Pirkei Avot, Chapter 5 with Bartenura Commentaries

(1) With ten utterances the world was created. And what does this teach, for surely it could have been created with one utterance? But this was so in order to punish the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten utterances, And to give a good reward to the righteous who maintain the world that was created with ten utterances.

(2) [There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the flood. [There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until Abraham, came and received the reward of all of them.

(3) With ten trials was Abraham, our father (may he rest in peace), tried, and he withstood them all; to make known how great was the love of Abraham, our father (peace be upon him).

(4) Ten miracles were wrought for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the sea. Ten plagues did the Holy one, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea. [With] ten trials did our ancestors try God, blessed be He, in the Wilderness, as it is said, “and they have tried Me these ten times and they have not listened to my voice” (Numbers 14:22).

(7) [There are] seven things [characteristic] in a clod, and seven in a wise man: A wise man does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom, And does not break into his fellow’s speech; And is not hasty to answer; He asks what is relevant, and he answers to the point; And he speaks of the first [point] first, and of the last [point] last; And concerning that which he has not heard, he says: I have not heard; And he acknowledges the truth. And the reverse of these [are characteristic] in a clod.

(1) An unformed person (golem): This is an expression as per [its usage in the phrase,] "unformed vessels (golmei kelim)." So [too] is a man who is not finished in his intellect - not in his character traits and not in his wisdom - called unformed (golem).

(2) does not speak in front of someone who is greater than him in wisdom: As so have we found with Elazar and Itamar, who did not want to speak in front of their father, when Moshe became angry with them; and [instead] Aharon responded.

(3) and he does not interrupt the words of his fellow: that he not mix him up. As it is written (Numbers 12:6), "'listen to my words,'" [meaning] listen to me until I [have spoken]. All the more so with simple people [is there a concern that it will mix them up].

(4) and is not impulsive in answering: so that his answer be as is proper. And so was it with Elihu, he said (Job 36:2), "Wait for me a little and I will tell you."

(5) and he asks to the point and answers as is proper: It is counted as one thing here, and this is its explanation: The student asks to the point, which is to say about the topic with which they are involved, and then the teacher will answer him as is proper. But if the student asks not to the point, he brings the teacher to answer as is not proper. [This is] in the way of what Rabbi Chiya said to Rav (Shabbat 3b), "When Rabbi is in this tractate, do not ask him about another tractate." And so [too] do you find with the people that were impure from [contact with a dead] soul, who saw that Moshe was involved with the laws of Pesach and asked him about that same topic.

(6) and he speaks to the first [point] first: And so did we find with the Holy One, blessed be He; since Moshe said to Him (Numbers 3:11), "'Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh'" - that is the first - "'and that I should bring out the Children of Israel'" - behold, the second. And the Holy One, blessed be He, answered about the first (Numbers 3:12), "'Since I will be with you'"; and about the second, "'in your bringing the people out from Egypt, you will serve God.'"

(7) and about that which he has not heard [anything], says, "I have not heard [anything]": If he is deciding a legal case from the analysis of his own mind, he should not say, "So have I heard from my teachers." And we found with the men of Charan (Genesis 29:6) when Jacob asked them, "Is there peace (wellness) with him," they answered him, "there is peace and behold his daughter, Rachel, is coming with the flock"; which is to say, "This we know, but if you ask more, behold Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the flock and she will tell you, as we do not know more than this."

(8) and he concedes to the truth: And even though he can uphold his words with claims that he [can produce]. And so did we find with Moshe when Aharon pushed him and said to him, "If you have heard [the law] with regards to temporary [sacrifices], you should not be lenient [with it] with regards to permanent sacrifices. "And Moshe heard and it was good in his eyes" (Leviticus 10:20). He conceded to him and he was not embarrassed [so as] to say, "I didn't hear [this]"; but rather [he said,] "I have heard [this] and I had forgotten [it]."

(9) And their opposites [are the case] with an unformed person: The opposite of these things that are in the wise man are [found] in the unformed person.

(8) Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of transgression:When some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes some go hungry, and others are satisfied. When they have all decided not to give tithes, a famine from tumult and drought comes; [When they have, in addition, decided] not to set apart the dough-offering, an all-consuming famine comes. Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for neglect of the law regarding the fruits of the sabbatical year. The sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment, and for the perversion of judgment, and because of those who teach the Torah not in accordance with the accepted law.

