Commento su Pirkei Avoth 4:22
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, הַיִּלּוֹדִים לָמוּת, וְהַמֵּתִים לְהֵחָיוֹת, וְהַחַיִּים לִדּוֹן. לֵידַע לְהוֹדִיעַ וּלְהִוָּדַע שֶׁהוּא אֵל, הוּא הַיּוֹצֵר, הוּא הַבּוֹרֵא, הוּא הַמֵּבִין, הוּא הַדַּיָּן, הוּא עֵד, הוּא בַעַל דִּין, וְהוּא עָתִיד לָדוּן. בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאֵין לְפָנָיו לֹא עַוְלָה, וְלֹא שִׁכְחָה, וְלֹא מַשּׂוֹא פָנִים, וְלֹא מִקַּח שֹׁחַד, שֶׁהַכֹּל שֶׁלּוֹ. וְדַע שֶׁהַכֹּל לְפִי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן. וְאַל יַבְטִיחֲךָ יִצְרְךָ שֶׁהַשְּׁאוֹל בֵּית מָנוֹס לְךָ, שֶׁעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹצָר, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹלָד, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה חַי, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה מֵת, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
Non voleva dire: il nato, il morire [cioè, chi è nato è già destinato a morire], e i morti, per vivere [sono destinati a vivere e sorgere per il giorno del giudizio —questi per la vita eterna e questi per la vergogna e per l'eterna infamia], per sapere [dagli altri], per istruire [gli altri], e per affermare [dentro di sé] che Lui, l'Onnipotente, è l'Artigiano, [essendo tutto il mondo nella sua mano come materia nella mano dell'artigiano, poiché] Egli è il Creatore [che ha creato l'intero universo ex nihilo, pertanto può farcela a suo piacimento], è il Comprendente [di tutte le gesta degli uomini , pertanto] Egli è il (ottimale) Giudice [e li mette in giudizio dinanzi a Lui], è il testimone, è il procuratore [dei peccatori] ed è destinato a giudicarli [affinché venga il mondo] . Benedetto è Lui, perché davanti a Lui non c'è nulla di sbagliato, né dimenticanza, né favoritismo, né presa di innesto, poiché tutto è Suo (e non c'è nulla con cui corromperlo). [Non mostra favoritismi nemmeno a un tzaddik assoluto, non (astenendosi da) punirlo anche per una leggera trasgressione che potrebbe aver commesso e non prendere "l'innesto" di una mitzvah per trascurare un peccato. Ma premia per una mitzvah e punisce per una trasgressione. (Quindi, Rambam)]. E sappi che tutto arriva a un account. ["Un p'rutah (una piccola moneta) e un p'rutah si sommano a una grande somma." Allo stesso modo, lievi trasgressioni, quando ce ne sono molte, si sommano a una grande somma.] E lascia che la tua (cattiva) inclinazione non ti illuda nel pensare che la tomba sia il tuo rifugio. Perché, per caso, ti sei formato [L'anima resiste lasciando il pargod (la Divina Divisione, una sfera pura dove risiedono le anime) per entrare nel grembo di una donna, una dimora impura, ma un angelo viene e lo rimuove forzatamente e lo colloca lì], e per forza sei nato, [essendo costretto da un angelo a lasciare l'utero], e per forza vivi. [A volte un uomo è così intriso di afflizioni che vuole morire— ma non può], e per forza sei destinato a rendere giudizio e rendiconto davanti al re dei re dei re, il Santo Benedetto sia Lui.
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BORN WILL DIE. Rav explains that they are certain to die eventually, similar to what I wrote on 3:1 on “where you are going”. “And the dead will be brought to life”—the mishna does not say “will live” because it is necessary for some other agent to cause them to live. They are not naturally disposed to this, as it is not natural to come to life after death the same way it is for all things to die.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He would say: Those that are born will die: Since their end is to die - 'and today alive and tomorrow in the grave' - they should contemplate their deeds and repent.
