Pirke Avot: The Sayings Of The Jewish Fathers Part 7

8. R. Eleazar of Bertota (28) said, "Give unto Him of what is His, for thou and thine are His: this is also found expressed by David, who said, 'For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own we have given Thee'" (29).

(28) He lived during the second century C.E. See Bacher, _ibid._, pp. 442-445.

(29) I Chron. XXIX, 14.

9. R. Jacob said, "He who is walking by the way and studying, and breaks off his study and says, 'How fine is that tree, how fine is that fallow,' him the Scripture regards as if he had forfeited his life" (30).

(30) One must not interrupt his studies even to admire the beauties of nature.

10. R. Dostai (31), the son of Jannai, said in the name of R. Meir (32), "Whoso forgets one word of his study, him the Scripture regards as if he had forfeited his life, for it is said, 'Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen' (33). Now, one might suppose (that the same result follows) even if a man's study has been too hard for him.

(To guard against such an inference), it is said, 'And lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life' (34). Thus a person's guilt is not established until he deliberately and of set purpose removes those lessons from his heart."

(31) He lived about 160 C.E.

(32) Rabbi Meir was the celebrated pupil of Akiba. His wife was the well-known Bruriah. On his interesting career, see Blumenthal, _Rabbi Meir_, Myers, _The Story of the Jewish People_, I, pp. 189-204, and Danziger, _Jewish Forerunners of Christianity_, pp. 185-210.

(33) Deut. IV, 9.

(34) Deut. IV, 9.

11. R. Chanina, the son of Dosa (35), said, "He in whom the fear of sin precedes wisdom, his wisdom shall endure; but he in whom wisdom comes before the fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure" (36). 12.

He used to say, "He whose works exceed his wisdom, his wisdom shall endure; but he whose wisdom exceeds his works, his wisdom will not endure" (37). 13. He used to say, "He in whom the spirit of his fellow-creatures takes not delight, in him the Spirit of the All-present takes not delight."

(35) A contemporary of Jochanan ben Zakkai (10 B.C.E.-90 C.E.). See Friedlander, _Ben Dosa und seine Zeit_ (Prag, 1872), and Bacher, _ibid._, 283 _et seq._

(36) Cf. Ps. CXI, 10: "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord." "A man's fear of sin should be instinctive, rather than a result of calculation, . . . a man should build upon the foundation of religious feeling, rather than upon philosophy" (Taylor).

(37) Cf. above, chapter I, 17, "Not learning but doing is the chief thing."

14. R. Dosa, the son of Horkinas (38), said, "Morning sleep, midday wine, childish babbling, and attending the houses of a.s.sembly of the ignorant waste a man's life" (39).

(38) A contemporary of Jochanan ben Zakkai.

(39) Idleness, etc., indispose one for the study of the _Torah_ and for business.

15. R. Eleazar ha-Mudai said, "He who profanes things sacred, and despises the festivals, and puts his fellow-man to shame in public, and makes void the covenant of Abraham, our father (40), and makes the _Torah_ bear a meaning other than the right (41); (such a one) even though knowledge of the _Torah_ and good deeds be his, has no share in the world to come" (42).

(40) _I.e._ circ.u.mcision.

(41) Or "acts barefacedly against the _Torah_."

(42) Knowledge and moral excellence alone are not sufficient.

16. R. Ishmael (43) said, "Be submissive to a superior (44), affable to the young (45), and receive all men with cheerfulness" (46).

(43) Lived about 120 C.E. See Bacher, _ibid._, pp. 240-271.

(44) Or "be pliant of disposition."

(45) [l'tishch.o.r.et] is variously rendered as the "young"

(Maimonides, Bartenora, Geiger, Jastrow), "impressment"

(Rashbam, Taylor), "sovereign authority" (Levy, Chald.

Worterbuch, _sub_ [shachar (shin-chet-resh)], Fiebig), and "a suppliant" (Singer).

(46) Cf. chapter I, 15.

17. R. Akiba (47) said, "Jesting and levity lead a man on to lewdness.

The _Ma.s.sorah_ (48) is a rampart around the _Torah_; t.i.thes are a safeguard to riches (49); good resolves are a fence to abstinence (50); a hedge around wisdom is silence" (51). 18. He used to say, "Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (of G.o.d); but it was by a special love that it was made known to him that he was created in the image of G.o.d, as it is said, 'For in the image of G.o.d made he man'

(52). Beloved are Israel, or they were called children of the All-present, but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that they were called children of the All-present, as it is said, 'Ye are children unto the Lord your G.o.d' (53). Beloved are Israel, for unto them was given the desirable instrument (54); but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that that desirable instrument was theirs, through which the world was created, as it is said, 'For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my _Torah_' (55).

