Moshe received the Torah from Sinai: I say: Since this tractate is not founded on the exegesis of commandments from among the Torah’s commandments, like the rest of the tractates which are in the Mishna, but is rather wholly morals and principles, and whereas the sages of the (other) nations of the world have also composed books according to the fabrication of their hearts, concerning moral paths, how a person should behave with his fellow; therefore, in this tractate the tanna began "Moshe received Torah from Sinai," to tell you that the principles and morals which are in this tractate were not fabricated by the hearts of the Mishna’s sages; rather, they too were stated at Sinai.

from Sinai: From the One who was revealed at Sinai.

to the elders: who lived long after Yehoshua, and those elders (passed it) to other elders until they reached the beginning of the prophets, who are Eli the priest and Shmuel of Ramah.

to the men of the Great Assembly: There were 120 elders, (including) Zerubavel, Seraiah, Re’elaiah, Mordekhai, Bilshan, who in the days of Ezra were the ones who emigrated from the diaspora in (the period of) the second Temple. Included among them were Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi and Nechemiah ben Chachliah and their associates. They were called the Great Assembly since they restored the crown to its original splendor (Yoma 69b), for Moses said “The great, mighty and awesome God (Deut. 10:17).” Jeremiah and Daniel came but did not say, “Mighty and awesome (Jer. 32:18) (Dan. 9:4),” but they restored it as in the beginning, since they indeed stated both his might and his awesomeness. For were it not so, how could a nation such as this be able to endure in the presence of so many nations.

they stated three things: They stated many things; rather, they said these three things because they contain within them the preservation of the Torah.

"Be discerning in judgment": Where if a case comes before you one, two or three (times), do not say "This case already came before me, and (I ruled) a second and a third time." Rather, "Be discerning," which is to say deliberate before you decide the case.

"stand up many students": (This is meant) to exclude (the words of) Rabban Gamliel, who said "Any student whose exterior is not like his interior shall not enter the Beit Midrash (Berakhot 28a)." We derive from this that we teach Torah to every person; there is no need to inquire after him. [This is the case] so long as it not be known from his way that his actions are corrupt or that he has a bad reputation. Alternately, we may derive that if he raises up disciples in his youth, he should [also] do so in his old age, as is written (Ecclesiastes 11:6), “Sow your seed in the morning, and in the evening do not hold back your hand (Yevamot 62b).”

"and establish a fence for the Torah": A hedge, in order that he not come into contact with a Torah prohibition, such as second degree sexual relationships or rabbinic fences to protect the Shabbat as is written (Lev. 18:30), “You shall keep my guard;” [meaning,] ‘Make a safeguard for my safeguard.’

From the remnants: From those remaining, for after they had all died, the tradition remained in his possession. He was High Priest following Ezra.

He would say: Which is to say that he was accustomed to say. And so too every (instance) of "Rabbi x says" (or) "He would say" which is in this tractate; their meaning is "He was accustomed to saying such a thing constantly."

"The world stands": The world was only created for the sake of these three things.

"on the Torah": Had Israel not received Torah, the heavens and the earth would not have been created, as is written (Jeremiah 33:25), "Were it not for my covenant day and night, also the laws of the heavens and the earth I would not have set." (Shabbat 88a)

"on the [Temple] service": The service of the sacrifices. For such have we taught in tractate Taanit, "Were it not for the groupings [involved in the sacrifices] the heavens and the earth would not have endured (Taanit 27b)." And we have found that on account of the sacrifices that Noah brought, the Holy One, blessed be He, swore that He would never bring a flood. So it is that the world stands upon the sacrifices.

"and on acts of lovingkindness": As it is written (Ps. 89:3), “The world is built up by your kindness." And lovingkindness is to regale grooms and to comfort mourners, to visit the sick and inter the dead, and the like.

"Reward (peras)": is a term of valuation. “For your valuation,” we have translated "For his poreis." It is what a person gives to someone who served him, when he is not legally obligated to give him anything, such as what a man would give to his minor son or to his wife or to his servant, because of the satisfaction they have given him. A person should not serve his Creator even for the hope of a reward such as this, but rather out of love alone.

"and may the fear of Heaven be upon you": Even though you serve out of love, also serve out of fear. For the one who serves out of love is quick concerning positive commandment, and the one who serves out of fear is careful concerning negative commandments, resulting in his service being complete. So said our sages, may their memory be blessed, (Jerusalem Talmud Sotah 25a:3), "Serve out of love, serve out of fear: Serve out of love, so if you verge on hating, know that you are a person who loves, for one that loves does not hate. Serve out of fear, for if you verge on rejecting, know that you fearful, for one who is fearful does not reject."

