Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers

~Level 1~
Bartenura - "corridor" - entrance room.
"palace" - the place where the king dwells. so too prepare yourself in this world so that you will merit the world to come.

~Level 2~
Tiferet Yisrael - "corridor" - the room before the entrance to the palace. After knowing that this world is but a corridor, therefore "prepare yourself..." You can see that this world is not a permanent dwelling place (dirat keva), it is merely a temporary dwelling place while Olam Haba is a permanent dwelling place (dirat keva).

Therefore, do not appear in your house as one who stands in his [permanent] home and has ample free time to prepare himself before entering before the king. Rather, consider yourself as one standing in the pruzdor (entrance room) who needs to be dressed up properly and ready lest the the king suddenly call him to enter [inside the palace].

So too, a person does not know his time [of death]. Therefore, all his matters need to be rectified always, especially matters of the next world. And he should consider himself as a servant of the king guarding the door who stands there and waits every second lest the king call him in suddenly and he will need to enter. So too one should repent today lest he die tomorrow.

~Level 2~
Michtav M'eliyahu, chelek aleph - "this world is like a corridor before Olam Haba" - this entire world and everything that happens to us in it - everything is only according to what we need to enter Olam Haba. Everything that leaves an impression in us, everything we can feel - it is all carefully measured and weighed with absolute precision and only according to what we need for this purpose of meriting life in Olam Haba.

~Level 2~
Rabeinu Avraham Pritzel - "this world is akin to a corridor (pruzdor) before Olam Haba.." - for this world is the world of action, to guard and do the commandments of G-d, while Olam Haba is the world of payment (olam hagemul). Thus, this sage said: "prepare yourself in the pruzdor", which is the outer courtyard, to rectify your clothing and your body in order that you enter the traklin - the inner palace, the abode of the king..

"Olam Haba" - according to the Rambam, this refers to the world a man enters immediately after his death. Others say it refers to the world after the ressurection and the day of judgment. I leave this to what I saw in the words of our sages and in the "Shaar Hagemul" of the Ramban who spoke extensively on the matter.

~Level 2~
Rabeinu Yosef ben Shushan - just like one does not enter the courtyard of the king without intent to enter the palace, so too make this world secondary in your thoughts. Do not put to heart its imaginary benefits. For they are vanity. Instead run after the benefits with which you will reach the primary purpose. Exile yourself to a place of torah where the lions are (see previous mishna) and get up and flee from the amei haaretz (torah ignorant) who are the "foxes who destroy the vineyard" (Shir 2:15). Prepare yourself with tikunim so that you will be fit to enter the palace of the king..

~Level 2~
Sforno - "this world is like a corridor (hallway) before Olam Haba" - the corridor is not at all there for its own purpose. Rather, it is for entering the palace and for beauty. If it does not succeed in this purpose, it is there for nothing.

Likewise for life in this world. He who does not acquire Olam Haba in this world, his stay in this world was for nothing.

~Level 3~
Yachel Yisrael - "this world is akin to a corridor before Olam Haba.." - he did not say what Olam Haba is akin to. He only said afterwards: "prepare yourself in the corridor so that you will enter the palace" - whereby it is understood that "the palace" refers to Olam Haba.

Why did he not mention in the beginning of his words: "this world is akin to a corridor before Olam Haba which is akin to a PALACE"?

The answer is that this world is indeed akin to a corridor for each one of us. However, Olam Haba will not be akin to a palace for every person.

Every person's situation in this world is indeed like a man passing through a corridor. All of us are here like passing guests in a temporary station on the way to a permanent place.

However, what will be the permanent place? This varies from person to person. Each person's conduct on the road will determine what will be his final destination. The corridor leads to different places. It leads to the palace but also to a solitary confinement jail cell.

There are two paths in the corridor and "in the path a man wants to go, he is led" (Makot 10b). Every person marches during their lifetime towards their permanent home - "these to eternal life and these to eternal disgrace" (Daniel 12:2).

Thus the sage did not say what Olam Haba is akin to. For it will vary for every person. One person will reach the palace. Another will find at the end of the corridor a normal room. A third person may find at the end of the road a place whereby the corridor was vastly much better.

~Level 3~
Ruach Chaim - "Prepare yourself in the corridor (hallway) in order that you enter the Palace" - the mitzvot a man does are his reward. He himself makes his own reward. The reward is to "delight in G-d and derive pleasure from the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence)". One who is greater than his fellow can approach closer and his place (mechitza) is more inner than his fellow. This is the true joy.

Through torah and mitzvot he can draw closer. For the 613 mitzvot are 613 garments for the 248 limbs and 365 sinews. When one is fully clothed, he can come closer to the Creator and delights [more].

Thus man himself makes his own garment so that he can enter to receive reward..

It is to these garments our sages intended when saying: "one who does a mitzvah acquires a defending angel" (Avot 4). For all things above are "living"..

~Level 3~
Ahava b'Taanugim - "in order that you enter the Palace" - every mitzvah makes a garment for the soul as written in the Zohar (Vayakhel 210a). This is so that the soul will be able to ascend and enter before G-d, blessed be He. For just like one cannot enter the courtyard of a [human] king wearing sackcloth and ashes, rather he needs to prepare clothing befitting the honor of the king, as written: "and he shaved, changed his clothing [and came to Pharaoh]" (Bereisheit 41:14).

So too for man in this world. All his deeds are in order to rectify and refine himself in order that he will be able to enter the palace and appear before the King. For the soul cannot ascend to appear before the King without proper clothing.. do not think the "soul returns to G-d" (kohelet 12:7) after death and none prevent it. Thus he compared Olam Haba to a king's palace. There are guards at the entrance who allow only those fitting to enter...

~Level 3~
Sfas Emes, Emor 5636 - "corridor" - for this world is only for a brief time, just like a corridor where one walks through it in a short time, "our days on the earth are like a passing shadow".

Although it also says (next mishna): "one hour of good deeds in this world is better than all the life in Olam Haba", for even in this world, there exists a hidden light which is of Olam Haba, as written: "may you see your world in your lifetime" (Berachot 17a).

Only that [this light] is enclothed in this world and the garment is a corridor. That is to say, according to how much a person works on not clinging to the garment (of this world), namely, according to his service and separation from the material (gashmiut) - accordingly the hidden light in it will open to him, ie, the palace.

This is the meaning of "rectify yourself in the pruzdor", whereby the primary tikun in physical matters is to separate from the klipa (outer shell). Through this, the inner matter will reveal itself to you.

This is the meaning of "the wicked prepares but the righteous will wear it" (Iyov 27:17). For the whole klipa is a preparation to find afterwards the hidden light in it.

This itself is teshuva (repentance, literally: return). For one returns to the inner life in matters of this world, to cling to the root of the matter. Through this he elevates everything to its (spiritual) root.

Likewise for "good deeds", the explanation is that he does every matter while clinging to the light, the good hidden in it. This is as our sages brought: "G-d, hid the hidden light for the righteous". And all hiding is in a place of darkness and concealment.

For as before - to find the hidden light through the outer service as before.
The main thing is that all of this world appear in his eyes like a corridor, etc. According to the degree of annulment will the inner side be revealed to him.

~Level 3~
Daat Zekenim - the mishna is coming to teach us that without Olam Haba, this world would have no reason to exist whatsover. For this world's entire existence is to be a pruzdor (corridor) before the palace, to rectify oneself in the pruzdor in order to merit to enter the palace.

One might think there is room to say that this world has its own independent reason to exist. Namely, to toil in torah and mitzvot here in this world of action and that man was created for this. The Olam Haba is then the place of paying the reward.

But it is not so (rather man was created for Olam Haba), as the Ramchal writes:

"Man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose" (Path of the Just, ch.1)

This world is only as a corridor before the palace, a means to Olam Haba which is the purpose. (Kochvei Ohr 21).

Our sages taught: "this world is like the land while Olam Haba is like the sea. If a man does not prepare in the land, what will he eat in the sea?" (Ruth Rabba 3:3).

The foundation of the matter is that Olam Haba is like the sea, a barren place which has no power whatsoever to sprout and grow. The place to grow is only in this world, in the trials and tribulations of this world, the pain and despair, the mud and dirt. There exists the power of sprouting and growth. And the more mud and dirt, the more the potential to sprout and grow.

This is what our mishna says "this world is like a corridor before the palace". Certainly, the purpose is the palace. But in order to enter the palace, prepare yourself in the corridor. For there is the power of growth...

With this we will understand what our sages said:

In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will take a torah scroll in His embrace and proclaim:
"Let him who has occupied himself in this, come and take his reward."

Thereupon all the nations will crowd together in confusion, as it is said: All the nations are gathered together (Isaiah 49:11). The Holy One, blessed be He, will then say to them: "Come not before Me in confusion, but let each nation come in with its scribes"....

The nations will then plead. "Offer us the Torah anew and we shall obey it." But the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to them:

"You foolish ones among peoples, he who took trouble [to prepare] on the eve of the Sabbath can eat on the Sabbath, but he who has not troubled on the eve of the Sabbath, what shall he eat on the Sabbath? Nevertheless, I have an easy command which is called Sukkah. Go and carry it out... Straight away every one of them betake himself and go and make a Sukkah on the top of his roof; but the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the sun to blaze forth over them as at the Summer Solstice and every one of them will trample down his Sukkah and go away, as it is said, "Let us break their bands and cast off their cords from us" (Tehilim 2:3)... (Avodah Zara 2)

According to our words this is clear. For G-d showed them they are not willing to stand up to the trials of this world. The secret of this world which brings to the next world is that only one who toiled before the Sabbath, ie in the trials of matters of this world, in the mud and dirt - he will eat on the Sabbath. For the power of sprouting and growth is only from the trials of mud and dirt of his world...

This is what our sages said: "according to the pain is the reward" (Avot 5:23). For according to the pain, according to the mud and dirt one passes through - through this is the power to grow. Thus perforce, according to the amount of pain is the reward. Thus Shlomo said: "even (af) my wisdom stood by me" (Kohelet 2:9), which our sages expounded: "the torah I learned with difficulty (af) - it stood by me" (Yalkut Shimoni 968). For according to the difficulty is the reward.

This is what our sages expounded (Midrash): "Yaakov dwelled (vayeshev).." (Bereisheit 37:2) - Yaakov sought to dwell in tranquility (b'shalva), immediately the calamity of Yosef befell him.. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in Olam Haba that they seek to also dwell in tranquility in this world?!'" (Midrash there).

At first view, what will they lack in dwelling in tranquility also in this world? But according to our words it is very clear.

For the power of sprouting and growth is only in the trials and tribulations of this world. If they sit in tranquility here, they will be lacking the mud and dirt of this world, the secret of this world.

What a great loss this would be! And since: "G-d rebukes those He loves" (Mishlei 3:12). Therefore G-d gives them one trial after another so that they will grow continuously.

How unfortunate are those people who seek only comfort in this world. For they lack this world, the power of growth and he who did not toil before the Sabbath, what will he eat on the Sabbath?

~Level 3~
Daat Zekenim (Rabeinu Yerucham) - "prepare yourself.." - this world is a place and time of preparation, ie to prepare the soul (nefesh) and perfect it to be a vessel fit to receive the pleasure and delight of the palace in Olam Haba. This is "in order that you enter the palace", ie that you be a vessel fit to receive from the palace - to delight in G-d and derive pleasure from the radiance of His Shechina (divine presence).

On this the Vilna Gaon writes: "the pleasure of Olam Haba is that one will increase continuously knowing (hasagot) Him, blessed be He, and the depth of His torah which is infinite, each time increasing knowledge of Him, more and more. The longing of the soul to cling to Him continuously intensifying and advancing more and more every second .." (Devar Eliyahu, Iyov 3:21 see there).

This power stems from the powers of the soul, its limbs to advance further and further. But if the soul is not whole, if its limbs are lacking the ability to advance - it will lack of the eternity of Olam Haba. Woe to that shame, woe to that disgrace!

~Level 3~
Siftei Daat on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz) - the matter is not like people are used to thinking. Namely, that the pleasure and radiance of Olam Haba is a reward and payment for one's deeds in this world - to delight in G-d due to one's good deeds in this world. [It is not so.] Rather, the entire existence of Olam Haba is formed and created from this world.. This is stated by the pious Yaavetz:

"Our sages brought: 'he who toiled before the Sabbbath will eat on the Sabbath, but he who did not toil on the Sabbath, what will he eat on the Sabbath?' (Avodah Zarah 3a) - examine their words: "what will he eat" and not "he will not eat". The latter expression implies it is possible for him to eat but his punishment is that he will not eat. Thus, they said: "what will he eat?", ie it is impossible for him to eat.. end quote. This is as we said - without this world, Olam Haba has no existence whatsoever.

~Level 3~
Siftei Daat on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz) - "prepare yourself" - this world is a place of preparation, it is here that the pleasure and radiance of Olam Haba sprouts/grows from. In Olam Haba there is no sprouting/growth. There one lives from what was prepared, what each person prepared for himself in this world. Without preparation, it is impossible to merit Olam Haba. There is no entrance to the palace except through the gateway (corridor). This is as our sages said: "he who did not toil on friday, what will he eat on the Sabbath?"

This is the secret of the matter of "prepare [yourself]".

The foundation of the matter of "prepared" is that everything is already finished and whole (nigmar v'nishlam). The pruzdor (corridor) includes inside the entire traklin (palace). This is the secret of the tzimtzum (constriction) Olam Haba inside Olam Haze (this world), the tzimtzum (constriction) of the Shechina (divine presence) in the preparation.

The secret of the matter of the tzimtzum (constriction) is that it includes the entire thing - without any lacking or absence of it whatsoever. (Daat Chochma u'Mussar 45:76).

Furthermore, it seems the primary place of the performing of the mitzvot is in Olam Haba. The performing of the mitzvot here in this world is only as a preparation.

To what is this analogous? To one who needs to speak before a king. Before the day of his meeting with the king, he prepares himself many times how to speak before the king. He practises speaking properly before the king. He trains himself to listen properly. Not to mention, he teaches himself how to stand before a king in a befitting manner. All this is but a preparation before the act itself.

So too in our matter. The performing of mitzvot in this world is but a preparation in the pruzdor (corridor) for the place of their true performance in Olam Haba - the palace of the King.

There he will study torah, don Tefilin, etc. without the obstruction of the yetzer (evil inclination). Rather, like Adam, the first man, before the sin. There the pleasure of fulfilling them will increase vastly, as the Ramchal writes (Path of the Just, ch.1) "for this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist".

~Level 3~
Matanat Avot - this mishna and the next are among the most moving of the entire tractate. If one truly puts it to heart, he almost does not need any other mussar from the rest of Pirkei Avot. For the intent of the sage is to explain to us in the simplest terms the entire purpose of our coming into this world and why we need to learn torah and fulfill mitzvot (commandments), as the Ramchal explains in chapter 1 of the "Path of the Just".

These concepts are so vitally important that I once heard from one of the great mussar masters that all the spiritual drop in later generations is only because we forgot the first chapter of the "Path of the Just". I would add that this chapter is the aleph-beit (alphabet) of all of Judaism.

One who does not know well the fundamentals of this mishna cannot advance anywhere in the service of G-d just like it is impossible to study torah, mishna, and talmud without knowing the Hebrew letters.

In truth I have no reason to expand the explanation of this mishna for it is very simple and one needs to learn it specifically according to its simple meaning, without complicated analysis. The main thing is to set it firmly in one's heart. For this is all of man!

It is clear to me that our teacher, Rabbi Aharon Shteinman zt'l merited to ascend like an angel of G-d vastly higher than all the people of his generation only because of three mishnas of pirkei avot - this one, the next one, and the one of Akavia ben Mehalel (Avot 3:1). For it all stemmed from putting to heart these three mishnas...

Before everything one needs to realize he is only in a corridor. For only this will cause him to reach all the good levels needed to enter the palace. Every person sees with his plain mind only this world. He does not at all recognize Olam Haba. So why should he forego on all the pleasures of this world for something he does not sense or know?

Therefore, only if he realizes that the entire existence he recognizes is only a small corridor relative to the gigantic palace of Olam Haba. Then he will put to heart that it is worthwhile to invest in things that have value in the palace also..

He must first and foremost realize that Olam Haba is primary and is the palace while his 70 or 80 years here are but a corridor. Only then can he consider in his heart on which is it more worthwhile to invest of himself. Through this simple consideration he will come to prepare himself in order to enter the palace.

I once heard a nice parable by Rabbi Shalom Shwadron of a man in Israel who decided to immigrate to America. The journey by boat was long and had a stop in France for 10 days to resupply before proceeding to America.

When he heard this, he decided to study French so that he will be able to manage during those 10 days. He spent his last month in Israel studying french intensely. After some time his french teacher asked him why he is so interested in learning french. After explaining, the french teacher asked him: "do you know english already so that you wil manage in America?"

"No", he replied, "but it is more important to me to know french since I reach France before America".
The teacher did not know whether to laugh or cry: "you fool! you are going to france for only ten days and you invest all your time to learn french while in america you will spend the rest of your life. Why don't you consider how you will manage there?!!!!

~Level 4~
Maharal - "this world is like a corridor..." - it is proper to ask: instead of saying "this world is like a corridor, etc.", he should have said simply: "prepare yourself in this world so that you will enter Olam Haba'"?

Futhermore, he should have also said: "Olam Haba is like a palace".

The explanation of this is deep and since a man must know his purpose, therefore, we will explain this matter.

Know that our sages received from the prophets that there exists an Olam Haba. None argue on this or deny it, even among the nations.

A wise man who understands wisdom and knowledge can deduce this by himself..

The explanation of "Olam Haba" is the world after the resurrection. This [alone] is called Olam Haba and nothing else.. And in the talmud: "all Israel has a share in Olam Haba. And these do not have a share in Olam Haba: one who denies the future resurrection..." (Sanhedrin 90a).

