Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers

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Chapter 4 Mishna 1
פרק ד משנה א

Ben Zomah says: who is wise? He who learns from every man, as written: 'from all who taught me I have gained wisdom, for Your testimonies are my conversation' (Tehilim 119:99).

Who is mighty? He who conquers his [evil] inclination, as written: 'he who is slow to anger is better than a strong man, and he that rules over his spirit [is mightier] than one who conquers a city'" (Mishlei 16:32)

who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his lot, as written: "you shall eat of the toil of your hands, fortunate are you and it is good for you" (Tehilim 128:2) - 'fortunate are you' - in this world, and 'it is good for you' - in the World-to-Come.

Who is honorable? He who honors his fellow human beings, as written: "those who honor Me, I shall honor, while those who dishonor Me shall be dishonored" (Shmuel I 2:30).
בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי.

אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר.

אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.

אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:


~Level 1~
Bartenura - i.e. who is a wise man who is praiseworthy for his wisdom? He who learns from every man, even if the other person is smaller than him. For since he is not concerned for his own honor and learns from the small, it demonstrates that his wisdom is l'Shem Shamayim (for the sake of heaven) and not for his own pride and glory (and thus he is praiseworthy for his wisdom).

"from all my teachers" - i.e. I learned torah from all my teachers, even those inferior to me and I was not concerned for my own honor.
~Level 1~
Rabeinu Yonah - "he who learns from every man?.." - the wise men of the nations said that even if one knows all the wisdoms, nevertheless, if he does not love wisdom, he is not a wise man but a fool..

But one who loves wisdom and lusts for it, even if he knows nothing, nevertheless, he is called a wise man. For he will attain wisdom since his desire and will is in this...
So too here, one who so much loves and desires wisdom that he asks every person. And even one who knows only a single thing, he learns from him - then he will succeed and become wise..
~Level 3~
Daat Zekenim on Pirkei Avot - for one who loves wisdom "seeks" (mevakesh) it due to his great hunger for wisdom. For "the soul is never filled" (Kohelet 6:7), and thus he is never satiated. This is the secret of eternity (yesod hanetzach)..

We observe the world and everything in it. For a single individual, all this is worth nothing to him except what he needs for himself. For that which he does not need for himself, what joy does he have in it? But if they belong to him, he has very great joy in them. So too, the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices very much in all the worlds. For they are His handiwork, and He did not create them for nothing.

Thus, a man who contemplates that the purpose of man is to attain the will of G-d (ratzon H'). Namely, that which G-d wants - this becomes his own will. If so, all that exists in the world which is the will of G-d - they are also his own will. Hence, he rejoices in them very very much and this is a tremendous pleasure.

We can fit this in "who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his lot" - i.e. the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, which He alotted to His creations.
~Level 4~
Maharal - you should know that "wisdom" is separate from man. Man "carries" (nosseh) the wisdom. We explained this matter a few times already. For man is of physical body and wisdom is separate from him.

The title "wise man" applies on the man himself. Thus, it is not proper to call him a "wise man" because of the wisdom he has. For what does man of physical body have connection with wisdom?

But when he longs to receive wisdom, then the carrier, namely man, materializes/integrates (mitatzem) with the wisdom which he receives. This is similar to how the physical, which is the carrier, materializes with the "form" (tzura) it receives..

But if the carrier, namely, the physical, did not long to receive this form, it is completely as if there was no receiving of the form. For there must exist a desire to receive the form.

The torah hints to this in the verse: "your desire shall be to your husband" (Gen.3:16), and our sages who know wisdom said: "more than a man desires to marry, a woman desires to become married" (Yevamot 113a).

All this is due to the longing of the physical to receive form and materialize through it.

