This week is the fourth Perek for Pirkei Avos which includes:
1. “Ben (the son of) Zoma said, who is wise? He who learns from all people…Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination…Who is rich? He who is satisfied with his lot…Who is honored? He who honors others…
20. “Rabbi Yaakov said, this world is like an entrance chamber before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the entrance chamber so that you may enter the banquet hall.”
27. “Rabbi Elazar HaKappar said, jealousy, lust and the [pursuit of] honor remove a person from the world.”
The entire text from Perek 4 is down below.
Here is the link for an English Translation of all six Perakim culled from Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld’s translation and commentary at Torah.org. Torah.org also has some of the Maharal’s commentary for Pirkei Avos. And Aish has lot’s of good articles on Pirkei Avos penned by two Beyond BT contributors Rabbi Yonsason Goldson and Yaakov Astor.
The full text in Hebrew can be found here.
Here is Chapter 4 of Pirkei Avos
1. “Ben (the son of) Zoma said, who is wise? He who learns from all people, as it is said: ‘From all my teachers I gained understanding’ (Psalms 119:99). Who is strong? He who conquers his evil inclination, as it is said: ‘Better is one slow to anger than a strong man, and one who rules over his spirit than a conqueror of a city’ (Proverbs 16:32). Who is rich? He who is satisfied with his lot, as it is said: ‘When you eat the toil of your hands you are fortunate and it is good for you’ (Psalms 128:2). ‘You are fortunate’ – in this world; ‘and it is good for you’ – in the World to Come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said: ‘For those who honor Me I will honor, and those who scorn Me will be degraded’ (I Samuel 2:30).”
2. “Ben (the son of) Azzai said, run to perform [even] a minor mitzvah (commandment) and flee from sin, for one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah, and one sin leads to another sin; for the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah and the ‘reward’ of a sin is a sin.”
3. “He (the son of Azzai) used to say, do not be disrespectful of any person and do not be dismissing of any thing, for there is no person who does not have his hour, and there is no thing that does not have its place.”
4. “Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh said, be extremely lowly of spirit, for the end of man is worms.”
5. “Rabbi Yochanan ben (son of) Beroka said, whoever desecrates the Name of Heaven in secret will be paid back in public. Whether unintentional or intentional acts (i.e., both are comparable) regarding desecration of the Name.”
6. “Rabbi Yishmael bar (son of) Rabbi Yossi said, one who studies Torah in order to teach is granted the ability to study and to teach. One who studies in order to ‘do’ is granted the ability to study, to teach, to observe, and to do.”
7. “Rabbi Tzaddok said, do not separate yourself from the community. Do not act as a lawyer (in judgment). Do not make the Torah into a crown with which to aggrandize yourself or a spade with which to dig. So too did Hillel state: ‘He who uses the crown [of Torah] will pass on’ (above, 1:13). From this you may learn that anyone who derives benefit from words of Torah takes his life from the world.”
8. “Rabbi Yossi said, whoever honors the Torah will himself be honored before others. But whoever disgraces the Torah will himself be disgraced before others.”
9. “Rabbi Yishmael his (Rabbi Yossi’s) son said, one who withdraws himself from serving as judge spares himself of hatred, robbery and unnecessary oaths. One who is arrogant in rendering decisions is foolish, evil and conceited.”
10. “He (Rabbi Yishmael) used to say, do not judge alone because there is no solitary judge except One. Do not say ‘accept my view,’ for they are permitted and not you.”
11. “Rabbi Yonasan said, whoever fulfills the Torah out of poverty, will ultimately fulfill it in wealth. But whoever neglects the Torah out of wealth, will ultimately neglect it out of poverty.”
12. “Rabbi Meir (mai-eer) said, lessen your business activities and engage in Torah study. Be humble of spirit before every person. If you have wasted time from Torah study, you will be given many causes to neglect it. And if you have exerted yourself in Torah study, G-d has much reward to give you.”
13. “Rabbi Eliezer ben (son of) Yaakov said, one who fulfills one mitzvah (commandment) acquires himself a single defending angel. One who commits one transgression acquires one accusing angel. Repentance and good deeds serve as a shield before retribution.”
“Rabbi Yochanan the sandal maker said, every assembly which is for the sake of heaven which eventually endure. And one which is not for the sake of heaven will not endure.”
14. “Rabbi Elazar ben (son of) Shamua said, the honor of your student should be as dear to you as your own; the honor of your colleague should be as the fear of your [Torah] teacher; and the fear of your teacher should be as the fear of Heaven.”
15. “Rabbi Yehuda said, be cautious in Torah study, for inadvertent errors in study are considered as willful transgressions.”
16. “Rabbi Shimon said, there are three crowns – the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. And the crown of a good name is superior to them all.”
17. “Rabbi Nehorai said, exile yourself to a place of Torah and do not say it will come after you or that your colleagues will preserve it for you. ‘And do not rely on your own understanding’ (Proverbs 3:5).”
18. “Rabbi Yannai said, it is not in our power to explain neither the tranquility of the wicked nor the suffering of the righteous.”
19. “Rabbi Masya ben (son of) Charash said, be first to greet every person, and be a tail to the lions rather than head of the foxes.”
20. “Rabbi Yaakov said, this world is like an entrance chamber before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the entrance chamber so that you may enter the banquet hall.”
21. “He (Rabbi Yaakov) used to say, one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than the entire life of the World to Come. And one hour of spiritual enjoyment of the World to Come is better than the entire life of this world.”
22. “Rabbi Shimon ben (son of) Elazar said, do not appease your fellow at the time of his anger, do not console him at the time his dead lies before him, do not ask him [to regret his oath] at the time of his oath, and do not attempt to see him at the time of his downfall.”
23. “Shmuel (Sh-moo-ail) the Small said, ‘At your enemy’s fall do not rejoice, and when he stumbles let your heart not be joyous, lest the L-rd see and be displeased and turn back His anger from him [to you]’ (Proverbs 24:17-18).”
24. “Elisha ben (son of) Avuya said, one who studies Torah as a child, to what is he compared? To ink written on fresh paper. And one who studies Torah as an old man, to what is he compared? To ink written on blotted paper.”
25. “Rabbi Yossi bar (son of) Yehuda of K’far HaBavli said, one who learns from the young, to what is he compared? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks wine from the press. And one who learns from the old, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripened grapes and drinks aged wine.”
26. “Rabbi Meir (mai-eer) said, do not look at the flask but what is in it. There are new flasks filled with old wine and old flasks which do not even contain new wine.”
27. “Rabbi Elazar HaKappar said, jealousy, lust and the [pursuit of] honor remove a person from the world.”
28. “He (Rabbi Elazar HaKappar) used to say, The born will die, the dead will come to life, and the living will be judged – so that they know, make known, and become aware that He is G-d, He is the Fashioner, He is the Creator, He is the One who understands, He is the Judge, He is the Witness, He is the Litigant, and He will eventually judge. Blessed be He, for there is not before Him wrongdoing, forgetfulness, favoritism, or the acceptance of bribes – for all is His. And know that everything is according to a reckoning. And do not let your evil inclination assure you that the grave is a refuge for you – for against your will were you created, against your will were you born, against your will do you live, against your will do you die, and against your will will you stand in judgment before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.”