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
He said, "to know, to make known, and to become conscious". He means with this that He knows the ones that will be born in the future, those that are born now and will die and those that will [return to life] after death. And we learn from these three groups that He is the Maker, He is the Creator. And with his saying, "He is the Judge [...] and He is destined to judge," he wants [to say] that He judges everything now with life and death and all of the other matters of the world, and He is also destined to judge those that will live in the world to come, for reward and punishment. And his saying, no taking of bribes, is like it also stated in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:17), "shows no favor and takes no bribe." And its matter is not that He does not take a bribe to sway the judgement, as this is from idiocy which is distant from God, may He be blessed - such that it cannot be designed and cannot even be imagined. As how can a bribe be designed for Him - and what will the bribe be? Rather its matter is that which we have elucidated - that He not take the good [deeds] as a bribe. Such that if a man did a thousand good [deeds] and one evil, God, may He be blessed, will not forgive the one sin for the multitude of his good [deeds] and remove one or more goods from his thousand goods. Rather, He will punish for that one evil and reward him for all of those goods. And this is the matter of "takes no bribes." And it is like, "shows no favor" - that He punishes one great in virtues for a small thing; like our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him, was punished for the sin of anger, as we explained in previous chapters, and the reward of Esav the evildoer for honoring father and mother and of Nevuchadnetzar for the honor of God, may He be blessed, as it is clarified in Sanhedrin. And that is the matter of no respect of persons. And examine the statement, against your will you were created, and that which is connected to it - that he mentioned natural matters about which a man has no choice; about which the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Berakhot 33b), "Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for the fear of Heaven." And he did not say, "Against your will you sin," or "pass" or "go" or "stand" or what is similar to this. As these are all matters that are in the control of a man and about which there is no compulsion with them, as we explained in the fifth chapter (Eight Chapters 5).
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"Will be revived": And it does not say, "to live," but rather "to be revived," as they need [it to be done to them] and they are not designed for it [on their own]. Because nature does not necessitate revival after death like it necessitates death to all that live.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"Those that are born will die": Whoever is already born, he will die in the future.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
He used to say: the ones who were born are to die, and the ones who have died are to be brought to life, and the ones brought to life are to be judged; So that one may know, make known and have the knowledge that He is God, He is the designer, He is the creator, He is the discerner, He is the judge, He the witness, He the complainant, and that He will summon to judgment. Blessed be He, before Whom there is no iniquity, nor forgetting, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes, for all is His. And know that all is according to the reckoning. And let not your impulse assure thee that the grave is a place of refuge for you; for against your will were you formed, against your will were you born, against your will you live, against your will you will die, and against your will you will give an account and reckoning before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. In this long mishnah, full of rhetorical speech, Rabbi Elazar Ha-kappar teaches about the certainty of the judgment day to come. In the beginning of the mishnah, Rabbi Elazar goes through the stages in human existence, from birth to death to resurrection on judgment day. A person should know, tell others and let the whole world know that there is one God responsible for all this. The same God that created us will eventually act as our judge, witness and complainant. [Today we would say that He is the judge, jury and executioner.] Next, Rabbi Elazar reminds us that God is not like human judges, who can be bribed, nor is it possible that He will forget or somehow pervert justice. Everyone will receive his fair due. There is indeed no way to bribe God, for in the end, all of the world belongs to God. All of our deeds count at the time of judgment [see above, 3:15]. One should not fool himself into thinking that the grave will be a place where one can escape the consequences of one’s life, for just as humans were created and will die without their consent, so too will they eventually be judged without their consent. The Rambam notes that the mishnah lists “natural” phenomenon as being out of a person’s control. A person cannot control where, when and into what family he is born, nor does he have a lot of control over when and where he will die. However, the mishnah does not state that a person’s moral actions are out of his control, for a person has full choice over whether he sins or does good deeds. In this way, while we have no control over whether we will be judged in the future, we do have ultimate control with regard to our sentence, because only we can control our actions.
