Akavia ben Mahalalel says: Keep your eye on three things, and you will not come to sin: Know from where you came: And when you are keeping your eye on where you came from, the thought will cause you to be of a lowly spirit and you will be saved from the trait of arrogance - as it is stated about it (Proverbs 16:5), "Every haughty person is an abomination to the Lord."

And to where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots: And if you think in your heart to where you are going, you will not desire any of the pleasures - as you are toiling for worms. You will also find vain all wealth and honor - 'as it is all vanity and bad spirit.' And about this matter King Shlomo created the Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and began (Ecclesiastes 1:2), "Vanity of vanities" - to show the vanity of all goods and of all honor. And after he showed the vanity of everything, he stated (Ecclesiastes 12:13), "The sum of the matter, when all is heard; revere God and observe His commandments; as this is all of man."

And before Whom are you destined to give an account and a reckoning: As the creations were only created to fear God. As how will a person sin if he thinks in front of Whom he is "destined to give an account and a reckoning" - and more than for the punishment and the challenge - as he will suffer great embarrassment. There is a parable [relevant to this] about a king in front of which a man enters: If [the king] finds him cheating in his deeds or lying in his words, he will suffer great embarrassment. All the more so before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. Also because the embarrassment of the soul is greater after it separates from the body than the embarrassment when it is still there. As it is the nature of the body to forget, and when a person does an ugly thing and is embarrassed from other people about it for a year or two, he will forget the thing and the embarrassment will leave on its own. Even if it is not forgotten from his heart, the thing will be faded and some of the embarrassment will be removed. As the nature of the body's forgetting mixes with the nature of the soul. And even though it does not overcome it to completely forget the thing, nonetheless it overcomes it [enough] for the thing to fade; such that some forgetting removes most of the embarrassment. But when the soul is alone, there is no forgetting before it - as it is completely whole and pure and there is no physical nature within it. And when it is embarrassed before "the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He," it is for ever and ever that it will stand with the embarrassment like now when it is [actually] standing in front of Him. And like that time, it will stand embarrassed forever. And this is what the rabbis, may there memory be blessed, said (Bava Batra 75a), "Woe for this embarrassment, woe for this disgrace." Hence in all cases, the one that raises these things to his heart will not come to sin.

Rabbi Chanina, the Deputy High Priest, says: Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it: As it is harsh upon us.

man would swallow his fellow alive: This matter is wanting to say that a person should pray for the peace of the whole world and be in pain about the pain of others. And this is the way of the righteous ones, as David, peace be upon him, stated (Psalms 35:13), "As for me, when they were ill, my dress was sackcloth, I afflicted myself in fasting." As a person should not make his supplications and his requests for his needs alone, but rather to pray for all people, that they be at peace. As with the welfare of the government, there is peace in the world.

Rabbi Chananya ben Teradyon says: Two who are sitting together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, this is a session of scorners, as it is said (Psalms 1:1): “[Happy is the man who has]... not sat in the session of the scorners”: Two things are called scorning (leitsanut). One is evil speech: one who speaks badly about his fellow, to disgrace him and to debase him among people - that he be considered scornful in their eyes. And this is from the great sins 'that a man commits and is guilty.' And this trait is only [found] among those that act wickedly. And about it Shlomo, peace be upon him, stated in his wisdom (Proverbs 21:24), "The malevolent, conceited man - scorner is his name - acts in a frenzy of malevolence." He meant to say that these two evil traits - malevolence and conceit - both them or are included in the scorner. And a malevolent man is one who speaks about his fellow and debases him in the eyes of the world; [whereas] conceit is in thought, such that [another] person is not thought of as anything in front of him. And one 'crowned' with these two things - his name is scorner. And lest you say, he [may] not watch his tongue, but his hands are tied, he does not sin with them; about this he said, "he acts in a frenzy of malevolence" - when this man that "scorner is his name" comes to action, it will be with anger and cruelty. This is because scorning indicates about him the sin of being one who commits evil deeds. And Shlomo, peace be upon him, would console those that hear the insult of the scorners but do not respond and stated (Proverbs 3:34), "At scorners He scorns, but to the lowly He shows grace." He meant to say [that] God scorns those that scorn you and they will lose more with their scorn than you - the listener. "But to the lowly" that are silent and endure them and don't respond, the Holy One, blessed be He, "shows grace." But the verse that he [cited in the mishnah], "not sat in the session of the scorners," is not speaking about the scorners that we discussed - as that is [already] either in the category of sinners or in the category of evildoers that are stated in the beginning of the verse. Rather, it called "the session of the scorners" the opposite of what is written after it: "Rather, in the Torah of the Lord is his desire, and he meditates upon His Torah day and night.' [That is] those that purposely establish sessions to speak about empty words, and forsake words of Torah. As they remove the yoke of Torah from upon [them], since during the time that they don't have work [and] they also don't have to speak about their affairs, they establish a session for their idle words - hence it is called a session of scorners. And this thing is spoken concerning the refraining from Torah [study], since this chapter is speaking about the topic of refraining from Torah [study].

But two who are sitting together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, the Divine Presence rests with them, as it is said (Malachi 3:16): “Then those who feared the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for those who feared the Lord and for those who thought upon His Name”: And the simple understanding of the verse is about the righteous in the future to come: when people will see their lofty status and say, "For what did this thing come to them," they will answer, "Because earlier 'they spoke one with another' in words of Torah and it was written 'in the book of remembrance' and He is now giving them the reward for their activity."

