יהיו דבריך לשם שמים היכי דמי דלא ליעביד כי היכי דנימרו עלמא פלן בפרהסיא הוא דקא עביד. אהוב את השמים ירא מן השמים ולא תימא אהבה אלא רדיפה דכתיב אחרי ה׳ אלהיכם תלכו וכי יש לך אדם שיכול להלוך אחר הקב״ה והכתיב אש אוכלה הוא אלא למהני תלמידי חכמים ולצדיקים. (הדר) [חרד] שיהא לבך שמח להדר למצוה הוי כנאד בקוע והוי כערוגה עמוקה למה לי למימרא תוב הכי איצטריך סד״א ה״מ בדברי תורה אבל במצות ממילא קא ידע לה אדרבה הכי איצטריך: BARAITHA. Let your words be for the sake of Heaven,1[For ‘Heaven’ as a synonym for God, cf. Marmorstein, The Old Rabbinic Doctrine of God, I, pp. 105ff.] love Heaven, fear Heaven; be eager and rejoice in all the commandments.2The words in brackets are added from DEZ II. In the first section of this chapter, the Baraithoth and Gemara are not separated. For the sake of clarity they have been separated on the basis of DEZ I, 21.
GEMARA. What means [‘for the sake of Heaven’]? One should not act in such a way that people will say of him, ‘So-and-so does this publicly’.3i.e. to display his merits, but let him act disinterestedly. And do not speak of ‘love [Heaven]’ but ‘pursuit [of Heaven]’, as it is written, After the Lord your God shall ye walk.4Deut. 13, 5. But is it possible for a man to walk after God seeing that it is written, For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire?5ibid. IV, 24. [He does so] by benefiting scholars and righteous men [from his means].6Cf. Keth. 111b (Sonc. ed., p. 720): ‘One who benefits scholars from his estate is regarded by Scripture as if he had cleaved to the Divine Presence’. ‘Be eager.’ Let your heart rejoice in beautifying7i.e. performing a religious act in the most beautiful manner. every precept.
BARAITHA. Be like a split bottle and like a deep garden-bed.
GEMARA. What need is there for the Baraitha to repeat this?8This has already been stated in III, 5 It was necessary because otherwise you might have thought that this refers [only] to words of Torah and as for the commandments it would be self-evident. On the contrary, it was necessary [to repeat it] here.
ברייתא ושב לפני זקנים והטה אזנך לשמוע דבריהם דכתיב זקניך ויאמרו לך והוי משתדל על דבריהם להשיב על ראשון ראשון ועל אחרון אחרון תנן התם שבעה דברים בגולם מאי אריא בגולם ברישא וליתני חכם ועוד אמר חכם איידי דקא בעי למיתני חכם אינו וליתני מדבר. תנא שבחי דחכימי קא מסדר אבל לטפשאי איפכא אמר ליה [רב] אחא לרבא מנין לראשון ראשון ואחרון מן התורה מנין דרבנן היא וליטעמיך כלהו מנין א״ל אנא אמינא להו חכם אינו מדבר מחושי דכתיב (דבר) אתה [דבר] ואינו נכנס לתוך דברי חכמים דכתיב ויהי ככלות (שלמה) [ירמיהו] לדבר [וגו׳] את כל דברי ה׳ (אלהים) [אלהיהם וגו'] ואינו נבהל דכתיב אל תבהל על פיך שואל דכתיב וישאל ומשיב דכתיב ויאמרו שלום. אומר על ראשון ראשון דכתיב ויאמר בת מי את הגידי נא לי היש בית אביך וגו׳ וכתיב ותאמר אליו בת בתואל והדר גם תבן גם מספא רב עמנו ומשה דכתיב וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו וכתיב כי בשם ה׳ אלהינו דבר (אליו) [אלינו]: BARAITHA. Sit before the elders and incline your ear to listen to their words.
GEMARA. As it is written, Ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, thine elders and they will tell thee.9Deut. 32, 7.
BARAITHA. Endeavour in connection with their words to reply on the first point first and on the last point last.
