Hebrew Literature Part 23

5. Jose, son of Jochanan of Jerusalem, said, "let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be thy children. Discourse not much with women, not even with thy wife, much less with thy neighbor's wife." Hence the wise men say, "whoever converses much with women brings evil on himself, neglects the study of the law, and at last will inherit h.e.l.l."

6. Joshua, son of Perechiah, and Natai the Arbelite received the oral law from them. Joshua, son of Perechiah, said, "get thyself a master, and obtain a companion, and judge all mankind with favor."

7. Natai the Arbelite said, "withdraw from an evil neighbor, and a.s.sociate not with the wicked, neither flatter thyself to escape punishment."

8. Judah, son of Tabai, and Simon, son of Shetach, received it of them.

Judah, son of Tabai, said, "consider not thyself as the arranger of the law, and when the parties are before thee in judgment, consider them as guilty; but when they are departed from thee, consider them as innocent, when they have acquiesced in the sentence."

9. Simon, son of Shetach, said, "be extremely careful in the examination of witnesses, and be cautious in thy words, lest they from thence should learn to utter a falsehood."

10. Shemaiah and Abtalyon(468) received it from them. Shemaiah said, "love thy business and hate dominion, and be unknown to government."

11. Abtalyon said, "ye Sages, be cautious of your words, lest ye be doomed to captivity, and carried captive to a place of bad waters, and the disciples who follow you should drink of them, by which means the name of G.o.d may be profaned."

12. Hillel and Shammai received it of them. Hillel said, "be thou of the disciples of Aaron, who loved peace, and pursued peace, so that thou love mankind, and allure them to the study of the law."

13. He used to say, "whoever aggrandizes his name, destroys his name, and he who does not increase his knowledge in the law, shall be cut off, and he who does not study the law, is deserving of death, and he who serves himself with the crown of the law, will perish."

14. He also said, "if I perform not good works myself, who can do them for me?" and "when I consider myself, what am I?" and "if not now, when shall I?"

15. Shammai said, "let thy study of the law be fixed, say little and do much, and receive all men with an open, pleasant face."

16. Rabban Gamaliel said, "procure thyself an instructor, that thou mayest not be in doubt, and accustom not thyself to give t.i.thes by conjecture."

17. Simon, his son, said, "I have all my life been brought up among wise men, and never found anything so good for the body as silence, neither is the study of the law the princ.i.p.al thing, but its practice," and "whoever multiplies words causes sin."

18. Rabban Simon, son of Gamaliel, said the duration of the world depends on three things, justice, truth, and peace, as is said, "judge truth, and justice, and peace in your gates."

Chapter II

1. Rabbi Judah said, "which are the most eligible paths for man to choose?

All such as are an ornament to those who tread therein; and get them honor from man. Be also as careful of the observance of a light precept, as of a weighty one; because thou knowest not the due reward of the precepts, and balance the loss sustained by the omission of a precept against its recompense, and the reward of sin against its loss of happiness. Consider also three things, and thou wilt not transgress. Understand what is above thee: an All-seeing Eye and a Hearing Ear; and that all thy actions are written in a Book."

2. Rabban Gamaliel, the son of Rabban Judah the Prince, said, "that the study of the law and intercourse with the world are commendable together, as the joining of these two annihilates sin; and all the study of the law, that is not supported by business, will become of none effect, and will be the cause of sin; and whoever is engaged in the service of the congregation, ought to act for G.o.d's sake, then will the merit of their ancestors support them, and their charitable deeds exist to eternity; and I (G.o.d) shall account you deserving of a great recompense, as if ye had actually done it."

3. "Be ye warned of following princes, as they only bestow favors on men for their own interest. They show themselves as friends while men are useful to them; but they will not support a man in time of need."

4. He used to say, "do His will as if it were thine own will, that He may accomplish thy will as if it were His will; abolish thy will for the sake of His will, that He may abolish the will of others for the sake of thy will." Hillel said, "separate not thyself from the congregation, nor have confidence in thyself, until the day of thy death. Judge not thy neighbor till thou art in his situation, neither utter a sentence as if it were incomprehensible, that afterward may be comprehended, nor say, when I shall have leisure I shall study; mayhap thou wilt not have leisure."

