Commento su Pirkei Avoth 2:10
הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְאַל תְּהִי נוֹחַ לִכְעֹס. וְשׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ. וֶהֱוֵי מִתְחַמֵּם כְּנֶגֶד אוּרָן שֶׁל חֲכָמִים, וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּגַחַלְתָּן שֶׁלֹּא תִכָּוֶה, שֶׁנְּשִׁיכָתָן נְשִׁיכַת שׁוּעָל, וַעֲקִיצָתָן עֲקִיצַת עַקְרָב, וּלְחִישָׁתָן לְחִישַׁת שָׂרָף, וְכָל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ:
Dicevano tre cose [in derech eretz, in mussar e in middoth (poiché nelle aree del proibito-autorizzato, esente da responsabilità, dicevano molte cose. O, in queste tre aree, c'era sempre una "perla" nella loro bocche.)] R. Eliezer dice: Lascia che l'onore del tuo amico ti sia caro come il tuo e non ti commuova facilmente nella rabbia. [cioè, quando è possibile? Quando non ti commuovi facilmente alla rabbia. (Questa è una cosa; perché se ti commuovi facilmente alla rabbia, è impossibile non indebolire l'onore del tuo amico.)] E pentirti un giorno prima della tua morte. [Questa è la seconda cosa. Poiché poiché non si sa quando morirà, si pentirà oggi per non morire domani.] E riscaldarti al fuoco dei saggi. [Questa è la terza cosa.], Ma fai attenzione al loro carbone [per non essere storditi davanti a loro] di non essere bruciato [cioè, in modo da non essere punito attraverso di loro]. Perché il loro morso è il morso di una volpe, [che è molto difficile da guarire. Poiché i suoi denti sono piccoli, storti e inclinati, e il chirurgo taglia la carne con un bisturi per allargare il morso], e la loro puntura è la puntura di uno scorpione, [che è peggio del morso di un serpente], e il loro la parola è il sibilo di un serpente infuocato. [che brucia quando sibila. In alternativa: il serpente infuocato non deve essere incantato come lo sono altri serpenti, come è scritto (Salmi 58: 6): "Non ascolta la voce degli incantatori". Quindi, uno studioso della Torah. Se lo si oppone e si arriva a placarlo, non viene (facilmente) placato], e tutte le loro parole sono come carboni ardenti.
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
YOUR FRIEND’S [Heb. chaver]80 Chaver can mean either “friend” or “colleague.” This ambiguity played a role earlier in 1:6. HONOR SHOULD BE AS DEAR TO YOU AS YOUR OWN. This does not disagree with the mishna later in 4:12, which says that “your friend’s honor should be as dear to you as the awe of your master,” because that mishna is discussing colleagues in Torah study—Maharal in Derech Chaim.
Midrash Shmuel notes that there are versions that have “your student’s honor” here. He writes: we cannot possibly read “your friend’s honor should be as dear to you as your own” because in that case, someone who does not naturally care for his own honor need not concern himself over his friend’s honor, and that certainly is not the case. King David says as much in the verse “one who considers himself as disgraceful and disgusting, but who honors those who fear G-d” (Psalms 15:4). But for a student it is completely appropriate to say “your student’s honor should be as your own,” because the master needn’t honor the student more than he honors himself. But this point does not bother me, for when the tanna says that “it should be as dear to you as your own” he is addressing people whose own honor is dear to them, for which reason he does not say more concisely81In Hebrew this proposed wording is slightly shorter, and the idea is less complicated. that “your friend’s honor should be in your eyes as your own” but chooses the longer “your friend’s honor should be as dear to you as you own.” This point is also evident from mishna 12 of this chapter, in which Rabbi Yossi says “your friend’s money should be as dear to you as your own.” Would anyone interpret this to mean that a spendthrift who throws away his money may similarly spend and throw away his friend’s money? It is clear that Rabbi Yossi is addressing those whose money is dear to them and not spendthrifts, and in our case he is likewise addressing those whose honor is dear to them.
