Pirke Avot (Sayings of the Fathers)

Moses received the Torah from Sinai, and handed it down to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets delivered it to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things, "Be deliberate in judgment; raise up many disciples; and make a fence about the Torah".

Simon, the Just, was of the last survivors of the Great Synagogue. He used to say, "Upon three things the world rests: upon the Torah, upon the Temple service, and upon the doing of acts of kindness".

Antigonus of Soko received (the tradition) from Simon, the Just. He used to say, "Be not like hirelings who work for their master for the sake of receiving recompense; but be like servants who minister to their master without any thought of receiving a reward; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you."

Jose, the son of Joezer, of Zeredah, and Jose, the son of Jochanan, of Jerusalem received (the tradition) from them. Jose, the son of Joezer, of Zeredah said, "Let thy house be a meeting-place for the wise; cover thyself with the dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst."

Jose, the son of Jochanan, of Jerusalem said, "Let thy house be open wide; let the poor be members of thy household, and engage not in much gossip with woman." This applies to one's own wife; how much more, then, to the wife of one's neighbor? Hence the sages say, "Whoso engages in much gossip with woman brings evil upon himself, neglects the study of the Torah, and will in the end inherit gehinnom".

Joshua, the son of Perachyah, and Nittai, the Arbelite, received (the tradition) from them. Joshua, the son of Perachyah, said, "Provide thyself with a teacher, and possess thyself of a companion; and judge every man in the scale of merit."

Nittai, the Arbelite, said, "Keep aloof from a bad neighbor; associate not with the wicked, and abandon not the belief in retribution".

Judah, the son of Tabbi, and Simeon, the son of Shatach, received (the tradition) from them. Judah, the son of Tabbi, said, "(In the judge's office) act not the counsel's part; while the litigants are standing before thee, let them be regarded by thee as guilty, but when they are departed from thy presence, regard them as innocent, the verdict having been acquiesced in by them."

Simeon, the son of Shatach, said, "Be very searching in the examination of witnesses, and be guarded in thy words, lest through them they learn to lie."

Shemaiah and Abtalion received (the tradition) from them. Shemaiah said, "Love work; hate lordship; and seek no intimacy with the ruling power".

Abtalion said, "Ye sages, be heedful of your words, lest ye incur the penalty of exile and be exiled to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who come after you drink thereof and die, and the Heavenly Name be profaned".

Hillel and Shammai received (the tradition) from them. Hillel said, "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them night to the Torah".

He used to say, "A name made great is a name destroyed; he who does not increase (his knowledge) decreases (it); and he who does not study deserves to die; and he who makes a worldly use of the crown (of the Torah) shall waste away."

He used to say, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I care for myself only, what am I?. And if not now, when?"

Shammai said, "Set a fixed time for thy (study of) Torah; say little and do much; and receive all men with a cheerful countenance."

Rabban Gamaliel said, "Provide thyself with a teacher; be quit of doubt; and accustom not thyself to give tithes by a conjectural estimate."

Simeon his son, said, "All my days I have grown up amongst the wise, and I have found nothing better for man than silence; not learning but doing is the chief thing; and whoso multiplies words causes sin".

Rabban Simeon, the son of Gamaliel said, "By three things is the world preserved; by truth, by judgment, and by peace, as it is said, 'Judge ye the truth and the judgment of peace in your gates'". Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the Torah and make it honorable'". All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified".

Rabbi said, "which is the right course that a man should choose for himself? That which is a pride to him who pursues it and which also brings him honor from mankind. Be as scrupulous about a light precept as about a grave one, for thou knowest not the grant of reward for each precept. Reckon the loss incurred by the fulfilment of a precept against the reward secured by its observance, and the gain gotten by a transgression against the loss it involves. Consider three things, that thou mayest not come within the power of sin. Know what is above thee - a seeing eye, and a hearing ear, and all thy deeds written in a book".