5. He also said, "a boor cannot be fearful of sin, nor can a rustic be a saint; the bashful will not become learned, nor the pa.s.sionate man a teacher; neither will he, who is much engaged in traffic, become wise; and where there are no men, strive thou to be a man."

6. He having also seen a skull floating on the water, said, "because thou didst make others float, have they floated thee! and the end of those who made thee float will be that they will float."

7. He also said, "he who increases flesh, increases worms; he who increases riches, increases care; he who increases wives, increases witchcraft; he who increases female servants, increases lewdness; he who increases men servants, increases robbery; but he who increases his knowledge of the law, increases life; he who increases his study in college, increases wisdom; he who increases counsel, increases prudence; he who increases justice, increases peace; if a man have gained a good name, he has gained it for himself; if he have gained the words of the law, he has gained for himself everlasting life in the world to come."

8. Rabbi Jochanan, son of Zaccai, received the oral law from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say, "if thou hast spent much time in the study of the law, yet pride not thyself thereon, because for that wast thou created."

Rabbi Jochanan, son of Zaccai, had five disciples, and these are they: Rabbi Eleazar, son of Hyrca.n.u.s, Rabbi Joshua, son of Chananya, Rabbi Jose the priest, Rabbi Simon, son of Nathanael, Rabbi Eleazar, son of Arach. He used thus to estimate their merits: "R. Eleazar, son of Hyrca.n.u.s, is as a well-plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Joshua, son of Chananya, happy are his parents; Jose the priest is a saint; Simon, son of Nathanael, fears sin; Eleazar, son of Arach, is a mighty spring." He used to say, "if all the Sages of Israel were in one scale of the balance, and R. Eleazar, son of Hyrca.n.u.s, in the other, he would outweigh them all."

Abba Saul said in his name, "if all the Sages of Israel were in one scale, and even R. Eleazar, son of Hyrca.n.u.s, with them, and R. Eleazar, son of Arach, in the other, he would outweigh them all."

9. He also said to them, "go forth and consider which is the good path for man to cleave to?" To this R. Eleazar answered, "a good eye." R. Joshua said, "a good companion." R. Jose said, "a good neighbor." R. Simon said, "he who foresees the future." R. Eleazar said, "a good heart." He then said to them, "I prefer the words of R. Eleazar, son of Arach, above yours, as his words include yours." He also said to them, "go forth and consider which is the bad way that man should shun"; to which R. Eleazar said, "a bad eye." R. Joshua said, "a bad companion." R. Jose said, "a bad neighbor." R. Simon said, "he who borrows and pays not; for when one borrows from man, it is as if he borrows from G.o.d, as is said, 'The wicked borroweth and payeth not again; but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth.' "(469) R. Eleazar said, "a bad heart." He then said to them, "I prefer the words of R. Eleazar, son of Arach, above yours, as his words include yours."

10. They also said three things. R. Eleazar said, "let the honor of thy companion be as dear to thee as thine own; and be not easily moved to anger; and repent one day before thy death; and warm thyself by the fire of the Sages, and be careful that their coal does not burn thee, for their bite is as a bite of a fox, and their sting is as the sting of a scorpion, and their burn is the burn of a fiery serpent, and all their words are as fiery coals."

11. R. Joshua said, "the bad eye, the bad thought, and envy of companions, cause the death of man."

12. R. Jose said, "let thy companion's property be as dear to thee as thine own; and prepare thyself to study the law, as it cometh not to thee by inheritance; and let all thine actions be in the name of G.o.d."

13. R. Simon said, "be careful of reading the 'Hear,'(470) etc., and the other prayers; and when thou art praying consider not thy prayer as fixed, but as supplicating mercy in the presence of the Supreme, as is said, 'For He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil';(471) and be not impious in thine own sight."

14. R. Eleazar said, "be diligent to study the law, that thou mayest know how to confute the Epicurean; consider also in whose presence thou art laboring, for the Master of thy work is faithful to pay thee the reward of thy labor."

15. R. Tarphon said, "the day is short, the labor vast, but the laborers are slothful, though the reward is great, and the Master of the house presseth for despatch."

