Commento su Pirkei Avoth 5:2
עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מֵאָדָם וְעַד נֹחַ, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין עַד שֶׁהֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַמַּבּוּל. עֲשָׂרָה דוֹרוֹת מִנֹּחַ וְעַד אַבְרָהָם, לְהוֹדִיעַ כַּמָּה אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְפָנָיו, שֶׁכָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת הָיוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּבָאִין, עַד שֶׁבָּא אַבְרָהָם וְקִבֵּל עָלָיו שְׂכַר כֻּלָּם:
Dieci generazioni da Adamo fino a Noach. Per informarci di quanto sia longanime. Per tutte queste generazioni hanno continuato a farlo arrabbiare—fino a quando non ha portato su di loro le acque del diluvio. [Anche tu non ti meraviglia che abbia sofferto a lungo negli idolatri in tutti questi anni di aver soggiogato i suoi figli, poiché lo era ancora di più per gli idolatri delle (dieci) generazioni da Adamo a Noach—fino a quando non furono distrutti dall'alluvione.] Dieci generazioni da Noach fino ad Abramo. Per informarci di quanto sia longanime. Per tutte queste generazioni hanno continuato a farlo arrabbiare—fino a quando Abramo venne e prese su di sé la ricompensa di tutti. [Ha fatto buone azioni corrispondenti a ciò che avrebbero dovuto fare tutti—pertanto furono tutti salvati nel suo merito. E proprio mentre prendeva su di sé il giogo di mitzvoth in questo mondo sopra e contro tutti loro, così ricevette che il mondo venisse ricompensato sopra e contro tutti loro. Perché ogni uomo ha due azioni, una in Gan Eden; l'altro, a Gehinnom. Se è meritorio, prende la sua parte e quella del suo vicino (il malfattore) in Gan Eden. Se è colpevole, prende la sua parte e quella del suo vicino (il tzaddik) in Gehinnom.]
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TEN GENERATIONS FROM ADAM TO NOAH, TO MAKE KNOWN ETC. I.e., this fact of ten generations tells us how patient G-d is—Maharal in Derech Chaim.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, to demonstrate the great extent of [God's] patience, for each one of those generations provoked [God] continually until [God] brought the waters of the flood upon them: And it comes to teach us that [just] like you see that in the generations between the first man (Adam) and Noah, all of them provoked Him with the action of their hands to cause bad to themselves - and while He had great patience with all of those generations - in the end, He brought the waters of the flood upon them, as He is not greatly patient forever; so should you think about our exile. And that you not say, "How many days and years is it that He restrains His anger from upon [the evil] kingdom while we are in exile - He will have great patience towards them forever, as He is of great patience." And you should surely know that in the end, He will pay them back according to their activities and the action of their hands; and He will redeem us and save us. As [even though] His patience is very great; still in the end of days, He visits 'the first iniquities [upon them,] and may You quickly bring forward Your mercies, as we have become very poor.'
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
These generations are the words of the Torah, "x begot y," according to its order. And it mentioned this and that which is after it because of its mentioning [the] ten utterances, which has reproach in them for man; to arouse him and to refine his soul with the dispositional virtues and the intellectual virtues, which is the intention of this tractate.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
There were ten generations from Adam to Noah, etc.: which is to say that this thing that there were ten generation, it is informing us how patient God is, may He be blessed - Derekh Chaim.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
To demonstrate the great extent of [God's] patience: You too should not be surprised that he has been patient with the nations of the world all of these years that they are subjugating His childeren, since He was more patient with the generations from Adam to Noah. And afterwards, they were washed away [with the flood].
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Introduction
Mishnah two continues to provides things that came in ten in the Bible and that teach lessons about God. This mishnah contains a highly schematic version of history. In other words, history and its length are divided into equal periods and in those equal periods we can detect God’s directing hand at work. This type of learning from history and from its division into equal periods was extremely prevalent in ancient Judaism both amongst the rabbis and amongst other sects of Jews.
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Derekh Chayim
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TO MAKE KNOWN HOW PATIENT ETC. Rav: accordingly, you should not wonder that G-d has had such patience with the nations of the world for all these years that they have enslaved His children, for he had greater patience with the generations from Adam to Noah and they were subsequently drowned. For the flood happened 1656 years after creation and the Temple was destroyed 3828 years after creation. Make the calculation, and wait for Him, for He will not delay.1953828 + 1656 = 5484, which is the year 1724. Tosafot Yom Tov printed the first edition of his commentary between 1614-1617, the second edition in 1645, and died in 1654. Midrash Shmuel explains in the name of Rabbenu Yonah that this tells us that just as G-d eventually gave them their just desserts and brought the flood upon them, so also the day is coming when He will repay them for their deeds and will save and redeem us, may it come speedily in our days, Amen.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham: And our rabbis said (Bereshit Rabbah 30:8), "When Noah died, our father, Avraham was fifty-eight years [old]." Still, when you count the children you will find ten generations among them. As even if Noah had length of days, it is [still] considered ten generations.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham: [This is] not similar to "from Adam to Noah," since Adam and Noah are included in [those] ten. But here, Noah is not included; but rather since it ended with Noah [in the first group], it went back and started [the second group] with him.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
and received the reward of them all: He did good deeds corresponding to what was fitting for all of them to do, hence they were all saved in his merit. And just like he took upon himself the yoke of the commandments in this world corresponding to all of them, so did receive reward in the world to come corresponding to all of them. As each person has two portions, one in the Garden of Eden and one in gehinnom - if he merits, he takes his portion and the portion of his fellow in the Garden of Eden; if he is guilty, he takes his portion and the portion of his fellow in gehinnom. (Chagigah 15b)
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
[There were] ten generations from Adam to Noah, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the flood. Although all of the generations between Adam and Noah were evil, God did not destroy them immediately. He put up with their provocation until the tenth generation, when He decided to destroy the world with a flood. In God’s long-suffering we can learn a lesson of patience and forgiveness. Even though in the end God did decide to destroy the world, He did not do so immediately, but gave the world a chance to repent. We also, by the way, learn that God will not tolerate provocation forever; He will eventually bring judgment. Jewish commentators in the Middle Ages found in this comfort, for they lived under terrible oppression at the hands of the Muslims and especially the Christians. A Jew should not despair, for God will eventually punish them for their evil acts.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TEN GENERATIONS FROM NOAH TO ABRAHAM. The second “from” is not the same as the first. In the first count both Adam and Noah were included in the ten, while in the second count Noah is not included. Since the first list concluded with him the mishna mentioned him again as the beginning of the second.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
to demonstrate the extent of [God's] patience, for each one of those generations provoked [God] continually, until Abraham came: And here they did not say, "until He punished them" - as our father, Avraham, made up for all of their shortcomings and did good corresponding to all of their bad, and [so] he saved them from punishment. However, Noah was not able to save them, because he was not righteous enough to make up for their shortcomings.
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
to demonstrate the extent of [God's] patience, etc.: And with this he demonstrates something greater than the previous: that the Holy One, blessed be He, is patient and does not collect what is His with destruction and complete extermination, as [He did] in the generation of the flood. And it appears to me that this is [the reason] that it is written, erekh apayim (patient, literally, of long angers) and not erekh af (of long anger), as there are two angers: one that is actualized and, in the end, destroys everything; and one that is not actualized into rapid and overwhelming extermination, as a righteous one controls [it] with the fear of God.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
[There were] ten generations from Noah to Abraham, in order to make known what long-suffering is His; for all those generations kept on provoking Him, until Abraham, came and received the reward of all of them. This section is a little more difficult to explain, for what does the phrase, “Abraham came and received the reward of all of them” mean. Rashi explains that Abraham received the reward that they would have received had they repented. Others explain that based upon the merit of Abraham God did not destroy again the whole world. Abraham taught them that repentance was possible and therefore God did not destroy the world. A third explanation is that Abraham received the reward that they all would have received had they learned from him the principles of monotheism.
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Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TO MAKE KNOWN HOW MUCH PATIENCE ETC. This tells us of even greater patience than the first set of ten, for in this case G-d was patient and did not even collect what was owed Him through complete destruction as He did in the generation of the flood. This might be why the mishna uses the Hebrew phrase erech apaim, lit. “length of noses”, instead of erech af, “length of nose”. For there are two types of wrath: 0ne is actualized and destroys everything, while the other is never actualized through a flood of utter destruction, for “the righteous man rules through his fear of G-d.”196The verse in 2 Samuel 23:3 reads: “...a righteous ruler over men, one who rules with fear of G-d”. The Talmud in Moed Kattan 16b midrashically reads this verse as saying that even when G-d decrees something, the righteous person can overturn the decree.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
and received the reward of them all: And even though there is a portion in the Garden of Eden and a portion in Gehinnom for every person - if he merits [it], he takes his portion in the Garden of Eden; and if he is guilty in his judgement, he takes it in Gehinnom - nonetheless, since everyone is commanded to do good and this one does not do [it] and his fellow fulfills his commands and his own commands; the trait of justice would indicate that he should take his portion and the portion of his fellow in the Garden of Eden. And for this [reason] did our father, Avraham take the reward of all of them. And this is what is stated (Psalms 119:126), "It is a time to act for the Lord, for they have violated Your Torah" - if you see a generation that is negligent from [study] of the Torah, be involved in it (Berakhot 63a). And the simple meaning of the verse is "It is a time to act for the sake of the Lord." And similar to it is (Genesis 20:13), "say for me, 'He is my brother'" - [which is] like "for my sake." "They have violated your Torah" - since they are all violating Your Torah, I should do for the sake of the Lord more than in other generations, so that Torah is not, God forbid, forgotten in Israel. There is a parable [relevant to this] about a king whom all of his servants betrayed except for one. Does [that servant] not need to go with him truthfully and with a whole heart at that time more than other times? And so all of his days the king will love him with a great love and increase his gift [to be] equal to the gifts of all of them [together].
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