Rabban Gamaliel, the son of Rabbi Judah, the Prince, said, "Excellent is the study of Torah combined with some worldly pursuit, for the effort demanded by them both makes sin to be forgotten. All study of Torah without work must at length be futile, and leads to sin. Let all who are employed with the congregation act with them for Heaven's sake, for then the merit of their fathers sustains them, and their righteousness endures for ever. And as for you (God will then say), 'I account you worthy of great reward, as if you had wrought it all yourselves.' 3. Be on your guard against the ruling power; for they who exercise it draw no man near to them except for their own interests; appearing as friends when it is to their own advantage, they stand not by a man in the hour of his need." 4. He used to say, "Do His will as if it were thy will. Nullify thy will before His will, that He may nullify the will of others before thy will."

Hillel said, "Separate not thyself from the congregation; trust not in thyself until the day of thy death; judge not thy neighbor until thou art come into his place; and say not anything which cannot be understood at once, in the hope that it will be understood in the end; neither say, 'When I have leisure I will study'; perchance thou wilt have no leisure."

He used to say, "An empty-headed man cannot be a sin-fearing man, nor can an ignorant person be pious, nor can a shamefaced man learn, nor a passionate man teach, nor can one who is engaged overmuch in business grow wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man".

Moreover, he once saw a skull floating on the surface of the water. He said to it, "Because thou didst drown (others) they have drowned thee, and at the last they that drowned thee shall themselves be drowned".

He used to say, "The more flesh, the more works; the more property, the more anxiety; the more women, the more witchcraft; the more maid-servants, the more lewdness; the more men-servants, the more robbery; the more Torah, the more life; the more schooling, the more wisdom; the more counsel, the more understanding; the more charity, the more peace. He who has acquired a good name has acquired it for himself; he who has acquired for himself words of Torah has acquired for himself life in the world to come".

Rabban Jochanan, the son of Zakkai received (the tradition) from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say, "If thou hast learnt much Torah, ascribe not any merit to thyself, for thereunto wast thou created."

Rabban Jochanan, the son of Zakkai, had five disciples, and these are they: Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus; Rabbi Joshua, the son of Hananiah; Rabbi Jose, the Priest; Rabbi Simeon, the son of Nataniel; and Rabbi Eleazar, the son of Arach.

He used thus to recount their praise: "Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus, is a cemented cistern, which loses not a drop; Joshua, the son of Hananiah, happy is she that bare him; Jose, the Priest, is a pious man; Simeon, the son of Nataniel, is a fearer of sin; Eleazar, the son of Arach, is like a spring flowing with ever-sustained vigor".

He used to say, "If all the sages of Israel were in one scale of the balance, and Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus, in the other, he would outweigh them all." Abba Saul said in his name, "If all the sages of Israel were in one scale of the balance, and Eliezer, the son of Hyrcanus, also with them, and Eleazar, the son of Arach, in the other scale, he would outweigh them all."

He said to them, "Go forth and see which is the good way to which a man should cleave." R. Eliezer said, "A good eye"; R. Joshua said, "A good friend"; R. Jose said, "A good neighbor"; R. Simeon said, "One who foresees the fruit of an action"; R. Eleazar said, "A good heart." Thereupon he said to them, "I approve of the words of Eleazar, the son of Arach, rather than your words, for in his words yours are included".

He said to them, "Go forth and see which is the evil way that a man should shun." R. Eliezer said, "An evil eye"; R. Joshua said, "A bad friend"; R. Jose said, "A bad neighbor"; R. Simeon said, "One who borrows and does not repay - it is the same whether one borrows from man or the Omnipresent; as it is said, 'The wicked borroweth and payeth not again, but the righteous dealeth graciously and giveth'"; R. Eleazar said, "A bad heart." Thereupon he said to them, "I approve of the words of Eleazar, the son of Arach, rather then your words, for in his words yours are included."

They each said three things. R. Eliezer said, "Let thy friend's honor be as dear to thee as thine own; be not easily excited to anger; and repent one day before thy death". And (he further said), "Warm thyself by the fire of the wise, but beware of their glowing coals, lest thou be burnt, for their bite is the bite of the fox, and their sting is the scorpion's sting, and their hiss is the serpent's hiss, and all their words are like coals of fire".

R. Joshua said, "The evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of his fellow-creatures, put a man out of the world."

R. Jose said, "Let the property of thy friend be as dear to thee as thine own; prepare thyself for the study of Torah, since the knowledge of it is not an inheritance of thine, and let all thy deeds be done in the name of God".

R. Simeon said, "Be careful in reading the Shema and the Amidah; and when thou prayest, consider not thy prayer as a fixed (mechanical) task, but as (an appeal for) mercy and grace before the All-present, as it is said, 'For he is gracious and full of mercy, slow to anger, and abounding in loving-kindness, and repenteth him of the evil'; and be not wicked in thine own esteem".

R. Eleazar said, "Be diligent in studying Torah, and know what answer to give to the unbeliever; know also before whom thou toilest, and who thy Employer is, who will pay thee the reward of thy labor."

Rabbi Tafron said, "The day is short, the task is great, the laborers are sluggish, the reward is much, and the Master of the house is urgent."

He also used to say, "It is not thy duty to complete the work, but neither art thou free to desist from it; if thou hast studied much Torah, much reward will be given thee; and faithful is thy Employer to pay thee the reward of thy labor; and know that the grant of reward unto the righteous will be in the time to come". Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the Torah and make it honorable'". All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified".

Akabia, the son of Mahalalel, said, "Consider three things, and thou wilt not come within the power of sin: know whence thou camest, and whither thou art going, and before whom thou wilt in the future have to give an account and reckoning. Whence thou camest: from a fetid drop; whether thou art going: to a place of dust, worms, and maggots; and before whom thou wilt in the future have to give an account and reckoning: before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He."

R. Chanina, the Vice-High-Priest, said, "Pray for the welfare of the government, since but for the fear thereof men would swallow each other alive".

R. Chananiah, the son of Teradion, said, "If two sit together and interchange no words of Torah, they are a meeting of scorners, concerning whom it is said, 'The godly man sitteth not in the seat of the scorners'; but if two sit together and interchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence abides among them; as it is said, 'Then they that feared the Lord spake one with the other; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name,'. Now the Scripture enables me to draw this inference in respect to two persons; whence can it be deduced that if even one person sedulously occupies himself with the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, appoints unto him a reward? Because it is said, 'though he sit alone, and meditate in stillness, yet he taketh it (the reward) upon him'".

R. Simeon said, "If three have eaten at a table and have spoken there no words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten of sacrifices to dead idols, of whom it is said, 'For all their tables are full of vomit and filthiness; the All-present is not (in their thoughts)'. But if three have eaten at a table and have spoken there words of Torah, it is as if they had eaten at the table of the All-present, for Scripture says, 'And he said unto me, This is the table that is before the Lord'".

R. Chanina, the son of Hakinai, said, "He who keeps awake at night, and goes on his way alone, while turning his heart to vanity, such a one forfeits his own life".

R. Nechunya, son of ha-Kanah, said, "Whoso receives upon himself the yoke of the Torah, from the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of worldly care will be removed, but whoso breaks off from him the yoke of the Torah, upon him will be laid the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of worldly care."

R. Chalafta, the son of Dosa, of the village of Chanania said, "When ten people sit together and occupy themselves with the Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said, 'God standeth in the congregation of the godly'. And whence can it be shown that the same applies to five? Because it is said, 'He hath found his band upon the earth'. And whence can it be shown that the same applies to three? Because it is said, 'He judgeth among the judges'. And whence can it be shown that the same applies to two? Because it is said, 'Then they that feared the Lord spake one with the other; and the Lord hearkened, and heard'. And whence can it be shown that the same applies even to one? Because it is said, 'In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come unto thee and I will bless thee'".

R. Eleazar of Bertota said, "Give unto Him of what is His, for thou and thine are His: this is also found expressed by David, who said, 'For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own we have given Thee'".

R. Jacob said, "He who is walking by the way and studying, and breaks off his study and says, 'How fine is that tree, how fine is that fallow,' him the Scripture regards as if he had forfeited his life".

R. Dostai, the son of Jannai, said in the name of R. Meir, "Whoso forgets one word of his study, him the Scripture regards as if he had forfeited his life, for it is said, 'Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen'. Now, one might suppose (that the same result follows) even if a man's study has been too hard for him. (To guard against such an inference), it is said, 'And lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life'. Thus a person's guilt is not established until he deliberately and of set purpose removes those lessons from his heart."

R. Chanina, the son of Dosa, said, "He in whom the fear of sin precedes wisdom, his wisdom shall endure; but he in whom wisdom comes before the fear of sin, his wisdom will not endure".

He used to say, "He whose works exceed his wisdom, his wisdom shall endure; but he whose wisdom exceeds his works, his wisdom will not endure".

He used to say, "He in whom the spirit of his fellow-creatures takes not delight, in him the Spirit of the All-present takes not delight."

R. Dosa, the son of Horkinas, said, "Morning sleep, midday wine, childish babbling, and attending the houses of assembly of the ignorant waste a man's life".

R. Eleazar ha-Mudai said, "He who profanes things sacred, and despises the festivals, and puts his fellow-man to shame in public, and makes void the covenant of Abraham, our father, and makes the Torah bear a meaning other than the right; (such a one) even though knowledge of the Torah and good deeds be his, has no share in the world to come".

R. Ishmael said, "Be submissive to a superior, affable to the young, and receive all men with cheerfulness".

R. Akiba said, "Jesting and levity lead a man on to lewdness. The Massorah is a rampart around the Torah; tithes are a safeguard to riches; good resolves are a fence to abstinence; a hedge around wisdom is silence".

He used to say, "Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (of God); but it was by a special love that it was made known to him that he was created in the image of God, as it is said, 'For in the image of God made he man'. Beloved are Israel, or they were called children of the All-present, but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that they were called children of the All-present, as it is said, 'Ye are children unto the Lord your God'. Beloved are Israel, for unto them was given the desirable instrument; but it was by a special love that it was made known to them that that desirable instrument was theirs, through which the world was created, as it is said, 'For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my Torah'.

Everything is foreseen, yet free will is given; and the world is judged by grace, yet all is according to the amount of the work".

He used to say, "Everything is given on pledge, and a net is spread for all living; the shop is open; the dealer gives credit; the ledger lies open; the hand writes; and whosoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors regularly make their daily round, and exact payment from man whether he be content or not; and they have that whereon they can rely in their demand; and the judgment is a judgment of truth; and everything is prepared for the feast".

R. Eleazar, the son of Azariah, said, "Where there is no Torah, there are no manners; where there are no manners, there is no Torah: where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no fear of God, there is no wisdom: where there is no knowledge, there no understanding; where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge: where there is no meal, there is no Torah; where there is no Torah, there is no meal".

He used to say, "He whose wisdom exceeds his works, to what is he like? To a tree whose branches are many, but whose roots are few; and the wind comes and plucks it up, and overturns it upon its face, as it is said, 'And he shall be like a lonely juniper tree in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited'. But he whose works exceed his wisdom, to what is he like? To a tree whose branches are few, but whose roots are many, so that though all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they cannot stir it from its place, as it is said, 'And he shall be as a tree planted by the waters; and that spreadeth out its roots by the river and shall not perceive when heat cometh, but his leaf shall be green; and shall not be troubled in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit'".

R. Eleazar Chisma said, "The laws concerning the sacrifices of birds and the purification of women are essential ordinances; astronomy and geometry are the after-courses of wisdom". Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the Torah and make it honorable'". All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified".

Ben Zoma said, "Who is wise? He who learns from all men, as it is said, 'from all my teachers have I gotten understanding'. Who is mighty? He who controls his passions, as it is said, 'He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth over his spirit than he that taketh a city'. Who is rich? He who rejoices in his portion, as it is said, 'When thou eatest the labor of thine hands, happy art thou, and it shall be well with thee'; happy art thou in this world, and it shall be well with thee in the world to come. Who is honored? He who honors others, as it is said, 'For them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be held in contempt'".

Ben Azzai said, "Hasten to do even a slight precept, and flee from transgression; for one virtue leads to another, and transgression draws transgression in its train; for the recompense of a virtue is a virtue, and the recompense of a transgression is a transgression".

He used to say, "Despise not any man, and carp not at any thing; for there is not a man that has not his hour, and there is not a thing that has not its place."

R. Levitas of Jabneh said, "Be exceedingly lowly of spirit, since the hope of man is but the worm."

R. Jochanan, the son of Berokah, said, "Whosoever profanes the Name of Heaven in secret will suffer the penalty for it in public; and this, whether the Heavenly Name be profaned in ignorance or in wilfulness."

R. Ishmael, his son, said, "He who learns in order to teach, to him the means will be granted both to learn and to teach; but he who learns in order to practise, to him the means will be granted to learn, and to teach, to observe, and to practise."

R. Zadok said, "Separate not thyself from the congregation; (in the judge's office) act not the counsel's part; make not of the Torah a crown wherewith to aggrandize thyself, nor a spade wherewith to dig". So also used Hillel to say, "He who makes a worldly use of the crown (of the Torah) shall waste away". Hence thou mayest infer that whosoever derives a profit for himself from the words of the Torah is helping on his own destruction.

R. Jose said, "Whoso honors the Torah will himself be honored by mankind, but whoso dishonors the Torah will himself be dishonored by mankind."

R. Ishmael, his son, said, "He who shuns the judicial office rids himself of hatred, robbery, and vain swearing; but he who presumptuously lays down decisions is foolish, wicked, and of an arrogant spirit."

He used to say, "Judge not alone, for none may judge alone save One; neither say (to thy judicial colleagues), 'Accept my view,' for the choice is theirs (to concur); and it is not for thee (to compel concurrence)."

R. Jonathan said, "Whoso fulfils the Torah in the midst of poverty shall in the end fulfil it in the midst of wealth; and whoso neglects the Torah in the midst of wealth shall in the end neglect it in the midst of poverty."

R. Meir said, "Lessen thy toil for worldly goods, and be busy in the Torah; be humble of spirit before all men; if thou neglectest the Torah, many causes for neglecting it will be present themselves to thee, but if thou laborest in the Torah, He has abundant recompense to give thee."

R. Elieser, the son of Jacob, said, "He who does one precept has gotten himself one advocate; and he who commits one transgression has gotten himself one accuser. Repentance and good deeds are as a shield against punishment."

R. Jochanan, the sandal-maker, said, "Every assembly which is in the Name of Heaven will in the end be established, but that which is not in the Name of Heaven will not in the end be established."

R. Eleazer, the son of Shammua, said, "Let the honor of thy disciple be as dear to thee as thine own, and the honor of thine associate be like the fear of thy master, and the fear of thy master like the fear of Heaven."

R. Judah said, "Be cautious in study, for an error in study may amount to presumptuous sin".

R. Simeon said, "There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty; but the crown of a good name excels them all."

R. Nehorai said, "Betake thyself to a home of the Torah, and say not that the Torah will come after thee; for there thy associates will establish thee in the possession of it; and lean not upon thine own understanding".

R. Jannia said, "It is not in our power (to explain) either the prosperity of the wicked or the afflictions of the righteous."

R. Mattithiah, the son of Heresh, said, "Be beforehand in the salutation of peace to all men; and be rather a tail to lions than a head to foxes".

R. Jacob said, "This world is like a vestibule before the world to come; prepare thyself in the vestibule, that thou mayest enter into the hall."

He used to say, "Better is one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than the whole life of the world to come; and better is one hour of blissfulness of spirit in the world to come than the whole life of this world."

R. Simeon, the son of Eleazer, said, "Do not appease thy fellow in the hour of his anger, and comfort him not in the hour when his dead lies before him, and question him not in the hour of his vow, and rush not to see him in the hour of his disgrace."

Samuel, the younger, used to say, "Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth: lest the Lord see it and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him".

Elisha, the son of Abuyah, said, "If one learns as a child, what is it like? Like ink written in clean paper. If one learns as an old man, what is it like? Like ink written on used paper".

R. Jose, the son of Judah, of Chefar Babli said, "He who learns from the young, to what is he like? To one who eats unripe grapes, and drinks wine from his vat. And he who learns from the old, to what is he like? To one who eats ripe grapes, and drinks old wine."