16. He used to say, "it is not inc.u.mbent upon thee to complete the work, neither art thou free to cease from it. If thou hast studied the law, great shall be thy reward; for the Master of thy work is faithful to pay the reward of thy labor; but know that the reward of the righteous is in the world to come."

Chapter III

1. Akabia, son of Mahallalel, said, "ponder on three things, and thou wilt not be led to the commission of sin; consider from whence thou comest, and whither thou goest; and in whose presence thou must in futurity stand to account in judgment. From whence comest thou? from a foul drop. And whither goest thou? to a place of dust-worms-and reptiles; and in whose presence art thou in future to account in judgment? even before the King Who is King of kings, and the HOLY ONE, blessed be He."

2. Rabbi Chanina, suffragan of the priests, said, "pray for the peace of the kingdom, for, were it not for its fear, men would swallow each other alive." Rabbi Chanina, son of Theradion, said, "two who are sitting together and speak not of the law are an a.s.sembly of scorners; as is said, 'Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.' "(472) But two who sit together, and speak of the law, the DIVINE PRESENCE (Shechinah) rests between them; as is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the LORD hearkened and heard; and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord; and for them that thought upon His name."(473) This refers to two; but whence may we infer, that if but one sits engaged in the study of the law the Holy One, blessed be He, will appoint him a reward? Because it is said, "He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him."(474)

3. Rabbi Simon said, "three who have eaten at one table and have not spoken of the law, are to be considered as if they had eaten of the sacrifices of the dead, for it is said, 'For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.'(475) But three who have eaten at one table and have spoken of the law, are considered as if they had eaten at G.o.d'S table, as is said, 'And he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.' "(476)

4. R. Chanina, son of Chanina, said, "he who wakes in the night and travels in the road alone, and turns his heart to vanity, is guilty of the death of his own soul."

5. R. Nechunya, son of Hakana, said, "whoever lays on himself the yoke of the law is relieved from the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the custom of the world, and whoever breaks off the yoke of the law, imposes on himself the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the custom of the world."

6. R. Chalaphta of the village of Chananya said, "ten men who a.s.semble together and study the law, the Shechinah rests among them, as is said, 'G.o.d standeth in the congregation of the mighty.' "(477) And hence it is inferred that it is also so with five, because it is said, "and hath founded his troop in the earth."(478) And hence it is inferred that it is likewise so with three, because it is said, "He judgeth among the G.o.ds."(479) And hence it is inferred that it is also thus with two, because it is said, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard, etc."(480) And hence it is inferred that it is likewise so with one, because it is said, "In all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee."(481)

7. R. Eleazar of Barthota said, "give unto Him of His own, for thou and all that thou hast are His." And thus said David, "For all things come of Thee, and of thine own have we given Thee."(482) R. Simon said, "he who journeys on the road, meditating on the law, and ceases therefrom to admire this beautiful tree or that beautiful fallow ground, is considered in Scripture as endangering his life."

8. R. Dosthai, the son of Jonai, in the name of R. Meier, said, "whoever forgetteth anything of what he had obtained by study, is considered in Scripture as having endangered his life"; as is said, "Only take heed to thyself and guard thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen."(483) "Perhaps his study has been too powerful for him?" "But it is said, 'And lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life.' "(484) Hence he endangers not his life, till he deliberately removes them from his heart.

9. Rabbi Chanina, son of Dose, said, "whosoever's fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will remain; but whosoever's wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom will not remain." He used to say, "whosoever's good deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom will remain; but whosoever's wisdom exceeds his good deeds, his wisdom will not remain."

10. He also used to say, "with whomsoever the spirit of his companions is gratified, the Spirit of G.o.d is gratified; but with whomsoever the spirit of his companions is not gratified, the Spirit of G.o.d is not gratified."

R. Jose, son of Harchinas, said, "that morning sleep, noontide wine, childish conversation, and the a.s.sembly of the ignorant, take man out of the world."

11. R. Eleazar Hamodai said, "he who profanes the holy offerings, despises the solemn feasts, puts his neighbor to shame in public, makes void the covenant of our father Abraham, and expounds the law contrary to its true sense, although he be well learned in the law and possessed of good deeds, yet has he no share in the world to come."

12. R. Ishmael said, "be humble to thy superior, and affable to thy inferior, and receive all mankind with joy."