THE ACQUISITION OF THE TORAH (1)
(1) See Introduction pp. 18-19. [refers to the end of the
section titled DEVELOPMENT OF ABOT]
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".
The sages taught (the following) in the language of the
_Mishnah_--blessed be He that made choice of them and their _Mishnah_.
1. R. Meir (2) said, "Whosoever labors in the _Torah_ for its own
sake merits many things; and not only so, but the whole world is
indebted to him: he is called friend, beloved, a lover of the
All-present, a lover of mankind: it clothes him with meekness and
reverence; it fits him to become just, pious, upright, and faithful;
it keeps him far from sin, and brings him near to virtue; through him
are enjoyed counsel and sound knowledge, understanding and strength,
as it is said, 'Counsel is mind, and sound knowledge; I am
understanding; I have strength' (3). It gives him sovereignty and
dominion and discerning judgment; to him the secrets of the _Torah_
are revealed; he is made like a never-failing spring and like a river
that flows on with ever-increasing vigor; he becomes modest,
long-suffering, and forgiving of insults; and it magnifies and exalts
him above all things."
(2) Chapter III, n. 32.
(3) Prov. VIII, 14. Wisdom, representing the _Torah_, utters
these words.
2. R. Joshua, the son of Levi (4), said, "Every day a _bat-kol_ (5)
goes forth from Mount Horeb, proclaiming and saying, 'Woe to mankind
for contempt of the _Torah_, for whoever does not occupy himself in
the _Torah_ is said to be under the divine censure, as it is said, 'As
a ring of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman who turneth
aside from discretion' (6); and it says, 'And the tables were the work
of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the
tables' (7). Read not _charut_ (8), but _cherut_ (9), for no man is
free but he who occupies himself in the learning of _Torah_. But
whosoever labors in the _torah_, behold he shall be exalted, as it is
said, 'And from _Mattanah_ to _Nachaliel_, and from _Nachaliel_ to
_Bamot_'" (10).
(4) R. Joshua lived about the middle of the third century.
(5) _Bat kol_ (lit., "daughter of a voice" or
"daughter-voice"), "a small voice," "sound," "resonance," not
"echo," as it is often translated. The expression _bat kol_
was used in place of the longer one _bat kol min ha-shamayim_,
which is "a heavenly or divine voice which proclaims God's
will or judgment, His deeds, and His commandments to
individuals or to number of persons, to rulers, countries, and
even to whole nations." This celestial voice was a means of
divine revelation lower than that of prophecy. According to
Schechter, it has two peculiar features: first, its messages
are reproductions of verses or sentences from the Old
Testament or from the Apocrypha, and secondly, "it is audible
only to those who are prepared to hear it." See Weber,
_Altsynag. Theol._, pp. 187-189; Low, _Gesammelte Schriften_,
II, p. 58, n. 1; Kitto's _Cyclopedia of Biblical Lit._, art.
_Bath Kil_, and _Ludwig Blau_, art. _Bat Kol_, in _Jewish
Encyclopedia_.
(6) Proberbs XI, 22. The word [nazaf (nun-zayin-fey)]
"censured," "placed under ban," by a form of Rabbinical
interpretation known as _notarikon_ (stenographer's method,
abbreviation), is connected with the words of this verse in
Proverbs: [Nezem Zahav b'aF (NUN-zayin-mem(sofit)
ZAYIN-hey-bet bet-alef-FEY(sofit), capitals indicating larger
case Hebrew letters)]. Another instance of this kind of
interpretation is in connecting the word [anochi] "I," the
first word of the Decalogue, with the phrase: [Ana Nafshi
Catvit Yehavit (ALEF-nun-alef NUN-pey-shin-yud
CHOF-tof-bet-yud-tet YUD-hey-bet-yud-tet)] "I (God) myself
have written (the Torah), and delivered it," or with the words
[Amirah N'imah K'tivah Y'hivah (ALEF-mem-yud-resh-hey
NUN-ayin-yud-mem-hey CHOF-tof-yud-bet-hey
YUD-hey-yud-bet-hey)] "a pleasant saying, written and
delivered" (_Shabbat_, 105a). See art. _Notarikon_, in the
_Jewish Encyclopedia_, and Strack, _Einleitung_, p. 130.