GEMARA. We have learnt there:10Aboth V, 10 (Sonc. ed., V, 7, p. 64). Seven marks distinguish an uncultured man and seven a wise man. Why does [the Mishnah] first mention the uncultured man? It should have mentioned the wise man [first]!11It is more befitting to begin with the qualities of the wise. Further, why [immediately after mentioning the uncultured man does it enlarge upon the marks] of the wise man [without first enumerating the marks of the uncultured man]?12The Mishnah reads: ‘There are seven marks of an uncultured man and seven of a wise man. The wise man does not speak’, etc. Because [the Mishnah] wishes to state, ‘The wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in wisdom’. Let, then [the Mishnah] state, ‘The uncultured man speaks’, etc.! The teacher enumerates the merits of the wise, and as for the uncultured the converse [applies to them].
R. Aḥa said to Raba, ‘Whence do we know from the Torah that one should speak to the first thing first and the last thing last?’ [He replied,] ‘Whence [do we know it]? It is a Rabbinical teaching’. [R. Aḥa] retorted, ‘According to your reasoning, whence are all of them13The seven marks of the wise man. derived?’ He replied, ‘I will tell you them [all from the Torah]. “The wise man does not speak, etc.” [can be learnt] from Hushai, as it is written, Shall we do after his saying? if not, speak thou.142 Sam. 17, 6. Ḥushai did not speak in the presence of Aḥitophel, who was greater in wisdom than he, but merely reported to Absalom what he had said. “He does not break in upon the speech of the wise”, as it is written, And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking … then spoke Azariah.15Jer. 43, 1f. “He is not hasty to answer”, as it is written, Be not rash with thy mouth.16Eccl. 5, 1. “He questions according to the subject”, as it is written, And he asked them … Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?17Gen. 43, 27. And they answered, Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.18ibid. 28. “He speaks to the first point first”, as it is written, And (he) said: Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in?19ibid. XXIV, 23. And it is written, And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel20ibid. 24. and then, We have both straw and provender enough.21ibid. 25. “And he acknowledges the truth”: This refers to Moses, as it is written, And when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight;22Lev. 10, 20, i.e. Moses acknowledged the force of Aaron’s argument. and it is written, For he hath spoken to us in the name of the Lord our God’.23Jer. 26, 16. The reference is to Jeremiah, the genuineness of whose prophecy is acknowledged by the princes.
