Pirkei Avoth
Encyclopedia
Pirkei Avot which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers is a compilation of the ethical
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...

 teachings and maxims of the Rabbis of the Mishnaic
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...

 period. Because of its contents, it is also called Ethics of the Fathers. The teachings of Pirkei Avot appear in the Mishnaic tractate of Avot, the second-to-last tractate in the order of Nezikin
Nezikin
For Jewish law on damages, see Damages Nezikin or Seder Nezikin is the fourth Order of the Mishna...

 in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

. Pirkei Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Talmud dealing solely with ethical and moral principles; there is little or no halacha found in Pirkei Avot.

Translation of the title

In the Talmudic sense, the word avot, meaning "fathers", refers to fundamentals, or principal categories. Thus, the principal categories of creative work forbidden on Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

 are called avot melacha, and the principal categories of ritual impurity are referred to as avot tum'ah. Perakim, or in the conjunctive form pirkei, means "chapters". Thus Pirkei Avot means "Chapters of Fundamental Principles".

The recognition of ethical maxims as 'Fundamental Principles' may derive from the high regard in which the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

 hold such wisdom. "Love your neighbor as yourself," states the Bible , an injunction that Akiva ben Joseph in Genesis Rabbah 24:7 famously calls a "great principle" of the Torah (or perhaps "the greatest principle"). In Shabbos
Shabbat (Talmud)
Shabbat is first tractate in the Order of Moed, of the Mishnah and Talmud. The tractate consists of 24 chapters.The tractate primarily deals with laws relating to Shabbat , and the activities prohibited on Shabbat and distinguishes between Biblical prohibitions and Rabbinic prohibitions...

 31a, Hillel
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...

 says "That which is hateful to yourself, do not do to your friend: This is the entire Torah, the rest is commentary, go now and learn it." The attribution of Biblical Wisdom books to King Solomon  (e.g., Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes
The Book of Ecclesiastes, called , is a book of the Hebrew Bible. The English name derives from the Greek translation of the Hebrew title.The main speaker in the book, identified by the name or title Qoheleth , introduces himself as "son of David, king in Jerusalem." The work consists of personal...

, Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...

, Book of Wisdom
Book of Wisdom
The Book of Wisdom, often referred to simply as Wisdom or the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon, is one of the deuterocanonical books of the Bible. It is one of the seven Sapiential or wisdom books of the Septuagint Old Testament, which includes Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon ,...

) attests also to the central importance that Jews of this period placed on transmitting the ethical way of life.

Because of the more common usage of avot as meaning "fathers", Pirkei Avot is often rendered in English as "Chapters of the Fathers", or even more loosely, "Ethics of the Fathers". While this translation engenders an appealing and not entirely mistaken image of "patriarchal teachings", this is probably not the primary intention of the work's title. The term 'avot' is not usually used as an honorary designation for 'rabbis' or 'sages'; in rabbinical usage, it refers to the Patriarchs
Patriarchs (Bible)
The Patriarchs of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, the ancestor of all the Abrahamic nations; his son Isaac, the ancestor of the nations surrounding Israel/Judah; and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites...

 of the Bible. However, the possibility that the wording of the title was designed to support multiple renderings cannot be ruled out.

Structure of the work

The tractate consists of six chapters. It begins with an order of transmission of the Oral Tradition; Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...

 receives the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai , also known as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa , Jabal Musa meaning "Moses' Mountain", is a mountain near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. A mountain called Mount Sinai is mentioned many times in the Book of Exodus in the Torah and the Bible as well as the Quran...

 and then transmits it through various generations (including Joshua
Joshua
Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...

, the Elders, and the Neviim, but notably not the Kohanim), whence it finally arrives at the Great Assembly
Great Assembly
The Great Assembly or Anshei Knesset HaGedolah , also known as the Great Synagogue, was, according to Jewish tradition, an assembly of 120 scribes, sages, and prophets, in the period from the end of the Biblical prophets to the time of the development of Rabbinic Judaism, marking a transition from...

, i.e., the Rabbis (Avot 1:1). It contains sayings attributed to sages from Simon the Just (200 BCE) to shortly after Judah haNasi
Judah haNasi
Judah the Prince, or Judah I, also known as Rebbi or Rabbeinu HaKadosh , was a 2nd-century CE rabbi and chief redactor and editor of the Mishnah. He was a key leader of the Jewish community during the Roman occupation of Judea . He was of the Davidic line, the royal line of King David, hence the...

 (200 CE), redactor of the Mishnah. These aphorisms concern proper ethical and social conduct, as well as the importance of Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...

.

The first two chapters proceed in a general chronological order, with the second focusing on the students of Yochanan Ben Zakkai. Chapters Three and Four contain various attributed sayings in no clear order. Chapter Five departs from the organization and content of the preceding four in that it consists mostly of anonymous sayings structured around numerical lists, several of which have no direct connection with ethics. The last four paragraphs of this chapter return to the format of moral aphorisms attributed to specific rabbis.