(7) Ex. XXXII, 16.
(8) Graven. The phrase [al tikri . . . ele] "do not read . .
. but" followed by a suggested reading different from the
original, does not mean that the Rabbis offered an emendation
of the biblical text. It was merely a change of the text for
homiletical purposes. See Bacher, _Die alteste Terminologie
der judischen Schriftauslegung_, p. 175 _et seq._;
Friedlander, _Jewish Religion_, p. 204, and Talmudical
dictionaries, _s.v._
(9) Freedom.
(10) Num. XXI, 19 _Mattanah_, "gift"; _Nachaliel_, "the
heritage of God"; _Bamot_, "high places." The names of these
three encampments of the Israelites in the wilderness are
interpreted according to their literal meanings.
3. He who learns from his companion a single chapter, a single rule, a
single verse, a single expression, or even a single letter, ought to
pay him honor, for so we find with David, King of Israel, who learned
only two things from Ahitophel (11), and yet regarded him as his
master, his guide, and familiar friend, as it is said, "But it was
thou, a man, mine equal, my guide, and my familiar friend" (12). Now,
is it not an argument from minor to major (13), that if David, the
King of Israel, who learned only two things from Ahitophel, regarded
him as his master, guide, and familiar friend, he who learns from his
fellow a chapter, rule, verse, expression, or even a single letter, is
bound to pay him honor. And "honor" is nothing but _Torah_, as it is
said, "The wise shall inherit honor (14) and the perfect shall inherit
good" (15). And "good" is nothing but _Torah_, as it is said, "For I
give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my _Torah_" (16).
(11) Ahitophel deserted David to take up the cause of his
rebellious son, Absalom. See II Sam. XVI, 15; XVII, 1 _et
seq._
(12) See Ps. LV, 14. The two things David learned are hinted
at in Ps. LV, 15.
(13) See chapter I, n. 17.
(14) Prov. III, 35.
(15) _Ibid._, XXVIII, 10.
(16) _Ibid._, IV, 2.
4. This is the way that is becoming for the study of the _Torah_: a
morsel of bread with salt thou must eat (17), "and water by measure
thou must drink" (18), thou must sleep upon the ground, and live a
life of trouble the while thou toilest in the _Torah_. If thou doest
thus, "Happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee" (19),
"happy shalt thou be" in this world, and "it shall be well with thee"
in the world to come (20).
(17) Even he who has only bread and salt to eat must busy
himself with the study of the _Torah_.
(18) Ezek. IV, 11.
(19) Ps. CXXVIII, 2.
(20) Cf. chapter IV, 1.
5. Seek not greatness for thyself, and court not honor; let thy works
exceed thy learning; and crave not after the table of kings; for thy
table is greater than theirs, and thy crown is greater than theirs,
and thy Employer is faithful to pay thee the reward of thy work.
6. The _Torah_ is greater than the priesthood and than royalty, for
royalty demands thirty qualifications (21), the priesthood twenty-four
(22), while the _Torah_ is acquired by forty-eight. And these are
they: by audible study; by a listening ear (23); by distinct
pronunciation; by understanding (24) and discernment of the heart; by
awe, reverence, meekness, cheerfulness (25); by ministering to the
sages, by attaching one's self to colleagues, by discussion with
disciples; by sedateness; by knowledge of the Scripture and of the
_Mishnah;_ by moderation in business, in intercourse with the world,
in pleasure, in sleep, in conversation, in laughter; by long
suffering; by a good heart; by faith in the wise; by resignation under
chastisement; by recognizing one's place, rejoicing in one's portion,
putting a fence to one's words, claiming no merit for one's self, by
being beloved, loving the All-present, loving mankind, loving just
courses, rectitude, and reproof; by keeping one's self far from honor,
not boasting of one's learning, nor delighting in giving decisions; by
bearing the yoke with one's fellow, judging him favorably, and leading
him to truth and peace; by being composed in one's study; by asking
and answering, hearing and adding thereto; by learning with the object
of teaching, and by learning with the object of practising; by making
one's master wise, fixing attention upon his discourse, and reporting
a thing in the name of who said it. So thou hast learned, "Whosoever
reports a thing in the name of him that said it brings deliverance
into the world," as it is said, "And Esther told the king in the name
of Mordecai" (26).
