Pirke Avot: The Sayings Of The Jewish Fathers Part 6

_Apikuros_, and Barton, _Ecclesiastes_, p. 41. This verse may also be rendered, "Study _Torah_, and also know ([v'da (vov-daled-ayin)]) how to answer an unbeliever," meaning that first one should study _Torah_ and _Talmud_, and then give his time to learning other knowledge, so as to be able to refute those who stray from the truth.

20. Rabbi Tafron (48) said, "The day is short, the task is great (49), the laborers are sluggish, the reward is much, and the Master of the house (50) is urgent." 21. He also used to say, "It is not thy duty to complete the work, but neither art thou free to desist from it; if thou hast studied much _Torah_, much reward will be given thee; and faithful is thy Employer to pay thee the reward of thy labor; and know that the grant of reward unto the righteous will be in the time to come" (51).

Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akas.h.i.+a, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a copious _Torah_ and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the _Torah_ and make it honorable'".

(48) A contemporary of Jochanan ben Zakkai's five disciples and of Akiba. See Bacher, _ibid._, pp. 348-358, and Meyer, _ibid._, p. 179.

(49) The day, _i.e._, the life of man, is brief. Art is long, but life is short.

(50) _I.e._, G.o.d.

(51) A man cannot finish the work of the world, yet he must not yield to idleness and despair, but must do his share to the best of his ability. His reward will come in the future.

CHAPTER III

All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified".

1. Akabia (1), the son of Mahalalel, said, "Consider three things, and thou wilt not come within the power of sin (2): know whence thou camest, and whither thou art going, and before whom thou wilt in the future have to give an account and reckoning (3). Whence thou camest: from a fetid drop; whether thou art going: to a place of dust, worms, and maggots (4); and before whom thou wilt in the future have to give an account and reckoning: before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He."

(1) He lived about the middle of the first century.

(2) Cf. chapter II, 1.

(3) Compare with this saying the exposition by Akiba of Eccl.

XII, 1: [uzechor et bor'ech (bor'ech is: bet-vov-resh-alef-yud-chof(sofit)] "but remember thy creator."

Playing upon the word [bor'ech], he says, "Remember thy source ([bet-alef-resh-chof(sofit)]), thy grave ([bet-vov-resh-chof(sofit)]), and thy creator ([bet-resh-alef-chof(sofit)])," _Kohelet Rabbah, ad. loc._ If man thinks of whence he comes, he is rendered humble; if he reflects upon whither he is going, he prizes worldly things lightly; and if he considers HIm before whom he must give an account, he obeys G.o.d's laws.

(4) Cf. Job XXV, 6: "How much less the mortal, the mere worm ([rimah])? and the son of the earth, the mere maggot ([toleah])?" can be pure in G.o.d's eyes.

2. R. Chanina, the Vice-High-Priest (5), said, "Pray for the welfare of the government, since but for the fear thereof men would swallow each other alive" (6).

(5) Chief of the priests, adjutant high-priest. The _segan_ was next in rank to the high-priest. None could be appointed high-priest unless he had occupied the office of the _segan_ (Palestinian _Talmud_, _Yoma_, III, 41a, top). According to Schurer, he was "the captain of the Temple," whose duty it was to superintend arrangements for keeping order in and around the Temple. He was also present at all important functions in which the high-priest took part, such as the drawing of lots in the case of the two goats on _Yom Kippur_ (_Yoma III, 9, IV, 1); when reading from the _Torah_ (_Yoma_, VII, 1; _Sotah_ VII, 7, 8), and when offering the daily sacrifice (_Tamid_ VII, 3). Rabbi Chanina was the last to bear this t.i.tle, his son being known as Simeon ben ha-Segan. See Bacher, _Agada der Tanaiten_, pp. 55-58, Schurer, _History_, II, i, 257-259.

(6) Cf. Jer. x.x.xIX, 7, "And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace," and _Abodah Zarah_, 3b.

3. R. Chananiah, the son of Teradion (7), said, "If two sit together and interchange no words of _Torah_, they are a meeting of scorners, concerning whom it is said, 'The G.o.dly man sitteth not in the seat of the scorners' (8); but if two sit together and interchange words of _Torah_, the Divine Presence (9) abides among them; as it is said, 'Then they that feared the Lord spake one with the other; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name,' (10).

Now the Scripture enables me to draw this inference in respect to two persons; whence can it be deduced that if even one person sedulously occupies himself with the _Torah_, the Holy One, blessed be He, appoints unto him a reward? Because it is said, 'though he sit alone, and meditate in stillness, yet he taketh it (the reward) upon him'"

(11).

