Kommentar zu Pirkei Avot 2:8
רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי קִבֵּל מֵהִלֵּל וּמִשַּׁמָּאי. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם לָמַדְתָּ תוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמְךָ, כִּי לְכָךְ נוֹצָרְתָּ. חֲמִשָּׁה תַלְמִידִים הָיוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי, וְאֵלּוּ הֵן, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ. הוּא הָיָה מוֹנֶה שִׁבְחָן. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס, בּוֹר סוּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְאַבֵּד טִפָּה. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, אַשְׁרֵי יוֹלַדְתּוֹ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַכֹּהֵן, חָסִיד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן נְתַנְאֵל, יְרֵא חֵטְא. וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ, מַעְיָן הַמִּתְגַּבֵּר. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם, וֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר מִשְּׁמוֹ, אִם יִהְיוּ כָל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכַף מֹאזְנַיִם וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוֹרְקְנוֹס אַף עִמָּהֶם, וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ בְּכַף שְׁנִיָּה, מַכְרִיעַ אֶת כֻּלָּם:
R. Yochanan ben Zakkai erhielt es von Hillel und von Shammai. Er pflegte zu sagen: Wenn Sie viel Tora gelernt haben, nehmen Sie es nicht zur Kenntnis, [um zu sagen: "Ich habe viel Tora gelernt." Denn du wurdest dafür geschaffen. (Weil er weder die Schrift noch Mischna, Halacha und Aggada hinterlassen hat, die er nicht gelernt hat, hat er dies gesagt.)] R. Yochanan ben Zakkai hatte fünf Schüler: R. Eliezer ben Hurkanos, R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah, R. Yossi Hakohen, R. Shimon ben Nethanel und R. Elazar ben Arach. Er pflegte ihre (jeweiligen) Unterscheidungen zu zitieren: R. Eliezer ben Hurkanos—eine kalkbeschichtete Grube, die keinen Tropfen verliert. [Also verliert auch er nicht einen Gegenstand seines Lernens]. R. Yehoshua—[Er war so gut in der Mitte, dass alle über ihn sagten: "Glücklich ist sie, die ihn geboren hat!" (Andere sagen: Sie sagten dies, weil sie ihn zu einem Weisen machte. Sie machte die Runde aller Studienhäuser in ihrer Stadt und sagte zu ihnen (den Jüngern): "Bitte, bete für diesen Fötus in Mein Magen, dass er ein Weiser ist! "Und von dem Tag an, an dem er geboren wurde, entfernte sie sein Kinderbett nicht aus dem Haus des Studiums, so dass nur Worte der Tora in seine Ohren gelangen.] R. Yossi— chasid, [über den Buchstaben des Gesetzes hinaus handelnd] R. Shimon ben Nethanel —Ein Furcht vor der Sünde, der streng mit sich selbst war und sich selbst verbot, erlaubte Dinge aus Angst, dass er zur Sünde kommen könnte. Wenn nicht, was ist das Besondere daran? Sogar ein Ignorant kann Angst vor Sünde haben.] R. Elazar ben Arach—Er (R. Yochanan ben Zakkai) pflegte zu sagen: Wenn alle Weisen Israels in einem Gleichgewicht zwischen der Skala und Eliezer ben wären Hurkanos in der anderen würde er sie alle überwiegen. Abba Shaul sagt in seinem Namen (R. Yochanan b. Zakkai): Wenn alle Weisen Israels in einem Gleichgewicht der Skala wären und R. Eliezer ben Hurkanos auch mit ihnen und R. Elazar (ben Arach) im anderen, er würde sie alle überwiegen. [Ich habe geschrieben, dass Abba Shaul der ersten Tanna nicht widerspricht und dass beide Dinge von R. Yochanan ben Zakkai gesagt wurden und beide wahr sind. In umfassendem Wissen und Gedächtnis überwog R. Eliezer (ben Hurkanos) sie alle, und in Schärfe und Dialektik überwog R. Elazar ben Arach sie alle.]
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
RECEIVED THE TRADITION FROM HILLEL AND SHAMMAI. While the Mishna was recording the teachings of the line of Hillel, there was no need to mention that those sages had received the tradition from him, but now it is necessary to do so before the teachings of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, who was not a descendant of Hillel. Also, because he had numerous students and legal disputes proliferated thenceforth, the mishna points out that although there were several disputes their Torah was in the main a received tradition, as I mentioned at the beginning of the first chapter.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai received [the tradition] from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: If you have learned a lot of Torah, do not credit it favorably, etc.: You are still at the beginning, and when will you reach the middle and the end? As the Torah's 'measurement is longer than the land and wider than the sea,' and human comprehension is not able to reach the far end [of it]. And how distant is a man from it; and [so] how can he credit it favorably for himself? And he has not accomplished even one 'Torah' from the thousand that he is to accomplish.
