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AVOS PEREK 6

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1)
(a) ben Zoma discusses a wise man, a rich man, a strong man and an honored man. He is called neither by his name nor by a title - because he died young before having attained Semichah (so they called him after his father's name).
(b) His name, in fact, was - Shimon.
(c) The other Chacham who shared the same name and the same circumstances as him was - (Shimon) ben Azai.

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2)
(a) ben Zoma describes ...
1. ... a wise man as - one who learns from anyone (even one who knows less than he does.
2. ... a strong man as - one who conquers his Yetzer ha'Ra (see Tos. Yom Tov).
3. ... a rich man as - one who is satisfied with whatever he has.
4. ... an honored man as - someone who honors others.
(b) What he means to say is (not that they absolute definitions, but) - that they are definitions that are worthy of praise (which the conventional one's are not [see also Tos. Yom Tov]).
(c) What we can learn about a person who learns from somebody who knows less than he does is - that he learns l'Shem Shamayim, and not just to show off his knowledge.
(d) ben Zoma learns this from the Pasuk in Tehilim "mi'Kol Melamdai Hiskalti - ki Edvosecha Sichah Li", which indicates exactly what we just said (that David learned from everybody, because he wanted to know the Mitzvos of Hash-m [see also Tos. Yom Tov]).

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3)
(a) He learns his second statement from the Pasuk in Mishlei "Tov Erech Apayim mi'Gibor ... ". And he interprets ...
1. ... this phrase to mean - that being slow to anger as a result of having worked on oneself (and overcome his Yetzer ha'Ra) is a good thing (i.e. better than one who does because he is soft by nature [see Tos. Yom Tov]).
2. ... the continuation of the Pasuk "u'Moshel b'Rucho mi'Loched Ir" - that someone who controls his Yetzer after capturing a city (i.e. he controls the urge to sentence to death anyone who then dares to rebel against him) is praiseworthy too.
(b) And he interprets the Pasuk in Tehilim (the source of his third statement) ...
1. ... "Yegi'a Kapecha ki Sochel" with reference to - someone who eats his hard-earned bread with satisfaction.
2. ... "Ashrecha" - ba'Olam ha'Zeh' (see Tos. Yom Tov), "v'Tov Lach" - 'la'Olam ha'Ba'.
(c) ben Zoma learns from the Pasuk in Shmuel "Ki Mechabdai Achabed" - that if Hash-m honors someone who honors Him (even though the person has merely done what he was created for), how much more so someone who honors others.
(d) We can learn - Hashem's humility from the continuation of the Pasuk "u'Bozai Yekalu", seeing as He does not actively curse those who insult Him, but merely allows the curse to take affect on its own.
(e) We can learn that Hash-m is more stringent with those who insult Tzadikim than with those who insult Him (kiv'Yachol) - from the Pasuk in Lech Lecha "u'Mekalelcha A'or" (that Hash-m said to Avraham), where he promised to actively curse those who would curse him.

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4)
(a) ben Azai advocates - running to perform even an easy Mitzvah on the one hand, and to run away from doing an Aveirah (see Tos. Yom Tov) on the other ...
(b) ... firstly, because performing one Mitzvah (or Aveirah) creates an atmosphere that facilitates performing another, and secondly, because someone who performs a Mitzvah (or an Aveirah [see Tos. Yom Tov) receives Divine assistance in performing another, in order to receive reward (or punishment) for both of them.
(c) Alternatively ...
1. ... 'she'Sechar Mitzvah Mitzvah' might mean - that the pleasure and side benefits that one derives from performing a Mitzvah is are themselves, a Mitzvah and ...
2. ... 'Sechar Aveirah Aveirah' - the pleasure and side benefits that one derives from performing an Aveirah is in itself, an Aveirah.

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5)
(a) When ben Azai says 'Al Tehi Baz l'Chol Adam', he means - that one should never dismiss any person on the grounds that he cannot possibly do him any harm.
(b) Similarly, he says - one should never declare any object to be useless (see Tif'eres Yisrael) ...
(c) ... because every person has his hour, and every object has its place.