Rabbi Meir said, "Look not at the flask, but at what it contains: there may be a new flask full of old wine, and an old flask that has not even new wine in it".

R. Eleazar ha-Kappar said, "Envy, cupidity, and ambition take a man from the world".

He used to say, "They that are born are doomed to die; and the dead to be brought to life again; and the living to be judged, to know, to make known, and to be made conscious that He is God, He the Maker, He the Creator, He the Discerner, He the Judge, He the Witness, He the Accuser; He it is that will in future judge, blessed be He, with Whom there is no unrighteousness, nor forgetfulness, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes; and know also that everything is according to the reckoning; and let not thy imagination give thee hope that the grave will be a place of refuge for thee; for perforce thou wast formed, and perforce thou wast born, and thou livest perforce, and perforce thou wilt die, and perforce thou wilt in the future have to give account and reckoning before the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He." Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a copious Torah and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the Torah and make it honorable'". All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified".

With ten sayings the world was created. What does this teach us? Could it not have been created with one saying? It is to make known the punishment that will befall the wicked who destroy the world that was created with ten sayings, as well as the goodly reward that will be bestowed upon the just who preserve the world that was created with ten sayings.

There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to make known how long-suffering God is, seeing that all those generations continued provoking him, until he brought upon them the waters of the flood.

There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to make known how long-suffering God is, seeing that all those generations continued provoking him, until Abraham, our father, came, and received the reward they should all have earned.

With ten trials our father Abraham was tried, and he stood firm in them all, to make known how great was the love of our father Abraham.

Ten miracles were wrought for our fathers in Egypt, and ten at the Sea.

Ten plagues did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt, and ten at the Sea.

With ten temptations did our fathers tempt the Holy One, blessed be He, in the wilderness, as it is said, "And they tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice".

Ten miracles were wrought for our fathers in the Temple; no woman miscarried from the scent of the holy flesh; the holy flesh never became putrid; no fly was seen in the slaughter-house; no unclean accident ever befell the high-priest on the Day of Atonement; the rain never quenched the fire of the wood-pile on the altar; neither did the wind overcome the column of smoke that arose therefrom; nor was there ever found any disqualifying defect in the omer (of new barley, offered on the second day of Passover) or in the two loaves (the first fruits of the wheat-harvest, offered on Pentecost), or in the shewbread; though the people stood closely pressed together, they found ample space to prostrate themselves; never did serpent or scorpion injure any one in Jerusalem; nor did any man ever say to his fellow, "the place is too strait for me to lodge over night in Jerusalem."

Ten things were created on the eve of Sabbath in the twilight: the mouth of the earth; the mouth of the well; the mouth of the ass; the rainbow; the manna; the rod; the shamir; the shape of written characters; the writing, and the tables of stone: some say, the destroying spirits also, and the sepulchre of Moses, and the ram of Abraham our father; and others say, tongs, also, made with tongs.

There are seven marks of an uncultured, and seven of a wise man. The wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in wisdom; and does not interrupt the speech of his companion; he is not hasty to answer; he questions according to the subject-matter; and answers to the point; he speaks upon the first thing first, and upon the last, last; regarding that which he has not understood he says, "I do not understand it;" and he acknowledges the truth. The reverse of all this is to be found in an uncultured man.

Seven kinds of punishment come into the world for seven important transgressions. If some give their tithes and others do not, a dearth ensues from drought and some suffer hunger while others are full. If they all determine to give no tithes, a dearth ensures from tumult and drought. If they further resolve not to give the dough-cake, an exterminating dearth ensures. Pestilence comes into the world to fulfil those death penalties threatened in the Torah, the execution of which, however, is within the function of a human tribunal, and for the violation of the law regarding the fruits of the seventh year. The sword comes into the world for the delay of justice, and for the perversion of justice, and on account of the offence of those who interpret the Torah, not according to its true sense. Noxious beasts come into the world for vain swearing, and for the profanation of the Divine Name. Captivity comes into the world on account of idolatry, immortality, bloodshed, and the neglect of the year of rest for the soil.