Tractate Derekh Eretz Zuta Chapter 5
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
מי שהוא ת״ח לא יאכל מעומד לא ילקלק באצבעותיו ולא יגסה בפני חבירו מיעוט שיחה מיעוט שחוק מיעוט שינה מיעוט תענוג מיעוט הן מיעוט לאו לאו:
A scholar should not eat standing, lick his fingers or belch in the presence of his fellow. He talks little, jokes little, sleeps in moderation, is frugal in pleasures and minimizes ‘[Yes], yes’ or ‘No, no’.¹
footnotes: ¹ Cf. Shebu. 36a (Sonc. ed., p. 211) where the repetition of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ is regarded as an oath. It may perhaps also mean to be sparing in making promises.
לעולם יהא אדם יודע אצל מי הוא יושב ואצל מי הוא עומד ואצל מי מיסב ואצל מי הוא מסיח ואצל מי הוא חותם שטרותיו:
A man should always make a point of knowing with whom he is sitting or standing, with whom he is sitting at table, with whom he is conversing and who is his co-signatory to a deed.²
footnotes: ² Cf. Sanh. 23a (Sonc. ed., p. 131).
בארבעה דברים תלמידי חכמים ניכרים. בכיסן בכוסן בכעסן ובעטיפתן. וי״א אף בדיבור:
By four things are scholars³ recognizable: by their cup,⁴ their purse,⁵ their temper⁶ (purse), kos (cup) and ka‘as (temper). The last indicates self-control. and by their attire.⁷ Some say: Also by their speech.⁸
footnotes: ³ In ‘Erub. 65b (Sonc. ed., p. 455) the wording is: ‘By three things may a person’s’, etc., not only a scholar. ⁴ By the amount of liquor they consume. ⁵ By what they spend their money on. ⁶ In the Heb. there is an effective alliteration: kis ⁷ A scholar was expected to maintain cleanliness in his attire. Cf. Shab. 114a (Sonc. ed., p. 557). ⁸ ‘Erub. adds ‘also by their laughter’ and omits ‘by their attire’.
הדר תורה חכמה. הדר חכמה ענוה. הדר ענוה יראה. הדר יראה מצוה. הדר מצוה צניעות.
The adornment of [knowledge of] Torah is wisdom, the adornment of wisdom is humility, the adornment of humility is fear [of God], the adornment of the fear [of God] is the performance of meritorious deeds, the adornment of the performance of meritorious deeds is modesty.⁹
footnotes: ⁹ i.e. the unostentatious manner in which they are done.
לא יהא אדם ער בין הישינים ולא ישן בין העירים. ולא בוכה בין השוחקים ולא שוחק בין הבוכים. ולא יושב בין העומדים. ולא עומד בין היושבים. ולא קורא בין השונים. ולא שונה בין הקוראים. כללו של דבר אל ישנה אדם ממנהג הבריות:
A man should not be awake when among those who are asleep or asleep when among those who are awake. He should not weep when among those who are joyous or be joyous when among those who weep. He should not be sitting when among those who are standing or standing when among those who are sitting. He should not study Scripture when among those who study Mishnah or study Mishnah when among those who study Scripture. This is the general rule: A man should not act differently from the practice of his fellow-men.