(21) See _Sanhedrin_ II, 2-5.
(22) See _Baba Kamma_, 110b, etc.
(23) Singer, combining the first two, reads "by audible
study."
(24) Taylor omits "understanding and."
(25) Taylor and Hoffmann add "by purity" ([b'taharah]).
(26) Esth. II, 22.
7. Great is the _Torah_, which gives life to those that practise it in
this world and in the world to come, as it is said, "For they are life
unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (27); and it
says, "It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones" (28);
and it says, "It is a tree of life to them that grasp it, and of them
that uphold it every one is rendered happy" (29); and it says, "For
they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy
neck" (30); and it says, "It shall give to thine head a chaplet of
grace, a crown of glory it shall deliver to thee" (31); and it says,
"For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life
shall be increased" (32); and it says, "Length of days is in its right
hand; in its left hand are riches and honor" (33); and it says, "For
length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee"
(34).
(27) Prov. IV, 22.
(28) _Ibid._, III, 8.
(29) Prov. III, 18.
(30) _Ibid._, I, 9.
(31) _Ibid_, IV, 9.
(32) Prov. IX, 11.
(33) _Ibid._, III, 16.
(34) _Ibid._, III, 2.
8. R. Simeon, the son of Judah, in the name of R. Simeon, the son of
Yohai, said, "Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, old age, a
hoary head, and children are comely to the righteous and comely to the
world, as it is said, 'The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be
found in the way of righteousness' (35); and it says, 'The glory of
young men is their strength, and the adornment of old men is the hoary
head' (36); and it says, 'A crown unto the wise is their riches' (37);
and it says, 'Children's children are the crown of old men, and the
adornment of children are their fathers' (38); and it is said, 'Then
the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed; for the Lord of
hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his
elders shall be glory'" (39). R. Simeon, the son of Menasya, said,
"These seven qualifications which the sages enumerated as becoming to
the righteous were all realized in Rabbi Judah, the Prince (40), and
in his sons."
(35) _Ibid._, XVI, 31.
(36) _Ibid._, XX, 29.
(37) Prov. XIV, 24.
(38) _Ibid._, XVII, 6.
(39) Isa. XXIV, 23.
(40) See chapter II, n. 1.
9. R. Jose, the son of Kisma (41), said, "I was once walking by the
way, when a man met me and saluted me, and I returned the salutation.
He said to me, 'Rabbi, from what place art thou?' I said to him, 'I
come from a great city of sages and scribes.' He said to me, 'If thou
art willing to dwell with us in our place, I will give thee a thousand
thousand golden dinars and precious stones and pearls.' I said to
him, 'Wert thou to give me all the silver and gold and precious stones
and pearls in the world, I would not dwell anywhere but in a home of
the _Torah';_ and thus it is written in the book of Psalms by the
hands of David, King of Israel, 'The law of thy mouth is better unto
me than thousands of gold and silver' (42); and not only so, but in
the hour of man's departure neither silver nor gold nor precious
stones nor pearls accompany him, but only _Torah_ and good works, as
it is said, 'When thou walkest it shall lead thee; when thou liest
down it shall watch over thee; and when thou awakest it shall talk
with thee' (43); 'when thou walkest it shall lead thee'--in this
world; and 'when thou awakest it shall talk with thee'--in the world
to come. And it says, 'The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,
saith the Lord of hosts'" (44).
(41) He lived about 120 C.E.
(42) Ps. XCIX, 72.
