Avos 3:6-3:9 - Time4Mishna

Avot3: 6

רַבִּי חֲלַפְתָּא בֶן דּוֹסָא אִישׁ כְּפַר חֲנַנְיָה אוֹמֵר: עֲשָׂרָה שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין וְעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה — שְׁכִינָה שְׁרוּיָה בֵינֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת־אֵל”. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ חֲמִשָּׁה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”וַאֲגֻדָּתוֹ עַל־אֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ”. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ שְׁלשָׁה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”בְּקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּט”. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ שְׁנַיִם? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי ה' אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב ה' וַיִּשְׁמָע וְגוֹ' ”. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”בְּכָל־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת־שְׁמִי אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ”.

'RChalafta ben Dosa, leader of Kfar Chananiah, says: [When] ten people are sitting [together] and engage in Torah study, the Divine Presence dwells among them, as it is stated: God stands in the Divine congregation. And from where [do we know] even five? As it is stated: And He has founded His group upon the earth. And from where [do we know] even three? As it is stated: In the midst of judges He shall judge. And from where [do we know] even two? As it is stated: Then those who fear Hashem spoke to each other, and Hashem listened and heard, etc. And from where [do we know] even one? As it is stated: Wherever I cause My Name to be mentioned I shall come to you and bless you.

Avot3: 7

רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אִישׁ בַּרְתּוֹתָא אוֹמֵר: תֶּן לוֹ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, שֶׁאַתָּה וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלּוֹ. וְכֵן בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר: ”כִּי־מִמְּךָ הַכֹּל וּמִיָּדְךָ נָתַנּוּ לָךְ”. רַבִּי יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: הַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְשׁוֹנֶה, וּמַפְסִיק מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ וְאוֹמֵר: ”מַה נָּאֶה אִילָן זֶה, וּמַה נָּאֶה נִיר זֶה” — מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ.

'RElazar, leader of Bartosa, says: Give Him from His own, for you and your possessions are His. And similarly David says: For everything is from You, and from Your hand we have given to You. Rabbi Yaakov says: One who is traveling upon the road while studying [a Torah lesson] and stops his study and exclaims: “How beautiful is this tree!” [or] “How beautiful is this furrow!,” Scripture considers it as if he bears guilt for his soul.

Avot3: 8

רַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ דָּבָר אֶחָד מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ — מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ”רַק הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ”. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ תָקְפָה עָלָיו מִשְׁנָתוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ”וּפֶן־יָסוּרוּ מִלְּבָבְךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ”, הָא אֵינוֹ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ עַד שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב וִיסִירֵם מִלִּבּוֹ.

'RDostai bar R' Yannai says in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone who forgets one item of his studies, Scripture considers it as if he bears guilt for his soul, as it is stated: Only beware for yourself and greatly beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld. I might think even if his studies overwhelmed him; Scripture [therefore] states (ibid.): and lest you remove them from your heart all the days of your life. Thus he does not bear guilt for his soul unless he sits and removes them from his heart.

Avot3: 9

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן דּוֹסָא אוֹמֵר: כֹּל שֶׁיִּרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְחָכְמָתוֹ — חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת, וְכֹל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ קוֹדֶמֶת לְיִרְאַת חֶטְאוֹ — אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר: כֹּל שֶׁמַּעֲשָׂיו מְרֻבִּין מֵחָכְמָתוֹ — חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת, וְכֹל שֶׁחָכְמָתוֹ מְרֻבָּה מִמַּעֲשָׂיו — אֵין חָכְמָתוֹ מִתְקַיֶּמֶת.

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says: Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure. And anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure. He used to say: Anyone whose actions exceed his wis-dom, his wisdom will endure. And anyone whose wisdom exceeds his actions, his wisdom will not endure.

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