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Derekh Chayim
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THE LIVING WILL BE JUDGED. Rav’s text has “and live to die”, which is modifying the life after death mentioned earlier.187The mishna would then read “the dead will live and they live to be judged”.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and those that are dead will be revived: As God, may He be blessed, will revive them in the future to come, as it is stated in Daniel (Daniel 12:2), "And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth will awake; these for eternal life, and those for reproaches, for everlasting abhorrence." Hence a man should do that [thing] such that he will be from the living and not [from those who will experience] everlasting abhorrence.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
And it refers to the living after death.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and those that are dead": will live [again] in the future and stand [trial] at the day of judgement, these to [receive] eternal life and those to [receive] disgrace and eternal shame.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
HE IS THE JUDGE, HE IS THE WITNESS, AND HE IS THE LITIGANT. The mishna arranges the cases from most to least obvious, but chronologically the litigant first makes his claim, then he brings witnesses, and then the judge issues his ruling.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and the living will be judged: Those that will be revived in the future will stand in judgement in front of God, may He be blessed, and He will give them according to their activities and according to the actions of their hands.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"the Judge": He took [these items] by way of 'not only this, but also that' (going in the order of what is least obvious to what is most obvious). But according to the time order, the litigant comes first to prosecute, and afterwards he brings his witnesses, and afterwards [still] the judge judges.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and the living to judge": They are standing to be judged on the day of judgement.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THERE IS NO PARTIALITY. Rav explains that there is no partiality even to a completely righteous person. Rambam adds: as we see from the punishment of Moses for the sin of anger. And similarly G-d does not deal unfairly even with a completely evil person, as Esau received reward for honoring his father and mother, and Nebuchadnezzar for honoring G-d, as the Talmud says in Sanhedrin 96a.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
[It is necessary] to know, to make known, and to become conscious: All need to know this. To know from others that will teach him; and to make known - that he should teach others in this world; and to be conscious in the world to come from himself without a teacher, as it is stated (Jeremiah 31:34), "No longer will they teach a man his neighbor and a man say to his brother, 'Know the Lord'; for all of them shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them."
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
That if it is [to be understood] as to pervert justice, this is from the foolishness that is distant from God, may He be blessed, which cannot be pictured and not even be imagined; as how can [actual] bribery to Him be pictured and what would be the bribe? - Rambam. The commentaries asked [on this approach], what is [the explanation given in the mishnah,] "for all is His," as [this is] not a reason [that fits with] the bribe of [the fulfillment of] a commandment [as was understood to be the bribe according to Rambam]. And Midrash Shmuel answered that even with a commandment, it is all His; since one who wants to purify himself is helped [by God] and a commandment is only known by (given credit to) the one who finishes it. To here [are his words.] And there is no objection from [the commandment of] repentance, as it is not an independent commandment, but rather it corresponds to sin to push it away from one.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"[It is necessary] to know": from others.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AND NO TAKING OF BRIBES. Rambam explains that G-d does not take the fulfillment of a commandment as a bribe to overlook a sin, etc. For to say that G-d does not take bribes to rule unjustly is unnecessary, as it is utter foolishness and completely meaningless, for what would it mean to bribe G-d, and what could the bribe possibly be? The subsequent commentators raised the point that if so, the words “for all is His” do not provide a reason for not taking the “bribe” of a fulfilled commandment. Midrash Shmuel answers that even the doing of a commandment is included in “all is His” [*per the Talmud in Yoma 72a and Shabbat 104a], for “G-d aids one who wishes to purify Himself,” and “a commandment is only known by the name of the one who completes it” (Devarim Rabbah 8:4).188As G-d made the doing of the commandment possible, he is, in a sense, the one who “finished” or “completed” it; therefire, it is His. Cf. my comments to Kiddushin 1:10.
And this is no contradiction to the idea that G-d accepts repentance, for repentance is not some separate commandment but directly deals with the sin and pushes it away. See also what Rav writes on the mishna in Yoma 8:8 [s.v. al aseh].
And this is no contradiction to the idea that G-d accepts repentance, for repentance is not some separate commandment but directly deals with the sin and pushes it away. See also what Rav writes on the mishna in Yoma 8:8 [s.v. al aseh].