I have no [Scriptural support for this] except [in a case of] two. From where [is there proof that] that even [when there is only] one [person studying Torah], the Holy One, blessed be He, determines a reward for him?: He means to say one who sits and thinks about Torah. Since reward is given for thought as it is for one involved in speech.

As it is said (Lamentations 3:28): “He sits alone and is silent, since he takes [a reward] for it”: As one who is silent and thinks about Torah is as if he takes on the yoke of Torah in oral meditation. But Rabbi Meir HaLevi follows the textual variant, "From where [is there proof that] that even [when there is only] one [person studying Torah], the verse equates it for him as if he fulfilled the whole entire Torah, as it is said (Lamentations 3:28): 'He sits alone and is silent, since he takes [a reward] for it.'" And how is it implied that the expression "and he is silent" is [about] speech? [From] "since he takes" [which refers] to the yoke of speech - as he preaches in front of [the people].

Rabbi Shimon says: Three who ate at one table and did not say upon it words of Torah - it is as if they ate from the offerings of the dead: He means to say that since they did not say words of Torah, behold all of the tables are as if they were full of offering to idolatry which is considered to be like feces. Since the gathering of three people is called a group, as [indicated by the fact that] they would have an invitation (mezamnin) for the Grace after the meals. And one should not join them if there are no words of Torah among them, as that is removing the yoke of Torah. They are eating and drinking and enjoying, [but] the mention of Torah does not arise upon their hearts - woe to them and woe to their enjoyment.

However, three who ate at one table and said upon it words of Torah - it is as if they ate from the table of the Omnipresent, blessed be He, as it is said (Ezekiel 41:22): "And he said to me, this is the table that is before the Lord": And the expression, "And he said," is [referring to an] individual, as you see [with] "And the Lord said to Moshe," which is individual, as He was speaking to Moshe alone. And when the verse wants to make the thing communal - for Moshe to say it to Israel - it is written, "saying"; which is a communal language. The explanation of "he said" by itself without "saying" is that He explained it to Moshe only and not that others should hear it. Also this [in] which it is stated, "And he said to me, this is the table," is an expression of "and he said" that specifies that this table is from below. Such that you should not think that it specifies that the table is from Above (the sacrificial table of the Temple offerings). And even though this is not a proof for the matter, it is a hint to the matter - as is the custom of our rabbis to [use as support] in several places.

Rabbi Chananya ben Chakhinai says, etc. such a one is liable for [forfeiture of] his life: Since they are desirable times, he should only think during them about things that are desirable before the Omnipresent, may He be blessed. And those [things] are words of Torah. As how grand and desirable are these times for thinking about Torah, since he has no work to do and does not hear the voices of [other] people.

and one who turns his heart to idleness, such a one is liable for [forfeiture of] his life: As he wastes a time in which he can have clear and correct thought, and diverts it from thoughts of Torah.

Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah says: Anyone who accepts the yoke of Torah upon himself, they lift from him the yoke of government: The Holy One, blessed be He, guards form every bad thing the one who makes his Torah [study] primary and his work flexible, so that he not have to refrain from Torah study. And [so] He does not put it into the heart of the king - that takes people to do his work - to take this one. And he is saved from the work of the kings to fulfill his will to be involved [in Torah].

and the yoke of the way of the world (derekh erets): He is not required to do much work for the needs of his livelihood, and he is able to suffice with little for his vital needs - since the work of the righteous is blessed and his soul is glad with his portion.

And anyone who casts from himself the yoke of Torah, they place upon him the yoke of government: Since he thinks that if he leaves the work of Torah he will do a lot of his work, God, may He be blessed, annuls his thought and puts into the heart of the king to take him to do work for him - since (Proverbs 21:1), "Like channeled water is the heart of the king in the Lord’s hand; He directs it to whatever He wishes."

and the yoke of the way of the world (derekh erets): As he wanders and strains for his livelihood and he cannot find it. Even when he finds it, he is not glad with his portion; and all of his days, he exerts himself in vain to get rich and to add wealth to his wealth. And [it is] like the matter that is stated (Ecclesiastes 5:9), "A lover of money never has his fill of money." And it comes out that all of his days are spent in toil and exertion, and he will never have rest for ever and ever.

Rabbi Chalafta [ben Dosa] of Kfar Chananiah says: Ten who are sitting together and engaging in Torah, the Divine Presence rests among them, as it is said (Psalms 82:1): “God stands in the congregation of God”: And there is no congregation that is less than ten.

And from where [is there proof that this is true] even [when there are only] five? As it is said (Amos 9:6): “And He has founded His band upon the earth:” A hand which hs five fingers is called a band (aguda).

And from where even three? As it is said (Psalms 82:1): “In the midst of judges He judges:” And there is no court that is less than three.

And from where even two? As it is said (Malachi 3:16): “Then those who feared the Lord spoke one with another.” And from where even one? As it is said (Exodus 20:20 (20:21 in NJPS)): “In every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you.:” And if even one gets much reward, is it not obvious that from to ten to two, they would [also] get reward. Rather, he wants to say that to each [number], the reward is according to [the quantity].

