Musar zu Pirkei Avot 5:26

1) First of all, one is rewarded for going to the synagogue in itself, as we find in Avoth 5:14: "There are four characteristics of those who go to the synagogue: If he goes and does not do [i.e., pray, (because of some accident)], he has the reward of going." And the reward is according to the number of steps. The more steps, the more reward (see Sotah 22a).

And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, stated (Avot 5:19), "Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father [...] A good eye, a humble spirit and a moderate appetite." And the meaning of a humble spirit is that he does not follow his physical desire even with permissible things. [This is] like we find that Abraham stated (Genesis 12:11) "Behold I know what a beautiful woman you are" - as he had not stared at her until that day, to contemplate the character of her beauty. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, stated (Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 2:3) about that which is written (II Samuel 20:3), "and they remained in seclusion until the day they died, in living widowhood" - that each day David would command that their heads be beautified and that perfumes be given to them to adorn them in order to provoke his desire and to [then] subdue it, when he would conquer his impulse for them, in order to atone for himself about the matter of Bathsheba.

And behold [with] people who are righteous and straight of heart, what constantly roars like a lion in their thoughts and growls like the sea is their sins, and their hands falling short from the service of God. For about [the latter] - when a person transgresses, his guilt grows as with weighty sins, like the matter that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yerushalmi Chagigah 1:7), "The Holy One, blessed be He, forwent about [prohibited] sexual relations, but did not forego about the nullification of Torah (wasting time that should be spent in Torah study). Especially since these people's main thoughts and actions are matters of their body and the vanities of their time, they have done much evil. But to the secret of fear, their souls should not come; and their glory should not be associated with the study of their consciences in the images of their hearts and chambers, and their images for fixed times within which they do not give a portion to Torah [study] among their occupations. And the calculation of their souls has been lost from within their hearts, for they are a nation that loses its counsel. And how much are they on the lowest level! And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 5:21), "At sixty, old age; at seventy, fullness of years; at eighty, the age of strength; at ninety, a bent body; at one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world." And their intention, may their memory be blessed, with these words was to warn about repentance - that when a man reaches the days of old age, he should think about his end, if he did not merit to do so in the days of his youth. And since his time is close to coming, he should leave the matters of his body and his desires and rectify his soul. And when he reaches the days of fullness of years, he should add to the removal of [involvement with] the world from his heart. And according to the reduction of years [left], he should reduce his occupation in the world. And he should constantly seclude himself to meditate about fear of God, to think about his soul, to refine his traits and to seek Torah and [its] commandments. And that which they said, "at ninety, a bent (lasuach) body" is from the [same usage as in] (Psalms 102:1), "spill his prayer (sicho)" [and] (Genesis 24:63), "to pray (lasuach) in the field" - as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 26b), "Isaac established the afternoon prayers, as it is stated, "to pray (lasuach) in the field." For after one reaches ninety years, it is fitting for him that all of his occupation should be with prayer and praises of God, and to speak about His wonders. And King Solomon, peace be upon him, spoke about the matter of the days of old age - that a person should not then be lazy about service to God, may He be blessed. And he said (Ecclesiastes 11:6), "Sow your seed in the morning, and don’t hold back your hand in the evening, since you don’t know which is going to succeed, the one or the other, or if both are equally good." He compared the days of childhood and youth to the morning and the days of old age to evening. And seed is metaphoric for children and for students, as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yevamot 62b), "If he married a woman in his youth, he should marry [another] one in his old age; if he established students in his youth, he should establish [other] students in his old age." For perhaps the children of old age will be more successful in Torah and in the commandments than the children of youth. And likewise the students that he establishes in his old age may be more successful than the first ones. Or they could both be equally good. Afterwards, he stated (Ecclesiastes 11:7), "How sweet is the light, what a delight for the eyes to behold the sun!" Its explanation is that he went back to speaking about the days of old age which he compared to the evening. And since an old man will not taste that which he eats and that which he drinks - like the words of Barzilai the Gileadite - he stated that the old man should enjoy the light of the sun and not be disgusted by it. As disgust obstructs a person from his service to the Heavens. So he should enjoy the light, when he compares it to the days of darkness that are coming - as it mentions in the verse below this (Ecclesiastes 11:8), "Even if a man lives many years, let him enjoy himself in all of them, remembering how many the days of darkness are going to be; the only future is nothingness!" The explanation is that even if a person get very old, let him not be a burden to himself. Rather he should rejoice in all of his years, so that he not lose one of his years and not rest from the service of the Creator. And he should remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. And then he will not be able to perform the service, like the matter that is stated (Psalms 6:6), "in the pit, who can acclaim You?" And the righteous ones overcome their old age, gird their power and renew their strength for the service of God. It is as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 152), As Torah scholars grow older, wisdom is increased in them." And it is stated (Psalms 92:15), "In old age they still produce fruit; they are full of sap and freshness." And he mentioned above (Psalms 92:13-14), "The righteous bloom like a date-palm, etc. Planted in the house of the Lord, etc." For the righteous are planted in the house of the Lord from their youth, and grow in the house of study from their young adulthood - like a date-palm that blossoms and like a cedar that grows in the Lebanon. And as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, likewise said, (Midrash Tehillim 92:14), "'The righteous bloom like a date-palm' - these are the infants, in the way that it was stated (Psalms 144:12), 'For our sons are like saplings, well-tended in their youth.'" And he stated after this about this thing, that they are not [completely] compared to trees. For trees will not give their strength when they age. But the righteous "in old age, they still produce fruit." And King David, peace be upon him, also stated (Psalms 71:18), "And even in hoary old age do not forsake me, God, until I proclaim Your strength to the next generation, Your mighty acts, to all who are to come."

