Chapter One

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת

PIRKEI AVOT

It is customary is to say a chapter of Pirkei Avot on each Shabbat between Pesach and Shavuot. This serves as a reminder for us to keep the Torah and its commandments properly in preparation for the festival of the giving of the Torah.¹

In many communities it is customary to continue saying Pirkei Avot until Rosh Hashanah. In order to complete four cycles of Pirkei Avot by that time, we say two chapters on each of the last two or three weeks before Rosh Hashanah.

CHAPTER ONE

Hebrew

כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ לָהֶם חֵלֶק לְעוֹלָם
הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים,
לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ, נֵצֶר מַטָּעַי
מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר.

Chabad

kol Yisro-eil yeish lohem cheilek l'oylom
habo, shene-emar: v'ameich kulom tzadikim,
l'oylom yir'shu oretz, neitzer mato-ai
ma-aseih yodai l'hispo-eir.

Hebrew

א מֹשֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי²
וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ
לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים,
וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי
כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הֵם אָמְרוּ
שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים: הֱווּ
מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ
תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה,³ וַעֲשׂוּ
סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה.

Chabad

א Moysheh kibeil Toyroh misinai
um'soroh lihoyshua, vihoyshua
lizkeinim, uz'keinim linvi-im,
un'vi-im m'soruho l'anshei
k'neses hag'doyloh. heim om'ru
sh'lshoh d'vorim: hevu
m'sunim badin, v'ha-amidu
salmidim harbeih, va-asu
s'yog latoyroh.

Hebrew

ב שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי
כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר,
עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד:
עַל הַתּוֹרָה, וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה, וְעַל
גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים.

Chabad

ב Shimoyn hatzadik hoyoh mish'yorei
k'neses hag'doyloh. hu hoyoh oymeir,
al sh'lshoh d'vorim ho-oylom oymeid:
al hatoyroh, v'al ho-avoydoh, v'al
g'milus chasodim.

Hebrew

ג אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן
הַצַּדִּיק. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: אַל תִּהְיוּ
כַּעֲבָדִים הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב עַל
מְנָת לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, אֶלָּא הֱווּ כַּעֲבָדִים
הַמְשַׁמְּשִׁין אֶת הָרַב שֶׁלֹּא עַל מְנָת
לְקַבֵּל פְּרָס, וִיהִי מוֹרָא שָׁמַיִם עֲלֵיכֶם.

Chabad

ג antig'noys ish soychoy kibeil mishimoyn
hatzadik. hu hoyoh oymeir: al tihyu
ka-avodim ham'sham'shin es horav al
m'nos l'kabeil p'ros, elo hevu ka-avodim
ham'sham'shin es horav sheloy al m'nos
l'kabeil p'ros, vihi moyro shomayim aleichem.

Hebrew

ד יוֹסֵי בֶּן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה וְיוֹסֵי
בֶּן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם.
יוֹסֵי בֶּן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה אוֹמֵר:
יְהִי בֵיתְךָ בֵּית וַעַד לַחֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי
מִתְאַבֵּק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלֵיהֶם,⁴ וֶהֱוֵי שׁוֹתֶה
בְצָמָא אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם.⁵

Chabad

ד Yoysei ben yoy-ezer ish tz'reidoh v'Yoysei
ben Yoychonon ish Y'rusholayim kib'lu meihem.
Yoysei ben yoy-ezer ish tz'reidoh oymeir:
y'hi veis'cho beis va-ad lachachomim, vehevei
misabeik ba-afar ragleihem, vehevei shoyseh
v'tzomo es divreihem.

Commentary

1 Pirkei Avot is said after Minchah on Shabbat, because that is the time when Moses passed away. Pirkei Avot begins by describing how Moses received the Torah and gave it to Joshua before his passing.

2 The mishnah says that Moses received the Torah "from Sinai," not "at Sinai." This alludes to the fact that Moses learned two lessons from Mount Sinai itself: 1. To receive the Torah, you must be humble like Mount Sinai, which was the lowest mountain in the desert. 2. At the same time, you must still be a mountain—you must be proud enough to fight for what's right.

3 Literally, "much." Not only is it important to have many students, but it is also important to make sure that they spend much of their time learning.

4 One who wishes to learn from Torah scholars must be as humble as dust before them.

5 Learning from Torah scholars is referred to as "drinking." Just as drinking helps distribute nutrients throughout the body, learning Torah from Torah scholars will help distribute the lessons that you learn and apply them to all parts of your life.