Pirkei Avot Ch. 6 - with Bios

(1) The sages taught in the language of the mishnah. Blessed be G-d who chose them and their teaching. Rabbi Meir said: Whoever occupies themselves with the Torah for its own sake, merits many things; not only that but they are worth the whole world. They are called beloved friend; one that loves God; one that loves humankind; one that gladdens God; one that gladdens humankind. And the Torah clothes them in humility and reverence, and equips them to be righteous, pious, upright and trustworthy; it keeps them far from sin, and brings them near to merit. And people benefit from their counsel, sound knowledge, understanding and strength, as it is said, “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine” (Proverbs 8:14). And it bestows upon them royalty, dominion, and acuteness in judgment. To them are revealed the secrets of the Torah, and they are made as an ever-flowing spring, and like a stream that never ceases. And they become modest, long-suffering and forgiving of insult. And it magnifies them and exalts them over everything.

(2) Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Every day a bat kol (a heavenly voice) goes forth from Mount Horeb and makes proclamation and says: “Woe unto those creatures who have contempt towards the Torah”, for whoever does not occupy themselves with the study of Torah is called, nazuf (the rebuked OR detestable). As it is said, “Like a gold ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman bereft of discretion” (Proverbs 11:22). And it says, “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets” (Exodus 32:16). Read not harut [‘graven’] but herut [ ‘freedom’]. For there is no free person but one that occupies themselves with the study of the Torah. And whoever regularly occupies themself with the study of the Torah is surely exalted, as it is said, “And from Mattanah [gift] to Nahaliel [inheritance of G-d]; and Nahaliel to Bamot [high places]” (Numbers 21:19).

(3) One who learns from their fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, is obligated to treat them with honor; for so we find with David, king of Israel, who learned from Achitophel no more than two things, yet called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend, as it is said, “But it was you, a man mine equal, my guide and my beloved friend” (Psalms 55:14). Is this not [an instance of the argument] “from the less to the greater” (kal vachomer)? If David, king of Israel who learned from Achitophel no more than two things, nevertheless called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend; then in the case of one who learns from their fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, all the more so they are under obligation to treat them with honor. And “honor’” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “It is honor that sages inherit” (Proverbs 3:35). “And the perfect shall inherit good” (Proverbs 28:10), and “good” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “For I give you good instruction; do not forsake My Torah” (Proverbs 4:2).

(4) Such is the way [of a life] of Torah (I.e. for Torah students): you shall eat bread with salt, and rationed water shall you drink; you shall sleep on the ground, your life will be one of privation, and in Torah shall you labor. If you do this, “Happy shall you be and it shall be good for you” (Psalms 128:2): “Happy shall you be” in this world, “and it shall be good for you” in the world to come.

(5) Do not seek greatness (i.e. high position) for yourself, and do not covet honor. Let your deeds exceed your learning. Do not yearn for the table of sovereigns, for your table is greater than their table, and your crown is greater than their crown, and faithful is your Employer to pay you the reward of your labor.

(6) Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight things. By study, Attentive listening, Orderly speech, By an understanding heart, By a perceptive heart, By awe, By fear, By humility, By joy, By attending to the sages, By critical give and take with friends, By fine argumentation with disciples, By clear thinking, By study of Scripture, By study of mishnah, By a minimum of sleep, By a minimum of chatter, By a minimum of pleasure, By a minimum of frivolity, By a minimum of preoccupation with worldly matters, By long-suffering, By generosity, By faith in the sages, By acceptance of suffering. [Learning of Torah is also acquired by one] Who recognizes their place, Who rejoices in their portion, Who makes a fence about their words, Who takes no credit for themself, Who is loved, Who loves God, Who loves [their fellow] creatures, Who loves righteous ways, Who loves reproof, Who loves uprightness, Who keeps themself far from honors, Who does not let their heart become swelled on account of their learning, Who does not delight in giving legal decisions, Who shares in the bearing of a burden with their colleague, Who judges with the scales weighted in their favor, Who leads them on to truth, Who leads them on to peace, Who composes themself at their study, Who asks and answers, Who listens [to others], and [themself] adds [to their knowledge], Who learns in order to teach, Who learns in order to practice, Who makes their teacher wiser, Who is exact in what they have learned, And who says a thing in the name of the one who said it. Thus you have learned: everyone who says a thing in the name of the one who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22).