We have learned in Tractate Avot 5,22, that the disciples of the Patriarch Abraham are distinguished by possesssing a generous eye, a self-deprecating manner and a humble spirit, whereas a person of the opposite characteristics is sure to be a disciple of Bileam. The behavioral traits described in the tractate quoted reveal the character traits of envy, greed and egotism which are at the core of causing man's self-destruction.

Our Sages said: "Anyone who does a transgression and is ashamed of his deed is forgiven for all his sins" (Berakoth 12b). And they said further, "He who has a sense of shame is destined for Paradise" (Aboth 5:42). And our Sages said, "Faith and a sense of shame are linked together, for the one who is ashamed before people shows that he believes in people. If he did not believe in the importance and worth of people he would not care for their opinion and therefore would not be ashamed before them." The wise man said, "If it brings you no shame do all that you desire."

Our Sages said: "Anyone who does a transgression and is ashamed of his deed is forgiven for all his sins" (Berakoth 12b). And they said further, "He who has a sense of shame is destined for Paradise" (Aboth 5:42). And our Sages said, "Faith and a sense of shame are linked together, for the one who is ashamed before people shows that he believes in people. If he did not believe in the importance and worth of people he would not care for their opinion and therefore would not be ashamed before them." The wise man said, "If it brings you no shame do all that you desire."

Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 5:8), “Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for [neglect of the law regarding] the fruits of the sabbatical year.” And they also said (Avot 5:9), “At four times pestilence increases: In the fourth year, in the seventh year, at the conclusion of the seventh year and at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles (Sukkot)] in every year. In the fourth year, on account of the tithe of the poor [which is due in] the third year; in the seventh year, on account of the tithe of the poor [which is due] in the sixth year; at the conclusion of the seventh year, on account of the produce of the seventh year; and at the conclusion of the Feast in every year, for robbing the gifts to the poor.” We have seen from this that there is death at the hands of the Heavens for robbing the gifts of the poor. And from this, know and examine the severity of one who makes vows of charity but does not fulfill [them]. Also one who shuts his hand from his poor brother and turns away from his flesh is similar to these - for since he has already been obligated to give [these sums by the Torah], behold he is like someone robbing the gifts [of the poor].

Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 5:8), “Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court, and for [neglect of the law regarding] the fruits of the sabbatical year.” And they also said (Avot 5:9), “At four times pestilence increases: In the fourth year, in the seventh year, at the conclusion of the seventh year and at the conclusion of the Feast [of Tabernacles (Sukkot)] in every year. In the fourth year, on account of the tithe of the poor [which is due in] the third year; in the seventh year, on account of the tithe of the poor [which is due] in the sixth year; at the conclusion of the seventh year, on account of the produce of the seventh year; and at the conclusion of the Feast in every year, for robbing the gifts to the poor.” We have seen from this that there is death at the hands of the Heavens for robbing the gifts of the poor. And from this, know and examine the severity of one who makes vows of charity but does not fulfill [them]. Also one who shuts his hand from his poor brother and turns away from his flesh is similar to these - for since he has already been obligated to give [these sums by the Torah], behold he is like someone robbing the gifts [of the poor].

And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 5:8-9), “The sword comes to the world for the delay of judgment, for the perversion of judgment, and because of those who teach the Torah not in accordance with the accepted law. Wild beasts come to the world for swearing in vain, and for the profaning of [God’s] name.”

And it is stated in Sifrei, and also in Arachin 15a that our forefathers tried the L-rd ten times, and their decree was sealed only for the sin of lashon hara alone, as it is written (Bamidbar 14:22): "And they tried Me this ten times, and they did not heed My voice," and (Malachi 2:17): "You have wearied the L-rd with your words."

And the opposite of all good traits that appear in the modest person are found in the impudent. When a man persists in this quality and increases in impudence he becomes very disgusting in the eyes of all people, no matter how wise he is. Many evils follow in the train of impudence. He who deals impudently with others will not be free from quarrels, hatred and jealousy. And he who is of the impudent ones denies the uniqueness of God. Such a person cannot bear the presence of a great man and cannot be gracious to the old, and all the transgressions in the Torah are trivial in his eyes — all because of his great impudence. And of him it is said : "The impudent to Gehenna!" (Aboth 5:20).

ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו ורבקה אוהבת את יעקב. We have an allusion here to the well-known statement in Avot 5,19 that any love which is based on something material will not endure once the object upon which it is based disappears, whereas love which is not based on something transient will endure. Isaac's love for Esau was founded on the material things Esau provided, and therefore it could not endure. This may well be the reason the Torah describes Isaac's love for Esau in the past tense, i.e. ויאהב, whereas Rebeccah's love for Jacob is described in the present tense, i.e. אוהבת, an ongoing love.

ויאהב יצחק את עשו כי ציד בפיו ורבקה אוהבת את יעקב. We have an allusion here to the well-known statement in Avot 5,19 that any love which is based on something material will not endure once the object upon which it is based disappears, whereas love which is not based on something transient will endure. Isaac's love for Esau was founded on the material things Esau provided, and therefore it could not endure. This may well be the reason the Torah describes Isaac's love for Esau in the past tense, i.e. ויאהב, whereas Rebeccah's love for Jacob is described in the present tense, i.e. אוהבת, an ongoing love.

In this manner the sages of blessed memory warned us: "be brazen as a leopard... to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avot 5:20). And David said: "I will speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Ps. 119:46).

If he leaves himself in the hands of his [natural] heaviness, it is a certainty that he will not succeed. This is what the Tana (Mishnaic sage) stated: "be brazen as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven" (Avot 5:20). Likewise, the Sages counted among the things which need strengthening: "Torah and good deeds" (Berachot 32b). This is explicitly stated in scripture: "be strong and very courageous [to observe and do all of the Torah...]" (Yehoshua 1:6). For great strengthening is needed for one who wants to bend his nature to its opposite.

"nettles had covered the face of it" - since he did not labor sufficiently in the Torah, he sits in judgment and declares the pure, unclean and the impure, clean, thus breaching the fence set up by the Torah Sages. What is his punishment? Shlomo revealed it: "one who breaches a fence will be bitten by a snake" (Kohelet 10:8).

Our sages of blessed memory already said "verbal oppression is more severe than monetary oppression..." (ibid). This is even more so, if the shaming is done in public as we learned explicitly: "one who whitens his neighbor's face (shames him) publicly has no portion in the World to Come" (Avot 5:11), and Rabbi Chisda taught (Bava Metzia 59a): "all the gates [of prayer] were locked except the gates of [the cries of] verbal oppression". Rabbi Eliezer taught "for every sin, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts payment through a messenger except for the sin of verbal oppression".

There is another angry type far from this. This person's wrath is not kindled for every thing, small or big, which does not happen according to his will. But when his threshold of anger is reached, he will erupt in great fury. This is what our sages, of blessed memory, said: "difficult to anger and difficult to appease" (Avot 5:11). This type is also certainly very evil, for great damage may happen through him during his [eruption] of anger, and he will no longer be able to straighten what he has made crooked.

A total rehabilitation of mankind (Israel) occurred at the time of the giving of the Torah, prior to the second relapse when Israel worshiped the golden calf. The next rehabilitation that took place was the construction of the Tabernacle, a microscope of the perfect universe. The sacrifices, עבודה, are one of the pillars which ensure the continued existence of the universe. We see therefore how the word עשן, which we described as representing the three kinds of perfections Adam had possessed prior to his sin, became the symbol of rehabilitation after G–d legislated that man can come close to Him by presenting sacrifices whose smoke (עשן) rises up from the altar in the Tabernacle (Sanctuary). Evil influences in the world were unable to overcome or infect this smoke which comprised three sanctities, including the sanctity of the Tabernacle which was called מקדש. Whereas Adam enjoyed being in the choicest place of the world, גן עדן, Aaron now had both a Sanctuary and a Holy of Holies symbolizing the choicest place on earth.

Rabbi said : "There are four temperaments : Easily angered and easily pacified; his loss is cancelled out by his gain. Hard to anger and hard to pacify; his gain is cancelled out by his loss. Easily angered and hard to pacify is a wicked man. Hard to anger and easily pacified is a saintly man."

We have already explained that the mystical dimension of מעשר is expressed by the three dimensions of the letter י, which expanded into three gifts to the Jewish people, i.e. תורה, ארץ ישראל and עולם הבא. The concept Torah can be summed up by the letter י, i.e. the Ten Commandments which contain allusions to all the 613 commandments of the Torah. The total number of letters in the Ten Commandments is 613. The Ten Commandments are sacred; the tenth of the commandments (when counting from the last one backwards) is the statement: אנכי ה' אלוקיך. Being the tenth, it is even more sacred than the others seeing that it is the ראש, the head. It embraces all the others seeing it stipulates the existence of G–d and His relationship to us. The second gift is ארץ ישראל; the Mishnah Keilim 1,6 describes ten successive stages of sanctity of holy areas, explaining that ארץ ישראל as such is at the bottom of the list of these holy areas. The next higher degree of sanctity is found in walled cities (dating back to the time Joshua conquered the land) within ארץ ישראל, followed by sites within the city wall of Jerusalem, followed by the Temple Mount and so forth, until the Holy of Holies within the Sanctuary, the Holy Temple. The third gift to the Jewish people is the gift of עולם הבא, the world to come, which we know was created with the letter י -as distinct from the present world- which was created with the letter ה. The ארץ ישראל in our world is perceived as "opposite" a similar area in the "higher" world referred to by Isaiah 60,21: ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ, "Your people (Israel) all are righteous; they will inherit an eternal land." This "eternal" land is the mystical dimension of the ten directives with which G–d created the universe. We know that one single directive was the nucleus of all the other directives, just as the first of the Ten Commandments is the nucleus of all the other commandments. It can therefore be described as קדש קדשים, the holiest of the holy.

