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Week 138 - Shabbat - 20 July 2002

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 5

Greater is the Torah than the priesthood and the kingship: for the kingship is acquired by thirty qualities, and the priesthood by twenty-four; but the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things: By study, by the hearing of the ear, by the ordering of the lips, by the consideration of the heart, by the perception of the heart, by awe, by reverence, by humility, by joy, by attendance on the Sages, by careful research with fellow students, by the argumentation of the disciples, by being settled, by Bible and Mishnah, by moderation in sleep, moderation in conversation, moderation in pleasure, moderation in jesting, and moderation in worldly affairs, by being long-suffering, by a good heart, by faith in the Sages, and by submission to sorrows.

Kehati

Greater is the Torah than the priesthood and the kingship, for the kingship is acquired by thirty qualities - i.e. royalty has thirty prerogatives on account of holding the reins of power; and these are enumerated in Samuel I (Chapt. 8): "This will be the manner of the king: 1. Who will reign over you; 2. he will take your sons; 3. and appoint them unto him for his chariots; 4. and to be his horsemen; 5. and they shall run before his chariots; 6. and he will appoint them unto him for captains of thousands; 7. and captains of fifties; 8. and to plow his ground; 9. and to reap his harvest; 10. and to make his instruments of war; 11. and the instruments of his chariots. 12. And he will take your daughters; 13. to be perfumers; 14. and to be cooks; 15. and to be bakers. 16. And he will take your fields; 17. and your vineyard; 18. and your olive-yards, even the best of them; 19. and give them to his servants. 20. And he will take the tenth of your seed; 21. and of your vineyards; 22. and give to his officers; 23. and to his servants. 24. And he will take your men-servants; 25. and your maid-servants; 26. and your goodliest young men; 27. and your asses; 28. and put them to his work. 29. He will take the tenth of your flocks; 30. and you shall be his servants."

Corresponding to these are thirty regulations of royalty enumerated in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin Chapt 2): 1. The king may not judge; 2. and he may not be judged. 3. He may not testify; 4. and none may bear witness against him. 5. He may not perform halitzah (the ceremony releasing a woman from a levirate marriage - tr.); 6. and halitzah may not be performed for his wife. 7. He may not take a woman in levirate marriage. 8. They may not contract levirate marriage with his (widowed) wife. 9. No one may marry his widow. 10. When a member of his family dies, he does not cross the gate of his palace to attend the funeral. 11. When he is given the funeral meal, all the people sit on the ground and he sits on a couch. 12. He may call forth (the people) to an optional war (not commanded by the Torah - tr.) when authorized by the Great Sanhedrin. 13. He may force his way to cut a road through the property of others. 14. And none may object. 15. All the people who take spoils must set them before him. 16. And he takes the first choice. 17. "And he shall not have many wives" (Deut. 17:17) - only eighteen. 18. "He shall not keep many horses (ibid. :16), only sufficing for his chariot. 19. "He shall not amass silver and gold excessively" (ibid. :17), more than required for the maintenance of his troops. 20. He must write a Torah scroll for himself. 21. When he goes to war - he takes it with him. 22. When he returns - he brings it back with him. 23. When he sits in judgment - it must be with him. 24. When he sits down to eat - it is before him. 25. No one may ride on his horse. 26. No one may sit on his throne. 27. No one may use his sceptre. 28. No one may see him when his hair is cut. 29. Nor when he is naked. 30. Nor when he is in the bath-house (Biurei Hagra).

And the priesthood by twenty four - this refers to the priestly endowments enumerated in the Gemara (B.K. 110b; Hul. 133b): Ten to be consumed within the confines of the Temple, four in Jerusalem, and ten within the borders of Eretz Yisrael.

The ten within the confines of the Temple are: 1. An animal offered as a sin-offering. 2. A fowl offered as a sin-offering. 3. A trespass offering for a known transgression. 4. A trespass offering for a doubtful transgression. 5. The peace-offering of the congregation. 6. The log (liquid measure - tr.) of oil in the leper's meal-offering. 7. The residue of the Omer. 8. The two loaves. 9. The shew-bread. 10. The remnant of the meal-offerings.

The four consumed in Jerusalem are: 1. The first-born. 2. The first of the first-fruits. 3. The parts separated from the thank-offering (the breast, the thigh, and the four loaves baked from the four kinds of grain) and those from the ram of the Nazirite (the shoulder, the unleavened cake, and the unleavened wafer). 4. The skins of the kodashim (sacrifices of utmost holiness).

The ten consumed within the borders of Eretz Yisrael are: 1. Terumah (the heave-offering due to the priest - tr.). 2. Terumat Ma'aser (the priest's portion of the Levite's tithe - tr.). 3. Hallah (the priest's portion of the dough - t r.). 4. The first of shorn wool. 5. The (gift) portions (the shoulder, two cheeks and stomach of certain offerings). 6. The redemption (money) of the (first born) son. 7. The redemption of the firstling of an ass. 8. The inherited field (whose owners donated it to the Temple and did not redeem it, and the Temple treasurer sold it; when the purchaser returns it to the Temple at the Jubilee year, it is divided among the priests). 9. A field consecrated for Temple use. 10. The restitution for robbing a proselyte.

