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Week 134 - Monday - 17 June 2002

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 2

Rabbi Hanina, the Deputy High Priest, said: Pray for the welfare of the ruling power, since but for the fear of it, men would swallow each other alive. Rabbi Hananyah ben Tradyon said: When two sit together and no words of Torah are spoken between them, this is a session of the scornful, as it is written (Ps. 1:1): "Nor sat he in the seat of the scornful." But when two sit together and words of Torah are spoken between them, the Divine Presence rests between them, as it is written (Mal. 3:16): "Then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who feared the Lord and thought upon His name." Now, this applies only to two; how do we know that even if a single person sits and occupies himself with Torah, that G-d appoints him a reward? Because it is written (Lam. 3:28): "Let him sit alone and keep silence, because He has laid it upon him."

Kehati

Rabbi Hanina served as Deputy to the last of the High Priests in the final years of the Second Temple. He witnessed its destruction, which was brought about by groundless hatred among Jews and civil war. Hence, his strong plea for peace, saying: "Great is peace, for it outweighs the whole of Creation." (Sifrei, Bamidbar). Here, too, his theme is the desirability of peace. Rabbi Hananyah ben Tradyon flourished at the time of Rabbi Akiva, and was one of the Ten Martyrs. His daughter, Beruriah, was the wife of Rabbi Meir. He gave up his life for the sake of Torah study. Ignoring the Roman ban on the teaching of Torah, he held public assemblies and expounded the Torah, until he was caught by the Romans, and burned to death while wrapped in the parchments of a Torah scroll.

Rabbi Hanina, the Deputy High Priest, said: Pray for the welfare of the ruling power - this includes a gentile government (Bartenura), as it is written (Jer. 29:7): "And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto the Lord for it; for in its peace shall you have peace. Tosafot Yom Tov explains: for the welfare of the ruling power (malkhut, lit. Kingdom, rather than melekh - King) refers to the king, his ministers and advisers who govern and dispense justice; but the Mishnah is not concerned with the private welfare of the king; since but for the fear of it, men would swallow each other alive - as the Sages explained (Av. Zar. 4a) the verse: "And you made man as the fish of the sea" (Hab. 1:14): Why are men likened to fish of the sea? Just as with fish of the sea, the bigger creatures swallow the smaller ones, so among men - the powerful would destroy the weak were it not for fear of the authorities.

Rabbi Hananyah ben Tradyon said: when two sit together and no words of Torah are spoken between them - they do not apply their minds to the Torah, this is a session of the scornful - even if they do not actually engage in mockery, for theirs is an idle meeting (Hameiri), as it is written: "nor sat he in the seat of the scornful" - this is followed by "but his delight is in the Torah of the Lord." Neglect of the Torah thus typifies the meeting of the scornful (Rambam, Hameiri). The stress on the failure to discuss words of Torah between them is taken to mean that even though each of the two might study Torah separately, if there is no discussion of Torah between them, i.e. they do not study together, they remain a session of the scornful, having inwardly scoffed at the knowledge and intelligence of each other (Midrash Sh’muel).

But when two sit together and words of Torah are spoken between them, the Divine Presence rests between them - through their study of Torah they gain a glimpse of the Divine glory (Hameiri), as it is written: "Then they that feared the Lord spoke with one another; and the Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who feared the Lord and thought upon His name." The phrase with one another refers to two people of whom it is said that the Lord listened and heard, i.e., the Divine Presence was with them. Now this applies only to two - whose joint study is amply rewarded; how do we know that even if a single person sits and occupies himself with Torah, that G-d appoints him a reward? Because it is written: "Let him sit alone and keep silence" - i.e., contemplate the Torah by himself (and keep silence denotes the silent voice of solitary meditation), because He has laid it upon him – G-d set aside a reward for him.

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 3: MISHNAH 3

Rabbi Shimon said: If three have eaten at one table and have not discussed words of Torah over it, it is as though they had eaten of the sacrifices of the dead, as it is written (Is. 28:8): "For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness without G-d." But if three have eaten at one table and have spoken words of Torah over it, it is as though they had eaten from the table of G-d, as it is written (Ezek. 41:22): "And he said to me, 'This is the table that is before the Lord!"'

Kehati

Throughout the Talmud, the plain reference to Rabbi Shimon denotes the renowned Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai, an outstanding disciple of Rabbi Akiva.

Rabbi Shimon said: If three have eaten at one table - three are referred to, as the minimum "table" required for zimun (reciting the grace after meals as a formal unit - tr.) (Rashbam). The past tense, "have eaten," rather than present "eat," (cf. the previous Mishnah, When two sit) is used here, because it is forbidden to speak while eating, since this might drive the food down the windpipe (Ta'an. 5b): thus are we required to discuss the Torah only after the meal (Tiferet Yisrae1). And have not discussed words of Torah over it, it is as though they had eaten of the sacrifices of the dead - a form of idol-worship described in the following verse (Ps. 106:28): "They joined themselves also unto Baal of Peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead" as it is written (Is. 28:8): "For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness" - Isaiah refers to the pagan sacrifices in these terms, and declares that all the tables are, as it were, full of this abomination, "without G-d" - because they eat and drink but fail to mention the Almighty, i.e. do not discuss the Torah (the Hebrew text reads simply beli makom, "without place," but Makom also connotes God as the Omnipresent - tr.).

But if three have eaten at one table and have spoken words of Torah over it, it is as though they had eaten from the table of G-d - their table is viewed as an altar upon which sacrifices are offered, and the diners are compared to kohanim (priests) who are privileged to eat from the Divine table, as it is written "And he said to me, 'This is the table that is before the Lord"' - a reference to the altar. From this we learn that when words of Torah have been spoken at it, a table may be compared to an altar, the "table" of God (Hameiri). This is the basis of the Talmudic comment (Ber. 55a): "As long as the Temple existed, the altar atoned for Israel; but now a man's table atones for him."

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