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
that He is God (El): From the usage "the strong ones (eileh) of the land" (2 Kings 24:15), meaning strong and resolute.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"against your will, etc.": And he chose this, since he is mentioning natural things about which there is no choice for man, [and] about which the sages, of blessed memory, said, "Everything is in the hands of the Heavens except for the fear of the Heavens." And he did not say, "against your will, you sin or transgress or go or stand, or that which is similar to it;" as all of them are matters that are in man's power and there is no compulsion in them - Rambam.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"to make known": to others.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TAKING [Heb. מקח]. Midrash Shmuel writes in the name of Rabbenu Ephraim that the mem should be vocalized with a chirik.189Making the word mikach. Some read makach, with a patach under the mem. Both are correct, for one is Biblical Hebrew and the other is Rabbinic Hebrew. So far his words.
He means that we find the word vocalized with a chirik in the Bible, in 2 Chronicles 19:7: וְעַתָּה יְהִי פַחַד יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם שִׁמְרוּ וַעֲשׂוּ כִּי אֵין עִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַוְלָה וּמַשֹּׂא פָנִים וּמִקַּח שֹׁחַד. I say that it is unnecessary to resort to the distinction between Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew, for even though we never find the word makach itself with a patach, we do find words vocalized according to this paradigm, for example the word masa` in 1 Kings 6:7: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע and the word matan in Proverbs 18:16: מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ.190Since the paradigm ma-X-X exists in the Bible, we may consider the spelling makach an acceptable Biblical spelling, i.e. one that would have been considered grammatical in Biblical Hebrew, even though the word never appears spelled that way.
But we never find this word or any similar word vocalized with a segol. This is because the initial mem is a prefix and the first letter of the triliteral root has been ellided,191The root of makach being l.k.ch, of masa` being n.s.`, and of matan being n.t.n. so the second letter in the word has been geminated to compensate. One may therefore only vocalize the word with a patach, but not a segol.192Gemination refers to the doubling of a consonant. Mikach, properly, is mikkach. In order for the kuf to be doubled, it must become the end of a closed syllable, i.e. it must now close the syllable that precedes in—formerly just mi, now to be mik—in addition to being the first letter in the next syllable, kach. If the vowel of the first syllable were a long vowel such as tzeireh (making the word mekkach) the consonant following it would have to be vocalized with a shva na`, making the word mek’kach. Geminated consonants, however, are not pronounced as two separate consonants with a vowel inbetween but as one long one, as in Italian libretto. Of the five short vowels, three are acceptable for vocalizing the prefixed mem: patach, chirik, and segol (the other two only appear in pariticipial prefixes, while our mem is a noun (or verbal noun) prefix). It is unclear what rule Tosafot Yom Tov is referring to when he says that segol is unacceptable here, although it is true that segol almost never appears before a geminated consonant, coming only before suffixes like -nu.
He means that we find the word vocalized with a chirik in the Bible, in 2 Chronicles 19:7: וְעַתָּה יְהִי פַחַד יְהוָה עֲלֵיכֶם שִׁמְרוּ וַעֲשׂוּ כִּי אֵין עִם יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַוְלָה וּמַשֹּׂא פָנִים וּמִקַּח שֹׁחַד. I say that it is unnecessary to resort to the distinction between Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew, for even though we never find the word makach itself with a patach, we do find words vocalized according to this paradigm, for example the word masa` in 1 Kings 6:7: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה מַסָּע and the word matan in Proverbs 18:16: מַתָּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ.190Since the paradigm ma-X-X exists in the Bible, we may consider the spelling makach an acceptable Biblical spelling, i.e. one that would have been considered grammatical in Biblical Hebrew, even though the word never appears spelled that way.