ברייתא אם חפץ אתה ללמוד אל תאמר על מה שלא שמעת שמעתי ואם שאלך דבר ואי אתה בקי בו אל תבוש לומר איני יודע ואם שנו לך דבר ולא שמעת מנא לן דכתיב ואדברה בעדותיך נגד מלכים ולא אבוש מלשאול למפיבושת איך אעשה אסור או מותר עשה דבריך לשם פעלם אל תעשם עטרה להתעטר בהם שמא תטול חלקך בעולם. כל המתכבד בכתרה של תורה אין לו חלק [לעוה״ב] ולא כקרדום לחתוך בו שלא להיות מונע בר ההוא מונע בר אפי׳ עוברין מקללין אותו הכא בחנם התם אפי׳ בשכר למוד להיות מקבל עליך כל דברי תורה בצער. תנינא כל המחיה עצמו בדברי תורה אין התורה מתחברת עמו. התם בתענוג נפש הכא בשינה. ואל תהי מבקש עלבונך היכי דמי פלוני עבד בי כך וכך ביש ולא פרעתיה. חשבון יפה ופרק טוב יש הבטחה. מאי חשבון יפה שלא תעלה בחשבון הפרוצים כדאמרי אינשי כמה פרוצים אית הכא ומחשבי לך בהדיהו ופרק טוב תנא ליה בפ״ק התם לדידיה הוא דקאמר. הא דלא לגרום לנפשיה. יש הבטחה אית דאמרי בוטחן כדי שתהא התורה נגללת בלבו. אית דאמרי למאן דבעי מינך אבטחיה ומסתברא כלישנא בתרא דקתני ויש אמת דלא להוי מבטח ומשקר. הוי קל לראש זה המלכות ונוח לתשחורת זה אנגריא כדר׳ אלעזר בן חרסום. תואר טוב מאן יכול לאשפורי אפיה דכי אתי רב דימי אמר טוב המלבין שיניו יותר ממשקהו חלב מאי נפקא מינה לכדר׳ ברוקא רחק מן העבירה שכל הלשון מדבר דלא תצטריך לאפוקי נפשיה מחשדא הוי נרתע מחטא הקל שמא יביאך לחמור. הוי זהיר במצוה קלה שתביאך לידי חמורה תנינא בן עזאי אומר הוי רץ למצוה קלה התם ברצון הכא אפילו באונס דקתני נרתע אם חפץ אתה להדבק דכתיב ואהבת לרעך מתוך שאהבת לרעך הרי הוא כמוך אם חפץ אתה להתרחק מן החטא הוי מחשב (לאין) [ועיין] סופו דכתיב החכם עיניו בראשו ועיני כסיל בקצה ארץ מסתכל למה שיש לפניו ומשבח סופו. חשק עצמך במצוה. לנשאת עושי את המצוה. אהוב את נפשך ושמח שנן ורנן בפתחיה במצוה קתני למדרש טעמא. אם הטיב לך מעט יהי בעיניך הרבה וצריך אתה ליתן הודאה שספרוך הטיבו לך מנא לן דכתיב ואכלת ושבעת מנא לן דאע״ג דלא שבע (לא) [ליה] מחייב דכתיב תן לעם ויאכלו וכתיב ויאכלו ויותירו כדבר ד׳ ברכה. מיתיבי כדבר ה׳ אלהי ישראל אשר דבר ביד [עבדו] יונה (עבדו). התם נמי הודאה ת״ש כדבר ה׳ אשר דבר אל אליהו התם נמי אימא ברוך מקים דברו. ת״ש כדבר ה׳ [וגו׳] השילוני ואי ס״ד כדקאמרת התם כתיב ביד הכא סתמא. אם הטיבת הרבה יהי׳ בעיניך מעט אמור לא משלי הטבתי אלא ממה שהטיבו לי. מדוד דכתיב מי אנכי ה׳ אלהים [ואומר] ומה יוסיף דוד ואומר ותקטן עוד זאת בעיניך מאי ואומר וכי תימא דילמא התם משום דא״ל ועשיתי לך שם גדול אמר איהו מי אנכי ת״ש ומה יוסיף דוד עוד וכי תימא התם נמי קאמר מה יכילנא למצלי ת״ש דקאמר ותקטן עוד זאת בעיניך ה׳ אלהים קלילא היא קמך והיא סגי סגיאן עלי. ותדבר גם אל בית אין גם אלא לרבות לא מיבעיא לדידי דקא משבחת לי אלא אף על זרעי אמרת ונאמן ביתך ותדבר למרחוק לא לעתיד לבא מכלל דאיכא אחרינא דלאו לעתיד לבא מנא לן אשא דעי למרחוק למה שהיה מבראשית אמר רבא ש״מ מאן דידע אימת אתי משיח איהו קאי בשניה. וקאמר לרחוק ודוד נמי קאמר. והאי דקאמר ירמיה מצטרף לחשבון שנתא. ושאר מספר קשת גבורי בני קדר ימעטו כי ה׳ אלהי ישראל דבר. אם הרעוך הרבה יהי בעיניך מעט. אמור כמעט מחובתי הגבתי והלא הרבה הייתי שוה מנא לן מאברהם והשכר יתר מן פועל אם הרעת מעט יהי בעיניך הרבה אמור אוי לי שחטאתי שבא דבר מכשול לידי מנא לן מגבעונים מתקיף לה רבא אטו מגבעונים ילפינן לא ידעינן א״ל רב אחא ומאי טעמא לא ילפינן מיניהו ואינהו לא איתהלו בישראל כתיב ויצטירו וכתיב הצטיידנו שנטלו עמהם צד ואמרו אלו שצדנו מארצנו וקרי נצטייר מרוב הדרך כיון דאמר להו לישראל ידעי מאי אמר טעמא הנם בידכם.מיד ויעש להם יהושע וכתיב ויקחו האנשים מצידם. אמר הקב״ה גרגרני בני גרגרני דרחמי מידי דגרגרוותא אבהתיכו נמי הכי הוו זכרנו את הדגה מיהו דכוליה אוכלא לפומיה קא הדר פומיה נמי לא מדכרתו ואת פי ה׳ לא שאלו וקרא לך ואכלת מזבחו ואף יהושע מפני זה נענש אמר הקב״ה בשביל שנתחננו לפניך ועתה הננו בידך כטוב וכישר בעיניך [וגו׳]. הא אנא מפיק לך ברא דצווח להו לישראל כהדין סתרא [ואני] הנני בידכם עשו לי כטוב וכישר בעיניכם וירמיה מרחב קאתי: BARAITHA. If you desire to learn, do not say of what you do not understand, ‘I understand it’. If you are asked a question about something in which you are not well versed do not be ashamed to say, ‘I do not know’. If you are taught something and you do not understand it, be not ashamed to say, ‘I do not understand it’.
