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. Ben Zoma said, "Who is wise? He who learns from all men, as it is
said, 'from all my teachers have I gotten understanding.' Who is
mighty? He who controls his passions, as it is said, 'He that is slow
to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth over his spirit
than he that taketh a city.' Who is rich? He who rejoices in his
portion, as it is said, 'When thou eatest the labor of thine hands,
happy art thou, and it shall be well with thee'; happy art thou in
this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come. Who
is honored? He who honors others, as it is said, 'For them that honor
me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be held in contempt.'"
2. Ben Azzai said, "Hasten to do even a slight precept, and flee from
transgression; for one virtue leads to another, and transgression
draws transgression in its train; for the recompense of a virtue is a
virtue, and the recompense of a transgression is a transgression." 3.
He used to say, "Despise not any man, and carp not at any thing; for
there is not a man that has not his hour, and there is not a thing
that has not its place."
4. R. Levitas of Jabneh said, "Be exceedingly lowly of spirit, since
the hope of man is but the worm."
5. R. Jochanan, the son of Berokah, said, "Whosoever profanes the Name
of Heaven in secret will suffer the penalty for it in public; and
this, whether the Heavenly Name be profaned in ignorance or in
wilfulness."
6. R. Ishmael, his son, said, "He who learns in order to teach, to him
the means will be granted both to learn and to teach; but he who
learns in order to practise, to him the means will be granted to
learn, and to teach, to observe, and to practise."
7. R. Zadok said, "Separate not thyself from the congregation; (in the
judge's office) act not the counsel's part; make not of the _Torah_ a
crown wherewith to aggrandize thyself, nor a spade wherewith to dig."
So also used Hillel to say, "He who makes a worldly use of the crown
(of the _Torah_) shall waste away." Hence thou mayest infer that
whosoever derives a profit for himself from the words of the _Torah_
is helping on his own destruction.
8. R. Jose said, "Whoso honors the _Torah_ will himself be honored by
mankind, but whoso dishonors the _Torah_ will himself be dishonored by
mankind."
9. R. Ishmael, his son, said, "He who shuns the judicial office rids
himself of hatred, robbery, and vain swearing; but he who
presumptuously lays down decisions is foolish, wicked, and of an
arrogant spirit." 10. He used to say, "Judge not alone, for none may
judge alone save One; neither say (to thy judicial colleagues),
'Accept my view,' for the choice is theirs (to concur); and it is not
for thee (to compel concurrence)."
11. R. Jonathan said, "Whoso fulfils the _Torah_ in the midst of
poverty shall in the end fulfil it in the midst of wealth; and whoso
neglects the _Torah_ in the midst of wealth shall in the end neglect
it in the midst of poverty."
12. R. Meir said, "Lessen thy toil for worldly goods, and be busy in
the _Torah_; be humble of spirit before all men; if thou neglectest
the _Torah_, many causes for neglecting it will be present themselves
to thee, but if thou laborest in the _Torah_, He has abundant
recompense to give thee."
13. R. Elieser, the son of Jacob, said, "He who does one precept has
gotten himself one advocate; and he who commits one transgression has
gotten himself one accuser. Repentance and good deeds are as a shield
against punishment."
14. R. Jochanan, the sandal-maker, said, "Every assembly which is in
the Name of Heaven will in the end be established, but that which is
not in the Name of Heaven will not in the end be established."
15. R. Eleazer, the son of Shammua, said, "Let the honor of thy
disciple be as dear to thee as thine own, and the honor of thine
associate be like the fear of thy master, and the fear of thy master
like the fear of Heaven."
16. R. Judah said, "Be cautious in study, for an error in study may
amount to presumptuous sin."
17. R. Simeon said, "There are three crowns: the crown of _Torah_, the
crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good
name excels them all."
18. R. Nehorai said, "Betake thyself to a home of the _Torah_, and say
not that the _Torah_ will come after thee; for there thy associates
will establish thee in the possession of it; and lean not upon thine
own understanding."
19. R. Jannia said, "It is not in our power (to explain) either the
prosperity of the wicked or the afflictions of the righteous."
20. R. Mattithiah, the son of Heresh, said, "Be beforehand in the
salutation of peace to all men; and be rather a tail to lions than a
head to foxes."
21. R. Jacob said, "This world is like a vestibule before the world to
come; prepare thyself in the vestibule, that thou mayest enter into
the hall." 22. He used to say, "Better is one hour of repentance and
good deeds in this world than the whole life of the world to come; and
better is one hour of blissfulness of spirit in the world to come than
the whole life of this world."
23. R. Simeon, the son of Eleazer, said, "Do not appease thy fellow in
the hour of his anger, and comfort him not in the hour when his dead
lies before him, and question him not in the hour of his vow, and rush
not to see him in the hour of his disgrace."
24. Samuel, the younger, used to say, "Rejoice not when thine enemy
falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the
Lord see it and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from
him."
25. Elisha, the son of Abuyah, said, "If one learns as a child, what
is it like? Like ink written in clean paper. If one learns as an old
man, what is it like? Like ink written on used paper."
26. R. Jose, the son of Judah, of Chefar Babli said, "He who learns
from the young, to what is he like? To one who eats unripe grapes,
and drinks wine from his vat. And he who learns from the old, to what
is he like? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine."
27. Rabbi Meir said, "Look not at the flask, but at what it contains:
there may be a new flask full of old wine, and an old flask that has
not even new wine in it."
28. R. Eleazar ha-Kappar said, "Envy, cupidity, and ambition take a
man from the world." 29. He used to say, "They that are born are
doomed to die; and the dead to be brought to life again; and the
living to be judged, to know, to make known, and to be made conscious
that He is God, He the Maker, He the Creator, He the Discerner, He the
Judge, He the Witness, He the Accuser; He it is that will in future
judge, blessed be He, with Whom there is no unrighteousness, nor
forgetfulness, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes; and know
also that everything is according to the reckoning; and let not thy
imagination give thee hope that the grave will be a place of refuge
for thee; for perforce thou wast formed, and perforce thou wast born,
and thou livest perforce, and perforce thou wilt die, and perforce
thou wilt in the future have to give account and reckoning before the
Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He."
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'".