Commento su Pirkei Avoth 1:5
יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אוֹמֵר, יְהִי בֵיתְךָ פָתוּחַ לִרְוָחָה, וְיִהְיוּ עֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי בֵיתֶךָ, וְאַל תַּרְבֶּה שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִשָּׁה. בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרוּ, קַל וָחֹמֶר בְּאֵשֶׁת חֲבֵרוֹ. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאָדָם מַרְבֶּה שִׂיחָה עִם הָאִשָּׁה, גּוֹרֵם רָעָה לְעַצְמוֹ, וּבוֹטֵל מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, וְסוֹפוֹ יוֹרֵשׁ גֵּיהִנֹּם:
Yossi ben Yochanan Ish Yerushalayim dice: Lascia che la tua casa sia spalancata, [come la casa di nostro padre Abramo, che la pace sia su di lui, che era aperta su tutti e quattro i lati, in modo che gli ospiti non dovessero fare un circuito per trovare il porta] e lascia che i poveri [di Israele] siano gli abitanti della tua casa, [—che non assume servitori (gentili) per servirlo. Meglio che gli ebrei traggano beneficio dai suoi beni e non dal seme del maledetto Canaan.], E non esagerare nel parlare con la donna. [Da "la donna" invece di "una donna" deriviamo dal fatto che hanno detto questo] della propria moglie; quanto più (vale questo) con la moglie del prossimo! [Altri spiegano che questo vale per sua moglie in uno stato di niddah, in modo che non venga al peccato stesso; ma la lingua della Mishnah sembra implicare che anche la moglie in uno stato di non niddah è intesa. E così i saggi (Chagigah 5b) hanno detto (Amos 4:13): "E dice a un uomo qual è il suo contrario"— Perfino il conversare superfluo tra un uomo e sua moglie viene raccontato a un uomo al momento del giudizio (ed è ritenuto responsabile per questo — a meno che non la predisponga all'atto di mitzvah [cioè, convivenza], come nell'istanza di Rav, che converserebbe e "giocherebbe" (con lei) e poi vivrà con lei] —da cui derivano i saggi: quando un uomo si impegna in conversazioni superflue con sua moglie, porta il male su se stesso. [Rabbeinu Hakadosh, che ha codificato la Mishnah, ha scritto: Dalle parole di questo saggio, che ha detto: "E non esagerare nel parlare con la donna", i saggi hanno insegnato che ogni volta che un uomo si impegna in conversazioni superflue con sua moglie porta il male su se stesso. (Ho trovato scritto che quando un uomo si riferisce a sua moglie: "Questo e questo è quello che mi è successo con quell'uomo", lei gli insegna a suscitare conflitti, come nel caso di Korach, che ha riferito a sua moglie che Mosè aveva "sollevato i leviti"— la sua risposta lo incitò a combattere.) Oppure, quando le dice che i suoi amici lo hanno umiliato e umiliato, anche lei lo disprezza nel suo cuore, e quindi porta il male su se stesso], e [preoccupandosi di parlare in ozio ,] trascura lo studio della Torah e, alla fine, eredita Gehinnom.]
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THEY WERE SPEAKING OF A MAN’S OWN WIFE. These are the words of Yossi ben Yochanan. For the dictum attributed to him was what he constantly emphasized, but he had learned it from his teachers,21And thus he could note that “they,” i.e. his teachers, whom he was quoting, were speaking of a man’s own wife. for all the dicta in this tractate are traditions going back to Sinai, as Rav writes at the beginning of this chapter. This is why Rav explains that the phrase “the Sages, basing themselves on this, said” was added by Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi,22Who came after R. Yossi ben Yochanan, and was commenting on the whole of the dictum, which was attributed to him. but does not say so about this phrase.23Which he must have understood as the words of R. Yossi ben Yochanan himself.
Midrash Shmuel writes that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi was the one who said “they were speaking of a man’s own wife,” and cites Rabbenu Ephraim as agreeing. He also writes that “the Sages said based on this” is something that sages coming after him added. We do find in Sotah 9:15 that the sages after Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi added to the mishna, for it says there “from the death of Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi onwards, etc.” What I find difficult with this is the words “they were speaking,” for were it Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi who was commenting on Rabbi Yossi ben Yochanan, he should have used the singular, “he was speaking,” and not the plural.
Midrash Shmuel writes that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi was the one who said “they were speaking of a man’s own wife,” and cites Rabbenu Ephraim as agreeing. He also writes that “the Sages said based on this” is something that sages coming after him added. We do find in Sotah 9:15 that the sages after Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi added to the mishna, for it says there “from the death of Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi onwards, etc.” What I find difficult with this is the words “they were speaking,” for were it Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi who was commenting on Rabbi Yossi ben Yochanan, he should have used the singular, “he was speaking,” and not the plural.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Yose ben Yochanan, man of Jerusalem, says, "May your home be open wide": Some say that [this means that] there be largess found in his house for needy people. Or the explanation is that his house be like the house of our father Avraham, peace be upon him - such that his house be on the road in a tight spot so that passers by should come in to there; and that it should be open on four sides, so that from all sides that they come, they will find an open door and they will turn into it, as Job stated (Job 31:32), "I opened my doors to the road."
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
"Open": That you should have a gate open to the path of wayfarers, such that every wayfarer that need something or is hungry or thirsty will enter the house immediately.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"any time, etc.": Whether when she is impure, since the speech brings to desire and the desire brings to action - and you can have no greater evil than this that he causes to himself; or whether she is pure, as it would have been better that during this time, he would be involved in words of Torah. And that is what it states, "and neglects the words of Torah" - Midrash Shmuel. And there is another precise textual variant [that reads], "Anyone who increases."
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"May your home be open wide": Like the home of Avraham, our father, may peace be upon him, which was open to the world’s four directions, so that guests would not need to go around to find the entrance.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Introduction
This mishnah contains the teaching of Yose ben Yochanan, the second Sage of the first “pair”. Midrash Shmuel makes an interesting note on the order of the chapter so far. Shimon the Righteous (mishnah two) stated that the world depends on three things: 1) Torah; 2) Worship (which is the same word as servitude); 3) acts of piety. Antigonus (mishnah three) spoke of servitude, Yose ben Yoezer (mishnah four) spoke of Torah and now Yose ben Yochanan will speak of acts of piety, namely helping the poor.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
ALL THE MORE SO CONCERNING ANOTHER MAN’S WIFE. Because of what people will suspect. So Rashi, according to Rav’s second explanation of “they were speaking of a man’s own wife”.24Rav’s second explanation understands “a man’s own wife” as referring to his wife when she is premitted him, i.e. not menstruating. The concern then is that one not spend so much time speaking to her as to be considered abandoning Torah study, not that one might commit a sexual transgression. If so, the concern over “another man’s wife” should be of a similar nature, i.e. not a sexual transgression, but gossip.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
"may the poor be members of your household": This is expounded in two ways. Instead of buying slaves and supporting them, he should use poor people and support them and he will not need to expend money. So that it comes out that he will profit and do a commandment (good deed). Another explanation: And also that the poor will be accustomed to his house and stay there without embarrassment, as a result of his showing them a happy face and giving them permission to everything that is his, like a man would give to his children and to the people of his home.
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
"may the poor be members of your household": He is saying that it is necessary that the servants be the poor and the indigent. And this is more fit than purchasing slaves. And so would the sages condemn the purchase of slaves and praise one whose servants and members of his household were the poor.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"may the poor be members of your household": And he should not acquire slaves to serve him. It is better that a Jew should benefit from his assets, and not the seed of the accursed Canaan.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Yose ben Yochanan (a of Jerusalem used to say:
Let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be members of thy household. If in the previous mishnah we learned that one should open his house to Sages, in this mishnah we learn that one should open his house to the poor.