And more, if he habituates himself, G-d forbid, to this grave sin, and becomes a "man of lashon hara," it is known that it is the way of a man like this, who speaks demeaningly, constantly, of his friend, to assemble people to him and to defend his words until they are enticed to accept his lashon hara. And, sometimes, they also become thereby bearers of lashon hara against that man and against others. Now if we stop to consider the greatness of the sin of this man of lashon hara, words do not suffice. For aside from corrupting himself, he also corrupts all those who "walk in innocence" and who are enticed by his wicked words. For through him they become accepters of lashon hara and speakers of lashon hara. And sometimes much falsehood and levity is intermixed in what they relate, so that they also become part of the class of liars and scoffers. And certainly, all those who join this wicked company will be punished in the end. As Chazal have said (Makkoth 5b): "Scripture has punished accessories of transgressors." And they have also said: "Lashon hara kills three: the speaker, the accepter and the object [of the lashon hara]." And all of them [the speakers and the receivers] will be inscribed above as "a wicked company," as Chazal have said. Therefore, aside from the great punishment which will be exacted of him in the world to come, his punishment in this world is that he is not given an opportunity to repent. As Chazal have said (Avoth 5:18): "If one causes many to transgress, he is not given the opportunity to repent." Therefore, take great care, my brother, have pity and compassion on your soul and on the souls of the other people of Israel, and cease creating companies for Gehinnom by your wicked ways.

Therefore, if one wishes to cleanse his soul, let him reflect upon the greatness of the issur of levity in several respects. For aside from the fact that he [the mocker] sins himself, it [levity] being one of the four things because of which one does not receive the Shechinah, as Chazal have said (Sotah 42a), he also causes many to sin, bringing them to multiply mockery. And the punishment of causing many to sin is well known, it not being granted one to repent because of this, as Chazal have stated (Avoth 5:18). And, aside from all this, involvement in idle talk, even if it contained nothing forbidden, causes one to lose the time that he could have spent in Torah study and the acquisition of the world to come. And he gives the impression that he scorns the words of the L-rd and the reward of the world to come, as stated in Sanhedrin 99a on the verse (Bamidbar 15:31): "For he has scorned the word of the L-rd" — R. Nehorai said: ['This refers to] one who could have studied Torah but did not do so.'"

Rabbi Judah, the son of Tema, said, "Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, fast as a deer, mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in heaven" (Aboth 5:24). See how they warned that one make himself light and strong in order to fulfill the commandments! Thus did David say, "I made haste, and delayed not, to observe Thy commandments" (Ps. 119:60). Thus did our Rabbis expound : " 'And ye shall observe the matzot (Ex. 12:17), do not read it as matzot (unleavened bread), but read it is as mitzvot (commandments)" — meaning if an opportunity comes to you to do a good deed, do not let it grow stale but do it at once (Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, vol. I., p. 74). It is very necessary to be agile and alert and strong in order to strive against the wicked — to be mighty of heart as Moses, our teacher, when he said, "Put every man his sword upon his thigh" (Ex. 32:27). And to be like Phinehas of whom it is said, "And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear into hand" (Num. 25:7). Therefore, take care to be quick to separate yourself from the company of the wicked, so that you will not be part of their designs and their plans. Above all it requires zeal to do repentence. One must hurry and he should not delay to follow the paths of repentence, and let him not be wicked for even one hour before God, may He be Blessed. See how alert the servants and ministers of kings are in the performance of their duties. All the more so must we be careful to be alert in our service to the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He.

In the book Shushan Eydut the point is made that all the 613 commandments are an integral unit, similar to a garment knitted from a single thread. Any break in the thread threatens to destroy the entire garment, since it will unravel. It follows that if a person has failed to fulfill all the commandments he is incomplete, to say the least.

This love certainly must not be a "love which depends on something" (Avot 5:16). Namely, that one should love the blessed Creator, not because He bestows good to him and grants him wealth and success. Rather, it should be like the love of a son for his father, which is actually (mamash) a natural love, to which the son's nature compels and forces him to this. As scripture states: "is He not your Father, your Master?" (Devarim 32:6).

Behold, a man is obligated to guard all of the mitzvot in all of their fine details, doing so before any person, whoever it may be, and not be afraid or ashamed before him. Likewise, it is written: "I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Tehilim 119:46). And we also learned "be brazen as a leopard..." (Avot 5:2).