GEMARA. Whence do we learn this? [From David], for it is written, I will also speak of Thy testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed24Ps. 119, 46.—that is, [to inquire] of Mephibosheth25On Mephibosheth as David’s teacher, cf. Ber. 4a (Sonc. ed., p. 11). how to act, whether to declare it forbidden or permissible.
BARAITHA.26Ned. 62a (Sonc. ed., p. 197). Do good deeds for the sake of their Maker.27i.e. God Who desires them to be done. Or, ‘for the sake of doing them’; cf. Aboth I, 3 (Sonc. ed., pp. 2f.). Do not make them a crown wherewith to adorn yourself, or an axe wherewith to cut. Accustom yourself to take upon yourself the precepts of the Torah [even] at the cost of suffering.
GEMARA. [‘Do not make them a crown’, etc.,] lest you receive your share [of the World to Come] in this world; for he who glorifies himself with the crown of the Torah has no share in the World to Come.28cf. Ned. loc. cit. (Sonc. ed., p. 196): ‘Whoever puts the crown of the Torah to [profane] use is uprooted from the world’. [‘Nor an axe wherewith to cut.’] Do not withhold corn29Figuratively used of the Torah. The comparison is based on Prov. 11, 26. Cf. Sanh. 91b-92a (Sonc. ed., pp. 614f.). from others; for [53b] even the embryos [in their mothers’ wombs] curse him who withholds corn from others. Here30In this Gemara. [only if he is asked to teach] without payment [is he under the curse], but there31In the passage quoted from Sanh. even if he is offered payment [and refuses to teach].
[‘Accustom yourself to take upon yourself the precepts’, etc.] It has been taught:32Sanh. 111a (Sonc. ed., p. 762). Whoever maintains himself by words of Torah, the Torah does not become intimate with him. There33In the passage from Sanh. it speaks of self-pleasure and here34In this Gemara. Pursue the study of the Torah even at the cost of sleep. of sleep.
BARAITHA. Do not resent an insult to you. A good record and a blameless adolescence [inspire] security and truth.
GEMARA. [‘Do not resent an insult to you.’] How is this meant? [Do not boast,] ‘So-and-so did such-and-such to me and I have not retaliated’. What is meant by ‘a good record’? Do 1 ot [give cause] to be included in the number of the dissolute, lest people say, ‘How many dissolute persons there are here, including you among them!’ ‘And a blameless adolescence.’ But this has already been taught in the preceding chapter!35In III, 12. There it speaks of his actual doing evil and here [of not giving cause for suspicion] against him. ‘[Inspire] security.’ Some say [that this means]: One should have a sense of security so that the Torah becomes rolled36So that he studies Torah with a carefree mind. H reads nikleleth, ‘contained’. up in his heart. Others [explain]: Inspire confidence in those who ask of you. The latter interpretation conforms to the wording of the Baraitha, ‘and truth’, which implies: Do not falsify confidence [which is placed in you].