This is what was said here. Who is wise? He who learns from every man. For when he has a longing for wisdom, then it is proper to call himself by the title "chacham" (wise). (see there for more)
~Level 1~
Bartenura - "who is mighty?" - i.e. who is praiseworthy for his might? - one who conquers his evil inclination, as written: "he who is slow to anger is better than a strong man"..
Likewise, for one who "rules over his spirit" when it pushes him - [he is mightier] than one who conquers a city..
~Level 2~
Michtav M'Eliyahu chelek 1 - "who is mighty" - not this person who built an empire and submitted millions of people, exiled and destroyed, and changed the planet. But rather, this person who fights the daily battle with himself. He who every day conquers a new world of his [inner] worlds, who trips the feet of the yetzer and conquers him.
~Level 3~
Yachel Yisrael - "he who is slow to anger is better than a strong man" - why did Shlomo use the trait of anger as an example of a true mighty man? The commentaries explain that he used this trait because during a time of anger, it is most apparent to everyone present just how much a man is not in control of himself.

Rather, then he is under the dominion of the yetzer hara. The angry person himself also senses during his anger that he sometimes acts without clear mindedness. His reactions are different and inappropriate. Thus, as an example of a person who submitted his yetzer hara, he brought this case of one who rules over his anger. For such a person, the yetzer does not have dominion over him. Rather, he rules over his yetzer.

Another reason why Shlomo chose the trait of "slow to anger" is because anger is an extremely difficult trait to rule over. It is very hard to forgive someone who hurt [you] intentionally, or slandered you, etc. He who nevertheless succeeds in overpowering his grudge towards his enemy and makes peace with him - he is the mightiest of the mighty.

And in Avot d'Rebbi Natan "who is the mightiest of the mighty.. and some say: 'he who transforms his enemy into a friend" - dominion over anger, overcoming hatred - this is the most noble might.
~Level 1~
Bartenura - "who is wealthy?" - i.e. praiseworthy for his wealth - he who rejoices in his lot.
~Level 2~
Chidushei Haflah Ketuvot - "he who rejoices in his lot" - i.e. he does not place his trust in his money (eino boteach al mamono). For it is human nature to rejoice when he makes a new profit but after he is used to it, he no longer rejoices. But for the intelligent person who realizes that what he has is not his own, for every second it is a gift from G-d - thus he rejoices at all times.
~Level 2~
Michtav M'Eliyahu chelek 1 - "who is wealthy" - the view of our sages is the exact opposite of the view of the rich people. "Who is wealthy? He who is happy with his lot". For only annulment of material aspirations and satisfaction with one's necessary needs - this is what brings to wealth. True wealth is to develop joy in the little that G-d granted him and to realize that it is certainly not worth it for him to have more than what G-d gave him.
~Level 3~
Chida - Devarim Achadim, derush 27 - "who is wealthy.." - it is obvious that the matter does not depend on wealth. For if he has a bad soul and is anxious to amass wealth, all that he has appears to his eyes as if it is nothing. This is as scripture states "he who loves silver will not be satiated by silver" (Kohelet 5:9).

He cannot be quiet and at rest due to his great lust and longing for money. And he is a tremendous miser. A little expenditure appears great. Thus even in his great wealth, he is considered a destitute pauper. This is not a rich man.

The true rich man which it is proper to call him rich is one who is satisfied with the minimum and it appears in his eyes that his table is greater than the table of kings. This is the meaning of "who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his portion". Even though in truth he does not possess wealth, but nevertheless, he is called rich...

Through this, he will be saved from baseless hatred, and will not be jealous of his fellow's imaginary wealth and come to hate him out of jealousy. These are tremendous sins. For the temple was destroyed because of them and "jealousy, lust, and honor remove a person from the world" (Avot 4:21). And the ancients were punished only because of jealousy. Furthermore, hatred is in the heart always and is worse than other sins. For in other sins one transgresses them only at the time he commits the sin. But hatred is always. Every second he transgresses "do not hate your brother" (Vayikra 19:17) and he nullifies the positive commandment "love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18) which is the "general principle of the torah".

And when he is happy with his portion and the little he has appears much - he is saved from all this and is saved from lust [for money] which is the father of tumah (spiritual impurity). For it brings to theft, false oaths, hatred and jealousy. And he denies G-d's providence and does not believe that G-d brings poverty or wealth.

One who is happy with his portion is saved from this and he is promised by prophecy (ruach hakodesh): "you shall eat of the toil of your hands, fortunate are you and it is good for you.."

Rabeinu Chaim Vital already explained at length what was said on the traits of jealousy and hatred in his book Shaarei Kedusha.

You can see that the pillar of the service [of G-d] is to be happy with one's portion. This is the rich man we mentioned and through this he will be free to toil in torah and mitzvot, and will trust in G-d. In truth this is a large portion and on this depends torah, avodah (divine service) and acts of kindness, as we wrote.
~Level 3~
Mussar Hatorah Rabbi Whitkind - "who is wealthy? He who rejoices in his lot" - for material wealth cannot satiate the soul which longs for the material pleasures of this world, as our sages said: "he who has 100 wants 200, and he who has 200 wants 400" (Kohelet Rabba 3:13). And our sages said: "this world is as one who drinks saltwater, it appears to him that he has quenched his thirst, but afterwards he is even more thirsty" (Vilna Gaon, Alim Letrufa).

On this our sages said: "who is wealthy? He who is happy with his lot". For real joy will not come to man's [higher] soul, which comes from above (the spiritual realm), through fulfilling the lusts of his [lower] animal soul (nefesh behamit) in physical matters of this world. Only from the side of his inner divine soul will he find satisfaction and joy in his portion.
~Level 1~
Bartenura - "who is honorable?.." - for in these three good things mentioned earlier, namely, wisdom, might, and wealth, one who merits them is intrinsically honorable in the eyes of G-d and men, even if people do not actually honor him.

"He who honors his fellow human beings" - thus, the sage added this teaching and said one who possesses these three traits and is thus intrinsically honorable, what should he do to become honorable by other human beings? - "honor his fellow human beings".

"those who honor Me, I shall honor" - it is a logical inference (kal v'chomer) - if the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the King of Honor and "all He created is for His glory" (Mishlei 16:4), and nevertheless, He honors those who honor Him, how much more so for flesh and blood.

"those who dishonor Me shall be disgraced" - we see from here the humility of G-d. For He did not say those who disgrace Me, I will disgrace. Rather, He said "will be disgraced", i.e. on their own. We also find G-d is more stringent on the honor of the righteous, as written: "those who curse you, I will curse" (Gen.12).
~Level 2~
Ruach Chaim - "who is honorable.. those who honor Me I will honor" - if he honors every person and does not investigate whether they are inferior to him. For he tells himself: "they are created in the image of G-d (tzelem Elokim) and are G-d's creations, and 'all that G-d created, He created for His glory'. Thus, when I honor them, I am honoring their Creator".

Thus, in this honor he honors G-d. This is the meaning of "those who honor the public", i.e. in such a way that there is honor of G-d, in this "those who honor Me, I will honor".
~Level 3~
Daat Zekenim on Pirkei Avot (daat chochma umussar II 14) - "Who is honorable? He who honors his fellow" - the primary formation and root of the nefesh (soul) is an existence of "honor" (ikar yetzirata v'shorsha hi metziut shel kavod). "honor" (kavod)is the essence name (shem haetzem) of the nefesh (soul), as written: "So that my honor (soul) will sing praises to You" (Tehilim 30:13). The commentaries explain that honor refers to the soul. For from the aspect of the soul itself, all its purpose is to honor, praise, and extol. This is so whether between man and his fellow man or between man and G-d. Similar to what scripture says: "they always recall the praise of G-d (tamid mesaprim kavod Kel)". And likewise between man and his fellow, to honor the public and recognize the image of G-d. The matter of dishonor has no existence at all.

This is what the mishna says: "Who is honorable? He who honors his fellow". For in this that he honors the public, and the way he honors, this is a true measure of a man's connection to the matters of soul and he is the truly honorable.