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, the son of Mahalalel, said, "Consider three things, and
thou wilt not come within the power of sin: know whence thou camest,
and whither thou art going, and before whom thou wilt in the future
have to give an account and reckoning. Whence thou camest: from a
fetid drop; whether thou art going: to a place of dust, worms, and
maggots; 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."
2. R. Chanina, the Vice-High-Priest, said, "Pray for the welfare of
the government, since but for the fear thereof men would swallow each
other alive."
3. R. Chananiah, the son of Teradion, said, "If two sit together and
interchange no words of _Torah_, they are a meeting of scorners,
concerning whom it is said, 'The godly man sitteth not in the seat of
the scorners'; but if two sit together and interchange words of
_Torah_, the Divine Presence 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.' 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.'"
4. R. Simeon 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).'
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.'"
5. R. Chanina, the son of Hakinai, 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."
6. R. Nechunya, son of ha-Kanah, 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, 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."
7. R. Chalafta, the son of Dosa, of the village of Chanania said,
"When ten people sit together and occupy themselves with the _Torah_,
the _Shechinah_ abides among them, as it is said, 'God standeth in the
congregation of the godly.' And whence can it be shown that the same
applies to five? Because it is said, 'He hath found his band upon the
earth.' And whence can it be shown that the same applies to three?
Because it is said, 'He judgeth among the judges.' 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.' 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.'"
8. R. Eleazar of Bertota 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.'"
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."
10. R. Dostai, the son of Jannai, said in the name of R. Meir, "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.' 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.' Thus a person's guilt is not established
until he deliberately and of set purpose removes those lessons from
his heart."
11. R. Chanina, the son of Dosa, 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." 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." 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."
14. R. Dosa, the son of Horkinas, said, "Morning sleep, midday wine,
childish babbling, and attending the houses of assembly of the
ignorant waste a man's life."
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, and makes the
_Torah_ bear a meaning other than the right; (such a one) even though
knowledge of the _Torah_ and good deeds be his, has no share in the
world to come."
16. R. Ishmael said, "Be submissive to a superior, affable to the
young, and receive all men with cheerfulness."
17. R. Akiba said, "Jesting and levity lead a man on to lewdness. The
_Massorah_ is a rampart around the _Torah_; tithes are a safeguard to
riches; good resolves are a fence to abstinence; a hedge around wisdom
is silence." 18. He used to say, "Beloved is man, for he was created
in the image (of God); but it was by a special love that it was made
known to him that he was created in the image of God, as it is said,
'For in the image of God made he man.' 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 God.'
Beloved are Israel, for unto them was given the desirable instrument;
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_.' 19. Everything is foreseen, yet free will is given; and the
world is judged by grace, yet all is according to the amount of the
work." 20. He used to say, "Everything is given on pledge, and a net
is spread for all living; the shop is open; 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; and
they have that whereon they can rely in their demand; and the judgment
is a judgment of truth; and everything is prepared for the feast."
21. R. Eleazar, the son of Azariah, said, "Where there is no _Torah_,
there are no manners; where there are no manners, there is no _Torah_:
where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no
fear of God, there is no wisdom: where there is no knowledge, there no
understanding; where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge:
where there is no meal, there is no _Torah;_ where there is no
_Torah_, there is no meal." 22. He used to say, "He whose wisdom
exceeds his works, to what is he like? To a tree whose branches are
many, but whose roots are few; and the wind comes and plucks it up,
and overturns it upon its face, as it is said, 'And he shall be like a
lonely juniper tree in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh;
but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land
and not inhabited.' But he whose works exceed his wisdom, to what is
he like? To a tree whose branches are few, but whose roots are many,
so that though all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they
cannot stir it from its place, as it is said, 'And he shall be as a
tree planted by the waters; and that spreadeth out its roots by the
river and shall not perceive when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be
green; and shall not be troubled in the year of drought, neither shall
cease from yielding fruit.'"
23. R. Eleazar Chisma said, "The laws concerning the sacrifices of
birds and the purification of women are essential ordinances;
astronomy and geometry are the after-courses of wisdom."
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'".