Ben Zoma says: Who is wise? He who learns from every person, as it is said: From all my teachers I grew wise, for Your testi-monies are my conversation. Who is strong? He who subdues his personal inclination, as it is said: He who is slow to anger is better than a strong man, and a master of his passions [is better] than a conqueror of a city. Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot, as it is said: When you eat the labor of your hands, you are praiseworthy and all is well with you. You are praiseworthy —- in this world; and all is well with you —- in the World to Come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said: For those who honor Me I will honor and those who scorn Me shall be degraded.

Ben Azzai says: Run to [perform even] a “minor” mitzvah and flee from sin. For one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah, and one sin leads to another sin; for the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the punishment of a sin is a sin.

He used to say: Do not be scornful of any person, and do not disregard anything. For you have no person without his hour, and you have no thing without its place.

'RLevitas [the] leader of Yavneh says: Be exceedingly humble in spirit, for the anticipated end of mortal man is worms.  R' Yochanan ben Beroka says: Whoever desecrates the Name of Heaven in secret, they will exact punishment from him in public. Unintentional and intentional, both are alike regarding desecration of the Name.

'RYishmael, son of [R' Yochanan ben Beroka], says: One who studies [Torah] in order to teach is given the means to study and to teach; but one who studies [Torah] in order to practice is given the means to study and to teach, to observe and to practice.  R' Tzadok says: Do not make [the words of Torah] into a crown in order to be glorified through them; nor a spade with which to dig.  So too, Hillel used to say: And one who makes use of the crown will pass [away]. From this you derive: whoever seeks personal benefit from the words of Torah removes his life from the world.

'RYose says: Whoever honors the Torah is himself honored by people; and whoever disgraces the Torah is himself disgraced by people.

'RYishmael, son of [R' Yose], says: One who withdraws from judgment removes from himself hatred, robbery, and [the re-sponsibility for] an unnecessary oath; but one who is too self-confident in issuing legal decisions is a fool, is wicked, and is ar-rogant of spirit.

He used to say: Do not judge alone, for none judges alone except One; and do not say, “Accept my view,” for they are permit-ted to, but not you.

'RYonasan says: Whoever fulfills the Torah [despite] poverty will ultimately fulfill it in wealth; but whoever neglects the Torah because of wealth will ultimately neglect it in poverty.

'RMeir says: Limit your business activities and engage in Torah study. Be of humble spirit before every person. If you should neglect the [study of] Torah, you will be confronted with many causes of neglect; but if you labor in the Torah, He has ample reward to give you.

'REliezer ben Yaakov says: He who fulfills [even] a single mitzvah acquires for himself a single advocate, while he who commits [even] a single transgression acquires for himself a single accuser.  Repentance and good deeds are like a shield against mis-fortune.  R' Yochanan HaSandler says: Every assembly that is dedicated to the sake of Heaven will endure; but one that is not for the sake of Heaven will not endure.

'RElazar ben Shamua says: Let the honor of your student be as dear to you as your own, the honor of your colleague as the reverence for your teacher, and the reverence for your teacher as the reverence for Heaven.

'RYehudah says: Be meticulous in study, for a careless misinterpretation is considered tantamount to willful transgression.  R' Shimon says: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship; but the crown of a good name surpasses all of them.

'RNehorai says: Exile yourself to a place of Torah, and do not assume that it will come after you, [or] that your colleagues will cause it to remain with you; and do not rely on your own understanding.

'RYannai says: It is not in our hands [to explain] either the tranquility of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous. R' Masya ben Charash says: Initiate a greeting to every person; and be a tail to lions, rather than a head to foxes.

Rabbi Yaakov says: This world is similar to an antechamber before the World to Come. Ready yourself in the antechamber so that you may enter the palace.

He used to say: One moment [spent] in repentance and good deeds in this world is better than an entire lifetime in the World to Come. And one moment of satisfaction in the World to Come is better than an entire lifetime [of pleasure] in this world.

'RShimon ben Elazar says: Do not appease your friend at the time of his anger, do not comfort him at the time that his dead lies before him, do not question him at the time of his vow, and do not attempt to see him at the time of his degradation.

Shmuel HaKatan says: “When your foe falls, be not glad, and when he stumbles, let your heart not be joyous, lest Hashem see and it be displeasing in His eyes, and He return His anger from him.”

Elisha ben Avuyah says: One who studies [as] a child, to what is he compared? To ink written on new paper. And one who studies [as] an elder, to what is he compared? To ink written on erased paper.  R' Yose bar Yehudah, leader of Kfar HaBavli, says: One who learns from children, to what is he compared? To one who eats acrid grapes and drinks wine from the press. And one who learns from elders, to what is he compared? To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks aged wine.  Rebbi says: Do not look at the vessel, rather [look] at what it contains, [for] there can be a new [vessel] containing old [wine] and an old [vessel] which lacks even new [wine].