Commento su Pirkei Avoth 2:12

YOUR FELLOW’S PROPERTY SHOULD BE AS DEAR TO YOU AS YOUR OWN. Cf. what we wrote on mishna 10.

Rabbi Yosi says: The money of your friend should be as dear to you as your own: To fulfill the command of its owner.

We have already explained in the eighth chapter (Eight Chapters 8) the matter of preparation and readiness that is needed for a person to prepare himself for the virtues. And we explained in the fifth chapter (Eight Chapters 5:8) the matter of his saying, All of your actions should be for the sake of Heaven..

As such did the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, expound on the verse, "will not move from your mouth and from the mouth of your seed and from the mouth of the seed of your seed, etc." And Rabbi Yosi comes to let us understand that these words apply when he prepares himself for it, [then] they will be established in him more than in another. But if not, [then] not.

"Prepare yourself to study Torah": Such that you not say, "Since my father was a sage and the father of my father was a sage, the Torah will come back to its lodgings, and I do not need to seek after it."

Rabbi Yose said:
Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own;
Make yourself fit to study torah for it will not be yours by inheritance;
And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of heaven.
Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own: a person should take care of his fellows’ property as it were his own. For instance, if you see a fire on your friend’s property you must help him protect his property. This principle is learned from the Torah which teaches that one has a responsibility to return lost objects to their rightful owners. From here the general principle is deduced that a person has a responsibility over his friend’s property.
Make yourself fit to study torah for it will not be yours by inheritance: while the Torah might in some ways be the “inheritance” of the Jewish people it is not acquired automatically, the way that an inheritance is. Just because your father, or nowadays your mother, was a scholar of Torah does not mean that you will become one as well. A person must labor over Torah, and push himself to study.
This statement is also a statement against the concept of fate. A person is not born “fated” to be a Torah scholar, or indeed anything else. Rather a person works to shape his future; he must prepare himself for all that he will do in life. First and foremost, he must prepare himself to study Torah.
And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of Heaven: this means that even ordinary actions that a person does, such as eating, drinking, sitting down, getting up, walking, lying down, sexual intercourse, conversation and all bodily needs, should be done in such a way that serves God. All things that one does should lead to the improvement of his relationship to God and of his moral character.

PREPARE YOURSELF FOR TORAH STUDY, AS IT IS NOT YOUR INHERITANCE. Rav: you should not say that since your father and grandfather are sages the Torah will “return to its lodgings” and you need not seek it out. For the Sages have indeed expounded thus on the verse “they will not depart from your mouth, the mouth of your children, and the mouth of your children’s children from now on, forever” (Isaiah 59:21) in Bava Metziah 85a. R. Yossi informs us that this rule applies only to one who prepares himself for study, in which case he is more successful in his Torah study than others are. But one who does not, will not be.

Prepare yourself to study Torah: Prepare yourself with good traits so that you can study the Torah and reach the level of piety, as it stated (Avot 2:5), "An ignorant person cannot be pious." And this is what Shlomo, peace be upon him, stated (Proverbs 24:7), "Wise things are too lofty for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the gate." He wanted to say that [for] the fool wisdom is 'far and very high - who can find it.' And in the place where they determine the law and speak with wisdom, he muzzles his mouth - as he does not know [what] to answer. "He who has thoughts to do harm is called by men a master of plots" (Proverbs 24:7) - that you not say, it is because the fool's intellect is not (with intentions) [directed], that he is not wise; since he does not have the reasoning to know wisdom. As behold, he has thoughts to do harm and his reasoning is great and sharp to do evil to the point that he is nicknamed and they call him, "the master of plots." Rather the wisdom of Torah does not rest upon him because of the evil of his heart - as he has the vessel (mind) with which to receive it. Also included in "Prepare yourself to study Torah" is to minimize pleasures, so that he learn much Torah - as we have learned (Avot 6:4), "This is the way [to toil in] Torah: eat bread with salt and drink a small amount of water and sleep on the ground and live a life [whose conditions will cause you] pain and in Torah you toil." As one who increases luxuries will not have wisdom dwell within him - as they said, his neck is fat, (his koa) [his calf] is wide.