(43) Prov. VI, 22.
(44) Hag. II, 8.
10. Five possessions the Holy One, blessed be He, made especially His
own in His world, and these are they, the _Torah_, heaven and earth,
Abraham, Israel, and the house of the sanctuary. Whence know we this
of the _Torah?_ Because it is written, "The Lord possessed me as the
beginning of his way, before his works, from of old" (45). Whence of
heaven and earth? Because it is written, "Thus saith the Lord, the
heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: what manner of
house will ye build unto me? and what manner of place for my rest?"
(46); and it says, "How manifold are thy works, O Lord! In wisdom
hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy possessions" (47).
Whence of Abraham? Because it is written, "And he blessed him, and
said, 'Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and
earth" (48). Whence of Israel? Because it is written, "Till thy
people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over which thou hast
acquired" (49); and it says, "As for the saints that are in the earth,
they are the noble ones in whom is all my delight" (50). Whence of
the house of the sanctuary? Because it is written, "The place, O
Lord, which thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, the sanctuary, O
Lord, which Thy hands have prepared" (51); and it says, "And he
brought them to the border of his sanctuary, to this mountain which
his right hand had acquired" (52). 11. Whatsoever the Holy One,
blessed be He, created in His world He created but for His glory, as
it is said, "Everything that is called by my name, it is for my glory
I have created it, I have formed it, yea, I have made it" (53); and it
says, "The Lord shall reign for ever and ever" (54).
(45) Prov. VIII, 22.
(46) Isa. LXVI, 1.
(47) Ps. CIV, 24.
(48) Gen. XIV, 16.
(49) Ex. XV, 16.
(50) Ps. XVI, 3.
(51) Ex. XV, 17.
(52) Ps. LXXVIII, 54.
(53) Isa. XLIII, 7.
(54) Ex. XV, 18.
Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, 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'".
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TRANSCRIPTION NOTES
For any accent marks noted in the following, assume that the same
accent appears with all subsequent occurrances of the word.
INTRODUCTION
_Die Spruche der Vater_
umlaut over the u and the a
_Maximes des Peres_
grave over the last e
role
circumflex over the o
footnote 9
_Jewish Encyclopedia_:
in the source, the word Jewish was not italicized
BIBLIOGRAPHY
[s]
the document contained a special character known as "section
sign", resembling two lower-case s's one above the other.
Spruchen
umlaut over tue u in
Vater
umlaut over the a
Beitragen
umlaut over the a
Spruche
umlaut over the a
Tubingen
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ubertragen
umlaut over the u
uberzetzt
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erklart
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Maimonide
umlaut over the i (in this French title)
Introduction a la ...
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Peres
grave accent over the first e
Furth
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umber
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fur Geschichte
umlaut over the u
Brull
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ursprunglicher
umlaut over the second u
Jahrbucher fur Jud
umlauts over all three u's
Friedlander, M.
umlaut over the a. Same in Chapter I, notes 4, 10, 11, 13, 18
etc. There is no umlaut in the next entry, "Friedlander, G."
samtlichen Bucher
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Chaine
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in the book (e.g. Introduction, notes 5 and 8).
Loeb ... Pirke Abot
acute accent over the e in Pirke, for both entries
ecole
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Etudes
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le chapitre Ier
final er is superscript (premier)
Schurer
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Vortrage
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CHAPTERS II through VI:
The source text included the following two lines:
"All Israel," etc., p. 29
and
"Rabbi Chanania," etc., p. 38.
as the first and last line of each chapter, the page numbers
referring to the beginning and ending of Chapter I. Rather than
reference these two sentences as the source text did, this text
version copies the two sentences to their intended locations. The
transcriber believes this better captures the flavor of the text.
Chapter III:
R. Meir
umlaut over the i, wherever this name appears
footnote 23
mutual assistance. as _Agudat Achim_
period and lower-case 'as' are as found in the source text
footnote 45
Chald. Worterbuch: umlaut over the o
CHAPTER IV:
happy art thou in this world, and
in the source text, the comma was a period.