Midrash Shmuel notes that there are versions that have “your student’s honor” here. He writes: we cannot possibly read “your friend’s honor should be as dear to you as your own” because in that case, someone who does not naturally care for his own honor need not concern himself over his friend’s honor, and that certainly is not the case. King David says as much in the verse “one who considers himself as disgraceful and disgusting, but who honors those who fear G-d” (Psalms 15:4). But for a student it is completely appropriate to say “your student’s honor should be as your own,” because the master needn’t honor the student more than he honors himself. But this point does not bother me, for when the tanna says that “it should be as dear to you as your own” he is addressing people whose own honor is dear to them, for which reason he does not say more concisely81In Hebrew this proposed wording is slightly shorter, and the idea is less complicated. that “your friend’s honor should be in your eyes as your own” but chooses the longer “your friend’s honor should be as dear to you as you own.” This point is also evident from mishna 12 of this chapter, in which Rabbi Yossi says “your friend’s money should be as dear to you as your own.” Would anyone interpret this to mean that a spendthrift who throws away his money may similarly spend and throw away his friend’s money? It is clear that Rabbi Yossi is addressing those whose money is dear to them and not spendthrifts, and in our case he is likewise addressing those whose honor is dear to them.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
They said: The students of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rambam on Pirkei Avot
And do not be easy to anger: Do not prepare yourself to anger and irritability. And they have already gone far in disgracing anger and irritability. And the strongest of their words is their saying (Shabbat 105b), "Anyone who gets angry is as if he worships idols." And they made it adjacent to his saying (Psalms 81:10), "You shall have no foreign god, you shall not bow to an alien god" - meaning to say that the two things are one.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"As your own": And he is not arguing with that which we learn later in Chapter 4, Mishnah 12, "the honor of your friend like the fear of your teacher." Since over there, it is [dealing with] friends (colleagues) in Torah [study] - Derekh Chaim.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
They said three things: about proper comportment (derekh erets), ethics and character traits. As they said many things regarding the matter of what is forbidden and what is permissible, and what is exempt and what is liable. And also (another explanation is), these three things they would be accustomed to always have in their mouths.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Introduction
The Mishnah now begins to list the sayings of the students of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakai, each of whom said three things. The first student is Rabbi Eliezer. The second half of this mishnah is not part of the original list but a later addition to the mishnah. This is why there are actually four sayings in the mishnah.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
BEWARE OF THEIR COALS. Rav: do not treat them with frivolity. Rambam: when you come together with the sages, do not be playful or arrogant in their presence. When in their presence, act in such a way as lets them understand that you will allow yourself to be drawn near to them when they decide to draw you near. And do not attempt to draw closer to them than they draw you themselves, that you not ruin their designs for you and turn their love to contempt, at which point you will not receive the benefit you had hoped for. The tanna compares this to someone warming himself at the fire. If he maintains his distance, the fire will warm him, and if he draws too near, he will get burnt.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
three things: They said many, many things. But rather it wants to say that each one was accustomed to saying three things everyday - like the matter that they said (Berakhot 17a), "It is a pearl in the mouth of Rav" - about things that are always needed.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rambam on Pirkei Avot
and repent one day before your death: And [since] he does not know when he will die - maybe today or maybe tomorrow - all of his days will be in repentance. But his saying, "And warm yourself by the fire of the sages," is not from their words with which he educated them, but rather is what he heard from someone else but he would [nonetheless] recount it. And because of this it was not counted among his [three] things. And the intention of this command that he is telling you is that when you associate with the sages and with men of virtues, do not be playful with them and do not be arrogant towards them, but let your association be to let them know that you will approach them at the time that they will bring you close. And do not add to come closer to them than that which they have brought you close - that you not lose their intention about you, and you reverse their love to hate and the benefit that you hoped to get from them not reach you. And he compared this to one who warms himself by the fire - as if he sits far from it, he will enjoy its heat and get benefit from its light. But if he is negligent with himself and continues to get closer to it, he will get burnt and the benefit will turn into damage. And this is the content of his saying metaphorically, "And warm yourself by the fire of the sages, but be cautious around their coals that you should not be burned." And afterwards he added to frighten about this and he said, "Do not think that if they bite you with their tongues that you will come back and appease them with your words and they will be appeased." As truly they will not listen to the voice of a charmer like the Seraph does not listen to it, as it stated (Psalms 55:6), "Which does not hear the voice of charmers." And you should know this from the matter of Gechazi in that which he was audacious in front of his teacher, Elisha, and who fell into a disgusting disease, as is elucidated from the words of the sages about the matter of the four men who were "leprous" (metsuarim). And so [too] with Rabbi Yehoshua ben Perachiah and with all of them is the damage that came to them elucidated - and with others that 'burnt their stew.'