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
He praised Rabbi Eliezer [for] his good memory in comparing him to a plastered pit that does not lose its waters. And he praised Rabbi Yehoshua [for] the virtues of character, in that through them is a person made happy and honored and most of the world will love him. And because of this the one who gave birth to him is happy with him. And he praised Rabbi Yose [for] virtues of good character and intellectual virtues. He praised Rabbi Shimon [for] fear of sin - and that is carefulness and striving with matters of involvement in the good and guarding from evil. And he praised Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh [for] good understanding and that every deep matter was easy for him and that his comprehension added to the [discussion].
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
Received, etc.: In Hillel's line it was not necessary to mention that they received it from him. And now it mentions [it] with Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai as he was not from his grandchildren. And also because he had many students, and disagreements grew among them and after them, it mentions [it to say] that even though they disagreed in certain laws, nonetheless, they received [and agreed] upon the main part of the Torah.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"Do not credit it favorably for yourself": to say, "I have learned much Torah." And since he did not leave a verse nor a mishnah, halakha (law) or aggada (homily) that the did not learn (Sukkah 28a, Bava Batra 134a), he said this.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Introduction
This mishnah returns to the list of the “receivers” of the oral tradition. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, who received from Hillel and Shammai, was the patriarch who survived the destruction of the Second Temple and escaped to Yavneh, where he helped the Jewish people continue to exist despite the great trauma they had just suffered. The legend is told that he escaped the besieged Jerusalem in a coffin and requested that Vespasion, the future Roman emperor, save Yavneh and its sages.
According to a legend, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai was the least of Hillel’s 80 students.
The reason that Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai’s words were not brought in their correct chronological place is that the editor of the Mishnah wanted to first teach all of the words of the descendents of Hillel, who also served as patriarchs. The Mishnah now returns to Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai and will proceed in subsequent mishnayoth with statements of his students.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AS YOU WERE CREATED FOR THIS PURPOSE. For the sake of this you came into the world, as per the verse “and there was evening, and there was morning, on the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31), which the Talmud expounds (Shabbat 88a): this teaches that G-d stipulated with Creation that should Israel not accept the Torah, the world will return to chaos. So it turns out that he has a tremendous responsibility and is not doing this as a favor—Rashi.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
because for this you were created: The Holy One, blessed be He, only brought you into existence to do His will. And also for this reason is it not for you to credit it favorably for yourself if you have accomplished much Torah - "because for this you were created." There is a metaphor [about this]: If a debtor repays his debt, do we credit it favorably to him for that? And this measure is also [true] for the commandments - that if you have done many commandments, "do not credit if favorably for yourself, because for this you were created."
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"you were created": For this reason did you come out [of the womb] to the air of the world, as it is written, "and it was day and it was night, the sixth day" - [distinguishing the sixth day by calling it the sixth day and not just a sixth day, as with the other days] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, made the work of creation conditional: if Israel does not accept the Torah, the world will go back to being chaos and void. It comes out now that there is a great obligation placed upon him and he is not doing it as a favor [to God] - Rashi.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"a pit covered in plaster (sud)": is the [correct] version that we have - and not a pit of plaster (sid) - meaning to say, like a pit sealed with plaster.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.
He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. A person should not take credit for himself for learning Torah, but rather should realize that the study of Torah is the purpose of his creation. This idea is also mentioned in a midrash that teaches that God made a stipulation that if Israel does not study Torah, He will wipe the world out of existence. Another explanation of this statement is that if a person has learned much Torah, he should not merely give credit to himself, rather he is obligated to teach others.
He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. A person should not take credit for himself for learning Torah, but rather should realize that the study of Torah is the purpose of his creation. This idea is also mentioned in a midrash that teaches that God made a stipulation that if Israel does not study Torah, He will wipe the world out of existence. Another explanation of this statement is that if a person has learned much Torah, he should not merely give credit to himself, rather he is obligated to teach others.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
RABBAN YOCHANAN BEN ZAKKAI HAD FIVE STUDENTS. The mishna mentions only the greatest ones, the ones to whom the tradition passed, but he had many other students—Midrash Shmuel in the name of Rashbatz.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai had five students: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, Rabbi Yosi the Priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh. He would recount their praises: Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos is a pit covered in plaster that does not lose a drop: The explanation is that he did not forget anything ever from all that which he learned, like the pit after it has been plastered with plaster and does not lose a drop, as the water is not absorbed, even by the sides [of the pit].
