Commentaire sur Avot 5:10

FOUR TYPES OF PEOPLE: HE WHO SAYS, WHAT’S MINE IS MINE, ETC. The mishna is not discussing giving tzedakah, for the types of people who give tzedakah are discussed in mishna 13. It is speaking simply of benefitting from people’s possessions.

There are four temperaments, etc.: the one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" He is not generous, but he is good in that he 'hates presents.' And it is difficult. As how can they say that this is an [average] temperament? And is not someone who prevents himself from giving charity completely wicked? And [granted] that it is true that according to the one that says that it is the temperament of Sodom, it comes out well - as it is stated (Ezekiel 16:49), "Behold this was the sin of your sister, Sodom, etc.; she did not support the poor and the needy." Rather, it is dealing with one who gives charity from fear of God, however his nature is to be stingy. And hence since he 'supports the poor and the needy,' what does his nature matter to us - the actual temperament (in practice) is [average]. "And some say that it is the trait of Sodom" and that its source is very bad, since his nature is to be stingy. But [regarding] if he 'does not support the poor and the needy at all,' everyone agrees about this that he is completely wicked and that it is the temperament of Sodom.

Behold it is elucidated in this statement that the pious one is one who multiplies good deeds - meaning to say that he inclines a little towards one of the two extremes. And it is also elucidated for you that one who has vices of the soul is called evil - meaning to say that he inclines towards the extreme that is extraneous, as we have explained in the fourth chapter (Eight Chapters 4). As the one who wants that he should have his money and the money of someone else has much desire and he is called evil.

"What is mine, etc.": We are not speaking about givers of charity - as those we teach later [in] Mishnah 13 - but rather about benefit in general.

"What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours": "I do not want to give you benefit, and would you only not benefit me."

There are four types of character in human beings:
One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character.
[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am;
[One that says:] “mine is yours is yours is yours” is a pious person.
[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.
The Mishnah now begins to list things that come in fours.
One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type: a person who acts in this way is not pious, for he does not give of his own to others, but neither is he wicked for he is careful not to take others property.
And some say this is a sodom-type of character: Some say that this is the way that the people of Sodom acted. When the angelic visitors visited Lot in Sodom, the people of Sodom were angered by Lot’s generosity (Genesis 19:5). Ezekiel states, “Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). We see that one of the cardinal crimes of the people of Sodom was their lack of generosity, especially when contrasted with the generosity and hospitality of Abraham.
The commentators also point out that one who does not want to give of himself to others will eventual never want to give anything to others, even if it costs him nothing.
[One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz): One explanation is that this literally refers to the “am haaretz”, which literally translates as the “people of the land”, who live in partnership on the land. There is no concept of ownership amongst this type of people, and therefore they don’t recognize any border between what is theirs and what belongs to others. In a positive manner, we could state that they share everything equally. Others explain this as having a negative connotation, and “am haaretz” refers to an uncivilized, unlearned, almost barbaric people.
[One that says:] “mine is yours is yours is yours” is a pious person: A person who does not want to ever take of others’ property but does want to give to others is truly pious, for he gives without expecting anything in return.
[One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person: He is wicked for he wishes to take and not give anything in return.

AND WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE—THIS IS AN AM HA`ARETZ. Rav: this is how to settle the land. Specifically when one wishes to benefit from others’ possessions with their consent. For if done without their consent, even if he wishes to benefit them as well he is a regular thief and the ultimate evildoer, and the Sages here were speaking about proper behavior and weren’t dealing with thieves, who are wicked—Midrash Shmuel in the name of Ramah.

"what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" - [that's an] am ha'arets (literally, a man of the land): Because this one wants the improvement of the world, he is called a man of the land. As he wants to give and to take, since love increases among them through this. And even if this is a good trait for the improvement of the world, this is not from wisdom. As one who 'hates presents shall live.' And the good temperament is to give but not to take.

And [when the mishnah speaks about mutual benefit, it is] specifically if he wants to benefit from the possessions of others with their knowledge. As if it is without their knowledge - even though he wants to also benefit them - he is a total thief and you can have no greater evildoer than this. And the sages, may their memory be blessed, only spoke about [normative] temperaments and they did not speak about the robber and the thief, who is an evildoer - Midrash Shmuel.

And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom: The thing is close to coming to the temperament of Sodom. As since he gets accustomed to this, he will not want to give benefit to his fellow - even with something that benefits his fellow and he does not [lose anything as a result]. And this was the temperament of Sodom. As they were intending to stop sojourners from among them, even though the land was broad-shouldered in front of them and they did not lack anything.

WHAT’S MINE IS YOURS AND WHAT’S YOURS IS YOURS—THIS IS A PIOUS PERSON. Not that he gives away all he owns, for the Sages say (Ketubot 50a) that even one who gives freely should not give more than a fifth of what he has in order that he not give too much and be forced to depend on others. Rather, the mishna is discussing one who gives the proper amount—Maharal in Derech Chaim.

"what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- [that's an] am ha'arets (uneducated person, literally the people of the land): who benefits and gives benefit equally, and this is [for] the [advancement of] the inhabitation of the land. But he doesn't know the verse (Proverbs 15:27) which writes, "and the one hates gifts will live." And this is the [meaning] of the expression, am ha'arets, in every place - that he wants the refinement of the land but he does not have the wisdom to distinguish [what are] proper refinements.

a pious person: Not that he scatters everything that he has, as behold, they said, "The one that scatters, let him not scatter more than a fifth" - so that he not scatter more than [that which is] enough and he perforce become dependent on the creatures. But rather we are talking about one who foregoes according to what is fit - Derekh Chaim.

"what is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours": He gives benefit to the creatures from his possessions, but he does not benefit from others.

a pious person: that goes beyond the [letter of the] law.