Yose ben Yoezer, man of Tsreida and Yose ben Yochanan, man of Jerusalem: All the Tannaim (early teachers) mentioned in this chapter by pairs, ‘(Rabbi) x and (Rabbi) y, who received from (Rabbi) a and (Rabbi) b,’ the first of them is nassi, and the second is the head of the court.

"May your house be a meeting place for the sages": When the sages wish to gather together or to meet, let your house be ready for this purpose, so that they will become accustomed to saying "Let us gather at so and so’s house." For it is not possible that you will not learn some bit of wisdom from them. They stated allegorically," To what can this be compared? To one who entered a perfumer’s shop; though he did not purchase anything, in any case he soaked up a good scent and brought it out with him. "

"and become dirty in the dust of their feet": Which is to say that you should walk behind them, for one who walks about raises dust with his feet, and one who walks behind him is filled with the dust which [the former] raises with his feet. Another explanation: That you should sit at their feet on the ground. For so were they accustomed, that the master sits on a bench and the students sit at his feet on the ground.

"and drink their words thirstily": Like a thirsty person who drinks to his fill, and not like a satiated person who abhors his food, who loathes even pleasing and good things.

"May your home be open wide": Like the home of Avraham, our father, may peace be upon him, which was open to the world’s four directions, so that guests would not need to go around to find the entrance.

"may the poor be members of your household": And he should not acquire slaves to serve him. It is better that a Jew should benefit from his assets, and not the seed of the accursed Canaan.

They so stated with his wife: Since he said "with the woman" and did not say "with a woman," we learn that they so stated concerning his wife. Some explain, "With his menstruating wife only, so that he should not come to be accustomed to transgression." But from the words of the Mishnah, it appears that [this applies] even when his wife is ritually pure. So too have our sages, may their memory be blessed, stated, "[God] tells a man what his conversation is, even light conversation between a man and his wife is told to him at the time of judgment," unless he needs to appease her for the sake of the commandment, such as Rav, who conversed and jested and fulfilled his needs (Hag. 5b).

from this, the sages said: Our holy master (Rabbi), who arranged the mishnahs, wrote [this]: From the words of this sage, who said, "Do not increase conversation with the woman," the sages learned to say, "Every time that a man increases conversation with the woman he causes evil for himself." I have found written, "When a man says to his wife his doings, ‘Such and such befell me with so and so,’ she teaches him to stir up trouble, like Korah, who told his wife what Moshe did, when he waved the Levites as a wave-offering, and her words brought him to an argument." And also (another possibility is) when he tells her that his colleagues insulted him and shamed him, she too despises him in her heart, and this causes evil for himself.

"and neglects the words of Torah": As he is drawn after idle matters and does not occupy himself with Torah.

"Make for yourself a (Torah) mentor": Rambam explained, “Even though he is not fit to be your teacher, make him into your teacher and do not learn on your own.” And I heard, “'Make for yourself a teacher,' [meaning] that he should take on one teacher from which always to learn – and not learn from one today and from another one tomorrow." And even though they stated in tractate Avodah Zara 19, “One who learns from [only] one teacher will not see a sign of blessing;” they have already explained and said, “this applies to reasoning” - as it is good for him to hear the reasoning of the many - “but with concern to [memorization of traditional teachings], it is better from one teacher, so that [the student's] elocution not be damaged."

"acquire for yourself a friend": And even if you need to acquire him for a large sum and to spend money upon him in order to acquire his love. But with a mentor, it is not applicable to say, "Acquire for yourself a mentor," as a [teacher of Torah] must teach for free.

"and judge every person as meritorious": when the matter is hanging in the balance and there is no way to decide it in this way or that way. For example, a man from whose actions we do not know if he is righteous or wicked, who preforms an act that is possible to judge favorably and possible to judge unfavorably, it is pious to judge him favorably. But it is permissible to judge a man who is established to be evil unfavorably. As they only stated (Shabbat 97), “one who suspects righteous people is afflicted on his body” - [and so] it is implied [from this] that one who suspects evildoers is not afflicted.

"Distance [yourself] from a bad neighbor": That you not learn from his actions. And also, that you should not be struck with him in his downfall, for 'woe is to the evildoer, woe is to his neighbor.'

"do not befriend an evildoer": As thus stated the sages, "Anyone who clings to evildoers - even though he does not act like them - gets retribution similar to them. To what is this matter like? To one who enters the house of a tanner - even though he doesn't take anything with him, nonetheless, he absorbed the foul smell and brings it out with him."

"and do not despair of punishment": That you should not say, "the actions of this evildoer are succeeding - I will go and cling to him, since fortune is smiling at him." Therefore, it states, "do not despair of punishment," meaning to say, know that punishment will come upon him quickly, as his calamity will come suddenly.

"Do not make yourself like the judges' advisers": like those people that set up and arrange the claims of a litigant before the judges. As it is forbidden for a person to reveal the judgment to one of the litigants and to say to him, “Do the following so that you will win your case” - even though he knows that [this litigant] should win the case. Another explanation: “Like the judges' advisers” [meaning] like the great judges. And it is referring to a student sitting in front of his teacher – that he should not make himself like the great judges, to speak in front of his teacher as [if he were] someone who is deciding the case. (Orkhei) is an expression [like that used in the term], tribunals (arkaot) of the gentiles (Gittin 9b, 10b), and tribunals of the House of David. And from others, I have heard, “Do not make yourself like the great judges, to force the litigants to come in front of you.”

"they should be like evildoers in your eyes": so that your heart not incline to one of them, saying, “Such and such a one is important, he is; and he would not make a false claim.” Since if you say this, you cannot see him as guilty.

"when they received the judgment": such that you should not suspect the guilty party saying, “This one was a robber.” But [rather] say, “maybe he was mistaken and did not intend to rob." And also (another possibility is) if one of them became obligated to make an oath [as a result of testimony], do not say, "He made a false oath."

"But be careful with your words": That the judge not say, "Maybe the act was like so and so;" or "If the matter had been like so, x would be innocent" - and from these words, the litigant or the witnesses learn to say something that did not [happen].

Shamaya and Avtalyon: were righteous converts and were from the descendants of Sancheriv. And I have heard that it is because Avtalyon was the head (av) of the court that he was called by this name, as its meaning is 'father (head - av) to the small ones.' As talya in Aramaic is small, like (Megillah 5b), “Rabbi Yochanan said, 'When I was talya'” - when I was small; (Yevamot 114a) “let them bring a talya and a talyatta” - let them bring a small male and a small female. Here too, Avtalyon was the father of small orphans.

"Love work": Even if he has from what to sustain himself, he is obligated to work, as idleness leads to distraction (Ketuvot 59b)

"hate lordship": and do not say, “I am a great man and it is a disgrace for me to work" - since Rav said to Rav Kahana (Pesachim 113a), "Flay a carcass in the market and take your pay, and do not say, 'I am a priest, I am a great man and the matter is a disgrace to me.'" Another explanation: “hate lordship,” [meaning] distance yourself from the taking of authority over the public, as lordship buries those that have it.

"and do not become familiar with the government": in order to receive lordship through it. And also (another possibility is) “do not become familiar with the government” so that they will not make you transgress the doctrine of your Maker, as happened with Doeg the Edomite. "with the government" (rishut which literally means permission): Dominion is called permission, as the government has permission in its hand to do according to its will.

"Be careful with your words": such that you don't leave room for the heretics to make a mistake about your words.

"lest you will be punished with exile": which is to say that even though in the place that you are, there are no heretics, one must be concerned lest sin will bring about that you will be obligated to be exiled. And you will be exiled to a place where there are people that show sides of the Torah that are not like the law (halakha), and this is a term for 'evil waters.' And they will understand improper things from your words and the students that come after them will drink words of heresy from these words and they will die from their sins.

"and thus the name of the Heavens will be profaned": such that these idle opinions will remain in the world, as happened to Antigonos, the man of Socho, with his students, Tsadok and Beitos. Since he told them, “Do not be like slaves that serve the master for the sake of receiving a reward.” And they said, “Is it possible that a laborer works the whole day and toils and in the evening he does not get a reward?” And they and their students became heretics, and they are called Saducees (tsedukim) and Boethusians (beitusim) to this day.

"Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace": They explained in Avot DeRabbi Natan how Aharon loved peace: When he would see two people quarreling, he would go to each one of them without the knowledge of his fellow and say to him, “Behold how your fellow is regretting and afflicting himself that he sinned against you; and he told me that I should come to you so that you will forgive him. And as a result of this, when they bumped into each other, they would kiss each other. And how would he bring people closer to the Torah? When he would know about someone that he committed a sin, he would befriend him and show him a friendly demeanor; and that man would be embarrassed and say [to himself], “If that righteous man would know my evil deeds, how much would he distance himself from me? And as a result of this, [that man] would change for the better. And this is what the prophet testifies about [Aharon] (Malachi 2), “In peace and in straightness did he walk with Me and he brought back many from sinning."