Rabbi Elazar, man of Bartuta, says: Give Him from what is His: This is speaking whether about the matter of a person's body, whether about the matter of a person's money - and it is to say that a person should not withhold himself nor his money from the objects (objectives) of Heaven. And this is what he said:

for you and yours are His: As you are not giving from yourself and not from your money, but rather from the Omnipresent, may He blessed, as everything is His. As a person's money is a deposit in his hand from the Holy One, blessed be He - except that there is an advantage with it over other deposits in that he can take from it according to his needs. And he should give the rest in accordance with the will of the Depositor - the King, King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He - who commanded him. And there is much to rejoice in that he can benefit from the deposit (in speech) [the editor says, it appears to me that it should be corrected to, enough for his needs] and that he will do the will of its Owner with the rest. There is a parable [relevant to this] of a king that gave his servant a thousand zuz and said to him, "Take one hundred for your yourself and give the [remaining] nine hundred to nine people." Would he not rejoice?

and thus with David it says, "For all comes from You, and from Your hand we have given to You" (I Chronicles 29:14): In another place there it is written (I Chronicles 29:16), "it is from Your hand, and it is all Yours." And that is stated about the body, 'that He prepared it to build His holy House.' And that which is written, "and from Your hand we have given to You," is stated about the matter of money; as he states at the beginning of the verse, "that we should have the means to make such a freewill offering; for all comes from You, and from Your hand we have given to You."

Rabbi Yaakov says: He who is walking on the way and repeating his studies, and interrupts his studies, etc.: As when a person is still studying, he should not [be involved in] mundane conversation, since he needs to stand in fear and awe in front of the Torah. [It is] like the matter that they said (Shabbat 30b), "Any student who is learning and his lips do not drip with myrrh, let him be burnt." Since he is using the crown of Torah which is the crown of the Holy One, blessed be He, he needs to not speak idly. And if he becomes light-headed to interrupt his studies, behold "he is liable for [forfeiture of] his life." And this is in line with justice.

Rabbi Dostai beRebbe Yannai in the name of Rabbi Meir says: Anyone who forgets one thing from his studies - Scripture considers him as if he is liable for [forfeiture of] his life, as it is said (Deuteronomy 4:9): "Only guard yourself, etc.: As he did not put it into his heart to say that forgetting is common with people. He should have reviewed the law many times and be thinking about it the whole day and the whole night, until it could not leave his heart. And [as] he did not, he is liable for [forfeiture of] his life; since he will come to give rulings according to his memory and say, "So said Rabbi." And [so] he will forbid the permissible and permit the forbidden and a mishap will come from his hand; and he will be called a sinner, 'for an error in study is considered an intentional transgression.'

One could [suppose this statement applies to] even one whose studies have overpowered him; therefore, the verse says, "and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life" - he is not liable for [forfeiture of] his life until he sits down and [intentionally] removes them from his heart: If he forgot it due to old age or due to another [matter out of his control], the Merciful One exempts him.

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says: Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures: The matter is said regarding effort: One who makes efforts to know wisdom in order to guard his soul from sin - and he becomes wise; his wisdom endures in his hand. And it comes out that when the studies and becomes enlightened, he removes himself from sins and does a commandment.

And anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure: He did not make efforts from the beginning to know wisdom in order to observe it, but rather to understand and be enlightened; and [so] it will not endure in his hand. And this is in line with justice. Another explanation: When a person's fear of sin precedes his wisdom, it comes out that when he studied, it guarded him and strengthened him to go on the path that he is accustomed to from many days; since when he fears sin and his heart adds great love for it and desires to add to it, it strengthens him to do that to which he is accustomed. But when the wisdom of a person precedes his fear of sin, it comes out that his wisdom [tries to] prevent him from sins that he is accustomed to. And in the end, he will rebel against it - as it will appear like a burden to him.

He would [also] say: Anyone whose actions are more plentiful than his wisdom, his wisdom endures: When a person's actions are more plentiful than his wisdom, it comes out that his desire for wisdom is greater than his wisdom. And it comes out that his he will add wisdom to his wisdom each and every day.

And anyone whose wisdom is more plentiful than his actions, his wisdom does not endure: As it comes out that his desire for wisdom is less than his wisdom, and it will come out that his wisdom will continually lessen. So did the early scholars, may their memory be blessed, explain. However one should ask, how is it possible for his actions to be greater than his wisdom. If he doesn't know the Torah and the commandments; when he needs to do these actions, upon what [basis] will he do them? Rather this mishnah was speaking according to a fit, good and accepted advice for the one who doesn't know - so that he not destroy his soul. [That advice is] that he accept upon himself to do all of the things that the sages tell him to do, and not to veer from them to the right or to the left when he knows them. And he should act according to the Torah that they instruct him and according to the law that they tell him. And immediately when he accepts upon himself this acceptance with a full heart and a desiring soul, he brings [himself] reward, as if he [did] all of the commandments. And according to this approach, they said, "Anyone whose actions are more plentiful than his wisdom," [as] even for the one who does not know and does not do, they are called actions - since he has reward for them as if he did them, on account of [his] acceptance. And so is it explained in The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan 22:1, as we learned there, "Anyone whose actions are more plentiful than his wisdom, his wisdom endures, as it is stated (Exodus 24:7), 'we shall do and we shall understand.'" As Israel had doing precede understanding, [whereas] they should have said, "we will understand and we will do" - as before one can do an action, they need to understand what to do. However they accepted upon themselves first to do all that He would command them and [that] they would understand; and they received reward from it immediately as if they had done them. "And anyone whose wisdom is more plentiful than his actions, etc." - that he should not say, "I will study this law and [then] I will practice it, I will study the whole Talmud and [then] I will practice it." If he says like this, his wisdom will not endure - as one needs to perfect the traits first and then his wisdom will endure.

