Pirkei Avot

Chapters of the Fathers

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• Publisher: The Floating Press
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781776538591
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Jewish Theology

Pirkei Avot, which is most commonly translated as "e;Chapters of the Fathers, "e; is one of the most important collections of ethical teachings in the tradition of Judaism. Believed to have been compiled in the period between 200 B.C. and 200 A.C., this compendium of ancient wisdom remains just as relevant and inspirational thousands of years later.

Chapter I

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1. Moses received the Torah from Sinai, and handed it down to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets delivered it to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things, "Be deliberate in judgment; raise up many disciples; and make a fence about the Torah."

2. Simon, the Just, was of the last survivors of the Great Synagogue. He used to say, "Upon three things the world rests: upon the Torah, upon the Temple service, and upon the doing of acts of kindness."

3. Antigonus of Soko received (the tradition) from Simon, the Just. He used to say, "Be not like hirelings who work for their master for the sake of receiving recompense; but be like servants who minister to their master without any thought of receiving a reward; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you."

4. Jose, the son of Joezer, of Zeredah, and Jose, the son of Jochanan, of Jerusalem received (the tradition) from them. Jose, the son of Joezer, of Zeredah said, "Let thy house be a meeting-place for the wise; cover thyself with the dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst."

5. Jose, the son of Jochanan, of Jerusalem said, "Let thy house be open wide; let the poor be members of thy household, and engage not in much gossip with woman." This applies to one's own wife; how much more, then, to the wife of one's neighbor? Hence the sages say, "Whoso engages in much gossip with woman brings evil upon himself, neglects the study of the Torah, and will in the end inherit gehinnom."

6. Joshua, the son of Perachyah, and Nittai, the Arbelite, received (the tradition) from them. Joshua, the son of Perachyah, said, "Provide thyself with a teacher, and possess thyself of a companion; and judge every man in the scale of merit."

7. Nittai, the Arbelite, said, "Keep aloof from a bad neighbor; associate not with the wicked, and abandon not the belief in retribution."

8. Judah, the son of Tabbi, and Simeon, the son of Shatach, received (the tradition) from them. Judah, the son of Tabbi, said, "(In the judge's office) act not the counsel's part; while the litigants are standing before thee, let them be regarded by thee as guilty, but when they are departed from thy presence, regard them as innocent, the verdict having been acquiesced in by them."

9. Simeon, the son of Shatach, said, "Be very searching in the examination of witnesses, and be guarded in thy words, lest through them they learn to lie."

10. Shemaiah and Abtalion received (the tradition) from them. Shemaiah said, "Love work; hate lordship; and seek no intimacy with the ruling power."

11. Abtalion said, "Ye sages, be heedful of your words, lest ye incur the penalty of exile and be exiled to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who come after you drink thereof and die, and the Heavenly Name be profaned."

12. Hillel and Shammai received (the tradition) from them. Hillel said, "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them night to the Torah." 13. He used to say, "A name made great is a name destroyed; he who does not increase (his knowledge) decreases (it); and he who does not study deserves to die; and he who makes a worldly use of the crown (of the Torah) shall waste away." 14. He used to say, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I care for myself only, what am I? And if not now, when?"

15. Shammai said, "Set a fixed time for thy (study of) Torah; say little and do much; and receive all men with a cheerful countenance."

16. Rabban Gamaliel said, "Provide thyself with a teacher; be quit of doubt; and accustom not thyself to give tithes by a conjectural estimate."

17. Simeon his son, said, "All my days I have grown up amongst the wise, and I have found nothing better for man than silence; not learning but doing is the chief thing; and whoso multiplies words causes sin."

18. Rabban Simeon, the son of Gamaliel said, "By three things is the world preserved; by truth, by judgment, and by peace, as it is said, 'Judge ye the truth and the judgment of peace in your gates.'"

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.'"

Chapter II

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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 the...

Table of contents

• PIRKEI AVOT
• Contents
• Sayings of the Fathers
• Chapter I
• Chapter II
• Chapter III
• Chapter IV
• Chapter V
• Chapter VI