Si uno aprende de su amigo un capítulo o una halajá o un verso o una palabra o incluso una letra, debe otorgarle honor. Porque así encontramos con David, rey de Israel, quien aprendió de Achitofel solo dos cosas y lo llamó su maestro, su maestro y su preceptor, como está escrito (Salmos 55:14): "Y tú (Achitofel), un hombre de mi respeto, mi maestro y mi preceptor ". Ahora, esto no sigue a fortiori, a saber: si David, rey de Israel, que aprendió de Achitofel solo dos cosas, lo llamó su maestro, su maestro y su preceptor.—entonces uno que aprende de su amigo un capítulo o una halajá o un verso o incluso una letra, ¡cuánto más debería darle honor! Y no hay honor sino la Torá, como está escrito (Proverbios 3:35): "Los sabios heredan honor" y (Ibid 28:10): "Y los perfectos (en la Torá) heredarán el bien", y hay no "bueno" pero la Torá, a saber. (Ibid. 4: 2): "Por una buena adquisición te he dado— no abandones mi Torá ".
Rashi on Avot
Or one utterance: of good reasoning, as next to the verse, "But it was you, a man my equal," is another verse adjacent (Psalms 55:15), "Which together we sweetened counsel." As Achitophel had found David sitting alone and involved in Torah [study]. He said to him, "Why are you studying alone? And has it not already been stated (Jeremiah 50:36), 'A sword is upon the fabricators (badim) and they shall become foolish' (- a sword is upon Torah scholars that sit one by one (bad vebad) and are involved in Torah [study], etc.", and see Berakhot 63b.) And again another time he found him entering his House of Study with an upright posture. He said to him, "And has it not already been stated (Leviticus 19:30), 'and revere My holy place' - that a man should enter there with reverence, so that the fear of Heaven be upon him." And so [too], it states (Psalms 55:15), "in the house of God shall we walk with emotion (beragesh)" - [which is here] an expression of awe and fear. And some say (that [David] went alone into the House of Study and [Achitophel] said to him, "'In the house of God shall we walk beragesh' is it written, since a person is obligated to enter there with a group of people" - and ragesh [here] is an expression of gathering, as in (Psalms 2:1), "Why have the nations gathered"), because it is written (Proverbs 14:28), "In the multitude of people is there splendor for the king."
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
One who learns from his fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, is obligated to treat him with honor; for so we find with David, king of Israel, who learned from Ahitophel no more than two things, yet called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend, as it is said, “But it was you, a man mine equal, my guide and my beloved friend” (Psalms 55:14). Is this not [an instance of the argument] “from the less to the greater” (kal vehomer)? If David, king of Israel who learned from Ahitophel no more than two things, nevertheless called him his master, his guide and his beloved friend; then in the case of one who learns from his fellow one chapter, or one halakhah, or one verse, or one word, or even one letter, all the more so he is under obligation to treat him with honor. And “honor’” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “It is honor that sages inherit” (Proverbs 3:35). “And the perfect shall inherit good” (Proverbs 28:10), and “good” means nothing but Torah, as it is said, “For I give you good instruction; do not forsake my Torah” (Proverbs 4:2). This mishnah teaches that one who learns even the smallest amount of Torah from someone else, must treat him with honor. This lesson is learned from King David’s treatment of Ahitophel. Ahitophel was David’s adviser, who betrayed him when Absalom, David’s son rebelled and claimed the kingship (See II Samuel 15:12). When Absalom did not take his advice to immediately wage war on David, Ahitophel committed suicide (17:23). According to rabbinic aggadah (legend), Ahitophel was a great sage, but came to an dishonorable end due to his excessive honor. Psalms 55:13-15 is understood as being a lament by David referring to Ahitophel (this is even how the ancient Aramaic translation, targum, translates the verse). David refers to Ahitophel with three titles of respect, due to the mere two things that Ahitophel taught him. According to various legends found in rabbinic literature these two things are: 1) That the Levites should carry the ark on their shoulders and not on a cart (see II Samuel 6:3-8); 2) That he could write the name of God on a piece of clay in order to prevent the primal waters from rising (this is a legend found in Sukkah 53b). If David, King of Israel treated Ahitophel, who only taught him these two things, with such honor, all the more so must a normal person treat those from whom he learns with respect. The mishnah ends with two midrashim. The first teaches that honor is equated with Torah and the second teaches that goodness is also equated with Torah. Keep in mind that this whole chapter is about the supreme value of the Torah.
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Derekh Chayim
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Rashi on Avot
"But it was you, a man my equal": important like me.
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Rashi on Avot
"my intimate": my sage, as in, 'people that are sages and intimates.'
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Rashi on Avot
If David, King of Israel: made Achitophel - who was an evildoer and not fitting for this - a teacher and a guide because of two things, all the more so should a common man who learns from his fellow - who is not an evildoer - [similarly honor him].
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Rashi on Avot
And there is no honor except Torah:, meaning to say, "except for the Torah." And it is not referring to [the phrase,] "treat him [with honor]". And this is what it is saying - "there is no honor that comes to a man except for involvement in Torah [study].
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Rashi on Avot
"The wise shall inherit honor": And why do they inherit honor? Because they study Torah and inherit it like a bequest.