(1) A famine from drought: [This is when] the rains are few and, from that, the [prices for food go up].

(2) a famine from tumult: [This is when] they are not able to gather the produce because of the [enemy] troops.

(3) a famine of annihilation: [This is when] the skies are like iron and the earth is like copper.

(4) that are not given over to the court [to carry out]: [such] that they did not perform a Torah judgement (din Torah) on them.

(5) and for [violation of the laws governing] the produce of the Sabbatical year: They are doing business with [this produce] and they are not treating it with the holiness of the Sabbatical year.

(6) the delay of justice: They know to [which side] the judgement is leaning and they do not decide upon it.

(7) the perversion of justice: [meaning] to render the guilty innocent and the innocent guilty.

(8) and because of those who interpret the Torah counter to the accepted law: [meaning] to render the permissible forbidden and the forbidden permissible.

(9) Wild beasts come to the world for swearing in vain, and for the profanation of the Name. Exile comes to the world for idolatry, for sexual sins and for bloodshed, and for [transgressing the commandment of] the [year of the] release of the land. At four times pestilence increases: in the fourth year, in the seventh year and at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year. In the fourth year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the third year. In the seventh year, on account of the tithe of the poor which is due in the sixth year; At the conclusion of the seventh year, on account of the produce of the seventh year; And at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles] in every year, for robbing the gifts to the poor.

(1) False oaths: in vain, that are unneccesary.

(2) desecration of God's name: One who commits a sin publicly with a high hand. And also (another explanation is) that people see and learn from his [sinful] actions.

(3) and because of [the violation] of the resting of the earth: when they plow and plant on the Sabbatical year.

(4) it is because of [negligence] of the tithe to the poor in the third [year]: As in place of the second tithe that they put aside in other years of the Sabbatical cycle; on the third and the seventh, they put aside the tithe to the poor.

(5) the theft of gifts to the poor: The gleanings, the produce that is forgotten, the produce that is in the corner of the field, the fallen grapes and the single strands of grapes.

(10) There are four types of character in human beings: One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character. [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz); [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person. [One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.

(1) "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours": "I do not want to give you benefit, and would you only not benefit me."

(2) And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom: The thing is close to coming to the temperament of Sodom. As since he gets accustomed to this, he will not want to give benefit to his fellow - even with something that benefits his fellow and he does not [lose anything as a result]. And this was the temperament of Sodom. As they were intending to stop sojourners from among them, even though the land was broad-shouldered in front of them and they did not lack anything.

(3) "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- [that's an] am ha'arets (uneducated person, literally the people of the land): who benefits and gives benefit equally, and this is [for] the [advancement of] the inhabitation of the land. But he doesn't know the verse (Proverbs 15:27) which writes, "and the one hates gifts will live." And this is the [meaning] of the expression, am ha'arets, in every place - that he wants the refinement of the land but he does not have the wisdom to distinguish [what are] proper refinements.

(4) "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours": He gives benefit to the creatures from his possessions, but he does not benefit from others.

(5) a pious person: that goes beyond the [letter of the] law.

(11) There are four kinds of temperaments: Easy to become angry, and easy to be appeased: his gain disappears in his loss; Hard to become angry, and hard to be appeased: his loss disappears in his gain; Hard to become angry and easy to be appeased: a pious person; Easy to become angry and hard to be appeased: a wicked person.

(1) This is the textual variant that we [follow]: [a person who is] easy to anger and easy to appease -- his gain is canceled by his loss. [A person who is] hard to anger but [also] hard to appease -- his loss is canceled by his gain: A man who get angry quickly about everything - even though he goes back and is quickly appeased - his loss is greater than his reward; as most of his deeds are spoiled, since he is easy to anger about each and every thing. But [if he is] hard to anger - even though he has a bad trait [in] that he is hard to appease - his great reward [in] that he is hard to anger cancels out his small loss [in] that he is hard to appease, and most of his deeds are refined. And some [follow] the variant [that has] the opposite, and [the first] variant seems more like the main [one].

