Il avait coutume de dire: cinq ans pour (apprendre) les Écritures. [Ceci est dérivé de arlah (fruit défendu), à savoir. (Lévitique 19:23): "Trois ans il vous sera interdit… (24): Et la quatrième année, tout le fruit sera saint pour la louange au Seigneur." (A ce stade) son père lui apprend la forme des lettres et des signes voyelles. (25): "Et la cinquième année tu pourras manger son fruit, pour augmenter pour toi son produit." Désormais, bourrez-le comme un bœuf!], Dix ans pour Michna. [Il apprend les Écritures pendant cinq ans et Mishna pendant cinq ans, à savoir. (Chullin 24a): Le maître a dit: Tout étudiant qui n'a pas fait de progrès dans sa Michna après cinq ans, ne le fera plus, comme il est écrit (Nombres 8:24): "C'est ce qui s'applique aux Lévites. l'âge de vingt-cinq ans et plus viendra pour entrer en service pour travailler dans la tente de réunion. " Il apprend la halachoth du service pendant cinq ans, et, à trente ans, il travaille.], Treize ans pour mitsvoth, [il est écrit (Nombres 5: 6): "Un homme ou une femme s'ils font de tout le péchés de l'homme "et, en ce qui concerne (l'épisode de) Shchem, (Genèse 34:25):" Et deux fils de Jacob, Shimon et Lévi, les frères de Dinah, prirent chacun son épée, etc. " Lévi à cette époque avait treize ans et il est appelé "un homme"], dix-huit pour la verrière (du mariage). ["Adam" ("homme") est écrit dix-neuf fois dans la paracha de Bershith— de (1:26): "Et D.ieu dit:" Faisons un homme "jusqu'à (2:22):" Et le L rd D.ieu façonna le côté qu'il avait pris de l'homme en femme " —une fois pour (le sens ordinaire) lui-même, en laissant dix-huit pour expliquer («derashah»).], vingt ans pour poursuivre [un gagne-pain. Après avoir appris les Écritures, la Michna et la Gemara, et avoir pris une femme et engendré des enfants, il doit poursuivre sa vie. Ou: «vingt ans pour l'avoir poursuivi» du ciel et le punir pour ses actes, le tribunal céleste ne punissant pas celui qui a moins de vingt ans.], Trente pour la force, [les Lévites installant le tabernacle et le démontant et chargeant les wagons et portant sur leur épaule dès l'âge de trente ans], quarante ans pour comprendre, [car après quarante ans qu'Israël était dans le désert, Moïse leur dit (Deutéronome 29: 3): "et le Seigneur ne vous a pas donné un cœur pour savoir et des yeux pour voir et des oreilles pour entendre jusqu'à ce jour. "], cinquante ans pour le conseil, [étant dit des Lévites (Nombres 8: 25-26):" Et depuis l'âge de cinquante ans, il reviendra du service de l'œuvre, et il ne servira plus. Et il servira ses frères. " Quel service? Counsel.], Soixante ans pour la vieillesse, à savoir. (Iyyov 5:26): "Vous irez à la tombe dans la vieillesse (bekelach):—la gématrie (équivalent numérique) de "bekalach" est de soixante.], soixante-dix ans pour vieillesse, [il est écrit à propos de David (I Chroniques 29:28): "Et il mourut dans une bonne vieillesse, et les jours de sa vie furent de soixante-dix ans. "], quatre-vingts ans pour la force, [il est écrit (Psaumes 90:10):" Et si avec des 'forces', quatre-vingts ans. "], quatre-vingt-dix ans pour s'incliner ( shuach) [Il marche courbé et penché. Certains y voient un rapport à "shuchah amukah", "une fosse profonde"], cent ans— comme s'il était mort, décédé et disparu du monde.
Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations
As soon as this giant was weaned he commenced to busy his mind, in his infancy he commenced to think by day and by night, and would encounter this enigma: How is it possible that this planet should continuously be in motion and have no leader—and who, indeed, causes it to revolve, it being impossible that it should revolve itself? Moreover, he neither had a teacher nor one to impart aught to him, for he was sunk in Ur of the Chaldeans among the foolish worshipers of stars, and his father, and his mother, like all the people, worshiped stars, and he, although following them in their worship, busies his heart and reflects until he attains the path of truth, and, by his correct thinking, he understood when he finally saw the line of righteousness. He knew that there is One God; He leads the planet; He created everything; and in all that is there is no god save He. He knew that the whole world was in error, and that the thing which caused them to err was, that their worshiping the stars and the images brought about the loss of the truth from their consciousness. And, when Abraham was forty years old he recognized his Creator. After he came to this comprehension and knowledge he started to confute the sons of Ur of the Chaldeans, and to organize disputations with them, cautioning them, saying: "This is not the true path that you are following", and he destroyed the images, and commenced preaching to the people warning them that it is not right to worship any save the God of the universe, and unto Him alone it is right to bow down, to offer sacrifices, and compound offerings, so that the creatures of the future shall recognize Him. Moreover, it is right to destroy and break in pieces all of the images, so that the whole population of the future be not led to an error like unto these who imagine that there is no God save these images. When he had them subdued by his well supported contentions, the king tried to put him to death, but he was saved by a miracle, and went hence to Haran. There he stood up anew and called out in a great voice to the whole world, to let them know that there is One God for the whole universe, and unto Him it is proper to render service. And thus he went onward with his proclamations from city to city, and from government to government, until he attained the land of Canaan amidst his outcry, even as it is said: "And called there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God" (Gen. 21.33). When the people who congregated about him asked him concerning his preachments, he replied by imparting knowledge to each and every one according to his mentality, to the end that he was able to turn him to the path of truth, until there congregated about him thousands, even tens of thousands, and they became the people of Abraham's household, in whose heart he implanted this great cause, concerning which he compiled books, and which he imparted to his son Isaac.3Nedarim, 32a. C. Isaac, from his seat of learning, gave instructions and admonitions. And Isaac, in turn, imparted it to Jacob and appointed him head master, who, at his seat of learning, gave instructions and supported all who flocked to him. And Jacob our father instructed all his sons, but separated Levi and appointed him head master, and established him in a seat of learning where to instruct in the path of the Name and in the observance of the charges of Abraham. He, moreover, commanded his sons not to interrupt the succession of the sons of Levi to the presidency of the school so that the learning be not forgotten. So did the movement advance intensely among the sons of Jacob and their followers that the world saw a God-knowing nation called into existence, until Israel spent a long time in Egypt, when they turned to be instructed in their practice and to worship the stars as they did, save only the tribe of Levi, which remained faithful to their ancestorial charge; for the tribe of Levi at no time worshiped stars. Verily, in but a short space of time, the root which Abraham had planted would have been uprooted, and the sons of Jacob would have turned to the universal error and wandering; save because of the Lord's love for us, and because He observes the oath of covenant with Abraham our father, He appointed Moses our Master lord of all prophets, and made him His messenger. After Moses our Master was endowed with prophecy and the Lord chose Israel as an inheritance, He crowned them with commandments, and made known to them the way to serve Him, and what will be the judgment rendered against idolatry and all its erring devotees.3
And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times (Kiddushin 36b), and a person is obligated to be involved with it from when it is fitting for him, and this is the age which the Sages (Avot 5:21) designated to marry a woman. And this commandment is not incumbent upon women. And one who negates it violates a positive commandment; and his punishment is very great (Kiddushin 29b), as he shows that he does not want to fulfill God’s will to settle His world.
“And his merit endureth forever” (Ps. 112:3). This refers to one who brings merit upon the community, for instance he teaches the God-fearing the correct preparation of phylacteries1Ketubah 50a. enabling them to assist others. If you brought merit upon the community and a transgression presented itself to you, but you mastered your desire and were rescued from it be not proud of it. Not because of the completeness of your heart were you rescued but God withheld you from sinning against Him because you brought merit on the community.2Aboth 5:21.