משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים, וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
Moshe received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Y'hoshu'ah, Y'hoshu'ah to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly.
They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and
make a fence around the Torah.
לִזְקֵנִים. שֶׁהֶאֱרִיכוּ יָמִים אַחֲרֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. וְאוֹתָם הַזְּקֵנִים לִזְקֵנִים אֲחֵרִים עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ לִתְחִלָּתָם שֶׁל נְבִיאִים שֶׁהֵן עֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן וּשְׁמוּאֵל הָרָמָתִי:
to the elders: who lived long after Yehoshua, and those elders (passed it) to other elders until they reached the beginning of the prophets, who are Eli the Priest and Sh'muel of Ramah.
Who were the Elders - Probably the Judges that ruled after the death of Yehoshua.
Knesset HaG'dolah - the Great Assembly (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
According to Jewish tradition the Men of the Great Assembly (Hebrew: כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה) or Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (אַנְשֵׁי כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה, "The Men of the Great Assembly"), was an assembly of 120 scribes, sages, and prophets, in the period from the end of the biblical prophets since the early Second Temple period (which started around 516 BCE) to the early Hellenistic period (which began with Alexander's conquests of 333–332 BCE). It comprised such prophets as Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (who is identified with Ezra), Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, Nehemiah ben Hachaliah, Mordechai and Zerubbabel ben Shealtiel, among others. Sometimes, the Great Assembly is simply designated as "Ezra and his court of law" (Beit Din).
Among the developments in Judaism that are attributed to them are the fixing of the Jewish biblical canon, including the Book of Ezekiel, Daniel, Esther, and the Twelve Minor Prophets; the introduction of the Feast of Purim; and the institution of the prayer known as the "Shemoneh Esreh" as well as the synagogal prayers, rituals, and benedictions.
וְהַעֲמִידוּ. אָמְרוּ לְשׁוֹן עֲמִידָה, לְפִי שֶׁמִּיְמוֹת מֹשֶׁה עַד יְמוֹת רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הָיוּ לוֹמְדִין בַּעֲמִידָה וְהָרַב יוֹשֵׁב עַל הַכִּסֵּא. מִדְרַשׁ שְׁמוּאֵל. וְלִי נִרְאֶה לְשׁוֹן וְהַעֲמִידוּ, לְהַעֲמִידָם בַּהֲבָנַת אֲמִתָּה שֶׁל תּוֹרָה [וְעִם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה], כִּי זֶהוּ עֲמִידָה וְקִיּוּם, וְשֶׁקֶר אֵין לוֹ רַגְלַיִם: (עיקר תוי"ט).
And I would add - make sure you have many - a lot of - students. Do not compromise on either the quality of the study NOR the number of students that you teach.
and make a fence for the Torah: they mean to say the decrees and ordinances that distance a man from sins. As He, may He be blessed stated (Leviticus 18:30), "And you shall guard My guarding." And it was said in its explanation (Moed Katan 5a), "Make a guarding [fence] for My guarding."
(ב) שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים:
(2) Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety.
Shimon the Righteous, son of the High Priest Yehoshu-ah Ben Yehotzedek, was a high priest and teacher at a time of political flux in the region, around 300BCE. He is credited with meeting Alexander the Great and convincing him not to attack Jerusalem. He served as the High Priest for some 40 years, and his disciple was Antignos of Sokho, the last of the Singles. Antignos disciples, Yoesy Ben Yo-ezer and Yossi Ben Yokhanan started the period of the Pairs, that ended with Hillel and Shammai. He was the first teacher mentioned in Pirkei Avot and among the last surviving members of the Great Assembly, a Rabbinic legislative body that existed in the Second Temple period .
The deeper meaning of G'milut Ḥasadim:
This term is translated to "acts of piety" in the text above. We hear many times the term Acts of Lovingkindness for that term. They are correct, however do not provide the deepest meaning of the term. Here are a few more definitions from the Babylon Dictionary: charity, philanthropy, benevolence, disinterested assistance. As a verb, it means also to pay back, to recompense, to return (something back to its owner). The idea here is that the act of G'milut Ḥasadim is not a voluntary act, but rather an obligation. The person that we act towards with lovingkindness has done in the past deeds are making him worthy of being repaid, recompensated. We do not need to know what were and to whom those acts were done. The knowledge and belief that these acts were done is adequate to make us obligated to act towards that person with lovingkindness.