(7) Great is Torah for it gives life to those that practice it, in this world, and in the world-to-come, As it is said: “For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22), And it says: “It will be a cure for your navel and marrow for your bones” (ibid. 3:8) And it says: “She is a tree of life to those that grasp her, and whoever holds onto her is happy” (ibid. 3:18), And it says: “For they are a graceful wreath upon your head, a necklace about your throat” (ibid. 1:9), And it says: “She will adorn your head with a graceful wreath; crown you with a glorious diadem” (ibid. 4:9) And it says: “In her right hand is length of days, in her left riches and honor” (ibid. 3:1), And it says: “For they will bestow on you length of days, years of life and peace” (ibid. 3:2).

(8) Rabbi Shimon ben Judah said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, [old age], gray hair, and children are becoming to the righteous, and becoming to the world, As it is said: “Gray hair is a crown of glory (beauty); it is attained by way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31), And it says: “The ornament of the wise is their wealth” (ibid. 14:24), And it says: “The glory of youths is their strength; and the beauty of the old is their gray hair” (ibid. 20:29), And it says: “Grandchildren are the glory of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents” (ibid. 17:6), And it says: “Then the moon shall be ashamed, and the sun shall be abashed. For the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and God’s Honor will be revealed to G-d’s elders” (Isaiah 24:23). Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: These seven qualities, which the sages have listed [as becoming] to the righteous, were all of them fulfilled in Rabbi and his sons.

(9) Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said: Once I was walking by the way when a man met me, and greeted me and I greeted him. He said to me, “Rabbi, where are you from?” I said to him, “I am from a great city of sages and scribes”. He said to me, “Rabbi, would you consider living with us in our place? I would give you a thousand thousand denarii of gold, and precious stones and pearls.” I said to him: “My son, even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls that are in the world, I would not dwell anywhere except in a place of Torah”. Moreover, when a person passes away there accompany them neither gold nor silver, nor precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone, as it is said, “When you walk it will lead you. When you lie down it will watch over you; and when you are awake it will talk with you” (Proverbs 6:22). “When you walk it will lead you” in this world. “When you lie down it will watch over you” in the grave; “And when you are awake it will talk with you” in the world to come. And thus it is written in the book of Psalms by David, king of Israel, “I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of pieces of gold and silver” (Psalms 119:72), And it says: “Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, says the Lord of Hosts” (Haggai 2:8).

(10) Five possessions did the Holy Blessed One, set aside as G-d’s own in this world, and these are they: The Torah, one possession; Heaven and earth, another possession; Abraham, another possession; Israel, another possession; The Temple, another possession. 1a) The Torah is one possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written, “The Lord possessed (usually translated as ‘created’) me at the beginning of his course, at the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22). , 2a) Heaven and earth, another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “Thus said the Lord: The heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool; Where could you build a house for Me, What place could serve as My abode? (Isaiah 66:1) And it says: “How many are the things You have made, O Lord; You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your possessions” (Psalms 104:24). 3a) Abraham is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “He blessed him, saying, “Blessed by Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth” (Genesis 15:19). 4a) Israel is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is written: “Till Your people cross over, O Lord, Till Your people whom You have possessed” (Exodus 15:16). And it says: “As to the holy and mighty ones that are in the land, My whole desire (possession) is in them” (Psalms 16:3). 5a) The Temple is another possession. From where do we know this? Since it is said: “The sanctuary, O lord, which Your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17)”, And it says: “And G-d brought them to G-d’s holy realm, to the mountain, which G-d’s right hand had possessed” (Psalms 78:54).

(11) Whatever the Holy Blessed One created in G-d’s world, the Lord created only for G-d’s glory, as it is said: “All who are linked to My name, whom I have created, formed and made for My glory” (Isaiah 43:7), And it says: “The Lord shall reign for ever and ever” (Exodus 15:18).

Said Rabbi Chananyah ben Akashya: It pleased the Holy Blessed One to grant merit to Israel, that is why G-d gave them Torah and commandments in abundance, as it is said, “The Lord was pleased for G-d’s righteousness, to make Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21).