He would say: Anyone from whom the spirit of creations find pleasure, from him the spirit of God finds pleasure: He wanted to say, one whose give and take (business dealings) is pleasant for people and they all know that he is [considered] trustworthy by the creatures. And it is like we say in Tractate Yoma 86a, "Any scholar who reads and studies and gives and takes with trustworthiness among the creatures - what do the creatures say about him? Happy is his father, happy is his mother (the editor says, in the gemara in front of us, it is found, 'happy is his rabbi') that taught him Torah, etc." And because of this, "from him the spirit of God finds pleasure," since the Torah is lauded through him.

And anyone from whom the spirit of creations do not find pleasure, from him the spirit of God does not find pleasure: He will not 'be innocent from God and from Israel.'

Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinus says: [Late] morning sleep: As [it] negates prayer at its time.

midday wine: As it negates Torah study and [so] leads to sin.

chatter of children: As this playing draws in the hearts of people because of their love for youngsters, and it comes out that Torah [study] is neglected.

and sitting in the assembly houses of the Am Ha'arets (unlearned people, who are lax in observing tithes and purity laws): And many evils [are found in] their assembly houses.

remove a person from the world: Since for what was man created besides to be involved with Torah, and it is 'the length of days and the years of life?' And if he [engages in] such things, 'why does he have life?' And it is fit to drive him from the world, as he is vanity and his days are vanity. And since he has lived some years and has been involved in his affairs and it has not helped - because he has neglected Torah, for what [reason] should his days be increased? There is parable [relevant to this] about a king that gave his servant one hundred silver coins and he threw them into the sea, and [then] returned and requested others from him. And is it not fit that he not give him more? So is it [with] one who does not involve himself with Torah.

Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: One who profanes the Kodeshim (sacred material): This is one who who intends to delay their consumption and [so] renders them impure. It is the same whether it is sacred material for the altar or whether it is sacred material for the upkeep of the House (bedek Habayit) - if he profanes them, he has no share in the world to come.

one who desecrates the holidays: He made these two things adjacent because they are [both] called holy things. With holy material, it is written (Leviticus 6:18), "holy of holies"; and with holidays, it is written (Leviticus 23:2), these are "the holidays of the Lord, which you shall proclaim, holy proclamations." And about this the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Pesachim 118a), "Anyone who profanes the holidays - it is as if he worships idolatry, as it is stated (Exodus 34:17), 'You shall not make molten gods for yourselves.' And it placed it adjacent to, 'You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread.'" And he said here, "one who desecrates" and he did not say, "one who profanes the holidays," because he is not speaking about the festival day itself - as about this it is not required to speak, since a festival day is like Shabbat. Rather, he is speaking about the intermediate days of the holiday (chol hamoed); about the one doing forbidden work with his hand. And [such a one may] say, "These days do not have so much holiness, like the first [festival] days." And [so] he does every work and disgusting thing on them, 'yet he will not feel shame.'

one who nullifies the covenant of Abraham our father: This is one who pulls his foreskin to cover his corona and he appears like an uncircumcised one - it is like one who does it to anger, to disgrace the commandments.

one who whitens (embarrasses) the face of another in public: This is a derivative of the things for which he should die and not transgress. And the sources (avot) [of the derivatives] are three: idolatry, [forbidden] sexual relations and the spilling of blood (murder). The derivative of idolatry is the wood [that comes from] a tree-god (ashera); and like we say (Pesachim 25a), "We may heal ourselves with anything, except for the wood of a tree-god." And even though it is not [necessarily] idolatry itself; but rather [even when] it is its auxiliary, he should die and not transgress rather than benefiting from it. And the derivative of sexual relations is one who stares at or converses with a married woman - that he should die and not transgress. [It is] like that case in Sanhedrin 75a about the one whose heart [became sick] with lust about whom they said, "That she stand before him naked - He should [rather] die; she will not stand before him naked! That she should speak with him from behind a fence - he should [rather] die; she will not speak with him from behind a fence.” And the derivative of spilling blood is "one who whitens the face of another in public" - since his blood flees from the embarrassment. [It is] as we say (Bava Metzia 58b), "We see that the red leaves and white comes [in its place]." And because of this, he has no share in the world to come.

one who reveals meanings in the Torah that run contrary to the law: This is one who makes his face brazen towards the Torah, to do sins in public. And the same is true of one who makes his face brazen towards its learners.

even though he has Torah knowledge and good deeds, he has no share in the world to come: And these words [relate] to when he has not repented, but rather died with afflictions - as death and afflictions do not atone [in this case]. But if he has repented, there is nothing for you that stands in front of (that is resistant to) repentance. And so is it learned in the gemara in Peah (Yerushalmi Peah 1:1)

Rabbi Yishmael says: Be yielding to an elder (literally, a head): He wants to say, that he be yielding to one who is a head and a lord, as it is stated (Proverbs 25:6), "Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence; do not stand in the place of great ones" - that you should not think of yourself as a great man, but lower yourself in front of him to do his desires and to fulfill his needs. And do not become [too familiar] with him.

pleasant to a tishchoret: Meaning to say to be pleasant with his words to an appointed official (shichvar). Not that he lower himself in front of him, as he is not a lord; and not that he should [try to] overcome him - as [the official] also has power in his hand: since he judges the land and the king appointed him over his people, it is impossible that he will not think about doing bad to his enemies; and he can truly do it to them. But one can benefit from his friendship, as he is [like] the master of the land. And tishchoret is the [same] as shichvar. In the vernacular, it is señorío. And [it is] as we say (Sifrei Devarim 6), "Cling to the shichvar and they will bow down to you." (and greet every person with joy) And Rabbi Meir HaLevi (Ramah), may his memory be blessed, explains tishchoret from the translation (Onkelos Numbers 16:15) [of] "I have not taken the donkey of any one of them” as shecharit (conscripted). He wants to say that you should be pleasant with a great person and a head, and also [be] pleasant with his servant and do his will.

Rabbi Akiva says: Joking and lightheartedness acclimate toward promiscuity: He wants to say that joking and words of idle conversation with lightheartedness acclimates to promiscuity. But seriousness and fear are a safeguarding fence around sexual prohibitions - as this whole mishnah is talking about safeguarding fences.

Tithes are a safeguarding fence around wealth: And like we say in Tractate Taanit 9a about that child that was reading "A tithe shall you tithe (Aaser teaaser)" (Deuteronomy 14:22): Rabbi Yochanan said to him, "Take a tithe so that you will become wealthy." The [boy] said to him, "And is it permitted to test the Holy One, Blessed be He? But it is written (Deuteronomy 6:16), 'You shall not test the Lord your God'?" [Rabbi Yochanan] said to him, "Rabbi Hoshaya (said as follows), 'Except for this, as it is stated, "Bring the whole tithe into the storeroom, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now by this"'" (Malachi 3:10). And about this is it said, "Tithes are a safeguarding fence around wealth" - that the person that wants to be wealthy should give tithes with a good eye. And he should not say, "[I have] a thousand kor - how can I give a hundred to the tithe, and they are worth much." As God, may He be blessed and elevated, is trustworthy to pay him all that he gave and to multiply the reward. And this is true also based on experience. And the matter of charity is like the matter of tithes - and [so] when he increases charity, he adds wealth to his wealth. And a person's heart should not prevent him from giving large gifts to the needy, lest his wealth shrink and he not have enough. And he will know that this will be the reason that he will have a right to make [wealth]. And the very wealthy one should not think that by his giving much charity - if he doesn't give [proportionately] according to his wealth and multitude of assets - that he will be innocent. As an evil thing may come into his heart to say, "How many coins have I scattered in charity; how many, many were dying of hunger and I saved them." And he does not know about all [this], that the poor person who gives a 'great sum' according to the tithe is better [off]. As [in the case of] a poor man who only has a seah and gives its tithe as is fit and a wealthy man who has two thousand seah and gives one less than two hundred; the poor man gets out innocent, but the rich man is [still] obligated by them. So is [it with] charity: everyone must give according to what he has - whether [it is] little or whether [it is] much.

Tradition is a safeguarding fence around Torah: Traditions are the full spellings and incomplete spellings [of the words in the Torah] and the cantillation notes that the sages passed on to their students. And they are a safeguarding fence around the written Torah, such that you do not find differences among the books [of the Torah], except in a few places. This is not the case with the books of the Talmud, as in many place the versions differ. Also each and every day, new rationales are developed - and they write the version according to their opinion. And 'the right has been given' to tolerate it. 'As there is no perfect book in the world that they have not made to err.' And they attribute the mistake to the book and not to their opinion.

Vows are a safeguarding fence around abstinence: Abstinence is a superior virtue and there are several good virtues that are [needed] to acquire it, as we say (Avodah Zarah 20b), "Cleanliness leads to abstinence." And this is one who separates from the pleasures of the world - even from the things that are permissible in eating and sexual relations; even from all of the other desires in avoiding honor and lordship and wealth and what is similar to them. And he distances himself from the roots of [the pleasures] and brings himself near to the fundamentals (literally, trunks) of the soul and its foundation. And [hence] he is close to the service of the Creator, may He be blessed. How is it with food? One who eats a little in order to live that he be healthy to study much Torah and to do great service in the service of God. And he drinks to fill his thirst and not to get drunk and [so] not 'expose himself within his tent.' And that which he only has sexual relations to fulfill the commandment, behold this is from the way of abstinence - as his intention is not to enjoy from the world. And there is also a second benefit: that he guard his soul from sin - as when his impulse overpowers him and he desires to do a sin, he will say in his heart, "I am vigilant about what is permissible, [so] how can I do this great evil, and 'I will have sinned to my Father in heaven all of the days.'" And this thing will [protect] him from all of the stumbling blocks. But one who goes after natural physicality and is pulled by his desires and his pleasures - even if he does not do a forbidden thing - will be found to have distanced himself from the fundamentals of his soul and its foundation. He will have also caused his soul to follow the body and the physical and 'sever it with an ax from its roots and its foundation.' And [it is] as it is written (Hoshea 4:11), "Promiscuity, wine and new wine take the heart." Hence they gave a counsel to the one who is not able (to lead) to control his spirit and is pulled by the pleasures, to make a vow for some days to say, "I will not eat and not drink until time x except like this"; or to forbid what is permissible. And [then] his habit will control him, from that which he observes his vow. It comes out that he leads himself to conquer his impulse. And with this, the benefit that is in his hand is abstinence. And [it is] as [someone] said to Rabbi Pinchas (the editor said [that] this statement is in Yerushalmi Shabbat 1:3 and the version there is "to Rav"), "If you are not able to eat mundane foods in purity all of the year, eat [it so] for seven days." As one who eats mundane foods in purity is called an abstinent, as we say (Chagigah 18b), "The clothes of an ignoramus are impure in midras for the abstinent (prushim)." However it is not fit to fence oneself with fences unless his impulse is overpowering him, [and then] he may make a vow as a way of healing. However one who controls his spirit and is able to reach the trait of abstinence without a vow should not vow. [It is] as we said (Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:1), "Is it not enough for you with what the Torah forbade, such that you forbid yourself the permitted?" But certainly if you see a man whose impulse is overpowering him, he needs to add a big fence according to that which he needs to conquer his impulse. And once he has conquered his impulse, he goes back to the moderate disposition. There is a parable about a physician [relevant to this]: When the physician sees that the illness is mild and easy to heal, he gives him a mild treatment. But when he sees that he illness is heavy and strong, he chooses a strong treatment until he heals; and afterwards, he goes back and gives him moderate things that hold the body's health. And because of this, they said, "Vows are a safeguarding fence around abstinence" - and they did not say, "Oaths are a safeguarding fence around abstinence." As an oath halts immediately, as he swears that he will not eat this thing until day x. And that is not a safeguarding fence - as he is halted immediately, in that he cannot transgress it. But a vow is that he say, "If I eat more than this amount until day x, all of the fruits of the world will be forbidden until a different time that he specifies. That is called a safeguarding fence, as it is a thing that he may overstep. And it is better for the one whose heart is dedicated to the Heavens if he is not in control of himself to do the safeguarding fence without a vow.

A safeguarding fence around wisdom is silence: This is a safeguarding fence for both wisdom itself and for its traits. How is it? That he doesn't interrupt the words of his fellow, and he says about that we has not heard, "I have not heard." And even though it is not included in silence, silence brings to it. With wisdom, how is it? He does not speak in front of someone greater than him in wisdom. As one who studies in front of his teacher and sees a fit rationale should not immediately think that it is true; and he should not want to say it until his teacher has finished speaking. For were he to do so, he would miss what his teacher will say and he will not know the rationales of the earlier sages; as his heart will be 'moving and wandering from knowing their opinion.' And also because his [own] rationale cannot be so focused until he hears what the early scholars said and [then] weigh in the scales of his intellect which one is more proper - this one or that one. Therefore silence for a student in front of his teacher "is a safeguarding fence for wisdom." And when he finds a rationale and his teacher is still speaking, should he not be quiet? He should not open his mouth until the words of his teacher are clear and his rationale is etched into his heart - until he finishes his words and knows what his teacher taught him. And afterwards, his reasoning will be sharp and focused. And about this Shlomo, peace be upon him, said (Proverbs 18:2), "The fool does not desire understanding, but only to reveal his heart."

He would say: Beloved is man, since he is created in the image [of God]. A deeper love - it is revealed to him that he is created in the image, as it says (Genesis 9:6): "for in God's image He made man": Since he doubled the expression, we should say that this is its explanation: "Beloved is man since he is created in the image" - as even if the thing was not made known, but man was [still] created in the image of God, he would be beloved in front of Him; since they were created in His image and in His likeness. But when He revealed the thing to us, He showed us a deeper love.

Beloved are Israel, since they are called children of the Omnipresent. A deeper love - it is revealed to them that they are called children to God, as it says (Deuteronomy 14:1): "You are children of the Lord, your God": Also since he doubled it like the first.

Beloved are Israel, since a precious instrument has been given to them: With which the world was created - this is the Torah, since the whole world was created with it; and all of the creatures were only created so as to observe it. And everything under the skies - all of them - are a function of a function for the needs of the practitioners of the Torah. There is a metaphor [relevant to this] about one who makes a tool for his profession and, with it, he does all of his work. So too is the Torah the tool of the Holy One, blessed be He, and with it the whole entire world was created.

A deeper love - it is revealed to them that the precious instrument with which the world was created has been given to them: With which the world was created.

as it says (Proverbs 4:2): "For a good lesson I have given to you; do not forsake my teaching": And you should know that these words are of great benefit for devotion [to God] - since he revealed to us that man is more beloved in front of Him than all of the creatures because he is created in the image; and [that] Israel know that they are more beloved than all of the other peoples since they are called the children of the Omnipresent and He chose us from all of the nations and gave us His Torah, as a function of which the whole entire world was created. [So] by all events, we know that God, may He be blessed and exalted, is close to us. [Still,] a person should not think that if he does what is 'straight in the eyes of the Lord' and not sin that he is close to God, as you know that the grasp of man is limited and not complete [such] that he can reach devotion [to God]. And [yet] it should not appear to him that He is completely far from him - "a deeper love is revealed to" him 'if he is from the seed of the Jews.' And he should not be in his own eyes only an evildoer and not only righteous. 'And this is the teaching of man' - not to distance himself and not to come close, 'and all is in accordance to the majority of the deed.' As with the great devotion [involved here], how can we have it - and 'there is no man on the earth that does good and does not sin.' [It is] as Yirmiyahu said (Jeremiah 30:21), "His chieftain shall be one of his own, his ruler shall come from his midst; I will bring him near that he may approach Me, declares the Lord; for who is it who would pledge (yeaarev) his heart to approach Me?" And aarev [here] is an expression of aarevut (guarantee).