Let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be members of thy household. If in the previous mishnah we learned that one should open his house to Sages, in this mishnah we learn that one should open his house to the poor.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
WHENEVER ONE SPENDS TOO MUCH TIME SPEAKING WITH A WOMAN HE BRINGS EVIL UPON HIMSELF. Midrash Shmuel: “Whenever,” whether she be menstruating or not, one should not speak with her excessively. If she is menstruating, speaking to her causes him to desire her and the desire translates into deed, and there is no greater evil one can bring upon himself than this. If she is not menstruating, then better to use the time one spends idling in idle talk to engage in Torah study. This is what they meant by and he abandons Torah study, when one spends too much time speaking to his wife even when she is not menstruating. This is what Rav means when he writes that from the words of the mishna it seems they meant even when his wife is not menstruating. And Rashi, when he writes that the mishna means even when his wife is not menstruating, concludes because he abandons Torah study.25 Rashi, as well as Rav (in his second explanation) and Midrash Shmuel, read the mishna as discussing a man’s wife even when she is not menstruating, and the problem with excessive speech as abandoning Torah study during the time of that speech itself. It is therefore essential that they read “whenever” in the text of the mishna, which will then read as “whenever one does this, he is unnecessarily desisting from Torah study.” The author will adduce a variant reading which will challenge this.
But I was brought a copy of the Mishna from the Land of Israel, containing the sections Zera`im, Kodashim, Taharot, and this tractate, and the text there had been corrected to read one who spends too much time speaking with a woman.26This makes the above interpretations more difficut, beause according to this variant it is not during the time one spends speaking to the woman that one abandons Torah study. Rather, one who does so will eventually abandon Torah study altogether.
But I was brought a copy of the Mishna from the Land of Israel, containing the sections Zera`im, Kodashim, Taharot, and this tractate, and the text there had been corrected to read one who spends too much time speaking with a woman.26This makes the above interpretations more difficut, beause according to this variant it is not during the time one spends speaking to the woman that one abandons Torah study. Rather, one who does so will eventually abandon Torah study altogether.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
"and do not increase conversation with the woman": As conversation with women brings one to thoughts of sin and neglect of Torah [study].
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
They so stated with his wife: It is known that the majority of talk with women is about matters of sex. Because of this, he said that increasing conversation with them is forbidden, since he "causes evil to himself." He means to say that he acquires lowly traits for his soul, and that is the abundance of desire.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
They so stated with his wife: Since he said "with the woman" and did not say "with a woman," we learn that they so stated concerning his wife. Some explain, "With his menstruating wife only, so that he should not come to be accustomed to transgression." But from the words of the Mishnah, it appears that [this applies] even when his wife is ritually pure. So too have our sages, may their memory be blessed, stated, "[God] tells a man what his conversation is, even light conversation between a man and his wife is told to him at the time of judgment," unless he needs to appease her for the sake of the commandment, such as Rav, who conversed and jested and fulfilled his needs (Hag. 5b).
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Engage not in too much conversation with women. They said this with regard to one’s own wife, how much more [does the rule apply] with regard to another man’s wife. From here the Sages said: as long as a man engages in too much conversation with women, he causes evil to himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit gehinnom. This section strikes a strongly misogynistic note. This Mishnah’s opinions on women does not (and in my humble opinion, should not) agree with our modern sensibilities. In our society women are treated as equals to men (or they should be treated as equals to men). Needless to say, women were not seen as equal to men two thousand years ago (or even 50 years ago!). We should keep in mind that women did not receive the education that men received, and in general were not considered to be as intelligent as men. Therefore it is not surprising that Yose ben Yochanan warns men to avoid talking to women. Talking to women was considered the antithesis of Torah learning, because they assumed that women could not talk Torah. If we were to translate the advice in this section to our situation, the advice is not to waste one’s time away with idle chat, for such chat limits the time that one has to learn Torah. Note that sections 2a-b are not from Yose ben Yochanan himself but rather are the words of later Sages appended to his statement. They both explain the statement and expand upon it.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
They so stated with his wife; all the more so with the wife of his friend. (Our master and teacher [Rashi] wrote, "As it is written in the Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan), "They said [this] about his menstruant wife, all the more so regarding the wife of his fellow." It means to say, that he not increase words with his menstruant wife, lest his impulse overcomes him and he comes to a mishap; and all the more so with the wife of his fellow, about whom his impulse pressures him even more. As if they said it with the one that will be permissible for him tomorrow - and it appears to him like 'bread in his basket' - all the more so with another woman, whom the impulse desires, as the matter that it stated (Proverbs 9:17), "stolen waters are sweet." But it appears to be explained according to its simple meaning, "They so stated with his wife," not to ever accustom her to [many] words, so that she not be found with him every day. As a man should not be with his wife for his pleasure, but [rather] to fulfill the commandment; so as to distinguish between man and beast, as they said in Tractate Berakhot 22a concerning a man with a nocturnal emission, "So that they not be with their wives like chickens." And that is the trait of separation which brings one to the highest levels, as we say (Avodah Zarah 20b), "Separation brings to purity."
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
"and neglects the words of Torah": It is understood that he wastes time with other occupations.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
from this, the sages said: Our holy master (Rabbi), who arranged the mishnahs, wrote [this]: From the words of this sage, who said, "Do not increase conversation with the woman," the sages learned to say, "Every time that a man increases conversation with the woman he causes evil for himself." I have found written, "When a man says to his wife his doings, ‘Such and such befell me with so and so,’ she teaches him to stir up trouble, like Korah, who told his wife what Moshe did, when he waved the Levites as a wave-offering, and her words brought him to an argument." And also (another possibility is) when he tells her that his colleagues insulted him and shamed him, she too despises him in her heart, and this causes evil for himself.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
From this, the sages said, "Any time that a man increases conversation with the woman, he causes evil to himself": [This] is to say, he causes the impulse that is called evil to overpower him, as we say (Kiddushin 30b), "Great is the evil impulse, that its Creator calls it evil, as it is stated (Genesis 8:21), 'since the devisings of man’s mind are evil from his youth.'" And this man caused evil to himself, as he gave it a place and an invitation to cling to himself, by way of conversation [with women]. And he went beyond the traits of other men, as the impulse sometimes overpowers them [also]; but without them doing something to cause [it], and it is not their own doing that brought the evil to begin with them.
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
"and, in his end, he inherits Geihinam": because of this conversation of rebellion, and he obligates himself in the punishment.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and neglects the words of Torah": As he is drawn after idle matters and does not occupy himself with Torah.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
"and neglects the words of Torah:" As the thought of Torah is not firm in his eyes so long as his heart is focused on the woman and upon her conversation, as they are two thoughts that the heart does not tolerate together.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
"and, in his end, he inherits Geihinam": As in the end, he comes to sin: Since he follows the whims of his heart and increases words, certainly (Editor's note: It appears that instead of "al panim" (certainly?), [it should be] with the woman - see Midrash Shmuel) he will sin and descend to the pit. And this is what Shlomo - peace be upon him - stated (Ecclesiastes 7:26), "I find woman more bitter than death; she is all traps, her heart is snares and her hands are fetters." This means to say that death removes him from the world - from the small life of the world - but woman destroys his soul for ever and ever. Behold, 'she is more bitter than death.' "She is all traps and snares": When a man observes a woman, he is caught in her net, which is her trap, and he cannot escape from her. As the man sees that which his heart desires and he does not see what will happen to him from her in the end of days. As the lyricist (R. Yehudah HaLevi) said, "The seduced dove travels in the wilderness; it sees the grain but it does not see the trap." "Her heart is snares" - when she desires a man in her heart, even if he does not desire her and it is [just] the bad fortune of this man that caused her to desire him. "Her hands are fetters" - because if she grabs him with her hands, he is already taken into the 'prison' and he no longer has a way to fix it. "He who is pleasing to God escapes her, and he who is displeasing is caught by her" (Ecclesiastes 7:26) as the Holy One, blessed be He, protects the righteous and does not present them something through which they might stumble; but the sinner, who does not distance himself from evil paths and whose heart is not complete, chances upon a matter like this.
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