Behold acts of kindliness are of great primary importance to the Chasid (pious). For the term "Chasidut" itself comes from the term "kindliness" (Chesed). And our sages, of blessed memory, said (Pirkei Avot 1:2): "on three things the world stands", and one of whom is "acts of kindliness". Likewise, they counted them as one of those things which a person "eats of its fruits in This World while the principal [reward] is reserved for him in the World to Come."
שנאמר (שמות י״ח:כ׳) והודעת להם את הדרך ילכו בה זו גמילות חסדים. ואמרו גדולה גמילות חסדים יותר מן הצדקה שהצדקה לעניים וגמילות חסדים בין לעניים בין לעשירים. על כן אמרו על שלשה דברים העולם עומד על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים. והנה הצדקה בממונו. וגמילות חסדים בין בגופו בן בממונו. כי חייב אדם לטרוח בדרישת טוב לעמו ולשקוד בעמל נפשו על תקנת חבירו אם דל ואם עשיר. וזאת מן החמורות ומן העיקרים הנדרשים מן האדם שנאמר (מיכה ו׳:ח׳) הגיד לך אדם מה טוב ומה ה' דורש ממך כי אם עשות משפט ואהבת חסד. וכן מצוה להכנס לפנים משורת הדין שנאמר (שמות י״ח:כ׳) ואת המעשה אשר יעשון ואמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה זה לפנים משורת הדין. ויש בענין זה דרכים רבים אשר תהיה בהן המצוה הזאת מן החמורות הכל לפי ענין הדין. כמו שאמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה לא חרבה ירושלים אלא על שהעמידו דבריהם על דין תורה ולא נכנסו לפנים משורת הדין.
...as it is stated (Exodus 18:20), “and make known to them the way they are to go” - that is acts of kindness (Bava Metzia 30b). And they said (Sukkah 49b), “Acts of kindness are superior to charity, [since] charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both for the poor and for the rich.” Therefore they said (Avot 1:2), “The world stands upon three things: On the Torah; on the service; and on acts of kindness.” And (Sukkah 49b) “charity can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with his person and with his money.” For a person is obligated to exert himself in seeking good for his people and to dedicate himself to the betterment of his fellow - whether poor or rich. And this is one of the main weighty commandments required of a person, as it is stated (Micah 6:8), “He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you - only to do justice, and to love kindness.” And likewise to go beyond the law, as it is stated (Exodus 18:20), “and the practices they are to follow.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Metzia 30b), “This is going beyond the letter of the law.” And there are many ways in this matter, such that this commandment would be from the weighty ones. It is all according to the contents of the case - as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Metzia 30b), “Jerusalem was destroyed only because they established their rulings on the basis of Torah law and did not go beyond the letter of the law.”
Connection between these three legs the World stands on and The Song of the Sea (Parashat Beshalach):
Midrash Bamidbar Rabbah (12:12) provides the explanation, by quoting and analyzing Exodus 15:13:
נָחִ֥יתָ בְחַסְדְּךָ֖ עַם־ז֣וּ גָּאָ֑לְתָּ נֵהַ֥לְתָּ בְעׇזְּךָ֖ אֶל־נְוֵ֥ה קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃
In Your love (ḥesed – compassion, loving-kindness) You lead this People, You redeemed them; In Your strength You guide them to Your holy abode.
The Midrash explains that these three pillars (Torah, Avodah, G'milut Ḥasadim) are given by Moshe in this very verse. How come?
The Compassion and loving-kindness pillar is found in the very first part of the verse. The second pillar, Torah, is found in the part: 'In Your strength You guide them'. The prooftext for it is in Psalm 29:11: יְֽהוָ֗ה עֹ֭ז לְעַמּ֣וֹ יִתֵּ֑ן - May the LORD grant strength to His people. The part 'to Your Holy Abode' alludes to the Temple Service.
The Midrash adds some flavor and substance to the above claims: “you guided with your compassion” – these are all the generations from Creation until Israel accepted upon themselves the Torah. Until Israel accepted Torah, they did not have good deeds to be sustained by, and God, with his Love, Ḥesed, showered them with sustenance and abundance, without any conditions nor boundaries.
Once the People of Israel received the Torah, the world was like a chair with two legs: very unstable. The act of the Golden Calf is a testimonial to the instability of the world with only two pillars. Right after that incident, the People of Israel were occupied in building the Mishkan – the Tabernacle – that was the third leg that stabilized the world. There is a hint to this concept in the Song of the Sea itself, in verse 17:
מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהוָ֑ה מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כּוֹנְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ
The place You made to dwell in, O LORD, the sanctuary, O LORD, which Your hands established.
Where is this Dwelling of God? the answer is in Exodus 25:8: וְעָ֥שׂוּ לִ֖י מִקְדָּ֑שׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֖י בְּתוֹכָֽם׃ - And let them make Me a sanctuary that I will dwell among-within them.
(יח) רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַדִּין וְעַל הָאֱמֶת וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ח) אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:
(18) Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel used to say: on three things does the world stand: On justice, on truth and on peace, as it is said: “execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16).
Rabban Shimon b. Gamlielרבן שמעון בן גמליאל (1)
Tannaim - Second Generation
c.40 - c.80 CE
Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel succeeded his father, Rabban Gamliel, as the Nasi into the time of the Judean Wars and up to the Temple's destruction. He continued the liberalization of Jewish law due to the increasing difficulties of the times. This included actions aimed at reducing financial burdens, such as setting an example by be buried in simple shrouds.
THE WORLD STANDS. Rav: human civilization continues to exist. With this Rav anticipates the question one might raise from Mishnah 2, which mentions three other things upon which the world stands. Now although Rav there says that the three things in mishna 2 are the ones for whose sake the world was created, and one might attempt distinguish between the things necessary for creation to have occurred, and the things that that keep the world in existence after the fact, the distinction is illusory.
For whatever is important enough for the world to have been created ex nihilo is a fortiori important enough for its continued existence. Rav therefore writes on our Mishnah that these things are necessary for maintaining civilization, not the continued existence of the world. Torah, the sacrificial worship, and acts of kindness can be done by small numbers of people even in the absence of a proper civilization due to a lack of law, truth, and peace. For the remaining few precious to G-d are sufficient for the three pillars mentioned by Shimon the Righteous in Mishnah 2. You should not find this strange, as the Talmud says (Berachot 17b): the world was only created for Chanina my son, and (Berachot 6a): the world was only created to keep this one company, in expounding the verse “for this is the entirety of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Rav: Abba Arikha (175–247 CE), Rav Abba bar Aybo, רב אבא בר איבו), commonly known as Rav (רב), was a Jewish amora of the 3rd century. Abba Arikha established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud.[2] With him began the long period of ascendancy of the great Talmudic Academies in Babylonia[3] around the year 220. In the Talmud, he is frequently associated with Samuel of Nehardea, with whom he debated many issues.
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Abba_ArikhaAbba Arikha - Wikipedia
Yose b. Yoezer יוסי בן יועזר , Yose b. Yochanan יוסי בן יוחנן
Zugot - First Generation
c.180 - c.140 BCE
Yose b. Yoezer and Yose b. Yochanan served as the first of the zugot (pairs), with the first being Nasi (religious leader) and the second the head of the court. They served after Antigonos in a period of intense Hellenization and war, and promulgated several leniencies to encourage Jews to keep the law under these difficult conditions.
.Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp, head of the Conservative Yeshivah in Jerusalem
Engage not in too much conversation with women. They said this with regard to one’s own wife, how much more [does the rule apply] with regard to another man’s wife. From here the Sages said: as long as a man engages in too much conversation with women, he causes evil to himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit gehinnom. This section strikes a strongly misogynistic note. This Mishnah’s opinions on women does not (and in my humble opinion, should not) agree with our modern sensibilities. In our society women are treated as equals to men (or they should be treated as equals to men). Needless to say, women were not seen as equal to men two thousand years ago (or even 50 years ago!).
We should keep in mind that women did not receive the education that men received, and in general were not considered to be as intelligent as men. Therefore it is not surprising that Yose ben Yochanan warns men to avoid talking to women. Talking to women was considered the antithesis of Torah learning, because they assumed that women could not talk Torah. If we were to translate the advice in this section to our situation, the advice is not to waste one’s time away with idle chat, for such chat limits the time that one has to learn Torah.
Note that sections 2a-b are not from Yose ben Yochanan himself but rather are the words of later Sages appended to his statement. They both explain the statement and expand upon it.
Yehoshua b. Perachya and Nittai haArbeli
Zugot - Second Generation
c.140 - c.100 BCE
Yehoshua b. Perachya and Nittai haArbeli served as Nasi and head of the court under Yochanan the High Priest. When the latter turned against the Pharisees, Yehoshua - and presumably Nittai - temporarily fled to Egypt and became leader of the large Jewish community in Alexandria.
ואמר וקנה לך חבר. זכר אותו בלשון קנייה ולא אמר עשה לך חבר או התחבר לאחרים הכונה בזה שצריך לאדם שיקנה אוהב לעצמו שיתקנו בו מעשיו וכל עניניו כמו שאמרו או חברותא או מיתותא ואם לא ימצאהו צריך להשתדל בו בכל לבו ואפילו אם יצטרך שימשכנו לאהבתו עד שישוב אוהב ולא יסור מהמשך תמיד אחר רצונו עד שתתחזק אהבתו כמו שיאמרו בעלי המוסר כשתאהב לא תאהב על מדותיך ואמנם תאהב על מדת אהוביך וכשיכוין כל אחד משני האהובים אל זאת הצואה יהיה כונת כל אחד משניהם להפיק רצון חבירו ויהיה כונת שניהם יחד דבר אחד בלא ספק. ומה טוב מאמר אריסטוטלוס האהוב אחד הוא והאוהבים ג' מינים אוהב תועלת אוהב מנוחה ואוהב מעלה אמנם אוהב תועלת כאהבת שני השותפים ואהבת המלך ומחנהו ואמנם אוהב מנוחה הוא ב' מינים אוהב הנאה ואוהב בטחון אמנם אוהב הנאה כאהבת הזכרים לנקבות וכיוצא בהם. ואמנם אוהב בטחון הוא שיהיה לאדם אוהב תבטח נפשו בו לא ישמר ממנו לא במעשה ולא בדבור ויודיעהו כל עניניו הטוב מהם והמגונה מבלתי שירא ממנו שישיגהו בכל זה חסרון לא אצלו ולא זולתו כי כשיגיע לאדם בטחון באיש זה השעור ימצא מנוחה גדולה בדבריו ובאהבתו הרבה. ואוהב מעלה הוא שיהיה תאות שניהם וכונתם לדבר אחד והוא הטוב וירצה כל אחד להעזר בחבירו בהגיע הטוב ההוא לשניהם יחד וזה האוהב אשר צוה לקנותו והוא כאהבת הרב לתלמיד והתלמיד לרב:
Yehudah b. Tabbai and Shimon b. Shetach
Zugot - Third Generation
c.100 - c.60 BCE
The third of the pairs, Yehudah b. Tabbai and Shimon b. Shetach served during the tumultuous reign of Alexander Yannai. Though Yannai's brother-in-law, Shimon had to hide at the height of Yannai's persecution of the Pharisees; while Yehudah fled to Egypt. Nevertheless, Shimon wrested control of the Sanhedrin away from the Sadducees.
This 'government' (rishut) is the authorities. And in these three traits there is refinement of faithfulness and of the world. As with the absence of work, things will be tight for him and he will rob and be unfaithful. And with the pursuit of lordship, he will have challenges in the world and bad things; as since people will be jealous of him and disagree with him, he will lose his faithfulness. [It is] as they said (Sanhedrin 103b), "Once a man is appointed an officer over the community below, he becomes an evildoer above." And so [too, regarding] familiarity with the government in the early days and coming close to it, it was very unusual to escape from [the damage caused by] it in this world. As he will not pay attention to anything except that which brings him close to it.
הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
Hillel and Shammai received [the oral tradition] from them. Hillel used to say: be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah.
מתלמידיו של אהרן. אמרו שאהרן עליו השלום כשהיה מרגיש באדם שתוכו רע או שהיו מספרים לו שתוכו רע ושבידו עבירה היה מתחיל לו לשלום והיה מתאהב אליו והיה מרבה לספר עמו והיה האיש ההוא מתבייש בנפשו ואומר אוי לי אילו היה יודע אהרן צפון לבי ורוע מפעלי לא היה מתיר לעצמו להסתכל בי כל שכן שידבר עמי ואמנם אני אצלו בחזקת אדם כשר לכן אני אאמת את דבריו ומחשבתו ואהיה חוזר למוטב ונעשה מתלמידיו הלומדים ממנו ואמר הש"י כשתארו בזאת המדה הנכבדת בשלום ובמישור הלך אתי ורבים השיב מעוון...
"Of the disciples of Aharon": They said (The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan 12) that when Aharon, peace be upon him, sensed that the insides of a person were bad or they told him that his insides were bad or that he had a sin in his hand, he would greet him first and would be friendly towards him and would speak much with him. And that man would become embarrassed about himself and say, "Woe is to me! If Aharon knew what is hidden in my heart and the evil of my actions, he would not permit himself to [even] look at me, all the more so to speak to me. And yet he treats me with the presumption that I am a proper man. [Hence] I will confirm his words and his thought and I will return to the good." And he would become from his students who learn from him. And the Holy One, blessed be He, stated when He described him with this trait (Malachi 2:6), "He walked with Me in peace and righteousness, and brought many back from iniquity."
"loving, etc.": Because they are the creatures of the Holy One, blessed be He. And therefore it is fitting that you should love them. And [it is] also [fitting] that the love should be from this side and not from any other side - for example, because of the benefit that comes to you from them. Seemingly, [Rabbi Bartneura's explanation] contradicts the statement, "Do not befriend an evildoer." And this is the language of [Rambam]: "He would greet him first and he would become beloved to him and he would increase his talking with him."
He [Hillel] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?
אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי. אִם אֵין אֲנִי זוֹכֶה לְעַצְמִי, מִי יִזְכֶּה בִּשְׁבִילִי:
וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי. וַאֲפִלּוּ זָכִיתִי לְעַצְמִי, מַה הוּא הַזְּכוּת הַזֶּה וּבַמֶּה נֶחְשַׁב הוּא כְּנֶגֶד מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי חַיָּב לַעֲשׂוֹת:
וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו. בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה:
אֵימָתָי. כִּי אַחַר הַמָּוֶת אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכּוֹת עוֹד. פֵּרוּשׁ אַחֵר, אִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו בִּימֵי הַבַּחֲרוּת, אֵימָתַי, שֶׁמָּא בִּימֵי הַזִּקְנָה לֹא יַעֲלֶה לְיָדִי:
”If I am not for myself”: If I do not merit for myself, who will merit for me?
”And if I am for myself”: And even if have merited for myself, what is this merit and what is it worth compared to what it is that I am obligated to do?
”And if I am for myself”: And even if have merited for myself, what is this merit and what is it worth compared to what it is that I am obligated to do?
”And if not now": in this world.
”when?”: Since after death, it is impossible to merit any more. Another explanation: “If not now” in the days of youth, “when,” lest in the days of old age, I will not succeed.
Shammai used to say: make your [study of the] Torah a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and receive all men with a pleasant countenance. Shammai had a reputation for being severe, perhaps even irritable. This is exemplified in the famous story of a non-Jew who came before him and asked him to teach him the whole Torah on one foot. Shammai promptly threw him out of the study hall, whereas Hillel eloquently told the non-Jew, “‘love your neighbor as yourself’, the rest is all commentary, go and learn.” Despite Shammai’s reputation, his teaching does not laud such qualities, but rather Shammai emphasizes that one should act pleasantly to others. Shammai’s first statement is that a person should make his Torah learning a fixed practice. In other words, he should not study only in his spare time, when he finds a free moment, but set aside fixed times to learn, and make them the focal point of his life. Another interpretation of this line is that when someone learns something new, he should make it a fixed part of his consciousness and not allow himself to forget what he has learned, so that he could teach it to others. The second statement is that one should speak little and do much. This is learned through the example set by Abraham, who told his guests (Genesis 18:5): “And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” In the end, Abraham brought them much more than a morsel of bread; he brought them butter and milk and a calf which he had prepared (vs. 8). The third statement teaches that when one helps others he must do so cheerfully. Visiting the sick, giving charity to the poor, welcoming guests into one’s home and giving presents to friends must all be done with joy, for if he does so with a downcast face, his good deed will be spoiled.