Комментарий к Авот 3:1
עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה. וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
Акавья бен Махалал говорит: «Прими к сведению три вещи, и ты не будешь предан греху: знай, откуда ты пришел и куда идешь и перед кем тебе суждено судить и вести учет». Откуда ты пришел? От гниющей капли. [капля спермы. И хотя во время зачатия он не гниет (не гниет в утробе матери через три дня, а когда он гниет, он не годится для оплодотворения), он все еще называется «гниением», поскольку он близок к действию. так сразу после того, как он был вне чрева. И тот, кто принимает близко к сердцу, что он происходит от гниющей капли, спасен от гордости.] И куда ты идешь? К месту пыли, червей и личинок. [Тот, кто принимает это близко к сердцу, спасен от похоти и от стремления к богатству.] А перед кем вам суждено судить и вести учет? Перед королем королей королей—Святой Благословен Он. [Тот, кто принимает это близко к сердцу, отделяет себя от греха и не натыкается на преступление.]
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
AKAVIA SON OF MAHALAL’EL. He lived during the Second Temple period, per the mishna in Eduyot, 5:6: the throngs of the inner courtyard of the Temple, when its gate was closed, did not contain a man equal to Akavia son of Mahalal`el in wisdom and fear of Heaven. Even so, the compiler of the mishna did not wish to interrupt the line of Hillel until he got all the way to Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi and his son. He then returned to the chronological sequence of the tradition, starting again with the dicta of Hillel and then proceeding to R. Yochanan ben Zakkai who received the tradition from him, and then to R. Yochanan ben Zakkai’s students. He then taught the dictum of R. Tarfon because it is similar to the dictum of R. Elazar, the last of R. Yochanan ben Zakkai’s students.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
Akavia ben Mahalalel says: Keep your eye on three things, and you will not come to sin: Know from where you came: And when you are keeping your eye on where you came from, the thought will cause you to be of a lowly spirit and you will be saved from the trait of arrogance - as it is stated about it (Proverbs 16:5), "Every haughty person is an abomination to the Lord."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rambam on Pirkei Avot
This perusal brings a person to humility - in remembering from where he came. And his perusal of his end will bring him to disparage matters of the world. And his perusal of the greatness of the Commander will bring him to be quick to listen to His commandments. And when these three come into his hand, he will not sin at all.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
Akavia: He [lived] during the time of the Temple. And see Tosafot Yom Tov.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Pirkei Avot
Akavia: "From a putrid (spoiled) drop": A drop of semen. And even though at the time of conception, it is not spoiled - as it does not become spoiled in the womb of a woman until after three days, and when it is spoiled it is no longer fit to fertilize - nonetheless, he called it a spoiled drop because it is close to spoiling immediately when it is outside of the innards of the woman. And one who keeps his eye on that which he came from a putrid drop will be saved from pride. And one who keeps his eye on that which he is destined to go "to a place of dust, worms, and maggots," will be saved from desire, and from lust for money. And one who keeps his eye on that which he is destined to "give an account and a reckoning," will separate [himself] from sin, and will not stumble in iniquity.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Introduction
Akabyah ben Mahalalel lived in the time of Hillel, before the destruction of the Temple. We learned about the conflicts that this sage had with the other sages in Eduyoth 5:6-7.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
KNOW. The tanna inserts the word “know”87Which would seem unnecessary, as the opening words of the mishna are “look at three things...”, and we would expect those things to be listed now, with no need for an another verb inbetween. because “before whom you will eventually give a reckoning” is not something that can be known through sensory looking and examination, as it is a belief that can only be acquired through knowledge—Midrash Shmuel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And to where are you going? To a place of dust, worms, and maggots: And if you think in your heart to where you are going, you will not desire any of the pleasures - as you are toiling for worms. You will also find vain all wealth and honor - 'as it is all vanity and bad spirit.' And about this matter King Shlomo created the Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) and began (Ecclesiastes 1:2), "Vanity of vanities" - to show the vanity of all goods and of all honor. And after he showed the vanity of everything, he stated (Ecclesiastes 12:13), "The sum of the matter, when all is heard; revere God and observe His commandments; as this is all of man."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"Know": He went back and said the word, "know," because "before Whom are you destined, etc.," is not with a physical keeping of one's eye and vision, but rather that he should believe it intellectually - Midarsh Shmuel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Pirkei Avot
Akabyah ben Mahalalel said: mark well three things and you will not come into the power of sin: Know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. From where do you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot. Before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning? Before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he. Akabyah ben Mahalalel teaches a strategy whereby a person can avoid the clutches of sin. A person should first of all remember his humble origins, a drop of semen. In Avoth de-Rabbi Nathan, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar teaches a parable: to what may this be likened? To a king who built a large palace and decorated it, but a tannery pipe led through it and emptied at its doorway. Says every passerby: “How handsome and magnificent this palace would be if it were not for the tannery pipe coming through it!” So too is man. If then, with a foul stream issuing from his bowels, he exalts himself over other creatures, how much the more so would he exalt himself over other creatures if a stream of precious oil, balsam or ointment issued from him!. Where are you going? To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot: remembering that the end of all human beings is the same, and that in the end we will all go to our graves, keeps a person humble and prevents him from greedily seeking material gain. About this mishnah Maimonides comments, “Reflection on his origin will lead a man to humility. When he contemplates his ultimate end, he will get to despise mundane matters. And when he contemplates the majesty of the Commander, he will come to obey His commandments speedily. And when a person succeeds in keeping his mind on these three things, he will sin no more.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
WHENCE YOU COME AND WHITHER YOU ARE GOING. The interrogative governing the place of origin is 'ayin, as in me’ayin ba’u ha’anashim, “whence came the men?” (cf. Joshua 2:4). The interrogative governing the place of arrival is 'anah, as in 'anah elech meruchacha ve’anah mipanecha evrach, “whither shall I go to escape Your spirit, and whither shall I flee from You?” (Psalms 139:7). Both appear in the same verse in the story of the concubine of Giv`ah: 'anah telech ume’ayin tavo, “whither go you, and whence came you?” (Judges 19:17)—Maharal in Derech Chaim.