In liturgical use, and in most printed editions of Avoth, a sixth chapter, Kinyan Torah ("Acquisition of Torah") is added; this is in fact the eighth (in the Vilna edition) chapter of tractate Kallah, one of the minor tractates. It is added because its content and style are somewhat similar to that of the original tractate Avoth (although it focuses on Torah study more than ethics), and to allow for one chapter to be recited on each Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

 of the Omer
Omer
Omer may refer to:*Omer , an ancient unit of measure used in the era of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem**Counting of the Omer, Jewish ritual during the forty-nine days between Passover and the Feast of Weeks*Omar, Omer is a variation of the name...

 period, this chapter being seen well-suited to Shabbat Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....

, when the giving of the Torah is celebrated. (See below.)

Study of the work

From at least the time of Saadia Gaon
Saadia Gaon
Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon was a prominent rabbi, Jewish philosopher, and exegete of the Geonic period.The first important rabbinic figure to write extensively in Arabic, he is considered the founder of Judeo-Arabic literature...

 (10th century CE), it has been customary to study one chapter a week on each Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...

 between Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...

 and Shavuot
Shavuot
The festival of is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan ....

; today, the tractate is generally studied on each Shabbat of the summer, from Passover to Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah , , is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im which occur in the autumn...

, the entire cycle repeating a few times with doubling of chapters at the end if there are not a perfect multiple of six weeks. The tractate is therefore included in many prayer books
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...

, following Shabbat afternoon prayers.

In the course of such study, it is common to preface each chapter with the Mishnaic saying, "All Israel has a share in the world to come" (Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin
The Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...

 10:1), and to conclude each chapter with the saying, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to bestow merit upon Israel; therefore he gave them Torah and mitzvot
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...

 in abundance" (Makkoth 3:16).

Well-known sayings

The tractate includes several of the most frequently-quoted rabbinic sayings, such as "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" (Avot 1:14). It is written in simple and terse Hebrew and is attributed to the great sage Hillel
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...

, who was famous for succinct expression.

Another famous saying: "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it" (Avot 2:21) attributed to Rabbi Tarfon
Tarfon
Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon, , a Kohen, a member of the third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived in the period between the destruction of the Second Temple and the fall of Bethar .-Origins and character:...

. Also attributed to Rabbi Tarfon: "The day is short, the labor vast, the toilers idle, the reward great, and the Master of the house is insistent." (Avot 2:20)

Commentaries

Mishnaic tractates, originally orally transmitted in Mishnaic Hebrew, are usually accompanied by commentaries in Aramaic — the Gemara
Gemara
The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...

 (literally, the Aramaic word for "the teaching"). Avot does not have a Gemara because the concepts in it can never be dealt with completely, being the "fifth part of the Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...

" (being intrinsically "derekh eretz": wise practices).

Although Avot does not have an accompanying Gemara
Gemara
The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...

, one of the minor tractates of the Talmud, Avot deRabbi Nathan ("The Fathers according to Rabbi Nathan"), is an expansion of the Mishnaic tractate containing numerous additional ethical teachings and legends.

The number of medieval and modern commentaries on the Tractate of Avot is large, and probably not known accurately. Among the best-known commentaries are the following:
  • Samson Raphael Hirsch
    Samson Raphael Hirsch
    Samson Raphael Hirsch was a German rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the Torah im Derech Eretz school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism...

    , Commentary on Pirkei Avot
  • Rabbeinu Yona on Avot
  • Rambam, on Avot, introduction known as The Eight Chapters


In the early 20th century, parts of it were translated into Yiddish by Yehoash
Yehoash (Blumgarten)
Yehoash was the pen name for Solomon Blumgarten, also known as Solomon Bloomgarden , a Yiddish-language poet, scholar and Bible translator....

.

Ethical principles

The number of commentaries written on Pirkei Avot testify that it contains far more content and structure than can be captured in a simple outline. The following list aims merely to group some of the general principles found in the work.

Show kindness to others

  • "The world stands on three things: On Torah, on prayer ("avoda"; can also mean sacrificial offerings), and on kindness to others" (1:2)
  • "Your house should be open wide, and you should make the poor members of your household." (1:5)
  • "Meet every person with graciousness." (1:15)
  • "He [Yohanan ben Zakkai] said: 'Go and see what is the right way that a man should seek for himself.' Rabbi Eliezer said 'A good eye'. Rabbi Yehoshua said 'A good friend'. Rabbi Yose said 'A good neighbor'. Rabbi Shimon said 'One who sees consequences.' Rabbi Elazar said 'A good heart'. He [Yohanan] said to them, 'I prefer the words of Rabbi Elazar ben Arach to yours, because his words include yours as well.'" (2:13)

Respect the other person

  • "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow" (Shab. 31a)
  • "What is the right path a man should choose? Whatever is honorable to himself, and honorable in the eyes of others." (2:1)
  • "Let your friend's honor be more dear to you than your own." (2:15)
  • "The evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of men, drive a person out of the world." (2:16)
  • "Let your friend's money be more dear to you than your own." (2:17)

Respect yourself

  • "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" (1:14)
  • "What is the right path a man should choose? Whatever is honorable to himself, and honorable in the eyes of others." (2:1)
  • "In a place where there are no worthy men, strive to be worthy." (2:6)
  • "He who acquires a good name, has acquired himself something indeed." (2:8)
  • "Do not regard yourself as an evil person." (2:18)