But we never find this word or any similar word vocalized with a segol. This is because the initial mem is a prefix and the first letter of the triliteral root has been ellided,191The root of makach being l.k.ch, of masa` being n.s.`, and of matan being n.t.n. so the second letter in the word has been geminated to compensate. One may therefore only vocalize the word with a patach, but not a segol.192Gemination refers to the doubling of a consonant. Mikach, properly, is mikkach. In order for the kuf to be doubled, it must become the end of a closed syllable, i.e. it must now close the syllable that precedes in—formerly just mi, now to be mik—in addition to being the first letter in the next syllable, kach. If the vowel of the first syllable were a long vowel such as tzeireh (making the word mekkach) the consonant following it would have to be vocalized with a shva na`, making the word mek’kach. Geminated consonants, however, are not pronounced as two separate consonants with a vowel inbetween but as one long one, as in Italian libretto. Of the five short vowels, three are acceptable for vocalizing the prefixed mem: patach, chirik, and segol (the other two only appear in pariticipial prefixes, while our mem is a noun (or verbal noun) prefix). It is unclear what rule Tosafot Yom Tov is referring to when he says that segol is unacceptable here, although it is true that segol almost never appears before a geminated consonant, coming only before suffixes like -nu.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THAT SHE’OL. I.e., the grave.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He is the Maker, He is the Creator of the creatures from birth, from the womb and from inception. And making is the beginning of the act and creating is the end of the work. And it is not like the manufacturing of a vessel - as once it is finished, it does not require its manufacturer. But man requires their Creator at each instant and time, as King David, peace be upon him, said (Psalms 100:3), "Know that the Lord is God; He made us and we are His, His people, the flock He tends." He wanted to say [here] that we need him every hour and minute.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He is the Understander: He understands all of their acts.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
Because [before then] it looks down from [one] end of the world to the [other] end, as it is written (Job 29:3), "When He shined his candle above my head" - Rashi.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and to become conscious": to understand on his own.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"He is the Maker": As the whole world is in His hand like clay in the hand of the [craftsman]. And what is the reason? Because "He is the Creator" that created the whole world ex nihilo. Therefore He can do with it according to His will.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
FOR YOU ARE CREATED AGAINST YOUR WILL, ETC. Rambam: take note of this, for the mishna mentions natural processes in which man’s free will plays no role, concerning which the Sages said “everything is in the hands of Heaven aside from fear of Heaven” (Berachot 33b). The mishna does not, however, say that one sins or passes or walks or stands or the like against one’s will, for these are all things that depend on a person’s decision and are not compulsory.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He is the Judge: Since He knows the truth of all matters, He is fit to judge, as He will judge the case truthfully.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"He is the Understander, He is the Judge": Since he understands all of their deeds, He brings them to judgment in front of Him.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He is the Witness: As everything is revealed in front of Him.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"He is the Litigant": as he prosecutes the sinners.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
He is the Litigant: Since He is the one who makes the claim against the sinners, as David stated (Psalms 51:6), "Against You alone have I sinned, and done what is evil in Your eyes; so You are just in Your sentence, and right in Your judgment." As if a man hurt his fellow, he should not think that he has sinned to him and not to God, since He is the one that makes the claim of the damage, like a litigant - as he has also sinned to God.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and He is destined to judge:" in the world to come.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and He is destined to judge in the future to come.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"no respect of persons, no taking of bribes": as he does not have respect of persons, even for the completely righteous; that he should not punish him for the light sin that came to his hand. And he does not take the bribe of [the fulfillment of] a commandment for the sin, but rather gives the reward for the commandment and the punishment for the sin. So explained Rambam.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
who has before Him no wrong: [That He] sway the judgement.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"And know that everything is according to the reckoning": All the small amounts join together to a large sum. So when light sins are numerous, they add up to a large sum.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
no forgetfulness, no respect of persons: [That He] forgive one who is great in wisdom and piety.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"because against your will you were created": As the soul does not want to exit from [behind] the curtain - the holy place where the souls repose - and to enter the innards of a woman in an impure place. And an angel comes and brings it out against its will and places it in the innards of the woman.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
no taking of bribes: [That He] should deduct the reward from a commandment against the loss [for a sin]. Rather, he pays a goodly reward for the commandment and repays [separately] for the sin. And it is explained in Chronicles (2 Chronicles 6:23), that none of this is in front of Him.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and against your will you were born": At the time of birth, [the baby] does not want to go out and the angel brings it out against its will.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And know that everything is according to the reckoning whether for good or whether for bad.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
"and against your will you live": There is [the case of] a man who is suffering with afflictions and wants to die but cannot.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And do not let your [evil] impulse assure you: To say to you that there is a place of refuge in the netherworld, as it appears to you that there is a place of refuge in this world - and like the heretics say, "In the world to come , there is neither judgement nor judge." Do not think and say this, as it is not true - because against your will you were created, and against your will you were born, and against your will you live, and against your will you die, and against your will you are destined to give account and reckoning before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.
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