Everything is foreseen: As it is written (Psalms 139:1-2), "Lord, You have examined me and know. When I sit down or stand up You know it; You discern my thoughts from afar, etc."

and freewill is given: As He gave into the hand of people to do all that his heart desires - whether good or whether bad; as it is stated (Deuteronomy 30:15), "See, I set before you, etc." And Rambam, may his memory be blessed, said that this thing is from the wonders: That even though freewill is given to man to do his will, the Holy One, blessed be He, knows what he will want to do before the thought and before the action. And not by force will a man do the good or the bad, but rather from the will of his [own] heart. And God, may He be blessed, knows at the beginning that which will be his will - and even those things that are weighed out and it is possible that they will be and possible that they will not be. He knows everything at the beginning of the deed, and it is a wonder.

and with goodness the world is judged: And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not judge man only according to his deeds - rather [also] with His Goodness and His trait of kindness. And this is what David said (Psalms 25:7), "Be not mindful of my youthful sins and my transgressions." Sins - whether they are accidental or volitional - are what a man does in his youth, when his impulse impels him and his intellect is weak. However those that he does after he has grown in years and his intellect is complete are called transgressions or rebellion. And because of this, he confessed and said, "Both the sins of my youth and the transgressions from after I grew up, 'do not remember'; and so [too] let my memory go up in front of You, remember me for the good. 'But in keeping with Your kindness, You remember me - as befits Your goodness, Lord.'" As the world is judged with kindness, and even evildoers are judged with His goodness, as it is stated (Psalms 145:9), "Good is the Lord to all [and His mercies are to all of His creatures]." And the evildoers are included in His creatures - of the Holy One, blessed be He - as it is [found] in the midrash.

And all is in accordance to the majority of the deed: And even though the world is judged with the 'good of the Lord,' not every person is [equal] with [God's] trait of good. As for one who does much kindliness, the trait of kindness is much more than his deeds, and for the one who does little, it is little [more]. And [if] all are judged with His goodness, [yet] the good beyond the deeds of the evildoers is not as much as for the righteous; and also the righteous who do much and [those] who do a little are not the same, as "all is in accordance to the majority of the deed." And it is like it is said in the midrash (Vayikra Rabba 17:1), "'The Lord is good to those who hope in Him, to the soul that seeks Him' (Lamentations 3:25) - the one who hopes and is busy [with it] is not similar to the one who hopes and is not busy." And our teacher Moshe (Rambam), may his memory be blessed, followed the textual variant, "but not according to the deed." And he explained that all is according to the majority (quantity) of the deed. As in the matter of charity, one who gives a thousand zuz over a thousand times, that is according to the quantity of the deed; but "not according to the deed" - that is is the one gives it [all] at once. As this one arouses his thought a thousand times to do good among his people, and that one only aroused [it] the first time.

He would say: Everything is given as collateral: For everything that a person takes from this world, he is a guarantor and his children are guarantors. And one who inherits his father and his mother should not think, "This money is my inheritance, I will do all that I want with it." As nothing that he has is his, since everything is God's. And that which he took from Him, he took it on collateral; and in the future he will have to pay for it. There is a parable [relevant to this] about a man that came into a city and did not find [anybody] there. He went into a house and there he found a set table and all types of food and drink were upon it. He ate and drank and said, "Have I not acquired all of this, and it is all mine - I will do all that I want with it." And he did not see the owners who were observing him from another place. And in the future, he will have to pay [for] all that he will eat and drink, as he is in a place that he cannot escape.

and a net is cast over all of life: This is death and a person cannot be saved from it - 'like fish caught in a bad net.'

The shop is open: As people go in there and take all that they need now and don't 'see what will come from it.' And they don't think if they will have with what to pay when it comes time for the payment, since they find the store open and they can take all of their needs at the time. Such are people in this world.

and the shopkeeper grants credit: This is the owner of the store who gives to others on credit - he is the judge and is paid by them later. So is the Ruler over His world: He gives all the wants of those that come to the world - whether good or whether bad - and in the end, He will be payed by them later.

and the accounting ledger is open: This thing is said for two matters. The one is a metaphor that there is no forgetting in front of His throne of glory. As the shopkeeper grants credit, he grants credit and lends to many people - [to] some for thousands and tens of thousand, and [to] some for one dinar. (And for an error) (for loss) Were it not for his alacrity that the ledger is open in front of him and he immediately writes everything, sometimes he would forget the small things because of the big ones - if he would lend orally. And about this is it said, "and the accounting ledger is open, and the hand writes." This is to say [with] both the big sins and the small ones - all of them - it is as if they are written in front of Him; and he does not forget the earlier transgressions. And the second [matter] is to inform us that there is no waiting for the opening of the ledger after he does the sin. Rather with the end of the act, it is already written; so that an instant not pass that this transgression is not attributed to him. As even though transgressions are forgiven to penitents, they are first attributed immediately when they are finished doing them. And afterwards if he repents, he is forgiven for them. [It is] as we say in the midrash, "One who does not do it, is not like the one who does it and is forgiven" - as the one who does not do is greater than the one that does and is forgiven. And [regarding] that which it said (Berakhot 34b), "The completely righteous cannot stand in the place that the penitents stand," it wanted to say that penitents have to separate from that which is permissible [but] similar to the matter in which they sinned. As if he transgressed sexual prohibitions, he should act with abstinence towards the thing that he sinned in - even with his wife and even with what is permissible - more than the completely righteous need to do.