Respect God

  • "Do His will as if it were your own, so that He will do His will as it were yours. Nullify your own will before His so that he will nullify the will of others before you." (2:4)

Seek peace

  • "Be amongst the students of Aaron: Love peace and pursue peace. Love people and bring them close to Torah." (1:12)
  • "The more charity, the more peace" (2:8)

Take precaution to avoid transgressions

  • "Make a fence for the Torah" (1:1)
  • "Keep far from an evil neighbor, do not befriend a wicked person, and do not despair of divine retribution" (1:7)
  • "Evaluate the loss of not fulfilling a commandment against its reward, and the reward of committing a transgression against its loss. Consider three things, and you will not come to sin: Know what is above you, a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all of your deeds written down in a book." (2:1)

Be humble

  • "Love work, and despise official positions, and do not become too acquainted with the governing power." (1:10)
  • "One who makes a name great, destroys it" (1:13)
  • "Anyone who works for the community, let your work with them be for the sake of Heaven... And as for you all, I will make your reward great as though you had accomplished all the work." (2:2)
  • "Be cautious regarding the ruling power. Because they only befriend a person when it serves themselves. They appear as friends when it suits them, but they do not stand by a man in his time of need." (2:3)
  • "Do not separate yourself from the community, and do not be sure of yourself until your day of death." (2:5)
  • "The more flesh, the more worms. The more possessions, the more worry. The more wives, the more witchcraft. The more maidservants, the more uncouthness. The more servants, the more theft." (2:8)
  • "If you have learned much Torah, do not flatter yourself about it, because it was for this purpose you were created." (2:9)
  • "Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven." (2:17)

Be circumspect in prayer

  • "Be careful when reciting the Shema and tefilla. Do not pray as though by rote, but plead for mercy and grace before God." (2:18)

Combine Torah learning with labor

  • "Torah learning is best combined with an occupation, because the effort of both will keep one from sin. Torah study alone without work will in the end be nullified and lead to sin." (2:2) (See Torah im Derech Eretz'.')

Be careful with speech

  • "All my life I was raised amongst the Sages, and I never found anything better for a person than silence... one who talks too much causes sin." (1:17)
  • "Do not speak (excessively) much with women. This regards a man's own wife, how much more so regarding another man's wife!" (1:5)
  • "Sages, you should be careful in what you say, lest you merit exile and be sent to a place of evil waters, and your pupils who follow you will die, and the name of Heaven will be disgraced." (1:11)
  • "Say little and do much." (1:15)
  • "Do not say something that cannot be understood, thinking it will be understood later." (2:5)

Do not seek rewards

  • "Do not be like slaves who serve the master in order to obtain a reward. Rather, be like slaves who serve the master not to receive a reward. And let the fear of Heaven be upon you." (1:3)
  • Be as careful in observance of a minor commandment as in a major commandment, because you don't know the respective rewards for the commandments. (2:1)

Do not leap to judge another person

  • "Judge every person favorably" (1:6)
  • "Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his place." (2:5)

Be fair and deliberate in legal decision

  • "When judging, do not act as an advocate. When the litigants are before you, regard them all as guilty. And when leave you, regard them all as meritorious, when they have accepted your judgment." (1:8)
  • "Be thorough in examining witnesses, and watch what you say, so they do not learn from you how to lie." (1:9)
  • "On three things does the world stand: On justice, truth, and peace." (1:18)

The time for action is now

  • "If not now, when?" (1:14)
  • "The main thing is not study, but doing." (1:17)
  • "Do not say 'I will study when I have the time', for perhaps you will never have time." (2:5)
  • "The day is short, the labor vast, the toilers idle, the reward great, and the Master of the house is insistent." (2:20)
  • "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it" (2:21)

Seek an even temperament

  • "A boor cannot be sin-fearing, and an ignoramus cannot be pious. A shy person cannot learn, and an impatient person cannot teach." (2:6)
  • "Do not be quick to anger." (2:15)

The punishment matches the sin

  • "He saw a skull floating on the water, and said to it, 'Because you drowned others, they drowned you. And they will also eventually be drowned because they drowned you.'" (2:7)

Reception and popularity, Chinese Translation

A Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

 translation of Pirkei Avot, by Chinese scholars, was published in 1996. The first edition, of 1500 copies, sold out immediately. Another Chinese translation was made in Jewish year 5761 with the title "猶太聖傳·民刑卷·先賢篇". It is easily available online.

External links

  • Hebrew
    Hebrew language
    Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...

     full-text
  • Translation
    • Pirkei Avot – Ethics of the Fathers translation at Chabad.org
    • Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, an 1897 English translation by Charles Taylor
      Charles Taylor (scholar)
      Charles Taylor was an English Christian Hebraist.-Life:He was educated at King's College London, and St. John's College, Cambridge, where graduated BA as 9th wrangler in 1862 and became a fellow of his college in 1864. He became Master of St John's in 1881...

  • Commentary
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