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6)
(a) R. Levitas Ish Yavneh prescribes - extreme humility ('Me'od Me'od ... ') ...
(b) ... because, he said - that ultimately, man will turn into worms (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(c) The Midah of pride differs from all other Midos - inasmuch as with regard to other Midos, R. Levitas would have advised one to always take the middle path (which is also known as the 'golden medium').
(d) Pride is different however - in that a. it is particularly abominable, and b. since most people stumble over it, one needs to distance oneself even more from it.

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7)
(a) R. Yochanan ben Berokah says that someone who desecrates Hashem's Name in private (see Tos. Yom Tov & Tif'eres Yisrael) - will be punished in public.
(b) And what's more, he adds - when it comes to Chilul Hash-m, there is no difference between Shogeg and Mezid (and one is punished for Shogeg just as one is for Mezid).
(c) This does not mean that someone who desecrates Hashem's Name b'Shogeg will receive the same punishment (Misah) as Mezid - but that, just like Mezid, whatever punishment Hash-m has reserved for him, He will mete out in public (see Tos. Yom Tov).

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8)
(a) R. Yishmael the son of R. Yochanan ben Berokah discusses the Divine Assistance that someone who learns, receives, depending on his motives. When he refers to someone who learns in order...
1. ... to teach, he means - that he wants to learn and teach Torah (and obviously to observe what he learns [like Rabah used to do as the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah records] see also Tos. Yom Tov).
2. ... to do, he means to indulge in Gemilus Chasadim too (like Abaye used to do).
(b) Hash-m will assist the former to learn (incorporating to observe Mitzvos [see Tosfos Yom Tov DH 'Lishmor v'La'asos']) and teach; the latter, to learn and to teach, to keep and to do (each one exactly according to his wishes).
(c) Rabah and Abaye who descended from Eli Kohen Gadol, were both destined to die at twenty. Rabah merited to live till forty, Abaye, till sixty.
(d) According to another version, 'in order to teach' means that he wants to be called 'Rebbi'. The Reisha of the Mishnah will then read - 'Ein Maspikin b'Yado Lilmod u'Lelamed'.

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9)
(a) R. Tzadok forbids using Torah as a crown to aggrandize oneself. What he means is - that one should not learn for the sake of Kavod (in order to become a Rosh Yeshivah [but out of love, and the Kavod will come in the end]).
(b) Neither should one use Torah, according to him - as a spade to dig with (to earn one's livelihood).
(c) Someone who earns his livelihood directly from Torah is considered - as if he had been Mo'el b'Kodshim (the abuse of Hekdesh) ...
(d) ... and he is Chayav Misah b'Yedei Shamayim, (as if he had).

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10)
(a) The source for the prohibition of teaching Torah to children for payment (instead of free of charge) is the Pasuk in Devarim - "And Hash-m commanded me (Moshe) at that time saying that I should teach you statutes ... like Hash-m commanded me", from which Chazal extrapolate that 'Just as I was taught free of charge, so too, must I teach others free of charge' (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(b) The Heter for ...
1. ... a Rebbi of children to accept payment is - a. because he is also looking after them (and saving them from running wild and hurting themselves), and b. because he teaches them Trop (how to Lein), which he is not obligated to do (see also following answer).
2. ... a Dayan to accept payment for judging is - in the form of Sechar Batalah (meaning that he may accept the wages that he could have earned had he worked for his livelihood during that time).
(c) He is permitted to take payment from the litigants - on condition that he receives the same amount from each litigant.
(d) If he takes from them more than his loss of work - his subsequent ruling is invalid.