BARAITHA.37Cf. Aboth III, 16 (Sonc. ed., III, 12, p. 35). Be submissive to a superior, patient under oppression, of cheerful appearance and keep away from sin.
GEMARA. ‘Be submissive to a superior’: that is, to the ruling power. ‘Patient under oppression’: that is, forced labour as happened with R. Eleazar b. Ḥarson.38Cf. Yoma 35b (Sonc. ed., p. 164). When conscripted by the authorities for forced labour, R. Eleazar paid them a large sum of money for his release so that he could continue his study of the Torah. ‘Be of cheerful appearance’: can one [always] keep his appearance cheerful? [Yes]; for when R. Dimi came he said: The man who [by smiling] shows his teeth white [to his fellow] is better than he who gives him milk to drink.39Cf. Keth. 111b (Sonc. ed., p. 723) where the saying is attributed to R. Joḥanan. What is to be derived from this statement? As illustrated by the experience of R. Beroḳa.40Cf. Ta‘an. 22a (Sonc. ed., p. 110). Two men passed by R. Beroḳa when Elijah appeared and exclaimed that these men had a share in the World to Come. On inquiring of them what their occupation was, they told the Rabbi, ‘We are jesters, and when we see men depressed we cheer them up’. ‘Keep away from sin’: so that all can speak about you and you have no need to clear yourself of suspicion.
BARAITHA. Refrain from committing a light sin lest it lead you to one that is grievous. Be mindful of a small precept that it may lead you to one that is important.
GEMARA. It has been learnt:41Aboth IV, 2 (Sonc. ed., p. 44). Ben ‘Azzai said: Run to do a slight precept and flee from transgression. There [it speaks of fleeing from sin] of one’s free will; here [of fleeing] even when under compulsion. [The proof of this is that the Baraitha] teaches, ‘Refrain, etc.’42The Heb. verb means ‘tremble, shake’ and in the niph‘al ‘move backward’; hence, fleeing under compulsion.
BARAITHA. If you desire to gain the love of your friend,43This is the reading of H in agreement with DER I. busy yourself with his welfare. If you desire to keep away from sin consider where it eventually leads. Attach yourself lovingly to the precepts. Be proud and happy to speak diligently and sing of its details.44So GRA, who reads פרטיה.
GEMARA. ‘If you desire to gain the love’, etc. As it is written, But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.45Lev. 19, 18. Because you love your neighbour as yourself he is like yourself. ‘If you desire to keep away from sin consider where it eventually leads.’ As it is written, The wise man, his eyes are in his head.46Eccl. 2, 14. But the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth;47Prov. 17, 24. he regards only what is before him and ignores the consequences. ‘Attach yourself lovingly to the precepts’, by respecting those who fulfil the precepts. ‘Be proud’, etc., by inquiring into the reason of a precept.
BARAITHA. If He has bestowed upon you a small bounty, let it be in your eyes as great and you need to give thanks that He cared48Reading the root ספן instead of ספר. for you and bestowed bounty upon you.
GEMARA. ‘If He has bestowed’, etc. Whence do we learn this? For it is written, And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.49Deut. 8, 10. And whence do we know that one is obliged [to bless God] although he has not eaten to satisfaction? For it is written, Give the people that they may eat,502 Kings 4, 43. and it is written, And they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the Lord,51ibid. 44. There were twenty loaves with which to feed 100 men, and therefore insufficient to satisfy them; yet they blessed God. The words according to the word of the Lord, on this interpretation, refer back to the passage in Deut., and bless the Lord thy God. [which means] blessing [God]. An objection was raised against this: [It is stated,] He restored the border of Israel … according to the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Jonah, the son of Amittai!52ibid. XIV, 25. Here the phrase according to the word of the Lord occurs without reference to thanking God for food. There, too, it was a case of thanksgiving.53For victory and regaining the former territories of Israel. Come and hear: [It is stated,] According to the word of the Lord, which He spoke to Elijah!54ibid. X, 17, where again there is no reference to thanking God. There, too, say that [the word of the Lord] implies: Blessed be He Who has fulfilled His promise [to inflict punishment upon the house of Ahab]. Come and hear: [It is stated,] According unto the saying of the Lord, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Aḥijah the Shilonite!551 Kings 15, 29. And if you think it is as you said [that the phrase means thanking God, how will you explain this verse?] There55a(55a) In the verses cited in the various objections. it is written by the hand of, here56In the verses quoted as proof from 2 Kings 4, 43f. it is without any qualification.57i.e. without the addition by the hand of, etc.
