Musar do Pirke Awot 3:1

And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avot 3:1), "Keep your eye on three things, and you will not come to sin [...] From where did you come? From a putrid drop. And to where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots. And before whom are you destined to give an account and a reckoning? Before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He." The explanation of the content is [that] when you think of from where you came, your spirit will be humbled and you will hate pride. And when you remember where you are going, you will scorn the world, recognize that its superfluous luxuries are nothing and only be involved with it for the service of the Creator, may He be blessed. And when you put into your heart in front of whom you will be giving a reckoning, fear of the Heavens will be upon you. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Genesis Rabbah 9:5), "'And God saw all that He had made, and found it very good' (Genesis 1:31) - this ('very good') is death." For even death is good, so as to subdue spirits, that there be fear of God upon the hearts and that they not make this world into the main one. But there are people that do not give time to their souls to understand their ends, because of their preoccupation with acquisitions of the world - like the matter that is stated (Job 4:21), "Their cord is moved, and they die, and not with wisdom." Its explanation is, is not their cord (yeteram, which can also be understood as their excess or advantage) - their money - moved from them in their move; for behold they have no benefit from it [when they die], yet it lost much good for them. For it caused them to die without wisdom, as they did not show wisdom to understand their end, to rectify their souls and prepare provisions for their journey, - like the matter that is stated, (Deuteronomy 32:29), "Were they wise, they would think upon this, gain insight into their future."

First of all, the universe was created for the sake of man who was formed in the image and likeness, i.e. בצלם ודמות of G–d, so to speak. This means that אדם התחתון is patterned after אדם העליון, a heavenly version of man. This means that not only his heavenly counterpart but also he himself is holy, or that "the book and the cover" are both holy. The book and the cover in this instance are the soul and the body. When in such a state, man's clothing are כתנות אור, garments woven of the original light with which G–d created the universe. The word דמות describes the holiness of the body, whereas the word צלם describes the state of man's soul. We have discussed this at length in the treatise תולדות אדם. As long as such ideal conditions prevailed man's immortality was not limited to his species, but each individual person enjoyed everlasting life. The system of procreation would have paralleled that of the angels who develop from one another much like a candle which can light another without the light of the original candle thereby decreasing or “aging.” As a result of this type of procreation G–d's צלם would have expanded continuously, each new human being would have had the צלם אלוקים transmitted to it with the drop of semen it originated from, though such a human being had not been formed by G–d Himself as had Adam. The drop of semen would not then have been described as "an evil smelling drop," as it is described nowadays in Avot 3,1.

Through humility you will also come to fear God. It will cause you to always think about (Pirkei Avot 3:1) "where you came from and where you are going," and that while alive you are only like a maggot and a worm as after death, and before Whom you will eventually stand for judgment, the Glorious King, as it is written (I Kings 8:27) (Chronicles II 6:18) "Even the heaven and the heavens of heaven cannot contain You" -- "How much less the hearts of people!"(Mishlei 15:11), It is also written (Jeremiah 23:24), "Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord."

The impurity of a person suffering from seminal discharge is of a different nature; his own body is its source. This too is the result of what happened with the original serpent, since the latter polluted man as a species. This is the prime reason why we experience impurity when any seminal discharge occurs or when a woman menstruates, even when such discharge is a normal bodily function, not the sign of disease. Had man never sinned, this very semen would have been considered as something sacred and would most certainly not have caused impurity. As it is, the Mishnah describes such semen as "an evil smelling drop" (Avot 3,1). This is why such a person must also leave the מחנה לויה the second of the camps. There is a way to avoid this impurity: if one sanctifies oneself at the time of engaging in sexual intercourse with one's spouse. As a result of such conduct one's semen becomes totally absorbed, so that not a drop of it is lost, which would have caused טומאת קרי, impurity through seminal discharge.

The expression used by the Torah for Joseph, i.e. בן זקונים, also contains an allusion to Adam and Eve, who were the "oldest" people in the world -the first human beings. The Torah wanted to hint that Joseph was a branch of that first pair of human beings in terms of their purity. Just as Adam and Eve had not been the products of the טפה סרוחה, the "evil smelling drop of semen" described by Akavyah in Avot 3,1, so similarly Joseph's origin was pure. The next pair of human beings to whom the Torah applies the term “זקנים,” were Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18,11, for they took the place of Adam and Eve. We have discussed all this at length in our commentary on חיי שרה. The process of refinement, the road to regaining the innocence and purity lost by Adam, continued through Jacob called Israel because he had successfully contended with heavenly forces. In our classic literature this Israel is referred to as ישראל סבא, grandfather Jacob, whereas Joseph is simply referred to as the son, בן.

The contemplation, however, is on various matters. One of them is brought in the statement of Akavia ben Mehalelel: "know from where you came - from a putrid drop; and where you are going - to a place of dirt, worms, and maggots; and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting - before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He" (Avot 3:1).