(7) He lived about 120 C.E. He was the father of Beruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir.

(8) Ps. I, 1. Verse 2 of this psalm continues, "But his delight is in the Law of the Lord."

(9) [shechinah] literally "dwelling," is a name applied to G.o.d when He is spoken of as dwelling among men. See Schechter, _Aspects, en pa.s.sim_; Abelson, _Immanence of G.o.d_, p. 77 _et seq._

(10) Mal. III, 16.

(11) Lam. III, 27.

4. R. Simeon (12) said, "If three have eaten at a table and have spoken there no words of _Torah_, it is as if they had eaten of sacrifices to dead idols, of whom it is said, 'For all their tables are full of vomit and filthiness; the All-present is not (in their thoughts)' (13). But if three have eaten at a table and have spoken there words of _Torah_, it is as if they had eaten at the table of the All-present, for Scripture says, 'And he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord'" (14).

(12) Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai lived about the middle of the second century C.E., and was a pupil of Akiba. See Danziger, _ibid._, pp. 211-241. He was long thought to be the author of the well-known kabbalistic work _Zohar_, which was, however, probably written in the thirteenth century by Moses Shem Tob de Leon. See the _Jewish Encyclopedia_, art. _Zohar;_ Graetz, _History_, IV, p. 11 _et seq.;_ Schechter, _Studies_, I, pp.

18, 19, 133; and H. Sperling, in _Aspects of the Hebrew Genius_, p. 165 _et seq._

(13) Isa. XXVIII, 8. The literal interpretation of [bli makom] is, there is "no place" clean of defilement; but the word [makom] being used to designate G.o.d (see above, chapter II, n. 35), suggests the interpretation, "without mention of the name of G.o.d."

(14) Ezek. XLI, 22.

5. R. Chanina, the son of Hakinai (15), said, "He who keeps awake at night, and goes on his way alone, while turning his heart to vanity, such a one forfeits his own life" (16).

(15) He lived about 120 C.E., and was a pupil of Akiba. See Bacher, _ibid._, 436 _et seq._

(16) Even the sleepless man and the solitary traveller must turn their thoughts to the _Torah_.

6. R. Nechunya, son of ha-Kanah (17), said, "Whoso receives upon himself the yoke of the _Torah_, from the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of worldly care will be removed (18), but whoso breaks off from him the yoke of the _Torah_, upon him will be laid the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of worldly care."

(17) He lived about 80 C.E. See Bacher, _ibid._, pp. 58-61.

(18) The "yoke of the kingdom" refers to the taxes and burdens exacted by the government; the "yoke of worldly care" is anxiety of the struggle for existence.

7. R. Chalafta, the son of Dosa (19), of the village of Chanania said, "When ten people sit together and occupy themselves with the _Torah_, the _Shechinah_ (20) abides among them, as it is said, 'G.o.d standeth in the congregation (21) of the G.o.dly' (22). And whence can it be shown that the same applies to five? Because it is said, 'He hath found his band (23) upon the earth' (24). And whence can it be shown that the same applies to three? Because it is said, 'He judgeth among the judges' (25). And whence can it be shown that the same applies to two? Because it is said, 'Then they that feared the Lord spake one with the other; and the Lord hearkened, and heard' (26). And whence can it be shown that the same applies even to one? Because it is said, 'In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come unto thee and I will bless thee'" (27).

(19) He was probably a disciple of R. Meir. See below, n. 32.

(20) See above, n. 9.

(21) An _edah_, "a.s.sembly," "congregation," "prayer-meeting,"

consists of at least ten persons (_Megillah_, 23b). See Sulzburger, _The Ancient Hebrew Parliament_, chapter I.

(22) Ps. Lx.x.xII, 1.

(23) An _agudah_ (lit., "bundle," "bunch"), "bond," "union,"

is const.i.tuted of at least five, though some authorities maintain that it stands for three. See Taylor, _Sayings_, p.

46, n. 15. This word is used in the name of a number of Jewish societies whose members bind themselves to brotherly love and mutual a.s.sistance. as _Agudat Achim_, "United Brethren," etc.

(24) Amos, IX, 6.

(25) Ps. Lx.x.xII, 1. Every _bet din_, "judicial tribunal,"

consisted of at least three members (_Sanhedrin_, 3b).

(26) Mal. III, 16.

(27) Ex. XX, 24.