Behold, a man is obligated to guard all of the mitzvot in all of their fine details, doing so before any person, whoever it may be, and not be afraid or ashamed before him. Likewise, it is written: "I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed" (Tehilim 119:46). And we also learned "be brazen as a leopard..." (Avot 5:2).

A person could have sat idle and the decree would have been fulfilled (his designated portion would have come to him), had it not been preceded by the fine imposed on every human being: "by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread" (Gen.3:19), whereby a person is required to make some effort for obtaining his livelihood, for thus the exalted King decreed.

There is one who sits before a wise man and is silent and derives a reward for this, for example, one who intently sets himself to listen. And there is one who is silent, and derives a sin from his silence, for example, one who thinks, "Why should I speak before him, inasmuch as he does not know enough to answer me suitably; he does not know as much as I by a long way." And he should be very careful not to think thus, as our Sages said, "There are seven marks of an uncultured man, and seven of a wise man : the wise man does not speak before him who is greater than he in wisdom; and does not break in upon the words of his fellow; he is not hasty to answer; he asks in accordance with the subject matter, and he answers to the point; he speaks of the first thing first and of the last, last; concerning that which he has not heard, he says ; 'I have not heard'; and he acknowledges the truth — and the reverse of these are to be found in an uncultured man" (Aboth 5:7).

The words השכל וידוע אותי in that verse, mean that "when these attributes originate with Me, then they are something worth boasting about." The fact that the prophet seems to repeat himself by saying השכל וידוע, may be an allusion to the perfection of these attributes personified by our patriarch Jacob, of whom the Torah testified in Genesis 33,18, that he arrived at the city of Shechem שלם, perfect, which Rashi there interprets as whole in body, i.e. physical prowess, גבורה; whole in money, i.e. he was well satisfied with his lot, i.e. עשיר; and finally, whole in his Torah, i.e. he was a חכם. These three kinds of perfection or wholeness, are also described in Deut. 6,5, which tells us how to love G–d, i.e. בכל לבבך, ובכל נפשך, ובכל מאדך. The heart represents physical life, and it was Yehudah ben Teima who when he said "be mighty like the lion," referred to performing G–d's commandments with all the power of one's heart, according to the introduction of Tur Orach Chayim. When the Torah continues: “בכל נפשך,” the reference is to the abstract life-force, the mind. This means that the mind, which normally craves recognition, should be put at the disposal of G–d's commands. The expression "ובכל מאדך," refers to one's financial wealth, i.e. putting that which is normally subject to one's greed at G–d's disposal. We find that these attributes can be employed in one's relationship with G–d, since many of the commandments of religious ritual require the expenditure of money, such as contributions to Temple maintenance, purchase of communal sacrifices, etc. Other commandments require that one exerts one's body, such as all the laws involving forbidden foods. Still other commandments can be performed only if one uses one's mental faculties.

Let us now return to the way the Tabernacle corresponded to the act of creation. We know from Avot 5,1 that G–d created the universe with 10 directives. The deeper meaning of the ten directives is well known. When the Tabernacle was constructed we also find the number 10 prominent both when describing part of the walls as well as when describing the coverings forming the ceiling of the Tabernacle. Exodus 26,1 commences with the instruction to make the Tabernacle of ten strips of cloth. Similarly each of the boards used for the walls was to be ten cubits high. The Holy Ark was ten handbreadths high, including one cubit for the thickness of its lid. This may be the reason that in the reference to the Holy Ark in Psalms 132,8: אתה וארון עוזיך the word עוזך is spelled with the extra letter י. [Our texts do not have the extra letter י, neither here nor in Chronicles II 6,41. Ed.] The Talmud Yuma 21 states that the site on which the Holy Ark stood was not included in the measurements of the Temple or Tabernacle. This too is an allusion to the concealed nature of the Ineffable Name of G–d which was present within the Holy of Holies between the wings of the cherubs on the lid of the altar. We allude to this in the קדושה prayer when we recite: ברוך ה' ממקומו, "Blessed the glory of the Lord from its abode." [its invisible site Ed.] The table was also 9 handbreadths high, above which was a golden frame 1 handbreadth high. So here too the number ten was prominent. The candlestick with its seven arms and a knob, cup, and flower on each arm again featured the number ten. Here too we find that the Torah refers to: תיעשה המנורה "the candlestick shall be constructed" (Exodus 26,31) the word תיעשה being unaccountably spelled with an extra letter י. The golden altar was twelve handbreadths high, corresponding to the twelve permutations in which the Ineffable Name can be spelled. The copper altar was square, five cubits long and five cubits deep. This corresponded to the number five mentioned in the ספר היצירה. Its height, however, was ten cubits.