"Spread (Negad) a name, lose his name": He who extends his name far by way of authority and lordship will quickly lose his name, since lordship buries those that have it. Negad is a term for extension. The [Aramaic] translation of 'they extended' is 'nagidu.'

"And one who does not add": He who does not add to his study.

"ceases": What he already learned will cease from his mouth and he will forget his learning. And there are those that have the textual variant, “will be gathered,” meaning to say he will be gathered to his people and die before his time.

"And one who does not learn": is worse than one who does not add, Therefore he is liable for death; which is to say that it would be fitting that they kill him, as it is stated (Pesachim 49b), “It is permissible to tear apart an ignoramus like a fish – and from the back."

"And one uses the taga (crown)": One who makes use of the crown of Torah in the way a man uses his tools, passes and leaves the world. And there are those that explain taga to be the initials of talmid gavra acharina (the student of another man), as it is forbidden to take service from students that are not his students. And I have heard, "'And one uses the taga,' meaning to say one who makes use of [God's] explicit name passes and is lost, as he does not have a share in the world to come."

”If I am not for myself”: If I do not merit for myself, who will merit for me?

”And if I am for myself”: And even if have merited for myself, what is this merit and what is it worth compared to what it is that I am obligated to do?

”And if not now": in this world.

”when?”: Since after death, it is impossible to merit any more. Another explanation: “If not now” in the days of youth, “when,” lest in the days of old age, I will not succeed.

”Make your Torah fixed”: such that your main occupation during the day and the night be Torah [study] and when you are weary from study, do work. And not that your main occupation be work and when you are free from work, you involve yourself in Torah. And I have found it written, “'Make your Torah fixed' such that you are not strict on yourself and lenient on others or strict on others and lenient on yourself, but [rather] your Torah should be fixed, for yourself like for others. And so is it stated in Ezra 7:10, 'Since Ezra prepared his heart to expound the Torah of the Lord and to do [it] and to teach the Children of Israel; as he prepared his heart to do, so too did he teach the Children of Israel.'"

”say little and do much”: as we find by Avraham, our father, peace be upon him, who first said (Genesis 18), “and I will get a morsel of bread,” and in the end, “and he took a tender and good young cow."

"and receive every person with a pleasant countenance": When you bring in guests to your home, do not give to them while 'your face is buried in the ground;' as anyone who gives and 'his face is buried in the ground' - even if he gave all of the gifts in the world - it is counted for him as if he did not give anything. Shammai gave three warnings, corresponding to three virtues that Yirmiyahu mentioned: wise, strong and wealthy. Corresponding to wise, he said, ”Make your Torah fixed;” corresponding to wealthy, he said, ”say little and do much;” and corresponding to strong, he said, "receive every person with a pleasant countenance" - that he should conquer his inclination [to do bad] and fight against his wicked heart. And we have learned, "Who is a mighty one? The one who conquers his inclination."

”Make for yourself a mentor:”: It is now speaking concerning the matter of jurisdiction. If a case comes in front of you and you are in doubt about it, make for yourself a mentor, and remove yourself from doubt. And do not decide upon it by yourself; as it was with Rava: when a possibly unfit animal was brought to him, he would gather all of the slaughterers of Mata Machsia – he would say, “So that we will [all only] receive a chip of the beam."

"and do not frequently tithe by estimation": as the one who separates his tithes by estimation is not spared from disarray: if he reduces from what needs to be given, his tithes are made adequate but his fruit are disarrayed; if he adds upon what is fitting to give, his fruits are rendered adequate and his tithes are disarrayed.

"And I did not find anything good for the body except silence": One who hears his disgrace and is silent.

"and it is not the study which is the main thing but rather the deed": And you should know that silence is better for him, since even interpretation, homily and discussion of Torah – of which there is nothing greater – the main attainment of reward is for the action. And someone who teaches but does not practice [what he teaches], it would have been better if he had been silent and had not taught.

"and anyone who increases words, brings sin": As such have we found with Chava, who increased words and said, “God said, 'Do not eat from it and do not touch it,'” and added touching, about which she was not forbidden. And the snake pushed her until she touched it and said to her, “In the same way as there is no death from touching, so [too] is there no death from eating.” And from this, she came to sin, as she ate from the fruit. This is what Shlomo said (Proverbs 30:6), “Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar."

"The world stands": [Meaning] the settlement of people is preserved. And this is not like "the world stands" of above.

"on judgment": [Meaning] to render innocent the innocent and guilty the guilty.

"and on truth": [Meaning] that a man should not lie to his fellow.

"and on peace": [Meaning] between governments and between a man and his fellow.