Komentarz do Pirke Awot 5:12
אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בַּתַּלְמִידִים. מַהֵר לִשְׁמֹעַ וּמַהֵר לְאַבֵּד, יָצָא שְׂכָרוֹ בְהֶפְסֵדוֹ. קָשֶׁה לִשְׁמֹעַ וְקָשֶׁה לְאַבֵּד, יָצָא הֶפְסֵדוֹ בִשְׂכָרוֹ. מַהֵר לִשְׁמֹעַ וְקָשֶׁה לְאַבֵּד, חָכָם. קָשֶׁה לִשְׁמֹעַ וּמַהֵר לְאַבֵּד, זֶה חֵלֶק רָע:
Istnieją cztery typy uczniów w połowie: szybko rozumiejący i szybko zapominający —jego zysk jest zanegowany przez jego stratę. [Bo skoro zapomniał, czego się nauczył, po co mu szybkie zrozumienie?—dlatego jego strata jest większa niż jego zysk.]; zrozumienie z trudnością i zapominanie z trudnością—jego strata jest zanegowana przez jego zysk, [ponieważ to, co rozumie pomimo trudności, pozostaje z nim. Praktyczne zastosowanie. Jeśli przed nami jest dwóch uczniów i możemy udzielić lekcji tylko jednemu, zapominający z trudnością ma pierwszeństwo przed tym, co szybko zrozumie.]; szybkie do zrozumienia i trudne do zapominania—mądry (uczeń) ;. Zrozumienie z trudem i szybkie zapomnienie—to jest „zła część”. [Nie można tu powiedzieć „chasydzki” lub niegodziwca, gdyż nie zależy to od wolnego wyboru człowieka, ale jest czymś, z czym się on rodzi].
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
THIS IS A BAD PORTION. Rav: the mishna could not call these “pious” and “wicked” because these things are not up to a person to choose. Although it is possible to remember one’s learning with Heavenly assistance when one’s fear of Heaven precedes his wisdom, as I wrote on the mishna in 3:9, one who has not reached this level cannot be called “wicked”, since a natural flaw has brought him to this state.227Of having difficulty learning and easily forgetting. Although it is optimal to for one’s fear of Heaven to precedes his wisdom, not reaching this level does not make him wicked. And he is not called wicked for failing to change his abilities, for this is his natural state.
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Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Quick to understand and quick to forget: His loss is greater. Since he forgets immediately, what is the use of that which he comprehends and knows quickly - behold, he forgets everything. But slow to understand and slow to forget: His gain is greater. As even if it comes to him with great toil, he does not forget after he knows [it]. And both of them should not desist from Torah study, as they have a good reward from their labor. And we learn from this mishnah to give preference to one who remembers over one who forgets - if they do not have enough to support both of them, they should support the one who remembers. This mishnah does not mention pious or wicked as it is not relevant here, since the mind of a person is from God. It is as the wise men of ethics said, "The mind is a gift, but [character] is acquired."
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Rambam on Pirkei Avot
Observe how he did not call the one that is quick [and] has a good memory a pious one, because this is an intellectual virtue. And [so] he called him a wise man. And he did not call the one who has difficulty understanding matters and forgets much, evil - as it is not in his hand (control). And these are not virtues which are possible to acquire - as we explained in the second chapter (Eight Chapters 2:2).
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Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
And even though it is possible with the help of Heaven to raise his study, if his fear of sin precedes his wisdom; it is not fitting for someone who has not reached inclusion of this trait to be called an evildoer, as the disadvantage in his creation led him to this.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
Quick to understand and quick to forget -- his gain is canceled by his loss: As since he forgets what he learns, what benefit is there in that which he is quick to understand? It comes out that his loss is greater than his gain.
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English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
There are four types of disciples: Quick to comprehend, and quick to forget: his gain disappears in his loss; Slow to comprehend, and slow to forget: his loss disappears in his gain; Quick to comprehend, and slow to forget: he is a wise man; Slow to comprehend, and quick to forget, this is an evil portion. If you belong to the first category of this mishnah, you will quickly grasp that you belong to the first category, but you will quickly forget what you just realized. Your quick comprehension will be meaningless for you will not retain what you have comprehended. If you belong to the second category, you may have to read this mishnah over many times before you understand that you are actually in this category. However, once you finally understand, you won’t forget it. Your slow comprehension is compensated by your strong memory, and in the end you are left with a gain. If you belong to the third category, congratulations, you are lucky to be so wise. If you belong to the fourth category, this mishnah will take you a long time to comprehend, and then you will forget it anyway. It is too bad that you have not been blessed with either quick comprehension or a good memory, but don’t give up hope. You will have to work harder to learn but the mishnah has already taught us that “according to the effort is the reward”. Since you will have to make a great effort to learn, at least your reward will be commensurate.
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Derekh Chayim
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
[A student who is] slow to understand and slow to forget -- his loss is canceled by his gain: As the good trait in him exceeds the negative trait; since that which he understands after the difficulty, he remembers and does not forget. And what comes out from it (the practical difference) is that if we have two students in front of us and we only have enough sustenance to [support] one of them, we prioritize the one that is slow to forget.
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Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
that is a bad portion: It would not be relevant to learn here, "pious" or "evil," as this is not something that is dependent upon the choice of a person, but rather is a disadvantage that was in him from the beginning of his creation.
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