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Pirkei Avot
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הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאֵין 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. |
Keep in mind three
things, and you will not come into the hands of sin. Know from where
you came, and to where you are going, and before whom you will have to
give an account and a reckoning. 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 will you have to give an account and a
reckoning? Before the King of kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He. (Humility in Life) |
Akavia ben Mahalel, Avot 3:1 |
| אִם
לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה, אַל תַּחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמָךְ, כִּי לְכָךְ
נוֹצָרְתּ.
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If you have learned
much Torah, do not flatter yourself about it, because it was for this
purpose that you were created. (Humility in religious observance) |
Rabbi Yonatan ben Zakai, Avot 2:8 |
| אֱמוֹר
מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה. |
Say little and do
much. (Action over words) |
Rabbi Gamliel, Avot 1:15 |
| אַל
תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרָךְ עַד
שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ. |
Do not judge your
fellow until you have stood in his place. (Benefit of the doubt) |
Hillel, Avot 2:4 |
| עַל
שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַדִּין וְעַל הָאֱמֶת וְעַל
הַשָּׁלוֹם. |
On three things
does the world stand: on justice, truth, and peace. (Core values) |
Rabbi Shmuel ben
Gamliel, Avot 1:17 |
| לֹא עָלֶיךָ הַמְּלָאכָה לִגְמוֹר, וְלֹא אַתָּה בֶן חוֹרִין לִבָּטֵל מִמֶּנָּה. | It is not incumbent
upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist
from it. (Effort worthwhile even without completion) |
Rabbi Tarfon, Avot 2:16 |
| לֹא
הַבַּיְשָׁן לָמֵד. |
A shy person
cannot learn. (Actively seek knowledge) |
Hillel, Avot 2:5 |
| אַל
תֹּאמַר לִכְשֶׁאֶפָּנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא
תִפָּנֶה. |
Do not say 'I will
study when I have the time', for perhaps you will never have time. (Time for action is now) |
Hillel, Avot 2:4 |
| בִמְקוֹם
שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ. |
In a place where
there are no men, strive to be a man. (Be a real man) |
Hillel, Avot 2:5 |
| אֵיזֶהוּ
חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ. אֵיזֶהוּ
עָשִׁיר, הַשָמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת. |
Who is wise? He who
learns from all people.
Who is strong? He who conquers his impulses.
Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot.
Who is honored? He who honors others. (Important character traits) |
Ben Zoma, Avot 4:1 |
| הֱוֵי
מִתְפַּלֵּל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל מַלְכוּת, שֶׁאִלְמָלֵא מוֹרָאָהּ, אִישׁ אֶת רֵעֵהוּ
חַיִּים בָּלָע. |
Pray for the
welfare of the government, for if not for its fear, a person would
swallow his fellow alive. (Value of secular government) |
Rabbi Chanina, Avot 3:2 |
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Tehilim
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סוּר מֵרָע, וַעֲשֵׂה-טוֹב; בַּקֵּשׁ
שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ. |
Turn from bad, and
do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (First, stop doing bad... then do good) |
King David, Tehilim 34:15 |
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Torah
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אִם לֹא תֵיטִיב, לַפֶּתַח חַטָּאת רֹבֵץ. |
If
you don't do good, sin crouches at the door. (Not actively doing good (including being neutral) leaves one vulnerable to sin) |
God, Bereishit 4:7 |
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Talmudic Tales
David Morantz, 1934 "Everything Created Has Its Use", p. 52-54 (Save nuisance bugs (and all animals) rather than kill them) |
| "Of what use is the spider?"
mused David, King of Israel, one day as he lay on his couch watching a
spider spin its web. "It only clutters up the rafters with its webs,
making walls dirty and unsightly." Then he mused further : "Of what use in this world is an insane person or an idiot?" Just then he was bitten by a mosquito and his thoughts turned in that direction. "Just what is the mosquito's mission on earth?" he meditated. "Why was it ever created? All it does is disturb our comfort and no one profits by its existence." But King David, before his death, was to learn that there is nothing but what has its use. "When he was captured by the brothers of Goliath, in the land of the Philistines and brought before Achish, the king of Gath, was it not only by acting as though he were an idiot that he escaped being put to death? Did not he by impersonating a madman make the king believe that surely such a man could not be the kingly David? "And David changed his demeanor before them and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said King Achish unto his servants: Lo, when ye see a man that is mad, wherefore do you bring him to me? Do I lack madmen, that ye have brought this madman in my presence? David therefore departed thence, and escaped." (1 Samuel 21:22). On another occasion, a spider spun a web over the opening