But the Torah is acquired by forty-eight things - as follows: 1. By study - with diligent application; 2. by the hearing of the ear - proper attention to the instructions of his teachers. Others comment: Reviewing his lessons aloud, and not in a whisper, 3. by the ordering of the lips - rehearsing the lessons time and again until he can readily and flawlessly reiterate them, as the Gemara comments: "'For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you; let them be established altogether upon your lips' (Prov. 22:18); when are the words of Torah pleasant? When you keep them within you (when they are well-preserved in your mind and you do not forget them - Rashi). And when shall you keep them within you? When they are established altogether upon your lips (when you reduce them to a system and pronounce them audibly, rather than learning unsystematically, in a whisper - Rashi);" 4. by the consideration of the heart - by applying the mind and effectively concentrating on the lessons to be mastered; 5. by the perception of the heart - exercising his intellect to penetrate to the essence of the subject; 6. by awe - and veneration for his teacher; 7. by reverence - he who studies Torah must be imbued with the fear of Heaven, as it is written(Ps. 111:10): "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"; 8. by humility - he should be humble and of a lowly spirit - and unabashed to learn from anyone, even from a person of lesser stature. Thus, our Sages note~(Ta'an. 7a): "Why are the words of Torah compared to water? To teach you that just as water flows from a higher to a lower level, so also the words of the Torah endure only with one whose mind is lowly;" 9. by joy - which broadens the mind, sharpens the intellect, and unlocks the memory; moreover, whoever does not enjoy his studies and finds the Torah burdensome will eventually cease his learning; 10. by attendance on the Sages - one learns from their comments and actions, as we read (Ber. 7b): "Serving the Torah is greater than studying it." Thus, Joshua who served Moses and never left his tent, merited to inherit Moses' position and to receive from him the traditions of the Torah (Sifrei, Pinhas); 11. by careful research with fellow-students - learning from one's colleagues to discriminate the finer points presented by his master. Alternatively, dikduk haverim signifies a discriminating choice of friends by the criterion of positive character and sound logic (Emunat Sh'muel); 12. by the argumentation of the disciples - whose queries and responses sharpen his mind and clarify the subject under study, as the Gemara notes (Ta'an. 7a): "It is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon it" (Prov. 3:18). Why is Torah compared to (the wood of) a tree? To teach you that just as a small (chip of a) tree may kindle the larger tree (plank), so the younger scholars sharpen the minds of the older; 13. by being settled - and cultivating a tranquil disposition. According to Tiferet Yisrael the term yishuv - "settlement" denotes familiarity with the needs of society yishuvo shel olam) in social, intellectual and scientific realms; 14. by Bible - mastery of the twenty-four books comprising the Holy Scriptures; 15. and Mishnah - proficiency in the Mishnah as the bedrock of the Halakhah (law) and of the oral Torah; 16. by moderation in sleep - excess of which causes loss of valuable time as well as sluggishness. However, lack of sleep too depletes a person's physical and mental resources. Our Sages provide the following clue: "I should have slept, then (az) had I been at rest" (Job 3:13); az having the numerical value of eight, indicates that man should sleep eight hours a day; 17 moderation in conversation - limiting the time spent in discussing everyday matters, as our Sages observe (Yoma 19b): "'and you shall speak of them' (the words of Torah) and not of other things"; 18. moderation in pleasure - limiting his indulgence in sense gratification, such as eating, drinking, etc. which are wholesome only in measured quantities; 19. moderation in jesting - as we learned above (Chapt. 3:13): "Jesting and lightheadedness accustom a man to lewdness." However, occasional humor is welcome; thus we find our Sages resorting to anecdotes to stimulate the minds of their disciples: 20. and moderation in worldly affairs - limiting one's business dealings and social intercourse; 21. by being long-suffering - avoiding anger, as the Sages said (Pes. 66b):''Whoever loses his temper, if a Sage - his wisdom departs from him." Moreover (Ned. 22b): "he forgets his learning and grows ever more foolish." 22. by a good heart - unencumbered by jealousy and hatred, his heart and mind open up to receive the message of the Torah; 23. by faith in the Sages - accepting their pronouncements, even when they are beyond his intellectual grasp: 24. and by submission to sorrows - accepting misfortune with love, without questioning the ways of God, as our Sages said (Ber. 5a): "God presented three gifts to Israel, but all three were granted only through sufferings, and they are: Torah, the Land of Israel, and the World-to-Come." Alternatively, submission to sorrows signifies that even when overcome with grief, a person should not be deterred from Torah-study, because of his overriding attachment to it, as it is written (Ps. 94:12): "Happy is the man whom You chastise, O Lord, and teach him out of Your Torah."

