Chapter Five

perek ה

פֶּרֶק ה

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

How to read the transliterations

Hebrew

יז כָּל מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם
שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם,¹
וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין
סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא
מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם
שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת הִלֵּל
וְשַׁמַּאי. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם
שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת קֹרַח
וְכָל עֲדָתוֹ.

Chabad

יז kol machaloykes shehi l'sheim
shomayim, soyfoh l'hiskayeim,
v'she-einoh l'sheim shomayim, ein
soyfoh l'hiskayeim. eizoy hi
machaloykes shehi l'sheim
shomayim, zoy machaloykes Hileil
v'shamai. v'she-einoh l'sheim
shomayim, zoy machaloykes Koyrach
v'chol adosoy.

Hebrew

יח כָּל הַמְזַכֶּה אֶת הָרַבִּים,²
אֵין חֵטְא בָּא עַל יָדוֹ, וְכָל
הַמַּחֲטִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים, אֵין
מַסְפִּיקִין בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת
תְּשׁוּבָה.³ מֹשֶׁה זָכָה וְזִכָּה
אֶת הָרַבִּים, זְכוּת הָרַבִּים
תָּלוּי בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: צִדְקַת
יְהֹוָה עָשָׂה, וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם
יִשְׂרָאֵל. יָרָבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט
חָטָא וְהֶחֱטִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים,

Chabad

יח kol ham'zakeh es horabim,
ein cheit bo al yodoy, v'chol
hamachati es horabim, ein
maspikin b'yodoy la-asoys
t'shuvoh. Moysheh zochoh v'zikoh
es horabim, z'chus horabim
tolui boy, shene-emar: tzidkas
Adonoy osoh, umishpotov im
Yisro-eil. Yorov'-om ben n'vot
choto v'hecheti es horabim,

Hebrew

חֵטְא הָרַבִּים תָּלוּי בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:
עַל חַטֹּאות יָרָבְעָם אֲשֶׁר חָטָא,
וַאֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Chabad

cheit horabim tolui boy, shene-emar:
al chatoyvs Yorov'-om asher choto,
va-asher hecheti es Yisro-eil.

Hebrew

יט כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ שְׁלשָׁה
דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ,⁴ הוּא מִתַּלְמִידָיו
שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, וּשְׁלשָׁה
דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, הוּא מִתַּלְמִידָיו
שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע. תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל
אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ: עַיִן טוֹבָה, וְרוּחַ
נְמוּכָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ שְׁפָלָה. תַּלְמִידָיו
שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע: עַיִן רָעָה,
וְרוּחַ גְּבוֹהָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה. מַה
בֵּין תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ
לְתַלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע,
תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ
אוֹכְלִין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְנוֹחֲלִין
הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְהַנְחִיל
אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ, וְאוֹצְרוֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא.
אֲבָל תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע
יוֹרְשִׁין גֵּיהִנֹּם וְיוֹרְדִין לִבְאֵר
שַׁחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאַתָּה אֱלֹהִים

Chabad

יט kol mi sheyeish boy sh'lshoh
d'vorim halolu, hu mitalmidov
shel Avrohom ovinu, ush'lshoh
d'vorim acheirim, hu mitalmidov
shel Bilom horosho. talmidov shel
Avrohom ovinu: ayin toyvoh, v'ruach
n'muchoh, v'nefesh sh'foloh. talmidov
shel Bilom horosho: ayin ro-oh,
v'ruach g'voyhoh, v'nefesh r'chovoh. mah
bein talmidov shel Avrohom ovinu
l'salmidov shel Bilom horosho,
talmidov shel Avrohom ovinu
oych'lin bo-oylom hazeh, v'noychalin
ho-oylom habo, shene-emar: l'hanchil
oyhavai yeish, v'oytz'royseihem amalei.
avol talmidov shel Bilom horosho
yoyr'shin geihinoym v'yoyr'din liveir
shachas, shene-emar: v'atoh Eloyhim

Commentary

1 How is it possible for both sides of a Torah argument to stand, if the Jewish law only follows one opinion? The answer is that if both sides are arguing for the sake of Torah—to understand the Divine will, and not to merely prove themselves right—then one side will eventually be accepted by a clear majority and become the accepted opinion. The minority opinion-holders will then review their understanding of the matter and learn to accept the majority opinion. When this occurs, it is proof that the argument was "for the sake of heaven."

2 The gates of repentance are always open. The mishnah does not say that someone who causes others to sin cannot repent; rather, it says that he is not given an opportunity to do so. Usually, God helps people repent. For someone who causes others to sin, however, God does not provide such help. Yet even such a person, if he tries hard enough, can repent.

3 The mishnah uses the present tense of מְזַכֶּה rather than past tense זִכָּה because even someone who has not yet succeeded in influencing people to do good deeds, since he is trying, God promises that he won't come to sin.

4 The mishnah says that someone who possesses bad character traits and feelings, even if he does not act on them, is a student of Bilaam until he works to improve them.