פירוש על אבות 1:15

[*KEEP YOUR TORAH FIXED. Rav: do not rule stringently for yourself and leniently for others or stringently for others and leniently for yourself. This runs counter to the opinion of the house of Rabban Gamliel, who were descendants of Hillel, as will be made clear later on. They used to rule stringently for themelves and leniently for others, as in the mishna in Beitzah, 2:6 and in Eduyot 10:3.]

Shammai says, "Make your Torah fixed": As they said in The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan 28:10, "Anyone who makes his Torah [study] primary and his work secondary is made primary in the world to come. And anyone that makes his Torah [study] secondary and his work primary will be made secondary in the world to come. This means to say, even though he did not do a sin, but he did not make Torah primary - even if he was (fit) to be in the Garden of Eden, he will be secondary there.

He said to make Torah study the center and the main thing and your other affairs secondary to it - whether they turn up or whether they not turn up, since there is no damage [from their] absence. And they said (Bava Metzia 87a), "The righteous say little and do much" - like our father, Avraham, who designated one loaf of bread and brought "curds and milk and a calf" (Genesis 18:8) and three seah of fine flour. "And evildoers say much and do not do even a little" - like Efron who gave everything [away] in his words, but in practice did not even leave one small coin from the [purchase price].

And [the explanation of Rabbi Bartenura] is not like the opinion of House of the father of Rabban Gamliel, who was from the House of Hillel, as per later. Since behold, they were strict, etc.

”Make your Torah fixed”: such that your main occupation during the day and the night be Torah [study] and when you are weary from study, do work. And not that your main occupation be work and when you are free from work, you involve yourself in Torah. And I have found it written, “'Make your Torah fixed' such that you are not strict on yourself and lenient on others or strict on others and lenient on yourself, but [rather] your Torah should be fixed, for yourself like for others. And so is it stated in Ezra 7:10, 'Since Ezra prepared his heart to expound the Torah of the Lord and to do [it] and to teach the Children of Israel; as he prepared his heart to do, so too did he teach the Children of Israel.'"

Introduction This mishnah contains Shammai’s teaching. Note that the mishnah contained several teachings of Hillel and only one of Shammai. This demonstrates how much more dominant Hillel and his school were in the world of the rabbis.

AND GREET. See Rav’s commentary to 3:12 and my commentary there.

"say little and do much": When you promise your friend to do something for him, tell him a little and do much for him, and that is in the way of ethics and piety. And we have learned [it] from our father Avraham, peace be upon him, as it is written (Genesis 18:5), "And let me fetch a morsel of bread"; and afterwards (Genesis 18:8), "And he took curds and milk and the calf, etc." Another explanation: "say little and do much" - and that is a lofty virtue. And our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, learned it from the blessed Holy One, blessed be He, who only promised with two letters, as it is stated (Genesis 15:14), "I will judge (dan, a word which is written with only two letters); and delivered them with twenty seven words, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 30:14), "Or has any god ventured to go and take for himself one nation from the midst of another, etc." And about this Rabbi Saadia Gaon, my his memory be blessed, said, "If in promising our fathers with two letters, he did for them many miracles and wonders; [with] the salvation in the future to come about which have been written many pages and many manuscripts and many books of promises and many consolations in Jeremiah in the Prophets, how much the more so will it be that His actions will be more wondrous than that which He promised - 'our soul knows this well.' And a person should know and consider the matter and to put into his heart that there will be a great reward for him because of the promises" (HaEmunot veHaDeot 8:1).

"a pleasant countenance": That is when he interacts with the creatures calmly and with pleasant and welcome words.

”say little and do much”: as we find by Avraham, our father, peace be upon him, who first said (Genesis 18), “and I will get a morsel of bread,” and in the end, “and he took a tender and good young cow."

Shammai used to say: make your [study of the] Torah a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and receive all men with a pleasant countenance. Shammai had a reputation for being severe, perhaps even irritable. This is exemplified in the famous story of a non-Jew who came before him and asked him to teach him the whole Torah on one foot. Shammai promptly threw him out of the study hall, whereas Hillel eloquently told the non-Jew, “‘love your neighbor as yourself’, the rest is all commentary, go and learn.” Despite Shammai’s reputation, his teaching does not laud such qualities, but rather Shammai emphasizes that one should act pleasantly to others. Shammai’s first statement is that a person should make his Torah learning a fixed practice. In other words, he should not study only in his spare time, when he finds a free moment, but set aside fixed times to learn, and make them the focal point of his life. Another interpretation of this line is that when someone learns something new, he should make it a fixed part of his consciousness and not allow himself to forget what he has learned, so that he could teach it to others. The second statement is that one should speak little and do much. This is learned through the example set by Abraham, who told his guests that he would bring them “a morsel of bread” (Genesis 18:5). In the end, Abraham brought them much more than a morsel of bread; he brought them butter and milk and a calf which he had prepared (vs. 8). The third statement teaches that when one helps others he must do so cheerfully. Visiting the sick, giving charity to the poor, welcoming guests into one’s home and giving presents to friends must all be done with joy, for if he does so with a downcast face, his good deed will be spoiled.

"and receive every person with a pleasant countenance": That he show them a happy face, so that 'the spirit of creations find pleasure from him.' Another explanation: "and receive" - that he should distance himself from the trait of anger which is a very bad trait and conduct himself with the trait of good will, in such a way that people will be satisfied with him. [This is] proper and well-accepted. About this our sages, may their memory be blessed, said in the way of ethical teachings, "Do you want to be liked? Like that which you don't like." As a person cannot accomplish that the people of the world will like him if he does not forego his traits. And if he does not forego his wants for the sake of their wants, he must negate his will for the sake of the will of others. And with this, he will have many friends and guard himself from the injuries of people. As they will hate and seek to hurt one who shows them an angry face.

"and receive every person with a pleasant countenance": When you bring in guests to your home, do not give to them while 'your face is buried in the ground;' as anyone who gives and 'his face is buried in the ground' - even if he gave all of the gifts in the world - it is counted for him as if he did not give anything. Shammai gave three warnings, corresponding to three virtues that Yirmiyahu mentioned: wise, strong and wealthy. Corresponding to wise, he said, ”Make your Torah fixed;” corresponding to wealthy, he said, ”say little and do much;” and corresponding to strong, he said, "receive every person with a pleasant countenance" - that he should conquer his inclination [to do bad] and fight against his wicked heart. And we have learned, "Who is a mighty one? The one who conquers his inclination."