Shmayah and Avtalyon received it from them. [Shmayah and Avtalyon were righteous converts, of the descendants of Sancheriv. I heard it said that because Avtalyon was the av beth-din he was called by this name, which means "a father to the young ones," "talya" in Aramaic meaning "young," as in (Megillah 5b): R. Yochanan said: "When I was young (talya)," (Yevamoth 114a): "Let the young boy (talya) and the young girl (talyata) come." Here, too, "Avtalyon," the father of young orphans.] Shmayah says: Love labor. [Even if one has enough for his livelihood, he should work, for "idleness leads to lassitude" (Kethuvoth 59b).], and hate high station. [Do not say I am a man of eminence and work is demeaning to me, viz. (Pesachim 113a): Rav said to R. Kahana: "Flay a carcass in the marketplace and take pay (for it), and do not say: 'I am a distinguished personage and it is beneath me.'" Alternately: "And hate authority." Do not lord it over the people, for "lordship buries its practitioners."], and do not ingratiate yourself with the authorities (rashut) [in order to assume authority thereby. Or: Do not do so, so that they not turn you from your faith, as happened with Doeg the Edomite. (The authorities are called "rashut" (lit., "permit"), for they are "permitted" to do as they will.)]
Mesilat Yesharim
However, our sages of blessed memory, who always instructed us and guided us on the paths of truth said: "love work and hate Rabanut" (Avot 1:10), and further "flay carcasses in the marketplace and earn wages and do not say, 'I am an important man, I am a Kohen, [and it is beneath my dignity]'." (Pesachim 113a), and further "one should always hire himself out to work which is strange to him rather than be dependent [on the help] of others" (Bava Basra 110a).
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Mesilat Yesharim
HATING RABBANUT: Hating Rabbanut (authority over others) and fleeing from honor: This is an explicit Mishna (Avot 1:10): "love work, hate Rabbanut". They further said: "One whose heart is frivolous in handing down rulings is a fool, wicked and arrogant" (Avot 4:7), and "whoever chases after honor, honor flees from him" (Eruvin 13b), and "'Do not go out quickly to quarrel (Riv)' (Mishlei 25:8) - do not run after rulership, Why not? [the verse continues:] 'for what will you do in the end' (ibid), the next day people will put questions to you, and what will you answer them?" (Pesikta Rabati 22:4);
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Mesilat Yesharim
And our sages, of blessed memory, said "a sign of arrogance is poverty of Torah" (Sanhedrin 24a). And likewise they said: "a sign of not knowing anything is self-praise" (Zohar Balak 49b); and "one coin in a pitcher cries out 'rattle, rattle'" (Bava Metzia 85b); and "the barren trees were asked: 'why are your voices heard?' they replied: 'would that it were that our voices will be heard and we will be remembered'" (Bereishis Raba 16:3).