BARAITHA. If you have done much good let it be in your eyes as little. Say, ‘Not with what belongs to me have I done good’, but ‘with what has been granted to me’.
GEMARA. [We learn this] from David; for it is written, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house?582 Sam. 7, 18. and it states, And what can David say more unto Thee?59ibid. 20. and it states, And this was yet a small thing in Thine eyes, O Lord God.60ibid. 19. What [is the force of] the additional verses which are cited? Should you say: There because He said to him, And I will make thee a great name, like unto the name of the great ones that are in the earth,61ibid. 9. [David] exclaimed, Who am I?62Although David was a pious man, he felt himself to be unworthy of God’s promise. This would be a support for the statement of the Baraitha. then come and hear: [What is the force of] And what can David say more unto Thee? Should you reply [that it means,] What else can I pray for? then come and hear: He said, And this was yet a small thing in Thine eyes, O Lord God, that is, it is a small thing for Thee but for me it is a very great thing. [It is stated,] But Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come.63ibid. 19. The word also is intended to add something: [David said,] ‘Not only didst Thou praise me, but also of my seed hast Thou declared, And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee.64ibid. 16.
But Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant’s house for a great while to come: this65Reading with H זה (this) for לא (not). means ‘in the days to come’.66The Heb. for a great while to come is lit. ‘from afar’, here equated with the hereafter. As the word is interpreted here to refer to the hereafter, it follows that there is another meaning of the word without reference to the hereafter. Whence do we know this? [It is stated,] I will fetch my knowledge from afar67Job 36, 3, where the phrase from afar cannot mean the hereafter but the distant past.— to what [does this refer]? To what has happened from the beginning. Raba said: Infer from this that one who knows when the Messiah will come is here speaking of his times:68Cf. H’s note ad loc. Hence the verse from Job refers to the hereafter. and this is also how David used [the word]. And what Isaiah69The Text reads ‘Jeremiah’ in error for ‘Isaiah’. said must be included in the reckoning of the years,70In alluding to the Messianic era Isaiah speaks of it as coming within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and this makes the date of that era more definite. This would be contrary to the indefiniteness conveyed by the days to come. Hence the phrase within a year, etc., must not be taken literally but understood to denote ‘a time in the future’. as it is written, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Ḳedar shall fail; and the residue of the number of the archers, the mighty men of the children of Ḳedar, shall be diminished; for the Lord, the God of Israel, hath spoken it.71Isa. 21, 16f.
BARAITHA. If men have done you much evil let it be little in your eyes. Say, ‘Only a small part of the punishment due to me have I received; I have deserved more’.
GEMARA. Whence do we learn this? From Abraham72Who acknowledged that God dealt with him with more consideration than he deserved. Cf. Gen. 18, 27, who am but dust and ashes. Another possible translation is: ‘The reward from the Maker is greater [than I merit]’. [who exclaimed,] ‘The reward is greater than the labourer [merits]’.
BARAITHA. If you have done a little evil let it be great in your eyes. Say, ‘Woe to me that I have sinned, that a stumbling-block should have chanced to me!’