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
And this is the language of Rambam: When you associate with sages and with people of lofty virtue, do not be playful with them and do not be arrogant towards them, but [rather] let your association show them that you will approach at the time that they will bring you close. And do not go on to come closer than that which they bring you close; so that you not lose their intention towards you and turn their love into hate, and the virtue from them that you hope for will not reach you. And he compared this to one who warms up with a fire; that if he sits far from it, he will enjoy its heat, but if he goes on approaching [it], he will get burned.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"The honor of your friend should be as dear to you as your own": And when is this? When you are not easy to anger. As if you are easy to anger, it is impossible that you will not degrade the honor of your friend. Behold that is one saying. "And repent one day before your death" - behold two. And the third is "warm yourself by the fire of the Sages, etc."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own: this is similar to the famous saying of Rabbi Akiva, “what is hateful to you, do not do to others.” A person should be as careful about the honor of his fellow as he is about his own honor. Another explanation of this statement is that if one sees that his close friend is being honored, instead of being jealous of his friend, he should enjoy that honor as if it was his own. And be not easily provoked to anger: according to the rabbis, anger brings one to sin and to forget one’s Torah learning. And repent one day before your death: since a person does not know when he will die, this statement means that one should constantly be repenting, lest he die. One commentator explains that this is the reason that people do not know how long they will live. If a person knew he was about to die, he would not engage in anything useful in this world; if he knew his day of death was far off, he would not engage in good works, for he would say, “There is still time”.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
FOR THEIR BITE IS LIKE A FOX’S, THEIR STING IS LIKE A SCORPION’S, AND THEIR HISS IS LIKE A SNAKE’S. Meaning that sometimes they do a full act of damage, which is like a bite, specifically like the bite of a fox which is difficult to treat; sometimes they do a partial act of damage, which is merely like a sting, specifically a scorpion’s sting; sometimes they only damage through speech, which is like the hiss of a snake. This is what seems correct to me. [*But I also think these terms are epithets for the various types of excommunication. We find the sages of the Talmud using epithets, such as “he would bring you sparks of fire” in Bava Metzia 47a, and “I would split your leg with an iron club” in Bava Kamma 81b. The terms in our mishna are likewise epithets for various kinds of excommunication.]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Rabbi Eliezer says: The honor of your friend should be as dear to you as your own: We have learned the laws of the way of the world (derekh erets) here: He should seek the honor of his friend and desire that they honor him, as he desired his own honor. And this is the way of ethics.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"for their bite, etc.": Which is to say that sometimes they hurt with a full act, and this is like a bite, etc. And sometimes when they hurt it is without a full act, and that is only like a sting, etc. And sometimes they only hurt with speech and he said that this is like the hiss of a Seraph. It also appears to me that these expressions are nicknames for [various types of] rabbinic excommunications, as we have found nicknames [for such things] in the gemara.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"repent one day before your death": Since a person does not know when he will die, he should repent today, lest he will die tomorrow.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire. If a person comes to learn Torah, he must treat that Torah as if it were a dangerous, yet beneficial fire. Just as a person who sits by a campfire sits as close as he can without getting burned, so too a student of Torah should draw as near as possible without coming too close and thereby being burned. Mixing his metaphors, Rabbi Eliezer likens the words of the sages to the bite of a fox, the sting of a scorpion, the hiss of a snake and flaming coals. This mishnah points out the awesome power of Torah, which can both heal and warm a person, and yet at the same time burn and destroy.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THE HISS OF A SNAKE. Rashi: it hisses with its mouth, siffler in French, the way that geese hiss at one another.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and do not be easy to anger: It is known that the trait of anger is very bad, however it is the nature of people to be pulled in by it. Hence he said that perforce sometimes be careful of anger, so that you not be easy to anger - since your will will desire anger: Weigh in the scales of your intellect if this thing is fit to get angry about. And if you find (that if) [any] argument to remove your anger, [use it and] negate it. But if it is a thing that is fit to be angry about regardless, then your anger will be with you (you can allow yourself to get angry). And this is what Shlomo - peace be upon him - stated (Ecclesiastes 7:9), "Don’t let your spirit be quickly angered, for anger rests in the laps of fools" - he meant to say, do not be quick to anger, but rather with deliberation and only for a great need. And do not do like the fool, who - because anger resides in his lap - hurries to get angry and does not know to subdue his spirit. And [he does this] even with something that he does not need anger for; even though he knows that he will spoil [the matter] as a result of his anger, he will nonetheless not restrain his spirit. [He is] like the snake which, according to some of the sages (Sanhedrin 78a), has venom in its teeth - and [so] when he bites, the venom goes out automatically and the snake does not need to discharge it. So [too] is anger in the lap of the fools - it is found there [and] goes out automatically. And this is what the sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Eruvin 65b), "By three things is a person known: his cup, his wallet and his anger."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