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
five students, etc.: It only counted the great ones to whom the tradition was passed on. However, he had many other students [as well] - Midrash Shmuel.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"that does not lose a drop": Thus does he not forget a [single] thing from his study.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. We should note that the first two rabbis on this list, Rabbis Joshua and Eliezer, are two of the most famous rabbis that lived in the generation of the destruction of the Temple and they are found in many places in the mishnah. The other three rabbis are much less known. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai lists the qualities of each of his five students. Rabbi Eliezer is known for his fantastic memory. In general Rabbi Eliezer is known to be an archconservative sage, one whose main goal was to preserve the Torah that he had received from his teachers. He is not an innovator. Rabbi Joshua is known for his great kindness, and therefore Rabban Yohanan says how happy his mother must have been. Rabbi Yose is pious, meaning he goes beyond the letter of the law. Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel fear sin and distances himself from it by creating “fences” around the Torah. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach was known for his great intelligence and creativity which made him like an ever-increasing fountain. Note that this is the contrast to Rabbi Eliezer, the conservative, who appears in the beginning of the list of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai’s students.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
ELIEZER BEN HYRKANOS. He mentions them by name without honorifics because they were his students—Rashi.74The print before Rashi and the Tosafot Yom Tov did not have honorifics in the text. Our text does.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya--happy is the one who gave birth to him!: The undifferentiated expression, 'happy' is a category that includes all of the virtues through which a person is happy. And when it mentions the trait [with it], it is [referring only to] a particular [trait]. And we have found it stated about fear as in "Happy is the man who fears the Lord" (Psalms 112:1). And also about the designation of a fixed place for Torah [study], as it is written (Proverbs 8:34), "Happy is the man who listens to me, coming early to my gates each day, waiting outside my doors," and it states (Psalms 84:5), "Happy are those who dwell in Your house; they will still forever praise You." And about devotion, as it is stated (Psalms 65:5), "Happy is the man You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts." And about faith (Psalms 84:6), "Happy is the man who has refuge in You." It is also stated about one who prevents himself from [involvement with] evildoers (Psalms 1:1), "Happy is the man who has not followed the counsel of the evildoers, or taken the path of sinners, or joined the company of the scorners." It is also stated about those that keep the Shabbat (Isaiah 56:2), "Happy is the man who does this." It is also stated about those that walk in the Torah of the Lord (Psalms 119:1), "Happy are those whose way is blameless, who follow the Torah of the Lord." It is also stated about those that keep the commandments (Psalms 119:2), "Happy are those who observe His decrees, who turn to Him wholeheartedly." It is also stated about one who benefits from his toil (Psalms 128:2), "You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors; you shall be happy and it shall be good for you." It is also stated about those that keep the law and do justice (Psalms 106:3), "Happy are those who act lawfully, who do justice at all times." It is also stated about trust [in God] (Proverbs 16:20), "he who trusts in the Lord is happy." It is also stated about wisdom (Proverbs 3:13), "Happy is the man who finds wisdom," and it is also written (Proverbs 14:21), "he who shows pity for the lowly is happy." And about this is it said, "happy is the one who gave birth to him" undifferentiated; meaning to say he is happy with all of the happy traits - great in his wisdom and refined by his traits and in all of his affairs.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
Eliezer: Since they were his students, he would call them by their names [and not by their titles] - Rashi.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"happy is the one who gave birth to him": Rendered happy by good character traits is one who the whole world says about him, "happy is the one who gave birth to him." And some say, because she caused him to be a sage. For she would go out to all of the study halls in her town and say to them, "I request from you that you should seek mercy (pray) for this embryo that is in my innards, that he should be a sage." And from the day that he was born, she did not remove his crib from the study hall, so that only words of Torah would enter his ears.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. As noted Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach are opposite characters, the first representing conservatism and the second innovation. The battle between conservatism and innovation was an important ideological struggle during this time in Jewish history, with some claiming that now that the Temple had been destroyed there was a need to concentrate on the preservation of that which was received from previous generations and others claiming that now that the Temple was destroyed innovation was an imperative. This ideological dispute is borne out in the last section of the mishnah. According to Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai the conservative sage, Rabbi Eliezer, is the most essential to the Jewish people. [This is interesting because Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai was known to be a great innovator himself]. Abba Shaul, a later sage, disagrees with this assessment and states that Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, the ever-increasing spring, is the most essential to the survival of the Jewish people and the oral Torah.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
A PLASTERED CISTERN. The Rav reads bor sud, “plastered,” and not bor sid, “a plaster cistern.” Midrash Shmuel explains in the name of Rashbatz: this is because a bor sid, “a plaster cistern,” means “a cistern made of plaster,” and what is the great praise in being compared to a cistern made of plaster? A plastered cistern, on the other hand, is one that has been plastered well and holds in all its water, preventing it from seeping into the earth. The word is properly sayud, in the present passive participle, but appears here as sud because of the hollow root.75The root of sid is samach, yud, daled, called a “hollow root” because the middle letter is yud. The paradigm of the passive present participle is 1a2u3, where the numbers represent the consonants of the root, so the passive present participle of the verb “to plaster” should appear as sayud. But hollow verbs are irregular and their passive present participle appears as 1u3, in our case sud.