The word le’an has a kamatz under the alef.
The word le’an has a kamatz under the alef.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot
And before Whom are you destined to give an account and a reckoning: As the creations were only created to fear God. As how will a person sin if he thinks in front of Whom he is "destined to give an account and a reckoning" - and more than for the punishment and the challenge - as he will suffer great embarrassment. There is a parable [relevant to this] about a king in front of which a man enters: If [the king] finds him cheating in his deeds or lying in his words, he will suffer great embarrassment. All the more so before the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. Also because the embarrassment of the soul is greater after it separates from the body than the embarrassment when it is still there. As it is the nature of the body to forget, and when a person does an ugly thing and is embarrassed from other people about it for a year or two, he will forget the thing and the embarrassment will leave on its own. Even if it is not forgotten from his heart, the thing will be faded and some of the embarrassment will be removed. As the nature of the body's forgetting mixes with the nature of the soul. And even though it does not overcome it to completely forget the thing, nonetheless it overcomes it [enough] for the thing to fade; such that some forgetting removes most of the embarrassment. But when the soul is alone, there is no forgetting before it - as it is completely whole and pure and there is no physical nature within it. And when it is embarrassed before "the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He," it is for ever and ever that it will stand with the embarrassment like now when it is [actually] standing in front of Him. And like that time, it will stand embarrassed forever. And this is what the rabbis, may there memory be blessed, said (Bava Batra 75a), "Woe for this embarrassment, woe for this disgrace." Hence in all cases, the one that raises these things to his heart will not come to sin.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"from where (me'ayin), etc.": The question of the place from which you come [uses the] term, ayin, as in "me'ayin (from where) did the people come." And the question of the place to which he will go uses the term, anah, as in "Anah (To where) will I go from Your spirit and anah (to where) will I run away from in front of You?"
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
YOU ARE GOING. A person is always walking along the way to his eternal dwelling place and drawing near to death, for the day of death approaches from the very day of birth. This is why the mishna chooses the present particple and not the future tense—Midrash Shmuel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"you going": As man is going to his [grave] and is approaching death, as 'the day of death is from the day of his birth.' Since from the day that he is born, he approaches and goes towards death - and therefore he uses present tense and not future tense - Midrash Shmuel.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
TO A PLACE OF DUST AND WORMS. The mishna does not say that one becomes dust, as per the language of the verse, “for you are88Presently. The mishna does not say that one becomes dust in adherence to the language of the verse, which characterizes a person as alreading being dust. dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19)—Maharal in Derech Chaim.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"To a place, etc.": And he did not say, "he will be dust, worms, and maggots." As so did the verse (Genesis 3:19) say, "as you are dirt and you will return to the dirt" - Derekh Chaim.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
GIVE A RECKONING [Heb. din vecheshbon]. While the word din can refer to the judgment or verdict at the end of a case, here it refers to the opening of the case, which is why din, the opening of the case, precedes cheshbon, the accounting. This explains the wording latet din of the mishna, “to cause a din”—since a case must be opened whenever one sins, one can be said to cause the case. One who has illicit relations, for example, causes a din. The mishna therefore says “he will eventually cause a din.” The passage in Bava Batra 73b on the two geese concerning which Israel “will eventually cause a din” is to be understood similarly—Maharal in Derech Chaim.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ikar Tosafot Yom Tov on Pirkei Avot
"an account and a reckoning": It is speaking about the beginning of the accounting (judgement) and therefore it had account precede reckoning. And he said, "to give an account," to say that if he sins, he is obligated an accounting as a result of it - hence, it is relevant to say that he gives an accounting, etc. - Derekh Chaim.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy