Pirkei Avos

"Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it Joshua. Joshua transmitted it to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They [the Men of the Great Assembly] said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise many students, and make a protective fence for the Torah."

For the past two weeks, we have been discussing the introductory lines of our mishna. As we saw, they offer the historical backdrop not only to the Mishna as a whole, but to Pirkei Avos in particular -- as a means of stating that even the practical advice of our Sages is sacred and a part of our eternal tradition emanating from Sinai.

We now at last arrive at the actual advice of our mishna, the words of the Men of the Great Assembly. (The Great Assembly was Israel's primary legislative and judiciary body during the Second Temple era.) As we will see, their advice too was built upon our mishna's introduction. They recognized that a transition was occurring during their very lifetimes: from the Age of Prophecy to the Age of Wisdom.

If we examine a little more closely the era of the Prophets mentioned in our mishna, we will note that it spans an enormously long and varied period of history. A lot happened during their sole jurisdiction. The period began with the generation immediately after Joshua, with the passing of the Elders who, together with Joshua, led the nation in the conquest and division of the Land of Israel. The period continued with the era of the Judges, the Prophet Samuel, King Saul, the Davidic dynasty, the building of Solomon's Temple, the secession of the northern tribes into the Kingdom of Israel, the exile (and disappearance) of the Ten Tribes, the destruction of Solomon's Temple, the Babylonian Exile, the ascendancy of the Persian Empire, and finally the return to Zion of Ezra, Nehemiah, and the few who came to build the Second Temple. Oh, and by the way, the Purim story occurred somewhere in there as well.

Clearly, much political, military and social history elapsed during this extended period. From any sort of historical standpoint, it is difficult to imagine lumping this entire period into a single era. Yet our Sages -- from the perspective of Pirkei Avos -- do just that.

The reason for this is because our Sages were viewing Jewish history through an entirely different lens. Regardless of empire, war, expulsion, upheaval, and revolution unfolding around them, Israel's link to G-d and Sinai was secure. We had prophets. Israel's greatest men and women received instruction and exhortation directly from G-d's heavenly emissaries. Our socioeconomic situation rose and fell, and often seemed to hang by a thread. But we had no doubt as to who we were and what our sacred national mission was. G-d was there to tell us and to remind us -- in fact, not to let us forget it. He was still in direct communication with Israel, and so we were bound to a Torah and tradition whose import and significance surpassed all other military, political and societal considerations.

The Men of the Great Assembly recognized that in their own lifetimes that era was coming to an end. The few remaining prophets were dying out in the beginning of their days -- not to be replaced. In many other ways as well, G-d's hand was no longer revealed to Israel as it had once been. The Second Temple did not house the Divine Presence in the same manner as the first (see Talmud Yoma 21b). At the same time, however, Torah study was flourishing and reaching new heights -- as foreseen by the Prophet Zachariah (4:1-6, see Talmud Sanhedrin 24a).

Thus, the Sages recognized that a new age was dawning: the Age of Wisdom. We would no longer have prophet to enlighten us as to G-d's lofty plans and designs for us. We would have to seek Him out ourselves. And our single tool for Heavenly inspiration would be the Torah -- and the application of our own frail but creative human minds to its infinite wisdom. Our own ability to discern truth and understand the wisdom handed to us from past generations would now be our most precious asset. And it would sustain us through endless succession of exile and persecution, and for generations on end.

And so, the Men of the Great Assembly advised their generation -- and future generations -- what their focus must now be: studying the Torah carefully and deliberately, giving it over to our own students, and safeguarding its laws. The advice of our mishna revolves around these ideas.

Yet there is an even deeper message here. My teacher, R. Yochanan Zweig (www.talmudicu.edu), explained as follows: If we connect to G-d through knowledge rather than prophecy there is an inherent danger. We are now the instigators. Our own brains and efforts become our new sources of inspiration. It is easy to feel that we are the centers of our own religion, that we have sought and found G-d -- and we did it on our own terms. If any given law makes sense to me, if I see it as correct and inspiring, I will observe it. If not, it is out of the realm of my concept of religion. I have found G-d -- and I have created Him in my own image.

This, in spite of the awesome beauty of Torah study, presents an enormous danger. And so, the Sages found need to warn us: Our knowledge is valid only insofar as it allows us to connect to our G-d. We may study and contemplate the Torah's timeless laws, but we are not its arbiters, nor do we form the centers of our own religion. We are only the bearers of the Torah -- understanding it to the best of our abilities and passing along intact that which preceded us.

Thus, the mishna's first statement: "Be deliberate in judgment." Do not be quick to pass judgment -- not on others nor on any other perspective on life or wisdom. Do not suppose religion is valid only to the extent you understand. It is not our job to pass judgment on the wisdom handed to us, or to be so sure of our understanding as to reject out of hand all who disagree. We must be exceedingly careful in judgment -- and certainly in rejection -- of any part or aspect of the wisdom of Torah.

Next, our Sages tell us to raise many students. Our own knowledge is often limited and myopic. We view wisdom from our own perspective alone. By raising many students, we ensure that the Torah will not be limited to any single approach or perspective. Torah knowledge must be disseminated to as wide an audience as possible. (Some even use the Internet for such purposes... :-)

R. Zweig noted further that the Hebrew word used here for "raise" is "ha'amidu" -- which literally means "cause to stand." Do not just teach students what *you* have to say, creating carbon copies of yourself (to use a rather dated expression). Cause them to stand on their own feet -- to question, to think for themselves, and to establish their own unique relationship with the Torah. These are the hallmarks of Jewish education. We will then have a strong, national connection to the Torah and a rich gene pool of wisdom to draw from. And no one scholar, no matter how great, will be able to claim he has the one true approach to the Torah. The more people we have connecting to Torah and the more approaches to wisdom, the wider the reach and relevance of the Torah to the nation as a whole -- and the more lasting and meaningful a connection we will have to Sinai.

Lastly, our Sages exhort us to create fences for Torah observance, to safeguard Torah law through Rabbinic injunction. (A simple example is "muktza", forbidding us to handle e.g. a pencil on the Sabbath lest one forget and come to write.) Here again we see the same critical message. We may today connect to G-d through our own intellect, but we must never let that intellect become the determinant of how and when we will serve G- d.

We have all heard the following type of argument, in many forms and in many contexts: "The Torah only forbade lighting a fire on the Sabbath when it involved rubbing two sticks together and required a great exertion. Nowadays it's just a matter of flipping a switch and in no way compromises our Sabbath 'rest', and so there's no reason to forbid it." Or more simply: "I don't feel commandment x is meaningful to me. I get nothing out of it. There's no reason to alter my lifestyle just to accommodate some dated old ritual."

The Sages thus warn us, in no uncertain terms: Our tradition is untouchable. We use our wisdom to study and interpret our tradition, but never to replace it. If anything, we must use our wisdom and creativity to further safeguard the Torah's laws. We are not the owners of G-d's word nor the centers of our own faith. The intellect may be ours, but we subordinate it to G-d's infinite Torah. And so our own human wisdom, rather than being a tool for revision and corruption, becomes yet another sacred link in Israel's timeless tradition.

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"Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it Joshua. Joshua transmitted it to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They [the Men of the Great Assembly] said three things: Be deliberate in judgment, raise many students, and make a protective fence for the Torah."

Last week we discussed the first few lines of our mishna, which outline the history of the Torah's transmission from Moses until the period of the Mishna. The introduction appears to authenticate the Mishna, as if to say that although it was not put to writing until nearly 1500 years after the Revelation at Sinai, it is as authentic as the Torah of Moses itself.

To this we posed the question of the commentator R. Ovadiah of Bartenura: Why was such an introduction placed at the start of Pirkei Avos and not at the start of the entire work of the Mishna?

R. Ovadiah answered that Jews had little doubt as to the authenticity of most of the Mishna. Virtually the entire Mishna describes technical details of observance -- how does one refrain from labor on the Sabbath, slaughter an animal, tithe his crops (or salary), etc. And no one imagined such laws were just invented by domineering or power-hungry rabbis. They were clearly part of our oral tradition passed down from Sinai -- elucidating the mitzvos (commandments) of Scripture itself. Such a large and intricate body of law hardly evolved out of thin air, nor did it gain universal acceptance spontaneously. When our forefathers transmitted them, asserting that they were handed down to us from Sinai, there was little reason to doubt them. The Sages would have had little to gain inventing such an intricate set of laws just for the heck of it; from where else would it have come?

Pirkei Avos, however, is perhaps different. It is the only section of the Mishna wholly dedicated to ethics and character development. It provides advice: how to interact with others, what qualities to develop within ourselves, and really how to live meaningful and fulfilling lives -- all of which in honesty could be all but missed observing the technical mitzvos of Judaism alone. Such "laws" one might think are nothing more than good advice -- hardly different from the many hundreds of self-help books which have been authored since (some perhaps more up-to-date and relevant to our generation). What makes the wise words and sayings of the Sages any more authentic -- any more "sacred" -- than those of Ben Franklin or Dale Carnegie?

To this, our mishna begins: "Moses received the Torah from Sinai..." The messages, aphorisms and advice of our Sages, collected in Pirkei Avos, are the word of G-d. This is not the good advice of wise old men who lived 2000 years ago. It is as much a part of our eternal Torah as the most technical and intricate of laws. They are all a part of G-d's infinite Torah; Pirkei Avos stems from a tradition every bit as ancient.

There is a deeper issue here, however. When giving advice, the Rabbis often speak in generalities. Just looking at a few of the upcoming mishnas, we are told: "serve G-d not for the sake of reward" (1:3), "cleave to the Rabbis" (1:4, paraphrased), "acquire for yourself a friend" (1:6), "love work" (1:10). The Sages don't really tell us very much by way of detail of how we should act or go about following their advice. We are given general directives and attitudes alone; the details almost seem left up to us.

Even beyond this, how much does the Written Torah really tell us about how to behave -- not which animals we may consume but truly what kind of people we should be? Well, we have a handful of nice "Bible stories" -- how our forefathers interacted with their neighbors or reacted in times of crisis. Some of these incidents are inspiring; others are more critical. Beyond that, the Torah offers us only the most general of directives: "...be holy for I am holy" (Leviticus 19:2); "Love your neighbor" (ibid., v. 18); "...seek peace and pursue it" (Psalms 34:15). These verses are perhaps "nice", but the Torah really does not tell us very much about character development and interpersonal relationships. Isn't that at least as important an aspect of religion -- if not more so -- than the technical commandments? Is Judaism in fact more a religion of form than spirit, of law and ritual than one which cultivates a "kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:6), and "light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6)?

And this too returns us to the issue we began with. The "advice" of the Sages seems more informal and less authentic simply because it is not very precise. The Torah *seems* to tell us: "Observe all sorts of rigorous and detailed laws and rituals, but beyond that be nice guys, and we'll leave that up to you." Did the Torah really just for the most part ignore the areas of character development and personal growth? Did the Torah really say so little about this that it has been relegated to the "self-help" good advice of the Sages?

We now come to one of the true fundamentals of Judaism. (Over the years, you will find I call a lot of very different things "one of the great fundamentals of Judaism." Well, perhaps they all are...) How to behave is really not something the Torah can dictate or spell out for us. No two people are alike. We all possess different personalities, inclinations, weaknesses, drives, and ambitions. And the Torah will apply differently to each one of us; it carries a different message for each and every Jew.

The Torah -- in particular the Scriptures -- is a book of absolute truths. It makes statements which are correct in an absolute sense. Sabbath observance is true and relevant to every Jew; so is eating matzah on Passover and refraining from eating on Yom Kippur (leaving aside life-threatening situations -- which the Torah itself excludes).

Character development, however, departs the realm of the absolute and enters the realm of the relative. How does each of us realize his or her potential, becoming the person he or she truly could be? How precisely do we "cleave" to G-d (Deuteronomy 10:20) and become G-dlike individuals? Such the Torah could never spell out for us. We are all different. No two people are alike and how each of us is best fulfilled depends on our own inner natures. One person may have a temper. The Torah's message to him might be to use his energy and excitable nature for worthy causes. Another may be a natural follower and people pleaser, and the Torah's advice to him is to not be ashamed to stand up for his convictions when necessary. One person is introspective and will grow most from personal thought and reflection. Another is light and chatty and best serves G-d by bringing warmth and good cheer to others.

When it comes to character development, there is quite simply no one way -- and there are really very few ironclad absolutes the Torah can spell out for us. In fact, there is no way a single work of any length could write out how all possible types of individuals should act in all possible types of situations (and of course, we would have to figure out which "type" we are before we begin). Judaism was not intended to create a one-size-fits-all religion. G-d has no interest in having us all conform to a single standard -- that we all look, act and behave in exactly the same manner. If He did, He would not have made each of us different. Rather, G-d gave us the guidelines and the priorities, the value system of the Torah. These are the absolutes with which we must begin. But beyond that, the Torah leaves it to us. Only we can truly fathom our inner natures and G-d's particular message for us.

Thus, when it comes to the really tough issues of life -- who should I be, how should I act, how should I develop myself -- the Torah is frustratingly silent. It can give no more than general directives. It tells us what the Torah's priorities are -- what generally speaking are good qualities and proper behavior patterns. But it really cannot choose for us. We might like to fall back on some holy writings to lead us by the hand -- never allowing us the discomfort of having to think for ourselves, but life is just not that simple. How to act in any given situation depends upon who we are and what we feel our mission in life to be. And to direct us in that the Torah and the Sages can give little more than sound advice -- helping us set our priorities in life and providing us with the clues for true self-discovery. We must ask the advice of rabbis and mentors, and we must study carefully what the Sages say about values and character traits -- and we will no doubt discover facts about ourselves we could have easily and blissfully lived a lifetime never recognizing. Yet Judaism does not and cannot spell out our lives and goals for us. Only we can fulfill that most basic and fundamental commandment of all: Know thyself.

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This is the first mishna of Pirkei Avos, the great ethical work of the Sages of the Mishna. We will first provide a bit of background to Pirkei Avos and the Mishna in general, and we'll then begin examining the text at hand.

The Mishna is an early rabbinic composition outlining all of Jewish law. It was edited and brought into its current form in the late 2nd Century C.E. It is a compilation of the teachings of the greatest scholars of the four centuries preceding that time -- from early in the period of the Second Temple till about 120 years after its destruction. It was authored in the Land of Israel; shortly after its completion Jewish settlement in the Land experienced a slow but steady decline as a result of instability and persecution. (The center of Jewish life would then shift to Babylonia -- where hundreds of years later the Talmud would be composed.)

The Mishna is divided into six main volumes, each divided into smaller sections (or tractates). These sections deal with virtually all areas of Jewish law, such as holidays, Temple service, civil law, marriage and divorce, and agricultural laws. Pirkei Avos is the only section of the Mishna devoted entirely to ethics.

Pirkei Avos begins by charting the transmission of the Torah, in outline form, from Moses to the "Men of the Great Assembly" (more on them below) and the beginning of the period of the Mishna. Our mishna concludes with the advice of the Men of the Great Assembly. Most of the first chapter of Pirkei Avos introduces us to the great scholars of the early generations of the Mishna, as well as the primary messages they conveyed to their and to future generations.

The historical outline our mishna provides is hopelessly scant and was clearly not intended to provide us with very much by way of historical reference. Rather, it was meant to authenticate the Mishna, demonstrating that its teachings span from an unbroken tradition originating at Sinai itself.

Let us first briefly identify the eras mentioned. Joshua was the successor to Moses. He and the Elders of his time led the nation into the Land of Israel and oversaw the conquest and division of the Land among the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

With the passing of the Elders began the period of the Prophets, the spiritual leaders of the nation until the time of the Mishna, approximately 1000 years later. G-d's hand was no longer openly revealed to every member of Israel as it had been during the Exodus and the miraculous conquest of the Land. Nevertheless, G-d still communicated openly with the great men and women of Israel through prophecy and Divine inspiration. The spiritual and often political leaders of Israel were individuals whose authority rested directly upon the word of G-d.

Finally, as the last prophets died out at the beginning of the Second Temple era, the period of the Great Assembly began. This was a religious and primarily judicial body which consisted of 120 of Israel's greatest scholars. It was headed by a Nasi, literally prince, who was assisted by an Av Beis Din, or court head. Throughout this chapter, we will be introduced to the leadership pairs of many generations of this council.

In two weeks, G-d willing, we will discuss the significance of the transition from prophet to high court -- as well as the significance of the periods described here altogether. As we will see, the Men of the Great Assembly recognized the significance of this transition and in our mishna advised the nation accordingly. This week, however, we address a more basic issue: What is this introduction doing at the start of Pirkei Avos -- rather than at the start of the entire Mishna?

This question is raised by R. Ovadiah of Bartenura, of 15th-16th Century Italy and Israel, in his commentary to the Mishna. Our mishna's opening statement appears to be a historical introduction to the Mishna in general. (Note: When I write "Mishna" with a capital M, the intention is the entire six-volume work, of which Pirkei Avos is a small part. The term "mishna" in lowercase refers to a particular paragraph of the Mishna, such as the weekly mishna we study.)

The purpose of this introduction is presumably to verify the Mishna's authenticity. Although it was authored nearly 1500 years after the Revelation at Sinai -- and much of its content was preserved only orally until that time -- it followed a clear and uninterrupted transmission. It is as authentic as the Torah of Moses itself.

There is, however, one obvious difficulty with this. The Mishna is a six-volume work; Pirkei Avos appears towards the end of the fourth volume. Why is this introduction at the start of Pirkei Avos rather than at the start of the entire Mishna?

R. Ovadiah explains that the Rabbis felt it more necessary to place this preface here than at the start of the Mishna. Virtually all the other sections of the Mishna discuss Jewish law and custom. They are fairly logical and precise -- how does one observe the Sabbath, slaughter an animal, compose a marriage contract, bring a sin offering. For the most part, the Mishna discusses the how-to's of Judaism. What are the many details and fine points of Jewish law, when do and do they not apply, and upon whom are they binding. Jews never really had very much doubt as to the origins of such laws. These were practices and traditions every Jewish child observed in his or her parents' home. An entire nation, often spanning oceans and continents, was observing virtually the same law -- and had been doing so for the many centuries of their well-documented history. There was very little doubt to the believing Jew as to the origins of such laws; they were hardly self-imposed.

Further, Judaism bespoke an understanding of G-d and human nature which could hardly have been humanly inspired. Israel was practicing a just, merciful and rational religion far superior to any of the often savage practices the pagans of their time had managed to concoct. Their beliefs and practices were just and moral practically beyond the comprehension of primitive man. The world's other great religions-to-be would merely mimic and adopt Judaism's fundamental precepts; human beings on their own would never devise anything even remotely approximating. (The only possible exception is the religions of the Far East -- although there are those who suggest they stem from the descendants of Abraham's concubine -- whom Abraham sent to the East (Genesis 25:6).) Thus, Jews had no doubt as to the Divine origin of their Torah. From where else could such wisdom and beauty have originated?

This, however, was the case with Jewish law proper. Laws are definite and unwavering. They possess an exactitude which clearly must have originated somewhere. But what of the moral directives of the Sages? When the Sages tell us to greet everyone favorably (later, 1:15 (www.torah.org/learning/pirkei-avos/chapter1-15c.html)) is that really a *law*? Perhaps it is sound advice, but let's say you just got up on the wrong side of the bed one morning. You don't *feel* like giving a cheerful "good morning" to the attendant at the local 7-11 who hands you your morning coffee or newspaper. Are you really *obligated* to do so anyway? Does such a law stem from Sinai?

To this our Sages answer: "Moses received the Torah from Sinai..." The laws we are about to state originated from Sinai -- just the same as "There are 39 forbidden labors on the Sabbath" (Mishna Shabbos 7:2). The Sages here speak with the same authority they do throughout the entire Mishna. Their statements here may seem just plain old good advice -- the same we may find in any other Dale Carnegie-type self-help book. But let us not for a moment think that the Sages of the Mishna are no longer bearers of a sacred tradition in this capacity. As we will see over the years as we study their words in depth, they are not just offering aphorisms or wise, pithy advice. They are speaking nothing less than the word of G-d.

There is a deeper aspect to this introduction. The "good advice" of the Sages is hardly as precise as most of what the Mishna concerns itself with. Pirkei Avos deals with inexact and sometimes relative statements of morality and proper behavior -- and this too makes it appear less authentic then the real meat and potatoes of Judaism. We will discuss this issue G-d willing next week.

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Text Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld and Torah.org.