This is described in verse 14 where the prophet says: כאשר שממו עליך רבים כן משחת מאיש מראהו ותוארו מבני אדם. "Just as the many were appalled at him, so marred was his appearance, unlike that of man, his form beyond human semblance." The מראהו מאיש the appearance unlike man that the prophet speaks of refers to Moses. The תוארו, "semblance" refers to Moses after his forehead radiated light. Alas, during the many generations which form the subject of the verse described by the prophet he was אחד מן העם, just like one of the common people. The whole of chapter 53 in Isaiah commencing with מי האמין refers to Moses and graphically describes his experiences; he even shared a grave outside the Holy Land as did the wicked people of the generation of the Exodus. When verse 12 speaks of: לכן אחלק לו ברבים this is an allusion to Moses' being involved in the סוד העיבור "the secret of possible existence" [my translation. Ed.] of all these generations who were "wicked people" compared to him. Moses will receive some reward in respect of each of these generations because of his share in whatever merits any generation accumulated. This is how we must understand the Mechilta Beshalach 15,1: that Moses was "equal" to all of the people of Israel. He provided spiritual input into every generation following him because G–d involved him in the סוד העיבור. When Isaiah 53,12 speaks about: ואת עצומים יחלק שלל, "He shall receive the powerful ones as his spoils," the meaning is none other than that G–d directly will give Moses his reward, whereas the other righteous people will receive it by way of Moses. The prophet goes on to say: תחת אשר הערה למות נפשו, "because he exposed himself to death," i.e. in each and every one of the generations since he died until the advent of the Messiah. Perhaps the fact that G–d repeated his name during their first encounter at the burning bush (Exodus 3,4) [unlike when the angel called to Abraham in Genesis 22,11, where the Torah has a line separating the two names i.e. אברהם৷ אברהם. Ed.] maybe an indication that there will be a "Moses" in every generation. When Isaiah continues: ואת פשעים נמנה, והוא חטא רבים נשא ולפשעים יפגיע, "and he was numbered among the sinners, whereas he bore the guilt of many and made intercession for sinners," this means that the final forgiveness of these sinners will be achieved through Moses' intercession. Thus far the comments in the writings of Rabbi Chayim.

When Eliezer examined who would be a suitable match for Isaac, he tested Rebeccah for precisely these traits. He did not have to examine Rebeccah concerning jealousy, seeing that Isaac had already been consecrated and could therefore never marry a slave girl, as distinct from Abraham. Rebeccah would therefore never have cause for that kind of jealousy. This is why he only examined whether Rebeccah was generous of heart and whether she was humble and modest. The signs that he determined this by are listed in 24,14. Rebeccah demonstrated generosity of spirit when she not only gave water to Eliezer and his men but also to his camels, and when she immediately volunteered lodging once she had been asked whether there was room in her house. When she responded to the question in 24,23: "is there room in your father's house ללין (to spend one night)," she offered lodging for more than one night, i.e. ללון. Rebeccah demonstrated her modesty when she addressed Eliezer as "my lord," and hastened to comply with his request for personal service. As soon as Eliezer noted this, he said "this girl is suitable for the house of an Abraham," and he viewed her like a lily amongst thorns; Laban was her exact opposite, just as Bileam was the exact opposite of Abraham. All of Laban's fawning on Eliezer was only so as to receive a generous monetary reward.

כי בי-ה ה' צור עולמים . This means that the universe, i.e. the עולם הבא, was created with the letter י, whereas the עולם הזה, the material world, was created with the letter ה. The Mishnah in Avot 5,1 already told us that G–d created the universe with ten מאמרות, directives. The first of these was אחדות, Unity, as we will explain later. The term דביקות, attachment, refers to something that is ongoing, everlasting, as we know from Deut.4,4, ואתם הדבקים בה' אלוקיכם, חיים כולכם היום, "you who have been cleaving to the Lord your G–d are all alive this day." The material world was created by five מאמרות, i.e. the letter ה. Our sages in Rosh Hashanah 21b, say that 50 שערי בינה, "gates of understanding," were created, and that Moses was given all of them except one. We know this because it says of Moses "ותחסרהו מעט מאלוקים," that You have made him only a little less than divine" (Psalms 8,6). In the introduction on his commentary on the Torah Nachmanides (Chavell edition page 3) describes this statement as meaning that all parts of creation such as the minerals, the various categories of vegetation, animal life and even human life, each required a special שער בינה by means of which they were brought into existence. This process continued until possession of an advanced שער בינה would enable a person to understand the psyche of fellow human beings, enable him to divine if his counterpart was a thief, an adulterer, etc. and even enable him to know if someone else who was suspected of disobeying the laws of ritual impurity concerning sexual relations with a menstruant woman was in fact guilty of such misconduct. Beyond that, a still higher שער בינה would give such a person access to knowledge about the motions and functions of the stars and planets. The total number of such שערי בינה is fifty, the fiftieth being reserved for the Creator alone, who had not revealed that potential to any creature. The wording in the Talmud, נבראו, "they have been created," suggesting that they had not remained only in the realm of G–d Himself, need not be understood literally, as the Talmud was concerned with describing what happened to the majority of these שערי בינה. So far Nachmanides. I personally, feel that the 50th שער בינה, an all embracing potential called hiyuli, primordial is the creative potential which has been withheld from any human being. Nachmanides possibly has this in mind when he refers to the verse in Psalms 33,9: “הוא אמר ויהי,” He said and it came into being."

In order to appreciate the dimension of holiness Isaac represented, it is fitting that we first see what the Zohar says on the subject of the עקדה. When Abraham was about to slaughter Isaac, the latter's soul flew away to be replaced later by a holy spirit from the Celestial Regions. It follows then that Isaac's life after the עקדה, was the life of a human being who had not originated from a drop of semen. We must view Isaac as someone re-born in consequence of that experience: a totally new creature. G–d had applied the strictest yardstick to him by letting him die, and subsequently by infusing him with a new soul. He had also sanctified his body; from that time on Isaac's body resembled that of אדם הראשון, also not the product of a drop of semen. Now we understand also why the ram which Abraham sacrificed in lieu of Isaac was not the product of natural procreation, i.e. through semen, but was created during the period of dusk on the sixth day of Creation as reported in Avot 5,6. When Genesis 22,13 describes this ram as והנה איל אחר נאחז וכו' "and here a ram after was caught, etc.," this means that this ram was created after all the other mammals had already been created and had procreated. The word אחר therefore is to be understood in the same sense as the same word when Abraham said to the angels אחר תעבורו. Isaac teaches us about G–d's very first objective when He set out to create this universe which would develop to become as perfect as He envisaged it.

He prayed for the דבקות to become manifest already before the conquest of the land of Canaan. As long as Israel carries out G–d's wishes this affinity exists, and the name of G–d as well as the throne of G–d is complete. When Israel sinned with the golden calf, one of the four supports of G–d's throne, i.e. the פני השור, "slipped," causing G–d's throne and His name to become impaired. As long as Israel carry out G–d's desires, they are the carriers of the Presence of G–d, they serve as the throne. As long as such a situation continues they are called אדם, i.e. they represent the פני אדם mentioned in Ezekiel's vision as one of the four carriers of G–d's throne (Ezekiel 1,10). The study of the Torah is one leg of the four legs supporting G–d's throne, the one called פני השור. This is based on ורב תבואות בכח השור (Proverbs 14,4). Our sages have said that one should apply oneself to Torah study as an ox applies himself to the yoke (Avodah Zarah 5). When it comes to the practical performance of what is written in the Torah one should behave like a lion and an eagle, as we know from Rabbi Yehudah ben Teyma in Avot 5,20. The Rabbi refers to the sharp eye possessed by the eagle and the courage possessed by the lion, a function of the heart. The Torah itself warns us not to allow our eyes and our hearts to make us stray from the path of Torah (Numbers 15,39), evidence that these two organs are of prime importance in carrying out G–d's commandments. Should Israel fail to live up to these obligations, also these two legs of G–d's throne would collapse.

Such considerations also enable us to explain the Mishnah in Avot 5,8, that the Jewish people experienced ten miracles while the Temple was standing. The list includes such things as that no woman suffered a miscarriage due to the odour of the flesh of the sacrifices which was burned up on the altar, and that the meat itself never turned putrid. No fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse of the Temple; no unclean emission ever befell the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. The rain never extinguished the fire on the wood pile of the altar; the wind never prevailed over the column of smoke that rose from the altar; no disqualifying defect was ever found in the Omer, the two Shevuot loaves, nor in the show-breads. The people stood closely pressed together and yet found ample space to prostrate themselves; no snake or scorpion ever caused injury in Jerusalem, and no man ever said to his fellow: "There is too little room for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem."

Such considerations also enable us to explain the Mishnah in Avot 5,8, that the Jewish people experienced ten miracles while the Temple was standing. The list includes such things as that no woman suffered a miscarriage due to the odour of the flesh of the sacrifices which was burned up on the altar, and that the meat itself never turned putrid. No fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse of the Temple; no unclean emission ever befell the High Priest on the Day of Atonement. The rain never extinguished the fire on the wood pile of the altar; the wind never prevailed over the column of smoke that rose from the altar; no disqualifying defect was ever found in the Omer, the two Shevuot loaves, nor in the show-breads. The people stood closely pressed together and yet found ample space to prostrate themselves; no snake or scorpion ever caused injury in Jerusalem, and no man ever said to his fellow: "There is too little room for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem."

When G–d told Abraham in 22,12 אל תשלח ידך אל הנער ואל תעש לו מאומה, "do not raise your hand against the lad and do not do anything to him," Abraham was stunned, fearing that maybe Isaac was found blemished, not worthy as a sacrifice. It was then that G–d took Abraham into His confidence, explaining that when He had said in 21,12 כי ביצחק יקרא לך זרע, "for through Isaac your seed will be known," that had only referred to part of Isaac, i.e. ב. Now, after the עקדה, however, when Isaac has been cleansed of any unworthy parts, My promise refers to כל יצחק, all of Isaac, i.e. Isaac's entire personality qualifies to be your descendant. When Abraham receives a "second" message from G–d in 22,15, this is merely to assure him that G–d will certainly not change or qualify any promise He had made to him, and that the soul that inhabited Isaac's body now was שנית, a second one, his original soul having ascended to Heaven. It was because of the ריח ניחוח of the ram that Abraham slaughtered that Isaac's soul could ascend to Heaven, seeing that that ram had been a heavenly creature having been created at dusk of the sixth day of creation, as we know from Avot 5,9. The physical body of Isaac, who had been born of semen, was also replaced with sacred flesh. This is why he was forbidden to leave the holy soil of the land of Canaan.