GEMARA. Whence do we learn this? From the Gibeonites.73Cf. Josh. 9. Raba objected, ‘Must we, then, learn this from the Gibeonites as otherwise we would not know it?’74If it were not for the Gibeonites, would such an ethical teaching be unknown from Hebraic sources? R. Aḥa said to him, ‘And why should we not learn it from them? Were they not merged in Israel?’ It is written, And made as if they hath been ambassadors;75Josh. 9, 4; the Heb. verb is wayyiẓṭayyaru. and it is also written, This is our bread we took hot for our provision,76ibid. 12; the Heb. verb is hiẓṭayyadnu. [which means] they took provisions with them and said, ‘This is the food which we provided for ourselves in our country; behold,77Reading הרי for V וקרי. it has become mouldy78Heb. niẓṭayyar. because of the length of the journey’. When they had spoken to Israel and the latter knew [the true facts], what is the meaning of [the Gibeonites’ words to Joshua], And now, behold, we are in thy hand?79ibid. 25. [Because it is written,] And Joshua made peace with them,80ibid. 15. Since Joshua had already made peace with them, why should they have said this to him? and it is written, And the men took of their provision,81ibid. 14. The men are the Israelites, who believed the story told to them. the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘You gluttons, sons of gluttons, who love gluttony, your fathers also acted likewise [when they declared,] We remember the fish.82Num. 11, 5. All food finds its way to the mouth, but My mouth83lit. ‘His mouth’, i.e. God’s command. you do not remember, [as it is stated,] And asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord,84Josh. 9, 14. [Who warned you] in the words, Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go astray after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and they call thee and thou eat of their sacrifice.85Ex. 34, 15.
Also Joshua was punished on this account. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Because [the Gibeonites] entreated you [saying], And now, behold, we are in thy hand; as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do,86Josh. 9, 25. I will bring forth a son from you who will implore Israel in the same manner,87Reading sidra with H. [saying,] As for me, behold I am in your hand; do with me as is good and right in your eyes.88Jer. 26, 14. The allusion is to Jeremiah’s plea to the princes and people on being arrested for prophesying the destruction of the Temple. Jeremiah was descended from Rahab.89Cf. Meg. 14b (Sonc. ed., p. 86) where it is stated that Joshua married Rahab, and Jeremiah was one of their descendants.
ברייתא אם הרעת מעט תני לה רישא: התם לחבריה התם לדידיה תדע שהרבה הייתי. יהי חברך מראיתך מאי קאמר הכי קאמר לעולם כשאתה מדבר בחברך יהי מראיתו נגד פניך. ובממון נמי יהי ממון חברך חביב עליך כשלך ובכבוד יהיה כבוד חברך חביב עליך כשלך הוי מכבד את כל האדם. אהוב את המוכיחך ושנא את המכבדך אל תאמר אחניף את זה שיאכילני אחניף את זה שישקני אחניף לזה שילבשני אחניף לזה שיכסני מ״ט דהיינו עובדיהו דנביאי שקר הוו אמרין לדין את לית דכוותך ואת מימר מירמי לך אמר להם הקב״ה בדיל אוכלין אתון מכבדין עילוי הנשכים בשיניהם הנני מאכיל אותם לענה מחניפין להון ושבקין לי כי מאת נביאי (ישראל) [ירושלים] יצאה חנופה. אל יכלימוך שפתיך ואל יבזך פיך ואל יקללך לשונך ואל יבישך שיניך ואל תתפתה לחברך כדכתיב נוקשת באמרי פיך. הוי אוהב את התורה. תנא ליה חדא זימנא. התם אפילו שלא בחברים והכא דליכא חברים אמר לך לך לגרמך. ולא תימא תורה לבדה ולא צדקות ולא תימא עבדיתנהו להני מונח לי אפי׳ הכי כל אינש שפיר דמי באפי נפשי ולא תימא היכי דמוכחי לך לשום מילי דעלמא ת״ש ואת המשכים. תדע דהא קתני שלך אינו שלך והכל של הקב״ה ולא ניתנו אלא לנסות את הבריות שיטול לגן עדן חלקה וגיהנם חלקה. עלוב ואהוב תנינא באידך פירקן התם לכל יודעיו הכא אף לאנשי ביתו. הוי כנאד בקוע למה ליה למיתנא איצטריך סד״א התם בתורה ובמצוה אבל במילי דרוכסא לא קמ״ל: סליק פירקא: ‘If you have done a little evil’, etc. This has already been taught in a previous Baraitha!90Cf. Baraitha 12, ‘If men have done you much evil, let it be little in your eyes’. The questioner erroneously assumed that the two Baraithoth speak of the same person. Here it refers to [doing evil to] one’s neighbour, but there [to others having done evil] to him. Know [that this is so because of the words in the previous Baraitha], ‘I have merited more’.
