Ethics of the Fathers

pirkei avot - perek א

פרקי אבות - פרק א

Israeli: ' marks a reduced vowel that Israeli speech drops (b'rachah); when the vowel is pronounced it is written e (lefanecha). - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר: הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם
וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה.

Israeli

Hilel veshamai kiblu mehem. Hilel omer: hevei mitalmidav shel Aharon, ohev shalom
verodef shalom, ohev et habriyot umekarevan latorah.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: נְגַד שְׁמָא אֲבַד שְׁמֵהּ, וּדְלָא מוֹסִיף יָסוּף, וּדְלָא יָלֵף קְטָלָא
חַיָּב, וּדְאִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּתַגָּא חָלֵף.

Israeli

hu hayah omer: negad sh'ma avad sh'meh, udla mosif yasuf, udla yalef k'tala
chayav, ude-ishtamesh b'taga chalef.

Hebrew

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי מִי לִי, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי מָה אֲנִי, וְאִם לֹא
עַכְשָׁו אֵימָתָי.

Israeli

hu hayah omer: im ein ani li mi li, uchshe-ani le-atzmi mah ani, ve-im lo
achshav eimatai.

Hebrew

שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה תוֹרָתְךָ קֶבַע, אֱמֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת
כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת.

Israeli

shamai omer: aseh Toratcha keva, emor me-at va-aseh harbeh, vehevei mekabel et
kol ha-Adam b'sever panim yafot.

Hebrew

רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וְהִסְתַּלֵּק מִן הַסָּפֵק, וְאַל תַּרְבֶּה לְעַשֵּׂר
אֻמָּדוֹת.

Israeli

raban Gamli-el omer: aseh lecha rav, vehistalek min hasafek, ve-al tarbeh le-aser
umadot.

Hebrew

שִׁמְעוֹן בְּנוֹ אוֹמֵר: כָּל יָמַי גָּדַלְתִּי בֵין הַחֲכָמִים, וְלֹא מָצָאתִי לַגּוּף טוֹב מִשְּׁתִיקָה,
וְלֹא הַמִּדְרָשׁ עִקָּר אֶלָּא הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה דְבָרִים מֵבִיא חֵטְא.

Israeli

Shimon b'no omer: kol yamai gadalti vein hachachamim, velo matzati laguf tov mishtikah,
velo hamidrash ikar ela hama-aseh, vechol hamarbeh d'varim mevi chet.

Zech. 8

Hebrew

רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם קַיָּם, עַל הַדִּין,
וְעַל הָאֱמֶת, וְעַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֱמֶת וּמִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם:

Israeli

raban Shimon ben Gamli-el omer: al sh'loshah d'varim ha-olam kayam, al hadin,
ve-al ha-emet, ve-al hashalom, shene-emar: emet umishpat shalom shiftu b'sha-areichem:

Makkot 23bIs. 42

Hebrew

רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶן עֲקַשְׁיָא אוֹמֵר: רָצָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְזַכּוֹת אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְפִיכָךְ
הִרְבָּה לָהֶם תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְהֹוָה חָפֵץ לְמַעַן צִדְקוֹ, יַגְדִּיל תּוֹרָה וְיַאְדִּיר:

Israeli

rabi Chananya ven Akashya omer: ratzah hakadosh baruch hu lezakot et Yisra-el, lefichach
hirbah lahem Torah umitzvot. shene-emar: Adonai chafetz lema-an tzidko, yagdil Torah veyadir:

If there is a minyan, mourners say the Rabbis’ Kaddish (page 628).

Commentary

… away from situations in which you are called on to make a decision when the facts are unclear.

Rabbi Hananya ben Akashya: This paragraph is not part of the Pirkei Avot but a liturgical addition. According to Maimonides, its implication is that “It is a fundamental principle of Jewish faith that if a person fulfills even one of the 613 mitzvot fully and properly, without ulterior motive but simply for its own sake and out of love, he merits a share in the World to Come. Therefore Rabbi Hananya teaches that there are so many mitzvot that it is impossible that a person should not have fulfilled at least one in the course of a lifetime, and thereby merits eternal life” (commentary on the Mishna Makkot 3:17). The statement of Rabbi Hananya thus complements the teaching recited at the beginning, that “All Israel have a share in the World to Come.”

1:13. A name made great: Those who take pride in fame will eventually lose it. He who does not study: life is learning, and learning is life. He who makes worldly use of the crown: Torah scholarship must never be used for personal advantage. It is for us to honor the Torah, and not use the Torah to honor ourselves.

1:14. If I am not for myself: A succinct summary of Judaism’s philosophy of personal responsibility combined with social responsibility. If not now: a moment of opportunity, unseized, may never come again.

1:16. Get yourself a teacher: As with Yehoshua ben Peraḥya’s teaching (above, 1:6), the emphasis is on the choice of one particular teacher as primary mentor and role model. Scholarship depends on discipleship. Avoid doubt: keep …