Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers

~Level 1~
Bartenura - "all is foreseen" - everything a person does [even] in his innermost chambers is revealed before G-d.

"permission is granted" - in man's hands to do good or evil, as written: "see, I place before you today life and death, good and evil, [and you shall choose life]" (Devarim 30).

~Level 1~
Ruach Chaim - "all is foreseen, permission is granted" - i.e. at the time of sin, the Holy One, blessed be He, sees him, but nevertheless, permission is granted.

~Level 2~
Rambam - this teaching encompasses very big concepts and it is proper to have been said by Rabbi Akiva. Here is a concise explanation, but be sure to know all that was said in previous chapters:

All that occurs in the world is known and perceived by G-d. This is the meaning of "all is foreseen". Afterwards, he said: "don't think that since He knows the deeds therefore everything is pre-determined". Namely, that a man is forced in his deeds. It is not so. Rather, permission is granted in man's hands in what he does. This is what he says: "permission is granted", i.e. every person is granted permission (free will)..

~Level 2~
Rabeinu Yonah - "all is foreseen, permission is granted" - the Rambam explained just how wondrous is the matter. For even though permission is granted to a person to act according to his wish, and he is not forced to do good or evil. Rather, he acts according to the will in his heart. But nevertheless, G-d knows what the person will do before his thoughts and before his action. He knows beforehand his future will and for even the undecided deeds which could be this way or that way - He knows it all before it happens. This is a wonder!
(Translator: for to G-d, the future is just like the present. He sees everything all at once.)

~Level 2~
Binyan Avot - "everything is foreseen" - he did not say (hakol tzofeh) "He sees everything" (present tense) but rather (hkol tzafui) "everything is foreseen" (past tense), as if it happened already before man's free choice. For G-d does not need to "look and see" to grasp the future. For to Him, the future is as the past.. It is beyond the powers and capacities of our minds to grasp this [kind of] knowledge.

~Level 3~
Chachma u'Mussar chelek 2, 85 - "permission is granted" - when we contemplate, we will see that the great quality of man is the quality of free will. The matter of free will is that G-d has granted man permission to choose with his own free choice and, so to speak, G-d does not have permission in this, as our sages said (Berachot 33b): "everything is in the hands of Heaven except fear of Heaven, as scripture states: 'and now Yisrael, what does the L-ord your G-d ask of you other than to fear [the L-ord your G-d..]'".

This is G-d's will - to grant man permission. And scripture states: "You have made man slightly less than Elokim (G-d) [and You have crowned him with glory and majesty]" (Tehilim 8:6). Namely, although "Elokim" is the "Master of all powers", but regarding "free will", it is as if G-d's power is diminished. For in free will, it is as if G-d has no permission, as written "what does the L-ord your G-d ask, etc" (Devarim 10:12) and "you have weakened the Rock who bore you" (Devarim 32:18). And as the famous Midrash there explains: "whenever I seek to benefit you, you weaken the power above [through sins]" (Yalkut Shimoni there).

Although it is true that if He wanted, G-d could remove from man the power of free will. But this is His will - to grant man free will. It is wondrous to contemplate the power of free will.

~Level 3~
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai - Ahava b'Taanugim - "everything is seen (known)" - i.e. a person has no excuse whatsoever on the day of judgment. He cannot say he did not know which path leads to light and thus did not know how to conduct himself. For "everything is seen (tzafui)", i.e. before man, as written: "see I place before you the life and the good and the death and the evil [and you shall choose life]" (Devarim 30:15). The torah teaches a man the proper path to go and the actions to do. For this he followed this mishna after "Beloved is Yisrael for they were given a precious vessel (Torah)", and did not interrupt with "he would say" as he normally does throughout this tractate. For this is the concluding words of the previous mishna, since through the torah everything is seen and likewise permission is granted to choose as the verse there ends off "and you shall choose life"...

~Level 3~
Yachel Yisrael - "everything is seen (tzafui)" - the word "tzefiah" means seeing from a high, faraway place (a prophet is called a "tzofeh" for he gazes far out in the future. Likewise, a person observing from a watch tower or high place is called a "tzofeh").

In such a case, one sees all the details, small or large, simultaneously.

So too, G-d does not take interest only in the main deeds or only in the important people. Rather, "everything is seen" - from the actions of a king sitting on his throne to the actions of the last peasant - all of them are equally important in his eyes and all of them are observed in the same degree.

In this, G-d's conduct is different from that of a flesh and blood ruler. For the latter does not deal with small matters nor relate personally with every individual in his kingdom.