CHAPTER V:
tables of stone
are as written in the source text as a translation of the Hebrew
"luchot"; modern readers may better recognize the phrase 'tablets
of stone'.
footnote 23
archaol.: umlaut over the second a.
CHAPTER VI:
footnote 5
to individuals or to number of persons: is as written in the
source text
footnote 8
alteste: umlaut over the a
judischen: umlaut over the u
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PAGE REFERENCE INDEX
This index is included strictly on the off-chance that an outside
source would reference this text by page number. It lists some page
numbers, and the first line that appears on that page. With the use
of this index, readers will better be able to find the referenced
materials.
In the edition used as a source text, the Table of Contents appears as
page iv on the back of the Title Page; there were no pages i through
iii! The PREFACE started on page 7. There were are no pages 1-6!
PREFACE . . . . . . . 7
INTRODUCTION
Name . . . . . . 9
Purpose . . . . . . 11
Description . . . . . . 13
Contents . . . . . . 13
Language . . . . . . 15
Development of Abot . . . . 16
Abot in Liturgy . . . . . 19
Bibliography . . . . . 21
CHAPTER I . . . . . . 29
CHAPTER II . . . . . . 39
CHAPTER III . . . . . . 51
CHAPTER IV . . . . . . 64
CHAPTER V . . . . . . 75
CHAPTER VI . . . . . . 91
HEBREW TEXT (Appendix) . . . . 3-30
page - first line of that page
8 wisdom of the "Father"; that it may serve as an
10 and in French it is usually rendered _Chaptres_ or
12 line of continuous tradition is plainly seen in the
14 B. (1) Chapters I, 16-II, 4: Sayings of the men of
16 DEVELOPMENT OF ABOT (13)
18 having lived before the destruction of the second
20 all editions of the _Mishnah_ and the _Talmud_, but
22 _Gemara_ (Talmudical commentary) on the _Abot_,
24 (2) _An appendix to the Sayings of the
26 17. Jehudah Leb gordon, _Pirke Abot_, in _Siddur Bet
28 Chapitre des Pirke Abot_, in _Bibliotheque de
30 (6), and the elders to the prophets, and the proph-
32 of the Great Synagogue. He used to say, "Upon
34 bers of thy household, and engage not in much
36 12. Hillel and Shammai (29) received (the tradi-
38 18. Rabban Simeon, the son of Gamaliel (42),
40 against the loss it involves. Consider three things,
42 the day of thy death (12); judge not thy neighbor
44 for himself words of _Torah_ has acquired for him-
46 which is the good way to which a man should
48 the evil inclination (40), and hatred of his fellow-
50 also before whom thou toilest, and who thy Em-
52 2. R. Chanina, the Vice-High-Priest (5), said,
54 a table and have spoken there words of _Torah_, it is
56 8. R. Eleazar of Bertota (28) said, "Give unto
58 fanes things sacred, and despises the festivals, and
60 rampart around the _Torah;_ tithes are a safeguard
62 "Where there is no _Torah_, there are no manners;
64 CHAPTER IV
66 virtue is a virtue, and the recompense of a trans-
68 not alone, for none may judge alone save One;
70 home of the _Torah_ (30), and say not that the _Torah_
72 learns as a child, what is it like? Like ink written
74 not thy imagination give thee hope that the grave
76 ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to make
78 nor was there ever found any disqualifying defect
80 and upon the last, last; regarding that which he
82 the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles in each
84 love, too, passes away (45); but if it be not depend-
86 disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world
88 at thirteen for (the fulfilment of) the command-
90 26. Ben He He said, "According to the labor is
92 becomes modest, long-suffering, and forgiving of
94 friend, as it is said, "But it was thou, a man, mine
96 courses, rectitude, and reproof; by keeping one's self
98 once walking by the way, when a man met me and
100 for His glory, as it is said, "Everything that is
Next appears page 30, the end of the Hebrew text. The Hebrew text is
numbered from 3 to 30, in right-to-left format.