However, we must first introduce that there are two types of fear which are effectively three types. The first type is very easy to attain, there being nothing easier. The second is difficult, while the second part of the second type, is more difficult than everything.

The meaning of Rabbi Shemuel bar Nachmeyni in Sanhedrin must be that Korach claimed that Moses' prophecy was not of a higher level than anyone else's and that he was perfectly within his rights to pursue a normal married life. Korach first wanted to reduce Moses to the level of a person who receives his prophetic inspiration not from G–d Himself but, indirectly. He described Moses as a טירון in his stature as a prophet. This would make Moses like all other prophets, i.e. אשת איש, a wife, someone who is a recipient rather than an initiator. When the Talmud described the accusation levelled against Moses as being that he was חשוד באשת איש, the meaning is not the customary "suspected of consorting with a woman married to someone else," but to his status as a prophet being comparable to the status of any married, lady i.e. passive rather than active. As someone born of woman, he was the product of a man's drop of semen. This is a veiled reference to Exodus 2,1: וילך איש מבית לוי ויקח את בת לוי, "A man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi." All of this illustrates the beginning of Moses' career as a prophet, when he received indirect inspiration, such as when G–d had to impersonate the voice of Moses' father Amram. The reason that the Midrash tells us this is to indicate that despite the as yet indirect inspiration, there was early on already a tendency towards the male, active, rather than the female, passive. G–d was already hinting that He wanted to disabuse Moses of the fact that he was merely another creature sired by a father and a mother. When G–d told Moses: "I am the G–d of your father," He meant that there were three partners involved in the making of a human being. G–d wanted Moses to appreciate that He had a major share in creating him because He also had a share in creating his father. As to G–d having adopted the voice of Moses' father, this was to remind Moses that he was born of human seed. This accounts for Shemot Rabbah 3,3 reporting G–d as saying as part of the deception: באתי אליך בפתוי, "I have come to you in a deceptive manner." G–d referred to the original seduction practised by the serpent on Eve in Paradise which is the reason that nowadays the origin of man is the proverbial טפה סרוחה, "evil-smelling drop of semen" familiar to us from the saying of Rabbi Akavyah in Avot 3,1. If Adam and Eve had not allowed themselves to be seduced into sinning, all seed would have been holy seed. The whole subject of the covenant, the ברית מילה, which is performed on the reproductive organ, is designed to reconsecrate it to G–d. This ברית is no less holy to G–d than the laying of תפילין which originates in the Celestial Regions. The world, as we have repeatedly explained, is founded on a pillar, on the צדיק, who is the יסוד, foundation, of the universe. The mystique of the covenant of circumcision is that one is thereby able to sire children of a similar spiritual niveau. Ever since the sin, when Adam and Eve became aware that they were naked and became ashamed on that account, and the whole rite of circumcision became connected to ערוה, nakedness and shame, observance of circumcision has become much more crucial. Man's attachment to material values stems from the original sin. This sin is the reason why Moses did not immediately merit prophetic insights without any intermediary and was called a טירון. G–d mentioned Abraham, Isaac and Jacob because all three were examples of תקון, repair-work, performed to the damaged spiritual state of the universe.

Once the Torah has completed giving us details of Jacob's prayer, we next hear details about the gifts Jacob despatched to Esau. These gifts too were intended to placate Esau here on earth and Samael in heaven respectively. As far as the gift to Esau is concerned, the text is to be understood exactly as it meets the eye. As far as a gift to Samael is concerned, we must remember that when the Temple was standing the children of Israel would placate Satan each Day of Atonement by presenting him with the שעיר לעזאזל. What Jacob did was similar. These words too are simple and straightforward as far as the gift to Esau was concerned. As to their meaning vis-a-vis Samael and the forces Samael represents, we view Samael as roving the world looking to entrap man into sin in three ways. Rabbi Akavyah ben Mahallalel has warned us in Avot 3,1 to consider three things in order to avoid being trapped into sinning. When he said: "consider where you come from," this corresponds to the query Jacob assumed that Samael would ask: “למי אתה,” the second question posed by Samael, i.e. “ואנה תלך,” corresponds to Akavyah's "where are you going to?" The third question posed by Samael, “ולמי אלה,” corresponds to Akavyah's third question: "Before whom will you have to give an accounting?" The various מחנות, camps, that are encountered by Samael are collections of "sins," i.e. each sin has created a negative force, whereas each good deed has created a positive force, or "good angel." Jacob faces judgment for the מחנות מלאכי חבלה, groups of destructive angels, which his sins created, if any. Akavyah expressed this by saying: "consider before whom you will have to give an accounting." Any person who does not remember these three questions posed by Akavyah is undoubtedly a sinner. Samael searches out such people.