A flesh and blood ruler surrounds himself with powerful people and it is below his honor to take interest in the small day to day matters of every peasant.

But this is not the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, the King of kings. For He relates personally (mityaches) to every individual equally. Likewise, He Himself looks at and observes all the deeds, small or big. Even a casual word or a passing thought - "everything is seen".

According to this explanation, the teaching "everything is seen" is coming to remove from the hearts the view of those who think that due to the exaltedness of the Creator, it is not proper for Him to take interest in every detail and every act of human beings.

Rabeinu Yosef ben Shushan writes that it is proper to bring here what our sages taught: "wherever you find a reference to the might of the Holy One, blessed be He, you also find a reference to His humility [adjacent to it]" (Megilah 31a). For although G-d is infinitely exalted, but nevertheless, "though the L-ord is exalted, yet He sees the lowly, and He chastises the haughty from afar" (Tehilim 138:6).

~Level 3~
Yachel Yisrael - "everything is seen" - just like a watchman (tzofeh) [on a watchtower] sees things the second they occur, so too man's deeds are observed in the "time of truth" (zman emet). This watching does not occur sometimes, such as at a time of judgment or other specific times. Rather, it happens every instant and on every act.

This stems from the simple fact that man is unable to do anything without the Creator's giving him the ability to materialize his will. Indeed the entire universe cannot exist for one second without the Holy One, blessed be He, as we say in the morning prayer: "in His goodness, He renews every day, always the creation of the world (maaseh Bereisheit)" - every second the universe is created anew.

The creation was not a one time event which continues on its own power. Rather, G-d continues to sustain the universe all the time. Therefore, man too is unable to walk even one step without G-d granting him the power to do it.

Now it is clear that it is impossible to have a situation whereby any slightest act or thought can occur without G-d's knowledge. For He is the one who materializes it from potential to actual.

Contemplating this brings one to some grasp of the greatness of the Creator's mercy...

~Level 3~
Matanat Avot - "all is foreseen" - this mishna comes to teach us a great fundamental principle - even though G-d knows all that will occur in the future, but nevertheless, this does not mean that He decrees who will be righteous or wicked.

The Rambam explains this at length in his monumental work, Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Teshuva ch.5):

Free will is granted to all men. If one desires to turn himself to the path of good and be righteous, the choice is his. Should he desire to turn to the path of evil and be wicked, the choice is his.

This is [the intent of] the Torah's statement (Genesis 3:22): "Behold, man has become unique as ourselves, knowing good and evil," i.e., the human species became singular in the world with no other species resembling it in the following quality: that man can, on his own initiative, with his knowledge and thought, know good and evil, and do what he desires. There is no one who can prevent him from doing good or bad...

A person should not entertain the view held by the fools among the gentiles and the majority of the undeveloped among Israel that, at the time of a man's creation, The Holy One, blessed be He, decrees whether he will be righteous or wicked.

This is untrue. Each person is fit to be righteous like Moses, our teacher, or wicked, like Jeroboam. [Similarly,] he may be wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, miserly or generous, or [acquire] any other character traits. There is no one who compels him, decrees on him, or leads him towards either of these two paths. Rather, he, on his own initiative and decision, tends to the path he chooses...

This principle is a fundamental concept and a pillar [on which rests the totality] of the Torah and mitzvot...

Were God to decree that an individual would be righteous or wicked... how could He command us through [the words of] the prophets: "Do this," "Do not do this," "Improve your behavior," or "Do not follow after your wickedness?"... What place would there be for the entire Torah? (see there for more)

It is almost completely clear in my eyes that there is no other place in his book where the Rambam explains and repeats something over and over again so many times as this principle.

The Rambam went at length here so that one will not have any room for any doubt whatsoever that all his deeds are solely and exclusively in his own hands.

Why is it so important to insert this so strongly in the fundamentals? Because if a person does not believe with complete faith that his deeds are solely under his own free will, he will never want to repent and work very hard to change his evil ways.

For he will tell himself: "there's nothing to do. That's just the way I am and I cannot change. For G-d decided that I should be like this. Who am I to brazenly try to change His decisions?!"

Thus, the Rambam taught and repeated two, three, four times the fundamental principle that every person can change and the gates are never closed to him.. Rather a man can always change and repent from his ways and G-d never forces him to remain in his evil way.

Due to this, I very much tend to argue and contend all those who claim that there are many ways for parents to cause themselves to give birth to a wicked son and a heretic.

For if this son hears that he became like this because his parents acted a certain way, he will never think for a second that he is guilty in his deeds and needs to have remorse on them.

Rather, he will tell himself like Elisha ben Avuyah "it is not my fault. It is my parents' fault".

All the teachings in the talmud and zohar on all sorts of things which are a segulah for bearing proper or improper children such as the "sons of nine traits" in Nedarim, all these things are not complete promises. Rather, they are just segulah b'almah (general tendencies) and a lowering of the level of the child's free will (i.e. that it will be harder for him to do good, but G-d forbid they do not prevent him from choosing good).

Likewise, there is no obligation that every parent who prays on his children that they will certainly go in the good path.

Rather, all these things are in the category of general hishtadlut (making efforts) in order to raise the child's level of free will.

But in the end, free will is entirely in a man's hands and no one else besides himself.

The proof of this is in all the secular people who became baalei teshuva (observant). Even though it is almost certain that their parents were not careful on any of the segulahs for righteous chldren and they are probably also sons of niddah or one of the nine traits. and nevertheless they repented. For free will belongs solely to man..

~Level 1~
Bartenura - "the world is judged with goodness..." - with the attribute of mercy, but even so, not everyone is equal in this attribute. For everything is "according to the majority of the deed[s]". One who increases good deeds is granted increased mercy, while one who decreases is granted decreased mercy.

Alternative explanation: "all is according to the majority of the deeds" - a man is judged according to the majority of his deeds. If he is mostly merits, he is meritorious. If he is mostly sins, he is guilty.

~Level 2~
Rambam - "the world is judged with goodness..." - afterwards, he said G-d's judgment with people is with kindness and benevolence, not like the judgment they deserve, as He explained saying: "slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth" which our sages explained: "slow to anger for the righteous and also for the wicked" (Eiruvin 22a, Bava Kama 50a, see also Sanhedrin 111a). And likewise, the prophet said: "G-d is good to all" (Tehilim 145:9).

"all is according to the majority of the deeds" - afterwards, he said that a person will not attain the virtues according to the greatness of the deeds but rather according to the quantity of the deeds. Namely, by repeating [small] good deeds many times, one will acquire the virtues more strongly than if he did a big good deed only one time.

For example, if a person gives a thousand gold coins to one person in need and gives nothing to another. Then, he will not acquire the virtue of generosity through this single big act as much as a person who donated one gold coin a thousand times. For the latter repeated an act of generosity one thousand times and attained strongly this trait, while the former aroused himself strongly in one act to do good, but he stopped afterwards.

So too in torah, the reward of one who redeemed a prisoner for a hundred coins or gave charity and sustained one person for a hundred coins is not like one who redeemed 10 prisoners or gave charity and sustained 10 poor people for 10 coins each.

This is the matter of "according to the majority (rov) of the deed" as opposed to "according to the magnitude of the deed".

~Level 2~
Tiferet Yisrael - "the world is judged with goodness" - i.e. even the punishments of the wicked in this world or the next is not in the way of revenge or punishment, G-d forbid. Rather, it is for their good, like a fire which forges or a detergent which cleans the stains of their souls which they brought with them. All this in order to ultimately bring them in the end to enlighten in the light of life.

"according to the majority of the deed" - i.e. according to how the deed is done rather than its greatness. The greatness of a deed is measured according to the nature of the person doing it. Namely, how much he should have conquered his yetzer (evil inclination) more. For a miser who gives charity receives more reward than a generous person.

Through this, we explained the verse: "to You, G-d, is kindness, for You pay each person according to his deeds", i.e. according to the deed itself and its nature, and according to the person's thoughts.

For example, one person gave charity to glorify himself while another gave with intent to G-d (l'Shem Shamayim).

Or according to the circumstances: for example, if a rich man gives much charity but not according to his wealth - he is punished (Ketuvot 67b).

While another person who is struggling financially gives a small coin (perutah) to a poor person - he is rewarded (Chagigah 5a).

Or according to the act: one who gives charity to a proper poor man versus one who gives to an improper poor man.

Likewise for many other similar matters whether in merits or sins. This [balance] can be weighed and judged only by the Holy One, blessed be He..

~Level 3~
Siftei Daat on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz) - "all is according to the majority of the deeds" - our sages said:

"The mitzvot were given only to refine human beings. Does G-d care whether one slaughters an animal from the throat or from the back of the neck? Rather the mitzvot were given only to refine human beings" (Bereisheit Rabba 44:1).

Similarly in the Talmud:

"The wicked Tornosropos asked Rabbi Akiva: 'if your G-d loves the poor, why doesn't He provide for them?' Rabbi Akiva replied: 'so that we will be saved through them from the judgment of Gehinom'" (Bava Batra 10a).

That is to say, the mitzvah of Tzedaka (charity) was not given for the purpose of benefiting the poor, but rather to elevate a man through the secret of the deed (Sod HaMaaseh) - to become a benevolent person, to be saved from the judgment of Gehinom.

For in the secret of the deeds, their intent is not for the purpose that results from them but rather the deed itself is the purpose. Therefore, perforce "all is according to the majority of the deeds". For in repeating the good deeds many times, he will certainly attain a strong acquisition through them.

~Level 3~
Matanat Avot - "all is according to the majority of the deeds" - G-d judges in the best way possible and seeks every possible way how to pay reward to a person. Thus, His divine wisdom deemed fit to judge in the manner of "all is according to the majority of the deeds". Namely, even though G-d is the epitome of absolute perfection and thus, justice warrants that one who has not made himself completely and absolutely perfect in all his ways should not be capable of clinging to the Holy One, blessed be He, and basking in the splendor of His Divine presence (nehene m'ziv Shechina) , even so, G-d does not do like this.

Rather, if the majority of man's deeds are good, even though he has many sins, G-d will worry to clean up his sins in this world through sufferings or in Gehinom in the afterlife. After a person has been cleaned up and atoned for all his sins, he will be deemed a perfect Tzadik who is fit to cling to the eternal good and ways before G-d in the land of the living. (as explained in the Ramchal's "the Way of G-d").

~Level 4~
Maharal - it is proper to ask: what is the connection between "all is foreseen, etc." to what he said previously: "beloved is man for he was created in the Image [of G-d]"?

Know that due to the lofty level of man, that he is so much cherished [by G-d], it is proper that all his deeds which are done for G-d's sake, to be seen and observed by G-d.

For man is close to G-d. Thus how could his deeds not be watched and observed before the Holy One, blessed be He?

All the more so according to the explanation we gave on "beloved is man for he was created in the Image [of G-d]". For this "Image of G-d" grants complete existence to man, and when man has complete existence, how could he not have his deeds seen and observed before G-d?

Everything stems from the quality of this "Image of G-d" which grants complete existence and that which has [complete] existence is known before G-d. But that whose existence is tohu (void, insignificant) has hastarat panim (concealed attention) from G-d. This matter is clear.

"permission is granted" - this too is due to man's being in the Image of G-d. Thus, man was granted permission to do what he wants and he is not forced in his deeds.

And if G-d sees that man wants to sin, He does not prevent man from committing it by blocking the sin. Rather, "permission is granted" to man. This is because man was created in the Image of G-d (Gen.1:27).

Through this, man has a similarity to G-d. For he was created in the image of G-d.

This matter is not found by the angels (spiritual beings). They do not have free will. Rather, they act according to what G-d appointed them to do without changing their appointed task. But man, who was created in the Image of G-d, he has this special segulah (quality) that he is in his own hands. Just like G-d who does what He wants, so too man has permission to do what he wants and he possesses free will.

This matter is hinted in the Torah in the verse: "[eat from the forbidden fruit and] you will be like G-d, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5).

It is proper to ask on this: "how does committing the sin [of eating from the forbidden fruit] make them (Adam and Eve) like G-d, knowing good and evil"?

One of the gentiles already posed this question to the Rambam z''l, and he elaborated to answer this question in his book (Guide for Perplexed 1:2).

The explanation is that before Adam sinned, he was not created fit to be like G-d, knowing good and evil. For G-d knows good and evil but not man. This is because man has a Cause over him and he needs to cleave to his Cause - which is the good. Then he is removed from knowledge of evil and knows only good, namely, his Cause. For his Cause is the good.

Then (before the sin), the effect (man) was constantly cleaving to his Cause which is itself the good.

Although man was certainly capable of knowing good and evil due to his being created in the Image of G-d, but since he was cleaving to his Cause which is the good, he knew only the good but not the evil.

When he did not turn to his Cause as happened after the sin, then he knew good and evil.

If you ask: "what virtue is there in knowing evil?"
Answer: certainly this is a virtue in wisdom when man's wisdom includes knowledge of both good and evil, as the verse says: "your eyes will be opened and you will be like G-d, knowing good and evil" (Gen.3:5).