(12) There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget: his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise man; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion.

(1) Quick to understand and quick to forget -- his gain is canceled by his loss: As since he forgets what he learns, what benefit is there in that which he is quick to understand? It comes out that his loss is greater than his gain.

(2) [A student who is] slow to understand and slow to forget -- his loss is canceled by his gain: As the good trait in him exceeds the negative trait; since that which he understands after the difficulty, he remembers and does not forget. And what comes out from it (the practical difference) is that if we have two students in front of us and we only have enough sustenance to [support] one of them, we prioritize the one that is slow to forget.

(3) that is a bad portion: It would not be relevant to learn here, "pious" or "evil," as this is not something that is dependent upon the choice of a person, but rather is a disadvantage that was in him from the beginning of his creation.

(13) There are four types of charity givers. He who wishes to give, but that others should not give: his eye is evil to that which belongs to others; He who wishes that others should give, but that he himself should not give: his eye is evil towards that which is his own; He who desires that he himself should give, and that others should give: he is a pious man; He who desires that he himself should not give and that others too should not give: he is a wicked man.

(1) There are four temperaments among givers of charity: meaning to say in the giving of charity, and not literally among givers of charity. As behold, there is among them the one who does not give. And so [too] in the adjacent [mishnah], "among those who attend the House of Study," is in the going to the House of Study.

(2) he has an evil eye with respect to others: As it is known that [giving] charity makes one wealthy and he does not want others to get wealthy. Another explanation: There [exists] one who is concerned about the money of his relatives more than about his own money. And even though he gives, he does not want his relatives to give, so that they not lose their money. And [this explanation makes] "he has an evil eye with respect to others" similar to "he has an evil eye with respect to himself" at the end [of this part of the mishnah].

(14) There are four types among those who frequent the study-house (bet midrash):He who attends but does not practice: he receives a reward for attendance. He who practices but does not attend: he receives a reward for practice. He who attends and practices: he is a pious man; He who neither attends nor practices: he is a wicked man.

(1) [One who] goes but does not do: He goes to the House of Study to listen but he does not review and study and does not understand.

(2) [One who] does but does not go: He studies and reviews in the House of Study which is in his [own] home.

(15) There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve.A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour.

(1) Among those who sit before the sages: Earlier with the "four temperaments among students," it was speaking about the topic of memory and forgetting. And now it is speaking about the topic of proper analysis and separating a thing that is right from that which is not right.

(2) the sponge: It absorbs the water, whether it is muddy or clear. So [too], there is one whose heart is broad and he receives everything that he hears [but] does not have the ability to separate the truth from the falsehood.

(3) the funnel: A vessel that is put at the opening of a barrel or at the opening of a pouch when one wants to fill it with wine or oil.

(4) because it lets in at [one end] and lets out at [the other]: So [too], there is one who receives everything that he learns; [but] in the way that he absorbs it, so does he [relinquish] it.

(5) The strainer: He lets out all that he has heard in the House of Study and collects a wasteful matter.

(6) The sieve: After we take out the bran and the bruised grain from the ground flour, the [inferior powdery] flour is left with the coarse fine flour, and [the latter] is the [more] important one; we pass it through a very fine sieve. And all of the [powdery] flour - which is like white dust - falls from it, and the coarse important flour remains. And so would they do with grain offerings. So [too], there is one who has the ability to separate and to cleanse his teachings and take the truth from the false and wasteful.

(16) All love that depends on a something, [when the] thing ceases, [the] love ceases; and [all love] that does not depend on anything, will never cease. What is an example of love that depended on a something? Such was the love of Amnon for Tamar. And what is an example of love that did not depend on anything? Such was the love of David and Jonathan.

(1) Any love that is dependent on something transient: that does not last. When the thing that was the cause for that love perishes, the love will also perish. But any love that is not dependent on something transient, but rather on something lasting - for example, the love of the righteous men and the sages - never perishes. In the same way that the thing which is the cause of that love does not perish, so [too] does the love not perish.

(2) the love of Amnon and Tamar: [which was] because of her beauty.

(3) the love of David and Jonathan: [which was] to fulfill the will of their Maker. As Jonathan said to David, "You will be the king over Israel and I will be your second."

