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. Rabbi said, "which is the right course that a man should choose for
himself? That which is a pride to him who pursues it and which also
brings him honor from mankind. Be as scrupulous about a light precept
as about a grave one, for thou knowest not the grant of reward for
each precept. Reckon the loss incurred by the fulfilment of a precept
against the reward secured by its observance, and the gain gotten by a
transgression against the loss it involves. Consider three things,
that thou mayest not come within the power of sin. Know what is above
thee--a seeing eye, and a hearing ear, and all thy deeds written in a
book."
2. Rabban Gamaliel, the son of Rabbi Judah, the Prince, said,
"Excellent is the study of _Torah_ combined with some worldly pursuit,
for the effort demanded by them both makes sin to be forgotten. All
study of _Torah_ without work must at length be futile, and leads to
sin. Let all who are employed with the congregation act with them for
Heaven's sake, for then the merit of their fathers sustains them, and
their righteousness endures for ever. And as for you (God will then
say), 'I account you worthy of great reward, as if you had wrought it
all yourselves.' 3. Be on your guard against the ruling power; for
they who exercise it draw no man near to them except for their own
interests; appearing as friends when it is to their own advantage,
they stand not by a man in the hour of his need." 4. He used to say,
"Do His will as if it were thy will. Nullify thy will before His
will, that He may nullify the will of others before thy will."
5. Hillel said, "Separate not thyself from the congregation; trust not
in thyself until the day of thy death; judge not thy neighbor until
thou art come into his place; and say not anything which cannot be
understood at once, in the hope that it will be understood in the end;
neither say, 'When I have leisure I will study'; perchance thou wilt
have no leisure." 6. He used to say, "An empty-headed man cannot be a
sin-fearing man, nor can an ignorant person be pious, nor can a
shamefaced man learn, nor a passionate man teach, nor can one who is
engaged overmuch in business grow wise. In a place where there are no
men, strive to be a man." 7. Moreover, he once saw a skull floating
on the surface of the water. He said to it, "Because thou didst drown
(others) they have drowned thee, and at the last they that drowned
thee shall themselves be drowned." 8. He used to say, "The more
flesh, the more works; the more property, the more anxiety; the more
women, the more witchcraft; the more maid-servants, the more lewdness;
the more men-servants, the more robbery; the more _Torah_, the more
life; the more schooling, the more wisdom; the more counsel, the more
understanding; the more charity, the more peace. He who has acquired
a good name has acquired it for himself; he who has acquired for
himself words of _Torah_ has acquired for himself life in the world to
come."
9. Rabban Jochanan, the son of Zakkai received (the tradition) from
Hillel and Shammai. He used to say, "If thou hast learnt much
_Torah_, ascribe not any merit to thyself, for thereunto wast thou
created."
10. Rabban Jochanan, the son of Zakkai, had five disciples, and these
are they: Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus; Rabbi Joshua, the son of
Hananiah; Rabbi Jose, the Priest; Rabbi Simeon, the son of Nataniel;
and Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Arach. 11. He used thus to recount
their praise: "Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus, is a cemented cistern,
which loses not a drop; Joshua, the son of Hananiah, happy is she that
bare him; Jose, the Priest, is a pious man; Simeon, the son of
Nataniel, is a fearer of sin; Eleazar, the son of Arach, is like a
spring flowing with ever-sustained vigor." 12. He used to say, "If
all the sages of Israel were in one scale of the balance, and Eliezer,
the son of Hyrcanus, in the other, he would outweigh them all." Abba
Saul said in his name, "If all the sages of Israel were in one scale
of the balance, and Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus, also with them, and
Eleazar, the son of Arach, in the other scale, he would outweigh them
all." 13. He said to them, "Go forth and see which is the good way to
which a man should cleave." R. Eliezer said, "A good eye"; R. Joshua
said, "A good friend"; R. Jose said, "A good neighbor"; R. Simeon
said, "One who foresees the fruit of an action"; R. Eleazar said, "A
good heart." Thereupon he said to them, "I approve of the words of
Eleazar, the son of Arach, rather than your words, for in his words
yours are included." 14. He said to them, "Go forth and see which is
the evil way that a man should shun." R. Eliezer said, "An evil eye";
R. Joshua said, "A bad friend"; R. Jose said, "A bad neighbor"; R.
Simeon said, "One who borrows and does not repay--it is the same
whether one borrows from man or the Omnipresent; as it is said, 'The
wicked borroweth and payeth not again, but the righteous dealeth
graciously and giveth'"; R. Eleazar said, "A bad heart." Thereupon he
said to them, "I approve of the words of Eleazar, the son of Arach,
rather then your words, for in his words yours are included."
15. They each said three things. R. Eliezer said, "Let thy friend's
honor be as dear to thee as thine own; be not easily excited to anger;
and repent one day before thy death." And (he further said), "Warm
thyself by the fire of the wise, but beware of their glowing coals,
lest thou be burnt, for their bite is the bite of the fox, and their
sting is the scorpion's sting, and their hiss is the serpent's hiss,
and all their words are like coals of fire." 16. R. Joshua said, "The
evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of his fellow-creatures,
put a man out of the world." 17. R. Jose said, "Let the property of
thy friend be as dear to thee as thine own; prepare thyself for the
study of _Torah_, since the knowledge of it is not an inheritance of
thine, and let all thy deeds be done in the name of God." 18. R.
Simeon said, "Be careful in reading the _Shema_ and the _Amidah_; and
when thou prayest, consider not thy prayer as a fixed (mechanical)
task, but as (an appeal for) mercy and grace before the All-present,
as it is said, 'For he is gracious and full of mercy, slow to anger,
and abounding in loving-kindness, and repenteth him of the evil'; and
be not wicked in thine own esteem." 19. R. Eleazar said, "Be diligent
in studying _Torah_, and know what answer to give to the unbeliever;
know also before whom thou toilest, and who thy Employer is, who will
pay thee the reward of thy labor."
20. Rabbi Tafron said, "The day is short, the task is great, the
laborers are sluggish, the reward is much, and the Master of the house
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."
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'".