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. With ten sayings the world was created. What does this teach us?
Could it not have been created with one saying? It is to make known
the punishment that will befall the wicked who destroy the world that
was created with ten sayings, as well as the goodly reward that will
be bestowed upon the just who preserve the world that was created with
ten sayings. 2. There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to make
known how long-suffering God is, seeing that all those generations
continued provoking him, until he brought upon them the waters of the
flood. 3. There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to make
known how long-suffering God is, seeing that all those generations
continued provoking him, until Abraham, our father, came, and received
the reward they should all have earned. 4. With ten trials our father
Abraham was tried, and he stood firm in them all, to make known how
great was the love of our father Abraham. 5. Ten miracles were
wrought for our fathers in Egypt, and ten at the Sea. 6. Ten plagues
did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt,
and ten at the Sea. 7. With ten temptations did our fathers tempt the
Holy One, blessed be He, in the wilderness, as it is said, "And they
tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice." 8.
Ten miracles were wrought for our fathers in the Temple; no woman
miscarried from the scent of the holy flesh; the holy flesh never
became putrid; no fly was seen in the slaughter-house; no unclean
accident ever befell the high-priest on the Day of Atonement; the rain
never quenched the fire of the wood-pile on the altar; neither did the
wind overcome the column of smoke that arose therefrom; nor was there
ever found any disqualifying defect in the omer (of new barley,
offered on the second day of Passover) or in the two loaves (the first
fruits of the wheat-harvest, offered on Pentecost), or in the
shewbread; though the people stood closely pressed together, they
found ample space to prostrate themselves; never did serpent or
scorpion injure any one in Jerusalem; nor did any man ever say to his
fellow, "the place is too strait for me to lodge over night in
Jerusalem." 9. Ten things were created on the eve of Sabbath in the
twilight: the mouth of the earth; the mouth of the well; the mouth of
the ass; the rainbow; the manna; the rod; the shamir; the shape of
written characters; the writing, and the tables of stone: some say,
the destroying spirits also, and the sepulchre of Moses, and the ram
of Abraham our father; and others say, tongs, also, made with tongs.
10. There are seven marks of an uncultured, and seven of a wise man.
The wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in
wisdom; and does not interrupt the speech of his companion; he is not
hasty to answer; he questions according to the subject-matter; and
answers to the point; he speaks upon the first thing first, and upon
the last, last; regarding that which he has not understood he says, "I
do not understand it;" and he acknowledges the truth. The reverse of
all this is to be found in an uncultured man. 11. Seven kinds of
punishment come into the world for seven important transgressions. If
some give their tithes and others do not, a dearth ensues from drought
and some suffer hunger while others are full. If they all determine
to give no tithes, a dearth ensures from tumult and drought. If they
further resolve not to give the dough-cake, an exterminating dearth
ensures. Pestilence comes into the world to fulfil those death
penalties threatened in the _Torah_, the execution of which, however,
is within the function of a human tribunal, and for the violation of
the law regarding the fruits of the seventh year. The sword comes
into the world for the delay of justice, and for the perversion of
justice, and on account of the offence of those who interpret the
_Torah_, not according to its true sense. Noxious beasts come into
the world for vain swearing, and for the profanation of the Divine
Name. Captivity comes into the world on account of idolatry,
immortality, bloodshed, and the neglect of the year of rest for the
soil. 12. At four periods pestilence grows apace: in the fourth year,
in the seventh, at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the
conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles in each year: in the fourth
year, for default of giving the tithe to the poor in the third year;
in the seventh year, for default of giving the title to the poor in
the sixth year; at the conclusion of the seventh year, for the
violation of the law regarding the fruits of the seventh year, and at
the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles in each year, for robbing
the poor of the grants legally assigned to them.
13. There are four characters among men: he who says, "What is mine is
mine and what is thine is thine," his is a neutral character; some
say, "This is a character like that of Sodom"; he who says, "What is
mine is thine and what is thine is mine," is a boor; he who says,
"What is mine is thine and what is thine is thine," is a saint; he who
says, "What is thine is mine and what is mine is mine," is a wicked
man. 14. There are four kinds of tempers: he whom it is easy to
provoke and easy to pacify, his loss disappears in his gain; he whom
it is hard to provoke and hard to pacify, his gain disappears in his
loss; he whom it is hard to provoke and easy to pacify is a saint; he
whom it is easy to provoke and hard to pacify is a wicked man. 15.