"All of your actions should be for the sake of Heaven": even at the time that you are involved in eating and drinking and in the way of the world (derekh erets), do not have the intention to give pleasure to your body, but rather that you should be healthy [in order] to do the will of your Creator.

for it is not an inheritance for you: And you will not acquire it if you do not exert yourself upon it. As it is not like an inheritance from the fathers, in which a child gets it without effort. And [even] if your fathers were sages or luminaries for several generations, don't think and say [that] the Torah will return to its [accustomed] guesthouse without any effort. And is 'the fruit of a righteous one a tree of life.' And the matter is not like this, but rather it is [only] 'to those that hold on to it and its supporters that are happy.' And the wisdom was only given to your fathers and you will not inherit them. And if you desire it, acquire it for yourself 'with the toil of your hands.' And if you do that, 'you will be happy and it will be good for you.'

All of your actions should be for the sake of Heaven: Even optional things like eating, drinking, sitting, getting up, walking, laying down, sexual relations, speech and all the needs of your body should all be for the service of your Creator or for something that leads to His service. How is it [with] eating and drinking? There is no need to say that he not eat forbidden things; [but] even if he ate and drank permissible things because he was hungry or thirsty - if he did this for the pleasure of his body, it is not praiseworthy unless he intended to fulfill the needs of his body and to eat in order to live to serve his Creator. Gluttonous eating will also do great evil; as the wise men of science have said that most illnesses are caused as the result of too much food and [that] a man should only eat to remove his hunger. And through this, he will guard his soul from distress and cause his body to be [in good] health. But he should not eat every time it is sweet to his palate, as the palate always desires to eat until his stomach is full - according to what a man can fill it. And through this, he will have every illness and ailment, and this is that which is stated (Proverbs 13:25), "The righteous man eats to satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked is lacking." As the stomach is only able to digest what it can hold; and when one eats and fills it until the palate no [longer] desires to eat, he makes the belly lack and destroys it - as the destruction of the belly is its lack. But the righteous person who eats to the satisfaction of his soul and only to remove his hunger, he sustains the body which the soul loves [in order] 'to do the good and the straight in the eyes of the Lord.' And the enlightened ones will understand. How is it [with] sitting, getting up and walking? There is no need to say that 'he not sit in a gathering of scorners and not stand in a place of sinners and not walk in the counsel of evildoers,' [but] even to sit in the council of the straight and to stand in the path of the righteous and to walk in the path of the innocent - if he did it for his own benefit and to fulfill the wants of his body and its desires, it is not praiseworthy; but [rather] only if he did [it] for the sake of Heaven. How is it [with] laying down? There is no need to say that at a time that he can be involved in Torah [study] and in the commandments and [instead] arouses himself to sleep to enjoy himself, that it is not fit to do so. But even at a time when he is weary and needs to sleep in order to rest from his weariness - if he does it for the benefit of his body, it is not praiseworthy; but [rather] only if it is to fulfill the needs of his body in order that he be able to serve his Creator and to give sleep to his eyes and rest to his body, for the needs of health and that his mind not break down in Torah [study] from the weariness. With sexual relations, there is no need to say that he not commit a sin. But even at the appointed time stated in the Torah, if he does [it] for the sake of the benefit to his body or to achieve his desire - behold, this is disgraceful. But even if he intended [it] so that he have sons that will serve him and fill his place, it is not praiseworthy; but rather only if it is that he have sons to serve the Omnipresent, may He be blessed, or that he intended to have sexual relations to fulfill the appointed time stated in the Torah - like who one pays off a debt to his creditor. How is it [with] speaking? There is no need to say [not] to recount evil speech and foulness of the mouth and similar to them. But even in recounting words of wisdom, his intention needs to be for the service of his Creator or for something that will bring him to His service. The principle of the matter is that a person is obligated to put his eyes and his heart to his ways, and to weigh all of his deeds in the scales of his mind. And when he sees that something brings him to the service of his Creator, may He be blessed, he should do it; and if not, he should separate from it. And so wrote Rambam, may his memory be blessed.