But before the sin, since the lower creations (man) needed their Cause and were cleaving to their Cause without separating from the Cause, thus man would turn solely to the good, namely, his Cause, blessed be He. Due to this, he had no knowledge of evil.

And since man was created from the lower creations (physicality), thus he inherently has a tendency to turn away from his Cause, and thus the serpent with his rider Sama'el would entice man. Namely, when he eats from the Tree of Knowledge and transgresses the word of G-d who commanded him not to eat from it (Gen.2:17), through this, they will become separated from the Cause and will know good and evil, as we spoke.

For man has a similarity to G-d in being created in the image of G-d. Therefore, the serpent said: "you will be like G-d, knowing good and evil" (Gen.3:5). For when you turn from the Cause and become in your own domain.. you will know good and evil and become completely like G-d. For G-d has no Cause above Him whatsoever.

"all is according to the majority of the deeds" - i.e. G-d does not judge a person's act by itself. Rather, He judges the [totality of the] person himself, whether he is meritorious or not.

Thus, a person is considered righteous when he is of majority meritorious and he is guilty when his majority the opposite.

This is an exhortation to man to not commit even one sin. And like our sages taught: "Rabbi Shimon says: 'a person should always consider it as if the world is half meritorious and half guilty and the person himself is likewise half meritorious and half guilty. If he does one sin, woe to him! For he inclined himself and the entire world to the side of guilt. But if he did one mitzvah (good deed), fortunate is he, for he inclined himself and the entire world to the side of merit.

The explanation is not that everything is according to the majority of deeds. Namely if the evil deeds are only a minority, G-d overlooks the evil he committed. And likewise for the opposite - if he is of majority evil, he is judged by majority and G-d does not pay him for the few good deeds he did.

It is not so. Rather, G-d pays him for every good deed he did. Even if he is completely wicked and does a good deed, G-d will pay him back [for the good deed].

And likewise, even if he is mostly meritorious and commits one sin, G-d pays him back the sin he committed.

If so, on what was it said: "all is according to the majority of the deeds"?

The difference between one who is mostly righteous and one who is mostly wicked is that the former merits the World to Come while for the wicked, it is proper for him to lose the World to Come.

Thus, "everything is according to the majority of the deeds" - to be considered a Tzadik (righteous man) or a Rasha (wicked man).

Namely, the Tzadik is paid for the few sins he did while the wicked man is paid for the few good deeds he did.

This is analogous to a king who has a friend. The king draws him close in many ways out of love for him. Afterwards, the friend committed something against the king. The king pays him back for the wrongdoing against him but the love of the king remains.

But if the king had an enemy which he hated. Then, when the enemy does some favor for the king, the king payed him back immediately for the favor.

So too, a person who is considered a Tzadik according to the "majority of the deeds" - he merits to what is proper for the Tzadik, only that he is payed for the few sins he did.

But he who is wicked (according to the majority), G-d deals with him as one who is wicked and an enemy and He pays him back the little good he did [in this world].

Our sages explained the difference as follows (Kidushin 40b). One who is righteous according to the majority - he is primarily righteous. Thus, it is proper to pay him for his deeds in the next world. For there is the primary payment. But for his sins which are not primary since they are the minority and thus his payment for them are in this world which is not primary.

On the other hand, one who is mostly wicked, is primarily wicked. Thus, it is proper for his payment to be in the primary world, namely, the next world. And for his minority of merits which is not primary, it is proper for their payment to be in this world which is not primary.

This is what our sages said (Kidushin 40b):

Rabbi Eliezar son of Rabbi Tzadok said: To what are the righteous compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of cleanness, but its foliage overhangs to a place of uncleanness; when the foliage is cut off, it stands entirely in a place of cleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, brings suffering upon the righteous in this world, in order that they may inherit the future world, as it is said, and "though your beginning is small, yet your latter end shall greatly increase" (Iyov 8:7). And to what are the wicked compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of uncleanness, but its foliage overhangs into a place of cleanness: when the foliage is cut off, it stands entirely in a place of uncleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, makes them prosper in this world, in order to destroy and consign them to the lowest depths of Gehinom.. for it is said: "There is a way which seems right unto man, But at the end thereof are the ways of death" (Mishlei 14:12)

~Level 3~
Chida - Zeroah Yamin - if you say: "why? Isn't it better to leave the few mitzvot the wicked has for the next world so that he at least merits a little?" On this he said: "all is according to the majority of the deeds" - we go by the majority (Rov).