Scholars lend dignity to a company,¹ but not so ignorant men.

footnotes: ¹ Or, ‘behave well in a company’.

He who occupies himself [only] with the study of Scripture is but of indifferent merit;² with Mishnah is meritorious and rewarded for it; with Talmud there can be nothing more meritorious. Yet run always to the Mishnah more than to the Shas.³

footnotes: ² lit. ‘it is meritorious and not meritorious’, because the Written Torah can only be understood with the aid of the Oral Torah. ³ Because it is more easily absorbed. For this passage, cf. B.M. 33a, b (Sonc. ed., p. 206).

Do your [teaching of] Torah gratuitously and accept no remuneration for it; because the Omnipresent gave it gratuitously⁴, this does not apply to Scripture, for the teaching of which a fee is allowed. and one may not take a fee for the [teaching of] words of Torah. If you should accept remuneration for the [teaching of] words of Torah, you will consequently destroy [the moral constitution of] the entire world. Say not, ‘I have no money’, since all money is His,⁵ as it is stated, Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, saith the Lord of hosts.⁶ If you practise charity you will merit wealth; and if you merited wealth practise charity with it. While you still possess it [live in such a manner that you] gain through it this world and also inherit the World to Come; for if you do not practise charity with it, it will suddenly disappear, as it is stated, Wilt thou set thine eyes upon it? It is gone.⁷

footnotes: ⁴ Cf. Ned. 36b-37a (Sonc. ed., p. 113). As Moses taught the Elders gratuitously so must they pass their teaching on to others without pay. According to the Talmud, loc. cit. ⁵ He will provide you with sustenance without having to take payment for teaching. ⁶ Hag. 2, 8. ⁷ Prov. 23, 5.

Say not, ‘That man is wise⁸ but I am not wise’,⁹ because you did not attend [upon scholars] as he did.¹⁰ Say not, ‘That man is rich but I am not rich’,¹¹ because not everyone has the privilege to enjoy two tables.¹² Say not, ‘That man is handsome but I am ugly’, because at the hour of death man becomes carrion; furthermore [animal] carrion may be sold to a Gentile or may be given as a gift, but no one cares for human carrion.¹³ Say not, ‘That man is righteous but I am not righteous, because both of you are destined to give an account before the Most High. Say not, ‘That man is strong but I am weak’,¹⁴ because strength is only with [them who fulfil] the Torah, as it is stated, Bless the Lord, ye angels of His, ye mighty in strength, that fulfil His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word.¹⁵

footnotes: ⁸ Endowed by nature with great intellectual gifts. ⁹ i.e. I am not so endowed and therefore it is useless for me to study. ¹⁰ One must make every effort to gain knowledge; cf. Meg. 6b (Sonc. ed., p. 30). ¹¹ Although I am more God-fearing than he. ¹² i.e. enjoy prosperity in this world and the bliss of the hereafter. ¹³ So in death the difference between the handsome and the ugly ceases to exist. ¹⁴ And therefore unable to control my sinful desires. ¹⁵ Ps. 103, 20. So occupy yourself with the study of the Torah and you will increase moral strength.

Take these words to heart: Know whence you came, and whither you go, and before Whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ Cf. Aboth III, 1 (Sonc. ed., p. 26).

Eye not [enviously] another’s wealth because it undermines the gates of heaven.¹⁷ Suffer not your ears to listen to idle chatter, because they are burnt first of [all] the organs.¹⁸ Eye not [enviously] another’s wealth, because it may cast you into thick darkness and gloom. Let not your mouth repeat calumny, because it is the first to be summoned for judgment. Let there not be found with you calumny, any evil thing or anything stolen, because all your limbs will testify against you. Let not your feet hurry you to commit a sin lest the Angel of Death come to meet you.¹⁹ Be not afraid of an earthly court because the witnesses against you are lovers of money,²⁰, p. 587, in agreement with a variant cited in H, omits the negative and renders: ‘Fear the earthly tribunal, even though witnesses against you can be bribed; fear yet more the heavenly tribunal’.] but fear the heavenly Court because there are witnesses above who testify against you, and moreover [your sins] proclaim war on you incessantly.

footnotes: ¹⁷ To the envious the luminaries of heaven shine but dimly. ¹⁸ lit. ‘of the limbs’. From hearing unworthy or idle talk he may proceed to speak unworthy or idle words and then do unworthy or idle acts. The ear is, accordingly, the first organ to ‘catch fire’; cf. Keth. 5b (Sonc. ed., p. 18). ¹⁹ Lest you die before you make atonement. ²⁰ i.e. subject to bribery. [H. Loewe, Rabbinic Anthology

If you fulfilled My words joyfully, My heavenly household will go out to greet you and I will greet you with the words, ‘Enter in peace’.

Because your eyes have not looked [enviously] on another’s wealth, they will shine amidst thick darkness and gloom, as it is stated, Then shall thy light rise in darkness, and thy gloom be as the noon-day.²¹ Because your ears have not listened to idle chatter they will hear [words of] peace for you in [this] world and cause you to hear them in the World to Come, as it is stated, And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying: ‘This is the way, walk ye in it; when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.’²² XXX, 21. Because your mouth did not recount calumny, all your adversaries will be slain by it.²³ Because your mouth occupied itself with [the teaching of] the Torah, all who are worthy of a blessing will bless themselves through it.²⁴ Because you withheld your hands from plunder, what can evil persons do to you? Because you did not close your hands from almsgiving, what can violent persons²⁵ do to you? Because your feet did not hurry you to commit a sin, what can the Angel of Death do to you?

footnotes: ²¹ Isa. 58, 10. ²² ibid. ²³ So GRA. ²⁴ They will wish for no greater blessing than will come to you for what you have earned by your mouth. ²⁵ lit. ‘owners of an arm’, the emendation of GRA. V has ‘owners of silver and gold’.

I admonish you with these words of Mine. You can do as you please²⁶ but do not say, ‘I was not warned’.

footnotes: ²⁶ Since man is endowed with free will.