and everyone who wants to borrow can come and borrow: As permission to [do so] is given to every man, and the one that wants to take the path that he desires, let him come and take: The fools thinks that the world was created to enjoy it, but all of the thoughts and the pleasure of the righteous is to be free to fulfill the commandments. And every man chooses for himself, but happy is the one who chooses the good.

and the collectors go constantly on their daily rounds: from the Heavens. As they search through the actions of people, as it is stated (Job 7:18), "You inspect him in the mornings" - to know and make known what they are doing.

and exact payment from man - with his knowledge: How is it? When he knows and remembers the sin that he does; [so] that when the punishment come to him, he recognizes and discerns that it is for that sin. And happy is he - as through this, he justifies the judgement and repents; and the sin is atoned for him.

or without his knowledge: How is it? For example, when afflictions come to him and he does not remember the sins that he did. And there are some that think that the afflictions come to them unjustly, as they say, "'We are righteous and we have not sinned,' and why is there this great evil [that has come] to us." And they will die without repentance. And their worms will not die, as they vilified the judgement and justified themselves. Woe to them and woe to their carcasses - as they sinned against their bodies. There is a parable [relevant to this] about a king that said to his servant, "Go and take collateral from x." [So] he went and took collateral from him, but that man does not remember the debt. And he yells and is in wonder about [why] they are taking collateral from him, and it is given over to his heart (he is distressed about it). Such is the one who payment is taken from, from the Heavens, without his knowledge. But when he remembers the debt and knows that the taking of collateral is justified, the matter is not given over to his heart so much.

and they have that upon which to rely: for their deeds: Upon [God's] trait of justice, and the judgement is true judgement.

and everything is prepared for the feast: That the purpose of all of these things is in the end only to prepare the feast; meaning to say for life in the world to come.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: If there is no Torah, there is no worldly occupation (derekh erets; literally, the way of the world): Meaning to say [that] one who does not know Torah is not complete in the traits of derekh erets; as most of the good traits that exist in the ways of the world are in the Torah - like "surely lend him" (Deuteronomy 15:8), "Surely award him" (Deuteronomy 15:14), "Just scales, just weights" (Leviticus 19:36), and many, many like these. If so, without Torah, his dispositions in derekh erets will not be complete.

if there is no worldly occupation, there is no Torah: He wants to say that he first has to perfect himself in [his traits]. And through this, the Torah will rest upon him, as it never rests upon a body that is not in possession of good traits. [And] he should not learn Torah and afterwards take the commandments for himself, as this is impossible. And this is like the matter that is stated (Exodus 24:7), "we will do and we will understand," and like we have written [about it].

If there is no wisdom, there is no fear: As there can be no complete fear without wisdom, as it holds it and gives light to lead him on the [proper] path.

if there is no fear, there is no wisdom: As he needs to have fear precede wisdom. As without this, the wisdom will not last in the end - [as] he will be sick of it and leave it. Since if he does not first have perfection of the traits and he does not fear God, 'what good is the cost in the hand of a fool to purchase wisdom, when he has no heart' to fulfill the word of God. As fear needs to [come] before wisdom.

if there is no knowledge, there is no understanding: There are three 'brains' and they are divided to [contain] three things - wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Wisdom is that which he learns from others, understanding is that which he derives one thing from another by comparison and knowledge is that which he grasps on his own. And that which they said, "if there is no knowledge, there is no understanding," is because if he does not have the ability to grasp and know a thing itself on his own, how will he derive something by comparison to something [else]? As knowledge precedes understanding; and without knowledge, it is impossible that he have understanding.

If there is no understanding, there is no knowledge: If he does not have the power to understand things by comparison [to another] thing, it is because he does not have complete knowledge to grasp and understand that thing [from which he seeks to understand,] itself.

If there is no flour, there is no Torah: Because he will need to search for his livelihood and he will not be able to be involved in Torah [study].

if there is no Torah, there is no flour: Meaning to say, since he has no Torah, no purpose [comes from] the flour. As a man only gains from his wealth that the needs of his body be found and that he be free to be involved in Torah.

He would say: Anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, to what is he compared? To a tree whose branches are many but whose roots are few; and the wind comes and uproots it and turns it upside down, etc. But one whose deeds exceed his wisdom, what is he like? Like a tree whose branches are few but whose roots are many; since even if all the winds of the world come and blow upon it, they do not move it from its place: And we have already explained these things in this chapter regarding "Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom endures, etc." (Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 3:9).

Rabbi Eliezer ben Chisma says: [the laws of] Kinin (bird offerings): The offering of doves by women who give birth.

and the beginnings of Niddah (menstruation): They are three [anatomical] places - the 'house,' the 'attic' and the 'entrance hall'; and also the many sightings of blood that exist with menstruant bloods - these are the body of the laws. And it is like they said (Bava Metzia 84b), "They brought sixty sightings of blood in front of him, and he determined all of them to be pure (non-menstrual) blood."

Astronomical calculations and Gematria [numerical calculations]: As they contain many calculations, and the wisdom of mathematics sharpens a man.