PIRKEI AVOT: CHAPTER 6: MISHNAH 6

(The Torah is acquired by one) who recognizes his place; who rejoices in his portion; who makes a fence about his words; who claims no merit for himself; who is beloved; who loves God; who loves mankind; who loves justice; who loves reproof; who loves rectitude; who shuns honor; who does not boast of his learning; who does not delight in rendering decisions; who shares in the burden of his colleague, and tips his friend's scales to the side of merit; who establishes him in the truth, and establishes him in peace; whose mind is settled in his study; who asks and answers; hearkens and adds; who learns in order to teach, and learns in order to practice; who enlightens his teacher; who notes with precision his lesson, and conveys a thing in the name of its author. Thus, you learn, that whoever conveys a teaching in the name of its author, brings deliverance to the world, as it is written (Est. 2:22): "and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name."

Kehati

Our Mishnah continues listing the qualities by which the Torah is acquired. Some commentators note the difference in style between this and the preceding Mishnah. Whereas in the opening half of the list (Mishnah 5), all items presented complete the phrase: "The Torah is acquired by..." ("by study, by the hearing of the ear, by the ordering of the lips" etc.), the present roll records the qualities of the person who merits to acquire Torah. Midrash Sh’muel explains that while the elements enumerated in the earlier part constitute tools for acquiring the Torah, the qualities incorporated in the present Mishnah, are principally means by which the Torah is preserved and fortified in one's mind.

(The Torah is acquired by one) 25. who recognizes his place - who properly assesses his own worth and does not push himself beyond his station. According to Derekh Hayim this refers to a person who, knowing his qualities as well as his shortcomings, will not present his theories before his superiors in wisdom; 26. who rejoices in his portion - is satisfied with what he has and does not neglect his studies out of greed. Alternatively: he joyously praises God for setting his portion among the occupants of the bet hamidrash; 27. who makes a fence about his words - expressing his thoughts with caution, so as not to stumble and fall into error; 28. who claims no merit for himself - on account of his diligent study of the Torah (see above Chapt. 2:8); 29. who is beloved - by people for his virtuous conduct and manners; 30. who loves God - as a result he studies God's Torah for the sheer love of it, whereupon the mysteries of the Torah are revealed to him; 31. who loves mankind - and therefore attracts people to the Torah, thereby enhancing his own achievements in the realm of Torah study; who loves justice - i.e. to act in a just manner, (Rashi and the Gaon of Vilna delete this phrase); 32. who loves reproof - he gratefully accepts the remarks of his critics; 33. who loves rectitude - consistently opting for the straight course in life; 34. who shuns honor - avoiding all praise for his scholarship, since it is not for the sake of his reputation that he studies, but for love of the Torah alone; 35. who does not boast of his learning - even in his own inner heart, considering his attainments as of minor significance; 36. who does not delight in rendering decisions - when faced by the necessity to render a halakhic decision, he does not rejoice, but dreads the possibility of an erroneous judgement. Thus, the Gemara states (Yev. 109b): "Let the judge always consider himself as if a sword lay between his thighs and the gates of hell are open beneath him." Moreover (see above Chapt. 4:7): "He who is forward in rendering legal decisions, is foolish, wicked and arrogant;" 37. who shares the burden of his colleague - ever moved by the suffering of a friend, he extends to him both personal and material assistance, as well as sound advice and proper guidance. 38. and tips his friend's scales to the side of merit - when his companion vacillates between sin and virtue, he prevails upon him to take a positive choice. Alternatively, he consistently accords his friend the benefit of his doubts; 39. who establishes him in the truth - if his friend fails to meet the requirements of a Halakhah, he corrects his error and puts him right; 40. and establishes him in peace - if a discussion develops into an argument, he reminds his fellow of their amicable relations, and convinces him that it is not willful harassment, but love of the Torah and the search for truth that motivated his dissent; 41. whose mind is settled in his study - his studies display a calm and regular rather than impulsive and sporadic disposition; 42. who asks and answers - rather than posing mere riddles, his questions are designed to facilitate comprehension, moreover he attempts to find his own answers; 43. hearkens and adds - carefully sifting the opinions advanced by others, he adds useful notes of his own to illustrate the subject at hand, as it is said (Prov. 9:9): "Instruct a wise man, and he will grow (and make others) yet wiser"; 44. who learns in order to teach - by rehearsing his lessons so as to teach others, he fortifies his own knowledge; 45. and learns in order to practise - which requires study in depth, and thorough familiarity with the subject; 46. who enlightens his teacher - by asking relevant questions, the teacher is induced to delve into the core of the subject in search of a correct answer, and this enhances the teacher's own understanding; 47. who notes with precision his lesson - probing the essence of the various doctrines advanced by his masters, he searches for a common denominator; 48. and conveys a thing in the name of its author - thus (Kohelet Rabba 2): "Unless a disciple quotes the teaching in the name of his master, his Torah is consigned to oblivion the following day." Furthermore (Tanhuma, Bamidbar 27): "Whoever fails to cite a Torah lesson in the name of its author, of him Scripture says (Prov. 22:22): 'Rob not the helpless, because he is helpless."' Thus you learn that whoever conveys a teaching in the name of its author, brings deliverance to the world, as it is written: "and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name" - whereupon Divine relief came to Israel.

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