In Rashi’s commentary to Avodah Zarah 55a the text of our mishna is quoted as bor sid, as it appears in our printed editions.
In Rashi’s commentary to Avodah Zarah 55a the text of our mishna is quoted as bor sid, as it appears in our printed editions.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Yosi the Priest is pious: As in all of his deeds, he would do beyond the letter of the law. And about this is it said in many places in the Talmud (Bava Metzia 52b), "we have learned the trait of piety here."
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
As a pit of plaster (sid) means to say a pit [holding] plaster, and what praise is there in this? Rather it is pit that is properly plastered and holds the water, such that earth does not absorb it [through its cracks]. And its complete form is siyud and its lacking of a [letter] yod comes by way of a 'resting middle letter of a root' - Midrash Shmuel.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"pious": [One] who does beyond the letter of the law.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
WHICH DOES NOT LOSE A DROP. This means to say that he is only like a plastered cistern in this respect but not in others, as a plastered cistern also has deficiencies. Its water does not taste as good as water from a well, both because cistern water is contained and well-water is flowing and because the water in the cistern absorbs the bitter taste of the plaster. The mishna therefore had to point out that only in this respect, in that he does not lose a drop, is he to be compared to a plastered cistern—Midrash Shmuel.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Shimon ben Netanel fears sin: As he would make fences to distance himself from the sins.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"that does not lose a drop": meaning to say that it is in this matter that he is similar to a plastered pit and not in all of its aspects. As there are also inferior [matters connected with such a] pit, since its waters are not sweet like a spring of living waters, etc. And therefore it needed to explain, "that does not lose a drop" - Midrash Shmuel.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"fears sin": [He is] strict upon himself and forbids upon himself things that are permissible out of his fear, lest he come to do a sin. As if it is not like this, what is the novelty - even an ignorant man can be one that fears sin.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
PIOUS [Heb. chasid]. Rav: he goes beyond the letter of the law. Cf. what I wrote on Sotah 9:15.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh is an ever-strengthening fountain: As he was very sharp and a logician and innovate ideas from his intellect.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"an ever-strengthening fountain": His heart (mind) is broad and he adds analysis and reasoning from his own knowledge.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
FEARS SIN. Rav: he acts according to the most stringent interpretation of the law and forbids himself the things that are permitted out of fear that he come to sin. Otherwise, what is his great virtue? For even an ignoramus can be fearful of sin. As per mishna 5.76There: an unlearned person cannot be fearful of sin, and an ignoramus cannot be pious. The implication is that an ignoramus, while he cannot be pious, can be one who fears of sin. Cf. what I wrote at the end of Sotah (9:15).
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He [Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai] used to say: If all the sages of Israel were on one side of a balance scale, etc.: He means to say concerning knowledge. As he was like a plastered pit that does not lose a drop, and there was none among the sages of Israel that knew as much as he - who would not forget a thing from all that he learned.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
Abba Shaul says in his name: of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
EVEN IF ELIEZER BEN HYRKANOS WERE WITH THEM. Rav: I saw written that Abba Shaul does not disagree with the first tanna, and both things came from Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai and are both true. For with regards to breadth of learning and memory, Rabbi Eliezer was superior, and with regards to sharpness and argumentation Rabbi Elazar ben Arach was superior. Since Abba Shaul was commenting on the words of the first tanna he had to mention that even Eliezer ben Hyrkanos, whom he had praised, is included on the other side of the scale. But the first tanna, whose words came first, did not need to explain himself, because when he said “all the Sages of Israel” it was understood that even Elazar ben Arach was included—Midrash Shmuel.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Abba Shaul said in his name that if all the sages of Israel, including Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos, were on one side of a balance scale, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh were on the other side, he [Rabbi Elazar] would outweigh them all: Concerning sharpness and logic did he praise Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh over all of the sages of Israel. It comes out that you will say that these two teachers (tannaim) do not disagree, but rather [here] it is speaking about logic and sharpness.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh were on the other side"" I have found it written that Abba Shaul is not arguing with the first teacher [in this mishnah] and Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said both things; and both of them are true, as concerning expertise and memory Rabbi Eliezer would outweigh [them], and concerning sharpness and analysis, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh would outweigh them.
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