Mishnah
Mishnah

Kabbalah for Pirkei Avot 5:9

חַיָּה רָעָה בָאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא, וְעַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם. גָּלוּת בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעַל גִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל הַשְׁמָטַת הָאָרֶץ. בְּאַרְבָּעָה פְרָקִים הַדֶּבֶר מִתְרַבֶּה, בָּרְבִיעִית, וּבַשְּׁבִיעִית, וּבְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית, וּבְמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה. בָּרְבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר עָנִי שֶׁבַּשְּׁלִישִׁית. בַּשְּׁבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי מַעְשַׂר עָנִי שֶׁבַּשִּׁשִּׁית. וּבְמוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית, מִפְּנֵי פֵרוֹת שְׁבִיעִית. וּבְמוֹצָאֵי הֶחָג שֶׁבְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה, מִפְּנֵי גֶזֶל מַתְּנוֹת עֲנִיִּים:

Savage beasts come to the world because of vain [i.e., unneeded] oaths, desecration of the Name, [i.e., transgressing blatantly in public, or being seen by others, who emulate one's deeds]. Exile comes to the world because of idolators, illicit relations, bloodshed and (not) leaving the land idle [i.e., plowing and sewing on the sabbatical year]. In four periods pestilence increases: in the fourth year (of shemitah), and in the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the festival (of Succoth) of every year. In the fourth year, because of (omission of) the poor-tithe of the third year. [For in place of the second tithe of the other years of shemitah, in the third and in the sixth years the poor-tithe is given]. In the seventh year, because of (omission of ) the poor-tithe of the sixth year. At the conclusion of the seventh year, because of (profanation of) the fruits of the seventh year, and at the conclusion of the festival of every year, because of theft of the gifts of the poor: [leket, shikchah, peah, peret, and oleloth].

Or Neerav

It was taught: Rabbi Simeon said to the colleagues: “How long will we sit in a place of one pillar? As it is written: It is time to act for the Lord (Ps. 119:126). ‘The days are short and the lender presses’ (Avot 5:9). All day the [divine] decree cries out, and they that harvest the field are few. They are the ‘ripe’ [grapes] of the vineyard, and they do not look and do not know properly where they are going. Enter, O colleagues, into the threshing floor (‘idra), dressed in armor and [bearing] spears. Hurry your preparations in counsel, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, with sight, with [strength] of hands and feet. Make king over you He who has life and death in His power. [That He may] decree words of truth, words which the higher holy ones hear and are glad to hear and know.”
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