When the Torah was given the Ten Commandments corresponded to the ten directives G–d issued when He created the universe (Avot 5,1). You find that the numerical value of כסא, i.e. G–d's "throne," equals that of the word אנכי, the first word in the Decalogue. Both equal 81. When Moses ascended Mount Sinai, he encountered the hostility of the angels who opposed his wanting to take Torah to earth, and when he displayed fear of the angels G–d told him to hold on to His כסא (Shabbat 88). Midrash Tanchuma on Deut 33,2, views the words ואתה מרבבות קודש, as indicating that G–d descended at the time of the revelation at Mount Sinai supported by an entourage of twenty thousand angels.

Avot 5,13 discusses four basic attitudes amongst people, i.e. the one who says: "what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours." Such an attitude is called "average" by some, and extremely negative, i.e. the attitude of the people of Sodom, by others. The second attitude is that of people who say: "What is mine is yours, but what is yours (by the same token) is mine." This attitude is categorised as that of an ignoramus. The third attitude: "what is yours is yours, and what is mine is yours (at your disposal) also," is described as the attitude of the pious; finally, there is an attitude which proclaims: "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine also;" this is the attitude of the wicked.

Avot 5,13 discusses four basic attitudes amongst people, i.e. the one who says: "what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours." Such an attitude is called "average" by some, and extremely negative, i.e. the attitude of the people of Sodom, by others. The second attitude is that of people who say: "What is mine is yours, but what is yours (by the same token) is mine." This attitude is categorised as that of an ignoramus. The third attitude: "what is yours is yours, and what is mine is yours (at your disposal) also," is described as the attitude of the pious; finally, there is an attitude which proclaims: "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine also;" this is the attitude of the wicked.

Let me try and explain part of the mystique of the story of Creation, and in the process reveal part of the mystery of two of G–d's names, namely the ineffable four-lettered name [the author uses the letter ד in his spelling instead of the letter ה] i.e. א-ד-י-ד and the same name i.e. אדי"ד, with the letter ו added. Rabbi Aushiyah had quoted Proverbs 8,30 at the beginning of Bereshit Rabbah in which this name occurs twice: ואהיה אצלו אמון ואהיה שעשועים, יום יום משחקת לפניו בכל עת. Although the acts of creation described in Proverbs in that chapter clearly refer to the creation of the physical universe, the language implies allusions to the spiritual universe. If the Mishnah in Avot 5,1 tells us that the physical universe was created by ten מאמרות, directives issued by G–d, the same applies to the creation of the Spiritual Universe. Already Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra comment on the Torah's description of גן עדן and the four rivers issuing forth from it which preceded it, that the language of the text also implies what went on in the heavenly regions.

Let me now explain the significance of the various ages as mentioned in the ערכין legislation. Our sages (Rosh Hashanah 2b) have said that a single day is considered as a whole year [under certain circumstances, such as a king who was appointed on the last day of the month of Adar. Ed.]. By applying the same rationale, i.e. that there is a cut-off date which determines who or what belongs to a certain year, we can view the Torah's statement מבן חודש עד בן חמש שנים, as a reference to a five year old, since no change in the evaluation takes place until after that child is over five years old. The same applies to people between the ages of five and twenty. They are viewed as if they were twenty years old. Once a person is over twenty and qualifies for military service, he is considered as if he were sixty years old, [the age at which military duty terminates. Ed.] During these years a person's value is considered at its maximum, and his value is based on the number י-ה, i.e. ten times five=50 shekel. A female of the same age group is evaluated at thirty shekel based on a calculation of ו-ה, six times five=30 shekel. Between the ages of five and twenty, the period during which a male is supposed to wed a woman, he is evaluated as 20 shekel which is expressed in terms of the letter י spelled as a word, i.e. יוד=20. A female of the corresponding age group is also evaluated in terms of the letter י but in her case we spell the number ten as a letter, i.e. י instead of as a word. Her value is therefore determined as being ten shekel. Since the method of writing a letter as a word is called מילואים, and the full spelling of the word יוד is achieved by the addition, i.e. מלוי, of the letters ד-ו, there is a clear symbolism here, seeing that woman is to man is what ד-ו is to י. We find a sort of confirmation of this analogy in an Aramaic proverb quoted by the Talmud Kiddushin 41a: טב למיתב טן דו מלמיתב ארמלו, "better for (two) to dwell together than to live (alone) as a widow." A woman views herself as man's complement. We therefore find that man and woman together are still considered under the concept of י, i.e. either as regular י, or as יוד במילואו. A similar calculation applies when either of the male or the female is between the ages of five and twenty. They are then evaluated under the concept of ה. When the Torah describes the value of the male as five shekel and the value of the corresponding female as three shekel, the "three" is alluded to as a complement to the male in "three" ways.