As the verse before it ends, "like a deaf python closes its ear."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"be cautious around their coals": not to treat them with lightheartedness.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
SNAKE [Heb. saraf]. Rav: this snake cannot be charmed the way other snakes are, as the verse says, “which does not listen to the voice of charmers” (Psalms 58:6). The point is that the preceding verse finishes “like a deaf viper that stops up its ear” (ibid. 58:7). Rav continues: so, too, if you quarrel with a sage and attempt to appease him he will not be appeased. Rambam adds: this can be seen from the case of Gehazi, who quarreled with his master Elisha and fell into the degrading illness of leprosy, as the Sages expounded (Sanhedrin 117b) on the matter of the four lepers, and from other cases as well, in all of which they clearly suffered afterward.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and repent one day before your death: One should repent today, lest he die tomorrow. And since he does not know the day of [his] death, it comes out that all of his days will be in repentance. And this is that which is stated (Ecclesiastes 9:8), "At all times, let your clothes be white." These three things are a pearl in the mouth of Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenos, as they are things that are always needed by every man.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
And you know this from the matter of Gechazi, who protested in front of his teacher, Elisha, [and] fell into a disgusting sickness, as is explained in the words of the sages about the matter of the four leprous men. And so [too] with others; and with all of them, the damage that they received is explained - Rambam
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"that you should not be burned": such that you not be punished through them.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AND THEIR WORDS ARE ALL LIKE BURNING COALS. Even the slightest one of them, for in transgressing them one breaches the boundary the Sages have set. Let us take the prohibition of secluding oneself with a single woman. A single woman is assumed to be ritually impure due to menstruation, because the Sages interpret the phrase “in her impurity” (Leviticus 15:33) to mean that a menstruating woman remains impure until she immerses in water (Shabbat 64b).82And the assumption is that single women do not go to the mikveh to immerse. [And the mishna in Niddah 3:5 considers a day-old baby already legally capable of becoming impure.] But the rabbinic prohibition of seclusion applies even to a single woman who has gone and immersed herself, because the prohibition was “seclusion with a single woman”—whether pure or impure—Rashi.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And warm yourself by (keneged) the fire of the sages: The explanation of keneged [here] is close [to].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"like burning coals": even the lightest of the light [among them], as he [would be] breaching the words of the sages. For example, seclusion with a single [woman]: As an undifferentiated woman is [considered to be] a menstruant, as it is stated, "she will be in her menstruation" - until she goes in the waters. And the sages made a decree [about a single woman] even if she immerses, as behold they decreed about seclusion with a single [woman], making no difference whether she is pure or whether she is impure - Rashi.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"the bite of a fox": Its healing is difficult, as its teeth are thin, crooked and twisted. And [so] the physician must take out the flesh [that was bitten] with a scalpel, and enlarge the [scar of the] bite.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
but be cautious around their coals that you should not be burned: It is a metaphor of the one that warms himself by the fire: If he stands far from it as is fit for him, it comes out that he benefits and is not burned. But if he approaches too closely, it comes out that he gets burned. So [is it with] the one who warms himself by the fire of the sages and benefits from their wisdom - he must stand in front of them with awe, fear and seriousness of mind. And he should not act lightheadedly in front of them. And he should not approach them more than they have brought him close, as this trait pushes him away and makes him liable for a big punishment. And it is not necessary to say [that this is the case] at the time when [the sages] stumble in a matter of sin.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"the sting of a scorpion": [which is] worse than a snake's bite.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
for their bite is the bite of a snake, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion: And lest it come into your mind that you can seduce him in the [same] way that we whisper to (charm) the snake and he does not bite; the matter is not like that. Rather their bite is the bite of a snake, but their whisper is the whisper of a viper that does not listen to the voice of whisperers (charmers).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"their hiss": [meaning,] their words.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and all of their words are like burning coals: (The editor said, "According to what appears, there is a word missing here, but the matter is understood") And to say, "I also have a living spirit and I will make arguments like him." But [you should be concerned that] the wisdom is not in your hand, lest you are mistaken in your argument. As their words are chosen and there is sharpness in their biting wisdom that is inside of them. And this thing is not from the three things that are counted that Rabbi Eliezer said, as he did not say it every day. And one time that he places into his heart to be careful about the honor of the sages is enough for him for a long time; as it is not something that needs reminding every day, like the first three.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"the hiss of a Seraph": It is like the breath that comes form the mouth of a Seraph, which burns while he hisses. A different explanation: this seraph-snake does not accept hisses (to charm him) like other snakes, as it written (Psalms 58:6), "Which will not listen to the voice of charmers." Thus [too] is the Torah scholar - if you upset him and come to appease him, he will not accept appeasement.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy