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Week 137 - Friday - 12 July 2002

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 5: MISHNAH 12

There are four types of students: Quick to grasp and quick to forget - his gain is cancelled by his loss. Slow to grasp and slow to forget - his loss is cancelled by his gain. Quick to grasp and slow to forget - he is wise. Slow to grasp and quick to forget - this is a bad portion.

Kehati

There are four types of students - with regard to their talents:

1. Quick to grasp - and assess the lessons taught, and quick to forget - his poor memory cannot retain the material studied, his gain is cancelled by his loss - since he forgets what he has learned and fails to profit from his rapid comprehension, his loss outweighs his gain.

2. Slow to grasp and slow to forget - his initial difficulty of assimilating what he studies is overcome by his steady application, whereupon the lessons remain in his memory, his loss is cancelled by his gain - since he retains what he has grasped, his reward compensates for the vast effort invested in his studies.

3. Quick to grasp and slow to forget - one blessed with instant comprehension and a superb memory, he is wise -i.e., such qualities provide an effective potential for wisdom.

4. Slow to grasp and quick to forget - his unreceptive mind is further impeded by a feeble memory, this is a bad portion - as he must ceaselessly capitulate his lessons, so as to master the material and retain at least part of the information .

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 5: MISHNAH 13

There are four types of almsgivers: He who agrees to give, but wishes that others should not give - his eye is evil towards that which concerns others. He who agrees that others should give, but he will not give - his eye is evil towards that which concerns himself. He who agrees to give, and also wishes that others should give - he is pious. He who will not give and wishes that others should not give either - he is wicked,

Kehati

There are four kinds of almsgivers - in their attitude towards charity:

1. He who agrees to give, but wishes that others should not give - desiring to limit charity to his own purse his eye is evil towards that which concerns others - wishing to be the sole target of praise and receive all the applause for his generosity. Others comment that he prefers that others withhold and acquire the stigma of greed, so that he may profit by their degradation; or that their fortunes might dwindle in retribution of their avarice (Hameiri). Tiferet Yisrael however, interprets towards that which concerns others as referring to the poor whom he begrudges a more ample relief.

2. He who agrees that others should give but he will not give - he enlists the generosity of others but refuses to donate of his own property; his eye is evil towards that which concerns himself - being overly concerned about his own material requirements (Hameiri). According to Tiferet Yisrael: he does not begrudge the poor their material relief as long as it does not affect his own possessions.

3. He who agrees to give and also wishes that others should give - having freely given of his own, he appeals to others that they might follow his example, he is pious - in acting beyond the requirements of the law; of him the prophet says (Is. 32:8): "But the man of noble mind forms noble designs and stands firm in his nobility," the first part of the verse referring to his own generosity, and the second to his call upon others to act likewise.

4. He who will not give, and wishes that others should not give either jealously guarding his own property, and also advising others not to give he is wicked - governed by a cruel attitude towards society and unconcerned about the fate of the poor. Of him Scripture declares (ibid. 7): "The vile man's ways are vile and he devises plots to ruin the poor with lies." At consultations concerned with the regulation of charity, he contrives villainous schemes to annul their good intentions (Magen Avot). Midrash David (a commentary on Pirkei Avot written by the grandson of Rambam) notes: "According to the Sages, charity may be compared to three things, viz. gold, silver and brass. Goldlike charity is the one given secretly, without causing embarrassment to the needy; of this King Solomon said (Prov. 21:14): "A gift in secret pacifies an angry man." (The initials of the phrase Zeh Hanoten Beseter - 'he who gives in secret,' spell zahav, gold). Silverlike charity is less than creditable to the giver, given, as it is, during illness, or when in danger, out of fear and despair. (The initials of the phrase: Kesheroeh Sakanah Potae'ah - 'when he sees danger, he opens up,' spell kesef, silver). Brasslike charity represents that given before imminent death by one whose avarice left no room for pity on the poor. Only now, when his end is near, and he is about to leave his fortune to others, he orders his household to act charitably. (The initials of the phrase Ne'um Holeh Sheyomar: Tenu -'the words of a sick man who says: Give,' spell nehoshet, brass).

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