Pirkei Avos

Dual Standards

Maimonides on Life Dual Standards Chapter 5, Law 7(a) <“The Torah scholar should not scream and cry out when he speaks — as animals. He should not raise his voice excessively. Rather, his speech should be gentle with all people (lit., ‘all creations’). When he speaks gently, he should be careful that he not distance…

G-d Striking Back, Part I

Pirkei Avos G-d Striking Back, Part I Chapter 5, Mishna 11(a) By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Pestilence comes to the world for death penalties mentioned in the Torah which are not in the hands of the courts [to administer] and for [the forbidden use of] Sabbatical year produce. The sword comes to the world for the…

Religion or Bird Watching?

Pirkei Avos Chapter 5, Mishna 10 By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Seven types of punishments come to the world on account of seven basic transgressions. If some people tithe and some do not, a famine caused by [partial] drought will result; some will be hungry and some will be sated. If people have determined not to…

Torah Scholar or Apparition?

Pirkei Avos Chapter 5, Mishna 9 By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Seven things apply to an uncultured person (Heb., ‘golem’), and seven to a wise person. A wise person does not speak before one who is greater than he in wisdom or years; he does not interrupt his fellow; he does not rush to respond; he…

Pirkei Avos – Chapter 5, Mishna 8(b)

Pirkei Avos What’s Special About Sabbath? Part II Chapter 5, Mishna 8(b) By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Ten things were created on the Sabbath eve at twilight. They are: the mouth of the earth [which swallowed Korach and his co-conspirators] (Numbers 16:32), the mouth of the well [which accompanied Israel in the desert], the mouth of…

Pirkei Avos Chapter 5, Mishna 8(a)

What’s Special About Sabbath? Part I By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Ten things were created on the Sabbath eve at twilight. They are: the mouth of the earth [which swallowed Korach and his co-conspirators] (Numbers 16:32), the mouth of the well [which accompanied Israel in the desert], the mouth of the donkey [which rebuked Balaam] (ibid.,…

Pirkei Avos – Chapter 5, Mishna 7

Pirkei Avos G-d Revealed Chapter 5, Mishna 7 By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in the Temple: (1) A woman never miscarried because of the aroma of the sacrificial meat. (2) Sacrificial meat never became spoiled. (3) A fly was never seen in the slaughter house. (4) The High Priest…

G-d Showing Off Chapter 5, Mishna 5 By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in Egypt and ten at the [Red] Sea. Ten plagues did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea.” This week’s mishna makes mention of four sets of…

Who Gave the Rabbis the Right

Chapter 1, Mishna 1(a) By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and transmitted it Joshua. Joshua transmitted it to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly. They [the Men of the Great Assembly] said three things: Be deliberate in judgment,…

Pirkei Avos

The World’s Fallen State By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld As I mentioned two weeks ago, much of Chapter 5 of Pirkei Avos contains lists. Mishna 1 discussed the Ten Utterances with which G-d created the universe. This mishna continues with the earliest generations of man. We know very little of the people of the antediluvian era….

Pirkei Avos

The World’s Fallen State By Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld “The world was created in ten utterances. What does this come to teach us? Could not the world have been created in a single utterance? It was in order to exact punishment from the wicked who destroy the world which was created in ten utterances, and to…