There are four qualities in disciples: he who quickly understands and
quickly forgets, his gain disappears in his loss; he who understands
with difficulty and forgets with difficulty, his loss disappears in
his gain; he who understands quickly and forgets with difficulty, his
is a good portion; he who understands with difficulty and forgets
quickly, his is an evil portion. 16. As to almsgiving there are four
dispositions: he who desires to give, but that others should not give,
his eye is evil toward what appertains to others; he who desires that
others should give, but will not give himself, his eye is evil against
what is his own; he who gives and wishes others to give is a saint; he
who will not give and does not wish others to give is a wicked man.
17. There are four characters among those who attend the house of
study: he who goes and does not practise secures the reward for going;
he who practises but does not go secures the reward for practising; he
who goes and practises is a saint; he who neither goes nor practises
is a wicked man. 18. There are four qualities among those that sit
before the wise: they are like a sponge, a funnel, a strainer, or a
sieve: a sponge, which sucks up everything; a funnel, which lets in at
one end and out at the other; a strainer, which lets the wine pass out
and retains the dregs; a sieve, which lets out the bran and retains
the fine flour.
19. Whenever love depends upon some material cause, with the passing
away of that cause, the love, too, passes away; but if it be not
depending upon such a cause, it will not pass away for ever. Which
love was that which depended upon a material cause? Such was the love
of Ammon and Tamar. And that which depended upon no such cause? Such
was the love of David and Jonathan.
20. Every controversy that is in the Name of Heaven shall in the end
lead to a permanent result, but every controversy that is not in the
Name of Heaven shall not lead to a permanent result. Which
controversy was that which was in the Name of Heaven? Such was the
controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And that which was not in the Name
of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his company.
21. Whosoever causes the multitude to be righteous, over him sin
prevails not; but he who causes the multitude to sin shall not have
the means to repent. Moses was righteous and made the multitude
righteous; the righteousness of the multitude was laid upon him, as it
is said, "He executed the justice of the Lord and his judgments with
Israel." Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, sinned and caused the multitude
to sin; the sin of the multitude was laid upon him, as it is said,
"For the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and which he made Israel to
sin."
22. Whosoever has these three attributes is of the disciples of
Abraham, our father, but whosoever has three other attributes is of
the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble mind, and a
lowly spirit (are the tokens) of the disciples of Abraham, our father;
an evil eye, a haughty mind, and a proud spirit (are the signs) of the
disciples of Balaam, the wicked. What is the difference between the
disciples of Abraham, our father, and those of Balaam, the wicked?
The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world and inherit the
world to come, as it is said, "That I may cause those that love me to
inherit substance, and may fill all their treasuries"; but the
disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit _Gehinnom_, and descend into
the pit of destruction, as it is said, "But thou, O God, wilt bring
them down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men
shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee."
23. Judah, the son of Tema, said, "Be bold as a leopard, swift as an
eagle, fleet as a hart, and strong as a lion, to do the will of thy
Father who is in Heaven." 24. He used to say, "At five years (the age
is reached for the study of the) Scripture, at ten for (the study of)
the _Mishnah_, at thirteen for (the fulfilment of) the commandments,
at fifteen for (the study of) the _Talmud_, at eighteen for marriage,
at twenty for seeking (a livelihood), at thirty for (entering into
one's full) strength, at forty for understanding, at fifty for
counsel, at sixty (a man attains) old age, at seventy the hoary head,
at eighty (the gift of special) strength, at ninety, (he bends
beneath) the weight of years, at a hundred he is as if he were already
dead and had passed away from the world."
25. Ben Bag Bag said, "Turn it, and turn it over again, for everything
is in it, and contemplate it, and wax grey and old over it, and stir
not from it, for thou canst have no better rule than this."
26. Ben He He said, "According to the labor is the reward."
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'".