The talmud explains there: "since he denied the resurrection of the dead, therefore he will not have a share in the resurrection of the dead".. (see there)

Hence, it is explicit that after the resurrection and after the judgment of the resurrection, then "some will go to Olam Haba and others to eternal disgrace (deraon olam)" (Daniel 12:2).

Hence, Olam Haba will be after the resurrection.. And in the talmud (Chulin 142):
"There is no precept in the Torah, where reward is stated by its side, from which you cannot infer the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead.."

Thus the reward for mitzvot is after the resurrection. There is no doubt that Olam Haba is the world where there will be the reward for mitzvot..

It is obvious and clear that then the world will be perfect and whole. For reason obligates that the world should be perfect just like G-d who is perfect. According to the level of the Worker should be the handiwork. Thus if only this world existed, the world of lackings, then this work would not be befitting of a perfect Worker, ie G-d, blessed be He, who is absolutely perfect.

It is evident from clear proofs that a handiwork reflects its worker. You can see this in the natural world. That which is hot produces heat (fire), that which is cold imparts cold. Every thing gives rise/birth to something similar to itself and like itself.

Thus is it conceivable that there exists only this world from G-d, this world which is not similar nor like Him?

For all the creatures in this world die, but He, its Maker, lives forever. All creatures in this world eat, drink, and reproduce, but He does not have these traits.

Even if we say that it is impossible for a creation to be similar to the Creator, but nevertheless, something like this - to not have any relation in character, that is impossible.

And in the Midrash on the verse:

"I shall walk amongst you" (Vayikra 26:12) - this is analogous to a king who goes to his vineyard and the farmer hid from him (in fear). The king told him: "why are you afraid? I am as you".

So too in the future, G-d will walk among the righteous and they will tremble before Him. G-d will say to them: "why are you afraid? I am as you". One may think fear/awe of Me will not be upon you, thus the verse continues: "I shall be to you as a G-d" (Midrash Yalkut Shimoni 401, remez 672).

Thus, they explained that in the future, the relation between the righteous and G-d will be according to what is proper between a Worker (Maker) and His handiwork..

Thus, reason obligates that there exists the World-to-Come. There the handiwork resembles its Maker. This is what our sages taught: "in Olam Haba, there is no eating, drinking, reproducing, business dealings.." (Berachot 17a). All this is to emphasize that the handiwork will be related in character to its Creator..

Do not mistakenly think: "but the higher works (angels) [are already similar in character to Him]"?

It is not so. For if it were so that the angels are the primary creation of the world, when the torah spoke of the creation in Genesis, why did it not mention the creation of the angels?

Rather G-d's primary creation in the world is man and thus there must be an Olam Haba whereby everything will be perfected and there the work will resemble its Maker, as we said.

And this world which G-d created is a preparation for Olam Haba. Olam Haba is primary just like the palace is primary and the corridor before the palace is secondary. So too, this world is secondary to Olam Haba.

If you ask: "What is the need for this world? Just create Olam Haba without this world?"

This is not a difficulty. For the lacking of the effect (man) is visible in this world, the beginning, and afterwards he completes himself.

Although from the aspect of the Maker, it is proper for the handiwork (man) to reflect its Maker completely. But this is only from the aspect of the Maker..

But from the aspect of the handiwork itself, the effect, by itself it should not exist. For before its creation, it did not exist. Therefore, the beginning of its actualizing its potential, it is in a state of lacking. That is this world.

Thus the beginning of its existence is near to inexistence. For this is proper for a handiwork from its own aspect. Thus man is created from a putrid drop and is near to inexistence. Man likewise receives inexistence, namely, death. That is this world. Afterwards Olam Haba comes and then the handiwork (man) attains its perfection and through that, relation to its Maker.

This is like a newborn. The baby comes to this world after complete inexistence. Thus, he begins small and deficient. Afterwards he grows up until he becomes elevated.

So too for the world. It is not proper for Olam Haba to come first. For is it possible for man to be born fully grown? Can a tree sprout to its full size all at once?

He begins small and lacks the qualities he has in the end.

If you ask: why then does man need to die? Why can't he attain his perfection in the end, without dying and returning to life?

This is not at all difficult to those who understand. For this teaches on the lofty level [after death], that he divests himself completely of the first conduct.

For man was created from flesh and blood, from a putrid drop. How could he then attain the lofty level? After all, he is merely flesh and blood. Therefore, it is necessary to divest from this through death and afterwards return to life (in a higher form).

These things are clear to the understanding and this is not the place to elaborate on this point..

Thus he said: "prepare yourself in the corridor.." For all rectification is a beginning for what will be afterwards. And since this world is the beginning while the next world is the end, therefore, he said prepare yourself in the corridor, which is the beginning, so that you will enter the palace which is the end purpose..