 11:22 And it says, “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.”Exodus 32:16 Do not read harut, meaning “engraved,” but herut, meaning “freedom.” For no one is free except someone who studies the Torah. And whoever regularly studies the Torah is surely exalted, as it is said, “And from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth.”Numbers 21:19
3 Someone who learns from another person one chapter, or one law, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, must treat that person with honor; for so we find with David, king of Israel, who learned from Ahithophel no more than two things, yet called him his master, his guide, and his beloved friend, as it is said, “But it was you, a man who was my equal, my guide, and my beloved friend.”Psalms 55:13 Is this not an instance of the argument from the less to the greater? If David, king of Israel, who learned from Ahithophel no more than two things, nevertheless called him his master, his guide, and his beloved friend, then in the case of someone who learns from another person one chapter, or one law, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, how much more so must he treat that person with honor! And “honor” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “The wise will inherit honor,”Proverbs 3:35 and “the blameless will inherit good.”Proverbs 28:10 And “good” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “For I give you good instruction; do not abandon My Torah.”Proverbs 4:2
4 This is the way of a life of Torah: you will eat bread with salt, and you will drink rationed water; you will sleep on the ground, you will live a life of hardship, and you will labor in the Torah. If you do this, “You will be happy and it will be good for you”Psalms 128:2: “You will be happy” in this world, “and it will be good for you” in the world to come.
5 Do not seek greatness for yourself, and do not crave honor. Practice more than you learn. Do not yearn for the table of kings, for your table is greater than their table, and your crown is greater than their crown; and your Employer is faithful to pay you the reward of your labor.
6 Learning Torah is greater than priesthood and royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty qualities, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things: by study, by attentive listening, by proper speech, by an understanding heart, by an intelligent heart, by awe, by reverence, by humility, by joy, by attending to the sages, by critical give-and-take with colleagues, by thorough discussion with disciples, by clear thinking, by study of Scripture, by study of Mishnah, by moderation in sleep, by moderation in conversation, by moderation in pleasure, by moderation in laughter, by moderation in worldly occupation, by patience, by a good heart, by faith in the sages, and by acceptance of suffering; Learning Torah is also acquired by someone who recognizes his place, who rejoices in his portion, who makes a fence around his words, who claims no credit for himself, who is loved, who loves God, who loves his fellow creatures, who loves righteous ways, who loves reproof, who loves uprightness, who keeps far from honor, who does not grow arrogant because of his learning, who does not delight in handing down legal decisions, who shares the burden with his colleague, who judges him favorably, who establishes him upon the truth, who establishes him upon peace, who settles himself in his study, who asks and answers, who listens to others and himself adds to his knowledge, who learns in order to teach, who learns in order to practice, who makes his teacher wiser, who is exact in what he has learned, and who states a matter in the name of the one who said it. Thus you have learned that everyone who states a matter in the name of the one who said it brings redemption to the world, as it is said, “And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.”Esther 2:22
7 The Torah is great, for it gives life to those who practice it in this world and in the world to come, as it is said, “For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.”Proverbs 4:22
And it says, “It will be a cure for your body and refreshment for your bones.”Proverbs 3:8
And it says, “She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, and whoever holds fast to her is happy.”Proverbs 3:18
And it says, “For they are a graceful wreath on your head, and a necklace around your neck.”Proverbs 1:9
And it says, “She will adorn your head with a graceful wreath; she will crown you with a glorious crown.”Proverbs 4:9
And it says, “In her right hand is long life; in her left are riches and honor.”Proverbs 3:16
And it says, “For they will give you long life, years of life, and peace.”Proverbs 3:2
8 Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, old age, gray hair, and children suit the righteous and suit the world, as it is said, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is attained through righteousness.”Proverbs 16:31
And it says, “The ornament of the wise is their riches.”Proverbs 14:24
And it says, “The glory of youths is their strength, and the beauty of old men is their gray hair.”Proverbs 20:29
And it says, “Grandchildren are the glory of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents.”Proverbs 17:6
And it says, “Then the moon will be ashamed, and the sun will be embarrassed, for the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.”Isaiah 24:23 Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: These seven qualities, which the sages have listed as suitable for the righteous, were all fulfilled in Rabbi and his sons.
9 Rabbi Yose ben Kisma said: Once I was walking along the road when a man met me and greeted me, and I greeted him. He said to me, “Rabbi, where are you from?” I said to him, “I am from a great city of sages and scribes.” He said to me, “Rabbi, would you consider living with us in our place? I would give you a million gold denarii, and precious stones and pearls.” I said to him, “My son, even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls that are in the world, I would not live anywhere except in a place of Torah; for when a person dies, neither gold nor silver nor precious stones nor pearls accompany him, but only Torah and good deeds, as it is said, ‘When you walk, it will lead you; when you lie down, it will watch over you; and when you are awake, it will talk with you’Proverbs 6:22:
‘When you walk, it will lead you’ in this world;
‘when you lie down, it will watch over you’ in the grave;
‘and when you are awake, it will talk with you’ in the world to come. “And thus it is written in the Book of Psalms by David, king of Israel, ‘I prefer the teaching of Your mouth to thousands of pieces of gold and silver.’Psalms 119:72 And it says, ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of Hosts.’”Haggai 2:8
10 The Holy One, blessed be He, acquired five possessions in His world, and these are they: the Torah is one possession; heaven and earth are one possession; Abraham is one possession; Israel is one possession; and the Temple is one possession. The Torah is one possession. How do we know this? Since it is written, “The Lord acquired me at the beginning of His course, before His earliest works.”Proverbs 8:22 Heaven and earth are one possession. How do we know this? Since it is said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool; where could you build a house for Me, and what place could serve as My resting place?’”Isaiah 66:1 And it says, “How many things You have made, Lord! You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions.”Psalms 104:24 Abraham is one possession. How do we know this? Since it is written, “And he blessed him, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth.’”Genesis 14:19 Israel is one possession. How do we know this? Since it is written, “Until Your people cross over, Lord, until the people You have acquired cross over.”Exodus 15:16 And it says, “As for the holy ones who are in the land, and the noble ones, all My delight is in them.”Psalms 16:3 The Temple is one possession. How do we know this? Since it is said, “The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.”Exodus 15:17 And it says, “And He brought them to His holy realm, to the mountain that His right hand had acquired.”Psalms 78:54
11 Whatever the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He created only for His glory, as it is said, “All who are called by My name, whom I have created, formed, and made for My glory.”Isaiah 43:7 And it says, “The Lord will reign forever and ever.”Exodus 15:18 Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashya said: The Holy One, blessed be He, desired to grant merit to Israel; therefore He gave them Torah and commandments in abundance, as it is said, “The Lord was pleased, for the sake of His righteousness, to make the Torah great and glorious.”Isaiah 42:21