Rabbi Yochanan looks at the chain reaction which follows performance of the first מצוה and deems it as sufficient to attract blessings from G–d. He presumably took his cue from Job 33,23: אם יש עליו מלאך מליץ אחד מני אלף להגיד לאקדם ישרו, "If he has a representative (angel), one advocate against a thousand, to declare the man's uprightness." In line with the tradition that every מצוה performed results in the creation of a "good" angel, Rabbi Yochanan feels that such an advocate is already something substantive. When the Torah speaks about the curse in 11,28, it makes certain that the words לא תשמעון are followed immediately by the words וסרתם מן הדרך, "you depart from the path," a reference to action. While G–d grants blessing for a good intention even when it could not be translated into action, He does not curse for the mere failure to listen to the commandments, to Torah lectures. Only once such non-study and non-preparedness to listen results in violation of the commandments will the punishment take into account the attitude displayed which led to the violation. Midrash Shmuel on Avot 3,1 "then you will not commit a sin," points out that Akavyah does not speak about the sin coming to you but about you coming to the sin. With the right attitude you can stop yourself even when the sin has come quite close to you. The Torah uses the word ראה in the singular, instead of ראו, plural which would have matched the rest of the verse, in order to underline the importance of the performance of even a single commandment.

In Avot 3,1 Rabbi Akavyah enumerates three thoughts which are apt to help a person avoid the commission of a transgression. Since we can all count to three, and the thoughts are mentioned separately, why did the Rabbi have to tell us that there were three considerations? Midrash Shmuel suggests that the Rabbi wanted to stress that these three considerations are effective only if one thinks of all of them at the same time. Hence he stressed the number "three." The author of this Midrash proceeds to show that whereas the first of the considerations listed by Rabbi Akavyah referred to the body, the second referred to the soul. This explains why the Rabbi did not use the word Ayin i.e. "nothing" when describing the way we are headed as he had described the place we originate from. Instead, he refers only to a direction, i.e. Le-on. The soul enters the body "naked," and its task is to leave it after having become a personality, i.e. after having acquired suitable "clothing." These subjects are discussed in the chapter about the soul in Pardes Rimonim. When it has to give an accounting, the soul has to demonstrate its accomplishments while in a body before the attribute of Justice because the yardsticks applied to the soul are in accordance with its superior origin. The body has to give an accounting before the King of kings, the King who judges all the terrestrial kings as pointed out in Avoda Zarah.

והיה כי יביאך ה' אלוקיך אל הארץ אשר אתה בא שמה לרשתה . "When the Lord your G–d will bring you to the land to which you will come in order to inherit it." The Torah speaks of terrestrial ארץ ישראל which is similar to its celestial counterpart. The word הארץ refers to the "earth" after one's death in which one "sleeps," i.e. refines the body through metamorphosis in order to be able to take one's place in one's original inheritance, the one intended for Adam before the sin. Just as on our earth there are two mountains, Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, which symbolize blessing and curse respectively, so there are two parallel mountains in the Celestial Regions. One is generally known in our scriptures as ההר הטוב, or הר ה', "the Mountain of ‘good,’ or the Mountain of G–d," the one which can be climbed only by people who have complied with the criteria set down in Psalms 24,4. The other Mountain is known as הר שעיר, the Mountain of Se'ir, symbolizing darkness exuded by the evil urge. Our rabbis describe it as a "Mountain" because they view the overcoming of the evil urge as similar to the scaling of a mountain. The wicked, on the other hand, consider the evil urge as something they can easily control and therefore the evil urge appears to them merely as high as an hair, hence the name הר שעיר, "the mountain no higher than an hair." Were it not for the "good angels" created by our various מצות, our access to the Mountain of G–d would be severed completely. G–d in His great mercy decided to pay more attention to the "voice" of what these good angels relate about us than to the foul deeds we commit with our hands, i.e. הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו, "though the hands are the hands of an Esau, the voice is that of Jacob." [A homiletical explanation by Midrash Shmuel of Genesis 27,22 applied to Akavyah's statement in Avot 3,1. Ed.] The words ואין אתה בא לידי עברה mean that if you have קול יעקב going for you you are in no danger at the hands of Esau, the hands of Satan. The meaning of the name הר גריזים is similar to the meaning of Psalms 31,23: ואני אמרתי בחפזי נגרזתי לפניך, "I said in my haste I am thrust out of Your sight." The Psalmist goes on to say that David learned that he had not been cast out by G–d after all. The function of Mount Gerizim then is to reassure us that Paradise lost is recoverable. Our deeds create the "good angels" whose pleas reach the throne of G–d. there are also barriers in the heavens between the different categories of צדיקים. Every righteous person occupies a station appropriate to his conduct while he lived on earth. Our Rabbis (Tanchuma Beshalach 10) explained that G–d made separate lanes when the tribes of Israel crossed the Sea of Reeds. They base this on Psalms 136,13: "Who divided the Sea of Reeds into גזרים, sections." The same happened when the Jewish people crossed the river Jordan into the Holy Land. This was one of the reasons twelve stones were erected in the river-bed; they marked where each tribe crossed.