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11)
(a) In spite of the above, the Torah allows a Talmid-Chacham to receive the various benefits that we will now explain. It precludes them from the realm of forbidden payments - since there is no other way for him to earn Parnasah.
(b) Chazal grant him the benefit of ...
1. ... selling his goods in the market - before his competitors may do so (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'v'Lo Kardum').
2. ... exemption from payment of taxes (see Tos. Yom Tov [ibid.]).
3. ... having the community pay the head-tax (from which nobody is exempt) on his behalf ...
(c) ... these last two concessions, even if he is a wealthy man in his own right.
(d) And they say that if a Talmid-Chacham is sick or endures physical suffering - not only are the community obligated to send him gifts, but ...
(e) ... he is forbidden to decline to accept it.

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12)
(a) Finally, they permit a Talmid-Chacham who has been appointed as a community leader (who has to deal with communal affairs) - to accept remuneration for his services, and what's more, he may even accept payment which is far more than what he needs to live on ...
(b) ... because wealth enhances his influence over the community, thereby enabling him to perform his work with a greater commitment.
(c) The precedence for this is - the Kohen Gadol, whom the Torah describes as 'ha'Kohen ha'Gadol me'Echav", from which Chazal extrapolate 'Gadleihu mi'shel Echav' (which includes ensuring that he becomes rich, so as to have a stronger influence over the other Kohanim.
(d) Various Chachamim then declined to accept money under these circumstances - because they went 'Li'Fenim mi'Shuras ha'Din' (and not because they thought it was forbidden).

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13)
(a) R. Tzadok's last statement is supported by a statement by Hillel, who said that somebody who uses the crown of Torah for his own benefit - will wither away.
(b) The Tana finally says that someone who does derive personal benefit from his Torah-learning - is depriving himself of life in the World to Come (see Tos. Yom Tov).

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14)
(a) R. Yosi declares that the body of somebody who ...
1. ... honors the Torah - is honored by the people.
2. ... defiles it - is defiled by the people.
(b) Besides the literal meaning of showing honor to a Sefer Torah and to those who study it and those who keep it, by 'honors the Torah', R. Yosi might mean - that he Darshens all the extra and missing letters, and explains the meaning behind each and every Kotz (tip of the 'Yud').

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15)
(a) R. Yishmael, R. Yosi's son, discusses someone who 'divests himself from Din', which might mean that he refrains from acting as a Dayan when there is somebody else who is superior to him available. Alternatively, it means - that wherever possible, he applies the principle of 'Pesharah' (where the two parties arrive at a compromise).
(b) In so doing, he says, he divests himself from three things, enmity, theft - and a Shevu'as Shav (which literally means an oath made in vain) ...
(c) ... though in this context, 'Shevu'as Shav' really means - a false oath.
(d) Alternatively, the Tana may well refer to Shevu'as Sheker in this way - because in effect, he did emit it from his mouth in vain (see also Tos. Yom Tov).

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16)
(a) The same Tana concludes with a statement about someone who is vain in judgment. In practical terms this means - that he judges in haste without applying careful thought to the issue at hand.
(b) And he crowns him with three titles, 'a fool - a Rasha and conceited' (see Tif'eres Yisrael).

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17)
(a) He also advises against being a single Dayan, who is eligible to judge money matters on his own - provided he is an expert.
(b) Nevertheless, he says, he should decline (Midas Chasidus), since there is only One single Judge in the world, to whom it is not proper to compare oneself.
(c) A single Dayan may judge l'Chatchilah however - provided the two litigants accept him (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(d) R. Yishmael beno shel R. Yosi warns one Dayan not to demand that his two colleagues - that he accept his opinion over and above their own ...
(e) ... even though this is referring to the expert about whom we just spoke, who was capable of judging on his own.

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18)
(a) R. Yonasan states that someone who ...
1. ... keeps the Torah when he is poor - will ultimately keep it when he is rich.
2. ... breaks the Torah when he is rich - (which we assume he does because he is too busy looking after his business affairs [see Tos. Yom Tov]) will ultimately break it when he is poor.
(b) The former is praiseworthy - because in spite of the need to work hard to make ends meet, he takes off time from work to study Torah.

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19)
(a) R. Meir advises that one minimize one's business (see Tos. Yom Tov) and studies Torah - meaning that one should treat one's learning as one 's main occupation and one's business as secondary (and not vice-versa, so it applies even if he already has fixed times to learn Torah).
(b) When he says that one should be humble before every man, he means - that one should be prepared to learn from everybody (even from someone who in the business world, is perhaps of lower standing than he is [see also Tos. Yom Tov-).

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20)
(a) According to R. Meir, a person who is idle from Torah-study should take into account - that there are many things that will draw one away from Torah ...
(b) ... or - that Hash-m has many idle ones (such as Resha'im and wild animals) at his disposal to set against him (see Meleches Shlomo).
(c) The good news is - that when someone studies Torah diligently (see Tos. Yom Tov) Hash-m has a huge supply of reward to give him.
(d) Others have the text 'Yesh Lo Betelim ... ' - implying that Hash-m will reward him personally (raising the reward to a higher plane than the punishment).

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21)
(a) R. Eliezer ben Yakov says - that someone who ...
1. ... performs one Mitzvah - acquires a Peraklit' (a defense council [also known as 'Sanegor']).
2. ... does one Aveirah - acquires a Kategor [a prosecutor]).
(b) 'Kategor' and 'Sanegor' are the acronym of - 'Korei Tagor' (takes one to task [picks a fight) and 'Sonei Tagor' (hates picking fights), respectively.
(c) He considers the best defense (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'ki'Seris' & 'Bifnei ha'Pur'anus') against punishment - to be Teshuvah and good deeds (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'Teshuvah u'Ma'asim Tovim').
(d) R. Yochanan ha'Sandlar draws a distinction between a gathering of people - that is l'Shem Shamayim, which will bear fruit (see Tos. Yom Tov), and one which is not (see Tos. Yom Tov), which will not bear fruit.

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22)
(a) R. Elazar (ben Shamu'a) says that one should treat ...
1. ... the dignity of one's Talmid - with the same respect as one's own (see Tos. Yom Tov).
2. ... the dignity of one's Chaver - with the same awe as one's Rebbi (see Tos. Yom Tov).
3. ... the awe of one's Rebbi - as one does the awe of Heaven.
(b) The source of these three statement lies in statements by Moshe, Aharon and Yehoshua respectively, since ...
1. ... Moshe said to Yehoshua - 'Choose for us men (to go and fight against Amalek), placing his Talmid on a par with himself.
2. ... Aharon said to Moshe (when asking for forgiveness after Miriam spoke Lashon ha'Ra about him) - 'Please my master', conferring upon him this title, even though he (Aharon) was three years his senior (see Tos. Yom Tov).
3. ... Yehoshua said to Moshe (in connection with Eldad and Meidad, who were predicting Moshe's death in the camp) - 'My master Moshe destroy them', as if they had rebelled against Hash-m Himself.

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23)
(a) R. Yehudah warns someone who learns Talmud (Gemara [see also Tos. Yom Tov]) - to learn it carefully ...
(b) ... because if as a result of his carelessness, he issues erroneous rulings, these will be recorded as if he had sinned deliberately.

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24)
(a) R. Shimon lists three crowns - the crown of Torah, the crown of Malchus, the crown of Kehunah.
(b) We learn from the Pasuk in ...
1. ... Kedoshim "v'Hadarto Pnei Zaken" - that one should honor a Talmid-Chacham (Keser Torah).
2. ... Emor "v'Kidashto" - that one should sanctify a Kohen (Keser Kehunah).
3. ... Shoftim "Som Tasim Alecha Melech" - that one should develop a fear of royalty (Keser Malchus).

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25)
(a) The fourth crown which R. Shimon adds to the list is - that of a good name, which he says, sits on top of them all.
(b) He lists it separately - because it does not have a Pasuk to obligate one to honor it (as the first three do).
(c) Its significance lies in the fact - that without it, the other three lose their significance.
(d) We say that ...
1. ... a Talmid-Chacham about whom evil rumors are circulating - one is permitted to disgrace him.
2. ... the sons of Aharon who do not behave like sons of Aharon (as opposed to converts, who do) - will not arrive in their destination in peace (see Tos. Yom Tov).
3. ... one may curse a king 'who does not perform the deeds of his people'.

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26)
(a) R. Nehorai advises a person who lives in a town whic is devoid of Talmidei-Chachamim - to go into exile (to a town of Talmidei-Chachamim) ...
(b) ... and not wait for - Talmidei-Chachamim to come to him.
(c) One should rather go into exile to learn Torah than to wait for the Talmidim who return from the Yeshivah and to hear it from them - because it is better to hear the Torah first-hand.
(d) Alternatively, we might interpret 'she'Chaverecha Yekaymuhah b'Yadecha' to mean - that one should go into exile where there are Chaverim with whom to learn, rather than learn on one's own in one's home-town.

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27)
(a) R. Yanai says 'Ein b'Yadeinu Lo mi'Shalvas ha'Resha'im v'Lo mi'Yisurei ha'Tzadikim', by which he means that - we cannot understand why on the one hand there are Resha'im live tranquil lives, whilst on the other, there are Tzadikim who suffer.
(b) He might also be referring to ourselves during the time of Galus, in which case he means - that during these difficult times we experience neither the tranquility that Hash-m grants the Resha'im (to drive them out of the World to Come, in order to increase their merits in the World to Come), nor the suffering that He metes out to the Tzadikim (in the form of Yisurin shel Ahavah, which do not cause any Bitul Torah).
(c) R. Masya ben Charash suggests that one greets everybody - even Nochrim that one meets in the street.
(d) He also says that a person should strive to be - the tail of a lion (led by great men) rather than the head of a fox (a leader of ordinary men [see also Tos. Yom Tov]).

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28)
(a) R. Yakov compares this world to a hallway - which leads to the palace (the World to Come).
(b) A person should use the time that he spends in the hallway - preparing for his entry into the palace.

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29)
(a) R. Yakov also discusses the corollary between this world and the World to Come (see Tos. Yom Tov). Better than ...
1. ... all of life in the World to Come is - the performing of Teshuvah and good deeds (between man and man), because they are unattainable in the World to Come (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'Yafeh').
2. ... all the combined pleasures of this world.

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30)
(a) R. Yakov teaches us the concept of doing the right thing at the wrong time. One should not ...
1. ... attempt to appease a person who is angry - whilst he is still seething.
2. ... comfort a mourner - whilst his deceased relative is still lying before him (see Tos. Yom Tov).
3. ... search for a way to annul someone's vow - just after he made it.
4. ... attempt to visit him when he has sinned - immediately after the sin.
(b) The first two concepts we learn from Hash-m. We learn ...
1. ... the first concept from the Pasuk in Ki Sissa (following the sin of the Golden Calf) "Panai Yelechu va'Hanichosi Lach" - meaning that Moshe should wait for Hashem's anger to abate before He could be appeased.
2. ... the second concept from Hashem's response to the angels - who (following the Churban of the first Beis Hamikdash) - tried to comfort Him on the destruction of His beloved house, but Hash-m stopped them.
(c) One avoid searching for a way to annul the vow that someone has just made - because whatever one suggests, the Noder will claim that he had that in mind when making the Neder, thereby negating that possible opening when he subsequently comes to anul it.
(d) We learn ...
1. ... this from the Neder that Hash-m made forbidding Moshe to enter Eretz Yisrael - and which Moshe attempted to annul only much later.
2. ... the concept of not visiting a person who has just sinned from Hash-m following the sin of Adam v'Chavah - where it is written that although Hash-m immediately made them belts to cover their nakedness, His Voice (denoting His visit) was only heard later.

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31)
(a) Shmuel ha'Katan (see Tos. Yom Tov) would rebuke people with a Pasuk in Mishlei - which warns against ...
1. ... rejoicing when an enemy falls ...
2. ... or being exultant when he sins ...
(b) ... because this will cause Hash-m to turn his anger away from him and to direct it towards you (see also Tos. Yom Tov) ...
(c) ... because you behave as if Hash-m is your Shali'ach to carry out your every whim (which in this case entails punishing your enemy on your behalf).
(d) We learn from the word "v'Heishiv" in the concluding phrase there "v'Heishiv me'Alav Apo" - that Hash-m will not just remove his anger away from your enemy (in which case the Torah ought to have written 've'Shav'; "v'Heishiv" implies that He will then direct it against you.

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32)
(a) Elisha ben Avuyah compares learning Torah (see Tos. Yom Tov) to ...
1. ... when one is a child - to ink written on fresh parchment - which lasts, just like a child's memory.
2. ... when one is an old man - to ink that is written on used parchment, which does not last (see also Tos. Yom Tov) just like the memory of an old man.
(b) And R. Yosi b'R. Yehudah from the village of ha'Bavli says that somebody who learns from ...
1. ... children - (whose knowledge is immature) is like someone who eats unripe grapes or wine fresh from the vat.
2. ... elders - is akin to eating ripe grapes and drinking old wine.
(c) The significance in this regard, of ...
1. ... unripe grapes - is that, like them, a child's learning is immature.
2. ... wine from the vat is - that, like wine from the vat, which is still full of dregs, so too, does what one learns from a child leave one with many doubts (see also Tos. Yom Tov).
(d) Rebbi disagrees. In his opinion - one should not look at the container, but at the contents; for just as there are new containers that are full of old wine (so too there are children who have already matured), and just as there are old containers with nothing inside, so too, is old age not necessarily a sign of knowledge (let alone of mature knowledge).

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33)
The three things that R. Elazar ha'Kapar lists that take a person out of the world are - jealousy, (immoral) desire and pursuit of Kavod (see Tos. Yom Tov DH 'ha'Kin'ah' & 'Motzi'in ... ').

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34)
(a) He also used to say that those who are born are destined to die, and that those who have died - are destined to be brought back to life (Techi'as ha'Meisim).
(b) And the living are going to know 'Leida, Lehodi'a u'Lehivada' - meaning to know through others, to inform others and to get to know through one's own understanding, that Hash-m is 'G-d ... '.

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35)
(a) 'Kel is the first of seven titles of Hash-m that they will ultimately know, three of the remaining six are 'Yotzer, Borei and Meivin', the other three - 'Dayan, Ed and Ba'al-Din' (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(b) By ...
1. ... 'Meivin', the Tana means - that He knows everything that they do, and by ...
2. ... 'Ba'al-Din' - that He is the claimant.
(c) And they know that He is going to judge them - in the World to Come.

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36)
(a) Blessed be He, the Mishnah continues, before whom there is no injustice and no forgetting, no favoritism and no acceptance of bribes, meaning that - even Tzadikim will receive their due punishment for their sins, which will not be negated on account of their Mitzvos (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(b) He does not need bribes - because 'everything belongs to Him' (see Tos. Yom Tov).
(c) The Tana states that - the grave is not an escape from Divine justice.
(d) And when he says that it all goes according to the reckoning, he means - that every Perutah adds up to make the large total (one should never underestimate the power of a 'small sin', since many small sins form a large total).

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37)
(a) Everyone is formed and born ... against his will (see Tos. Yom Tov). We can understand why a person does not want to die. He (his Neshamah) does not want to ...
1. ... be formed - because he does not want to leave the totally pure area where the Neshamos reside.
2. ... be born - because he does not want to leave the womb, where he feels extremely comfortable (see also Tos. Yom Tov).
(b) And when the Tana says that he has to live against his will, he is referring to - someone who lives in constant suffering, and would prefer to end his life.
(c) The final experience that he will be forced to face, whether he wants to or not is - that of giving the final reckoning before Hakadosh Baruch Hu..

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