19. Everything is foreseen, yet free will is given (56); and the world is judged by grace, yet all is according to the amount of the work"

(57). 20. He used to say, "Everything is given on pledge (58), and a net is spread for all living (59); the shop is open (60); the dealer gives credit; the ledger lies open; the hand writes; and whosoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors regularly make their daily round, and exact payment from man whether he be content or not (61); and they have that whereon they can rely in their demand; and the judgment is a judgment of truth (62); and everything is prepared for the feast" (63).

(47) Akiba ben Joseph (born about 50 C.E., died about 132) was the greatest of the _Tannaim_ (teachers mentioned in the _Mishnah_). He was a "proselyte of righteousness" (_ger tzedek_). Until middle age, he remained illiterate and averse to study, but was spurred on to become learned in the _Torah_ by the daughter of the rich Kalba Shabua, whom he subsequently married. He was the pupil of R. Eliezer ben Hyrcanos, R.

Jochanan ben Chanania, and Nahum of Gimzo. He espoused the cause of Bar Kochba, acknowledging him as the Messiah, and is said to have travelled throughout the land stirring up opposition to Rome. At the fall of Betar, he was captured by the Romans, and most cruelly put to death, expiring with the _Shema_ upon his lips. R. Akiba definitely fixed the canon of the Old Testament. He compiled and systematized the traditional law, in this respect being the forerunner of R.

Judah ha-Nasi (see chapter II, n. 1), whose _Mishnah_ may be considered as being derived from that of the school of Akiba.

His importance may be gauged by the following statement from the _Talmud_, "Our _Mishnah_ comes directly from R. Meir (a disciple of Akiba), the _Tosefta_ from R. Nehemiah, the _Sifra_ from R. Judah, and the _Sifre_ from R. Simon; but they all took Akiba for a model in their works and followed him"

(_Sanhedrin_, 86a). Akiba introduced a new method of interpreting Scripture, in which not a word, syllable, or letter was considered superfluous, finding thereby a basis for many oral laws. His hermeneutical and exegetical activities were remarkable. Many interesting legends have cl.u.s.tered around his name. See Bacher, _ibid._, 271-348; Meilziner, _Introduction to the Talmud_, pp. 29, 125-126; Isaacs, _Stories from the Rabbis_, p. 61 _et seq.;_ Danziger, _ibid._, pp. 152-184; the _Jewish Encyclopedia_, arts. _Akiba ben Joseph_ and _Akiba ben Joseph in Legend;_ Myers, _Story of the Jewish People_, pp. 171-188; and Geiger, _Judaism and its History_, p. 226 _et seq._, 230 _et seq._

(48) _Ma.s.sorah_, from root _masar_, "to deliver," "hand over,"

"transmit," means a "chain of tradition." It is used to designate tradition in general, and is thus correlative with _kabbalah_. The _Ma.s.sorah_ contains information for the correct transcription of the Scripture. As used here, it means the traditional interpretation of the _Torah_. Cf.

chapter I, 1, "Moses received the _Torah_ on Sinai, and handed it down (_umsarah_) to Joshua," and "make a fence around the _Torah_." Consult Driver, _Notes on Samuel_, _Intro._, p. 37 _et seq._; Schurer, _ibid._, II, i, 328; Taylor, _Sayings_, p.

55, n. 33; Friedlander _ibid._, p. 55, 203, 266; _Jewish Encyclopedia s.v.;_ and _The Companion Bible_ (London, Oxford University Press), Pt. I, _Appendix_, 30.

(49) On t.i.thes, see chapter I, n. 37. Cf. _Shabbat_, 119a, and _Taanit_, 9a (play on [ayin-shin-resh tof-ayin-shin resh], Deut. XXIV, 22),* [ayin-sh-resh bet-shin-bet-yud-lamed shin-tof-tof-ayin-shin-resh] "give t.i.thes in order that thou mayest become rich."

[* transcriber's note: this text does not appear to be Deuteronomy XXIV, 22.]

(50) Lit., "separation," _i.e._ from defilement, hence "sanct.i.ty" (Taylor).

(51) Cf. chapter I, 17.

(52) Gen. IX, 6.

(53) Deut. XIV, 1.

(54) _I.e._, the _Torah_.

(55) Prov. IV, 2.

(56) The omniscience and prescience of G.o.d do not deprive men of free will. Maimonides explains this in the last chapter of the _Shemonah Perakim_ (ed. Gorfinkle, p. 85 _et seq._).

(57) Maimonides interprets the last phrase as meaning to do many small deeds of charity rather than one great deed of goodness. For instance, it is better to distribute one hundred coins among one hundred people than to give them all to one person.

(58) The world is compared to the office of a merchant.

(59) Ecc. IX, 12: "for man also knoweth not his time, like the fishes that are caught in an evil net."

(60) The shop stands for the world and its enjoyments.