BARAITHA. Let your fellow-man be your mirror; and in money matters too let your fellow-man’s money be as dear to you as your own.91Aboth II, 17 (Sonc. ed., II, 12, p. 22). And with regard to honour let your fellow-man’s honour be as dear to you as your own.92ibid. 15 (Sonc. ed., 10, p. 20). Honour all men; love him who reproves you and hate him who honours you.
GEMARA. ‘Let your fellow-man be your mirror’—what does he [mean] to say? This is what he says: Whenever you speak of your fellow let his image be before you.93Imagine that he is present, and you will never speak ill of him.
BARAITHA. Do not say, ‘I will flatter this man that he may give me to eat; I will flatter this man that he may give me to drink; I will flatter this man that he may clothe me’.
GEMARA. What is the reason? For such is the conduct of false prophets. They say to one man, ‘There is no one like you and who can be compared to you?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘For the sake of food you honour them, [as it is written,] That cry: “Peace”, when their teeth have anything to bite.94Micah 3, 5, spoken of the false prophets. Behold, I will feed them with wormwood.95Jer. 23, 15, which also relates to the false prophets. They flatter them but forsake Me, [as it is written,] For from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land’.96ibid.
BARAITHA. Let not your lips put you to shame; let not your mouth despise you; let not your tongue curse you; let not your teeth disgrace you. Do not insinuate yourself with your fellow-man.
GEMARA. As it is written, Thou art snared by the words of thy mouth.97Prov. 6, 2.
BARAITHA.98The translation follows the Baraitha as reconstructed by H (p. 266 in his edition). Love the Torah, love righteous deeds, rebukes and upright actions; and know the difference between what is yours and what is not yours, for what is yours is [in reality] not yours.
GEMARA. ‘Love the Torah’—but this has already been taught!99Cf. III, 17. There it speaks of loving [the study of the Torah] even without companions,100i.e. he has companions but they are not interested in the study of the Torah; in spite of them he should love the Torah and study it by himself. and here when one has no companions he tells you, ‘Let this not101Reading לא for לך. cause you [to abandon the study of the Torah]’. And do not say that this [advice] applies to Torah alone and not to the performance of righteous deeds; and do not say, ‘I have done all these102Recommendations in the Baraitha. and yet [my fellow-man] reproves me!’ because every man looks good in his own eyes.103A person rarely sees his own faults.
[Come and hear: ‘[Love] rebukes’:]104Inserted by H. Do not say, ‘Where you are reproved because of secular affairs [you need not listen to a rebuke]’.105In the mistaken belief that the duty of listening to reproof is confined to religious matters. Come and hear: ‘[Love] upright actions’:106Correcting the text in agreement with the Baraitha. Know [that one has to listen to reproof on secular matters] because the Baraitha teaches, ‘What is yours and what is not yours’. Everything belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He, and [material things] are given only to test human beings so that the Garden of Eden should take its portion of them and Gehinnom its portion.
BARAITHA. Be submissive and beloved; be like a split bottle.
GEMARA. ‘Be submissive’—we have already learnt this in another chapter!107III, 3. There it refers towards all one’s friends, and here towards the members of one’s family. ‘Be like a split bottle’—what need is there to teach this here?108Since it occurs in III, 5. It is necessary because you might think that there it refers only to Torah and religious precepts and not to things that perish.109i.e. matters of passing value. Hence it teaches [that it does also apply to such matters].