(17) Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven, will in the end endure; But one that is not for the sake of Heaven, will not endure. Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai. And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.

(1) Every argument that is for [the sake of] heaven's name, it is destined (literally, its end is) to endure: That is to say that the [parties to] the argument are destined to endure and not perish, as with the argument between Hillel and Shammai, [whereby] neither the students of the School of Hillel nor the students of the School of Shammai perished. But Korach and his congregation perished. And I heard the explanation of “its end” is its purpose that is sought from its subject. And [with] the argument which is for the sake of Heaven, the purpose and aim that is sought from that argument is to arrive at the truth, and this endures; like that which they said, "From a dispute the truth will be clarified," and as it became elucidated from the argument between Hillel and Shammai - that the law was like the school of Hillel. And [with] argument which is not for the sake of Heaven, its desired purpose is to achieve power and the love of contention, and its end will not endure; as we found in the argument of Korach and his congregation - that their aim and ultimate intent was to achieve honor and power, and the opposite was [achieved].

(18) Whoever causes the multitudes to be righteous, sin will not occur on his account; And whoever causes the multitudes to sin, they do not give him the ability to repent. Moses was righteous and caused the multitudes to be righteous, [therefore] the righteousness of the multitudes is hung on him, as it is said, “He executed the Lord’s righteousness and His decisions with Israel” (Deut. 33:21). Jeroboam, sinned and caused the multitudes to sin, [therefore] the sin of the multitudes is hung on him, as it is said, “For the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he caused Israel to sin thereby” (I Kings 15:30).

(1) Sin does not result from him: So that he will not be in gehinnom and his students in the Garden of Eden.

(2) is not given enough [time] to repent: So that he not be in the Garden of Eden and his students in gehinnom.

(3) and brought merit to the many: since he taught Torah to all of Israel.

(4) "He fulfilled the righteousness of God and His statutes with Israel": [Meaning] and His statutes that are with Israel, as if he had [also] done them.

(5) who sinned and caused the many to sin: From that which it did not state, "for the sins of Jeroboam and Israel"; we understand from it that all was dependent upon Jeroboam

(19) Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit and a moderate appetite he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father. An evil eye, a haughty spirit and a limitless appetite he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and the disciples of Balaam, the wicked? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world, and inherit the world to come, as it is said: “I will endow those who love me with substance, I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8:21). But the disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit Gehinnom, and descend into the nethermost pit, as it is said: “For you, O God, will bring them down to the nethermost pit those murderous and treacherous men; they shall not live out half their days; but I trust in You” (Psalms 55:24).

(1) From the students of Abraham, our father: He has learned from him and walks in his ways.

(2) a good eye: He is satisfied with that which he has and does not covet the money of others. As so did we find with Abraham, who said to the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:23), "'That not from a thread to a shoe strap and that I will not take from all that is yours.'"

(3) a humble spirit: Extra humility. And so did we find Abraham say (Genesis 18:27), "'and I am dust and ashes.'"

(4) and a small appetite: Cautiousness and separation from the desires. And we found this in Abraham, as it is written (Genesis 12:11), "'behold now I know that you are a woman of beautiful appearance'" - that until now, he did not recognize [this] from [his] extensive modesty. And with Bilaam, we find an evil eye, as he knew that it was bad in the eyes of the Omnipresent that he should go to Balak, and he went [regardless] in order to take payment, as it is written (Numbers 22:18), "'if Balak give me the fill of his house [with] silver and gold.'"

(5) a haughty spirit: since he said (Numbers 24:16), "'Speaks the one who hears the utterances of God and knows the thought of the Most High.'"

(6) and a broad appetite: As if he did not have great desire, he would not have counseled to release the daughters of Moav to promiscuity. And the sages said (Sanhedrin 105a), Bilaam had sexual intercourse with his donkey.

(7) "There is what for those that love Me to inherit": Abraham is called a lover [of God], as it is written (Isaiah 41:8), "the seed of Abraham, who loves me." "There is" - in the world to come; "and their treasuries will I fill" - in this world.

(8) "people of blood": Bilaam is called a man of blood, as he brought down twenty four thousand [men] of Israel with his counsel.