to the cave where David was concealing himself from his pursuers. When they came to the cave and saw the spiderweb, they passed on, feeling that no one could have entered that cave without having disturbed that web, and accordingly, David was saved by a spider. On a third occasion, when David entered the Camp of Saul, stealthily he crawled past Abner, a sleeping guard. Just then Abner moved his position in his sleep and his leg fell across David's body. David was in a predicament. A single move on his part would awaken Abner and mean his capture and death while if he remained in that position until morning, he would be discovered and that would likewise mean his death. He was indeed perplexed as to what to do. When all of a sudden a mosquito alighted upon Abner's leg. The guard still asleep, slapped at the mosquito, moving his leg quickly on doing so, and David, thus released, was rescued from death by a mosquito. Thus was it proven to David that there is nothing that has been created but what has its use and can be an omen for good. |
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Yiddish Sayings
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| אין
אַ שיינעם עפּל געפֿינט מען אַ מאָל אַ וואָרעם. |
In a beautiful apple you sometimes find a worm. |
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אַז גאָט האָט געטיילט דעם שׂכל ביסטו געשלאָפֿן. |
When God was giving out brains, you were asleep. |
| דער
מענטש טראַכט און גאָט לאַכט. |
Man plans and God laughs. |
| אַ
גוטן מענטשן וועט די שענק ניט קאַליע מאַכן, אַ
שלעכטן וועט דער בית–המדרש ניט פֿאַרריכטן. |
A tavern can't corrupt a good man, a synagogue can't reform a bad one. |
| נײַן
רבנים קענען קײן מנין ניט מאַכן אָבער צען שוסטערס
יאָ. |
Nine rabbis can't make a minyan but ten shoemakers can. |
| דער
גלאָק קלינגט ווײַל ער איז פּוסט. |
A bell rings because it's hollow. |
| אַז
דאָס מיידל קען ניט טאַנצן, זאָגט זי אַז די כּלי–זמר
קענען ניט שפּילן. |
If a girl can't dance, she says the musicians can't play. |
| אַ
נײַער מלך מיט נײַע גזרות, אַ נײַ יאָר מיט נײַע
עבֿרות. |
A new king with new decrees, a new year with new misdeeds. |
| אַ
הון איז גוט צו עסן זאַלבענאַנד – איך און די הון. |
A chicken dinner is best when shared by two - me and the chicken. |
| ער
מיינט ניט די הגדה, נאָר די קניידלעך. |
He's not interested in the Haggadah but in the dumplings. |
| ”אָדם
יסודו מעפֿר וסופֿו לעפֿר“— בינו–לבֿינו איז גוט אַ
טרונק בראָנפֿן. |
"Man begins in dust and ends in dust"— meanwhile it's good to drink some vodka. |
| אַז
איך נעם אַ טרונק בראָנפֿן ווער איך אַן אַנדער
מענטש, און דער אַנדערער וויל אויך אַ טרונק בראָנפֿן. |
When I take a drink I become another person, and the other person wants a drink too. |
| אַז
מען שלאָפֿט מיט הינט, שטײט מען אױף מיט פֿלײ. |
If you sleep with dogs, you get up with fleas. |
| צוליב
אַ גלאָז מילך דאַרף מען ניט קויפֿן אַ גאַנצע קו. |
For a glass of milk you don't have to buy a whole cow. |
| די
קאַץ האָט ליב פֿיש אָבער זי װיל ניט די פֿיס ײַננעצן. |
The cat likes fish but she doesn't want to wet her paws. |
| אַ
גרויס געשעפֿט זאָל ער האָבן מיט סחורה: וואָס ער
האָט זאָל מען בײַ אים ניט פֿרעגן, און וואָס מען פֿרעגט זאָל ער ניט
האָבן. |
May he have a big store full of goods: may people not ask for what he has, and may he not have what they ask for. |
| איטלעכס
טעפּל געפֿינט זיך זײַן דעקל. |
Every pot finds its own lid. |
| אַ
טראָפּן ליבע ברענגט אַ מאָל אַ ים טרערן. |
A drop of love can bring an ocean of tears. |
| מיט
האָניק קען מען כאַפּן מער פֿליגן ווי מיט עסיק. |
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. |
| גיי
פּאַוואָליע, וועסטו גיכער קומען. |
Go slow and you'll get there faster. |
| איין
אויג האָט מער גלויבן ווי צוויי אויערן. |
Trust one eye more than two ears. |
| דער
אמת קומט אַרויס ווי בוימל אויפֿן וואַסער. |
The truth comes out like oil on water. |
| אַ מענטש זאָל לעבן שוין נאָר פון נייַגעריקייַט וועגן. | A man should live if only to satisfy his curiosity. |
| פֿון ליידיקע פֿעסער איז דער ליאַרעם גרעסער. | Empty barrels make the most noise. |
| אַ שטענדיגער גראָשן איז בעסער ווי אַ זעלטענער רובל. | Better a steady dime than a rare dollar. |
| אַ טויטן באַוויינט מען זיבן טעג, א נאַר - דאָס גאנצע לעבן. | A dead man is mourned seven days, a fool - his whole life. |
| אַלע קאַלעס זײַנען שײן, אלע מתים זײַנען פרום. | All brides are beautiful, all the dead are holy. |
| אַז דער שונא פאַלט, טאָר מען ניט פרייען, אָבער מען הייבט אים ניט אויף. | When the enemy falls, don’t rejoice, but don’t pick him up either. |
| אַז מען האָט געלט, איז מען אי קלוג, אי שײן, אי מען קען גוט זינגען. | With money in your pocket, you are wise, handsome, and can sing well too. |
| אַז מען קען ניט בײַסן, זאָל מען ניט ווײַזן מיט די צײן. | If you can't bite, don't show your teeth. |
| אַז מען קען ניט איבערהאַרן דאָס שלעכטע קען מען דאָס גוטע ניט דערלעבן. | He that can't endure the bad, will not live to see the good. |
| אַז מע טאַנצט אויף אַלע חתונות, וויינט מען נאָך אַלע מתים. | If you dance at every wedding, you will weep for every death. |
| בעסער מיט אַ קלוגן אין גענעם אײדער מיט אַ נאַר אין גן עדן. | Hell shared with a sage is better than paradise with a fool. |
| די שענקער האָט ליב דעם שיקער אָבער די טאָכטער וועט ער אים ניט געבן. | The innkeeper loves the drunkard, but not for a son-in-law. |
| די ליבע איז זיס נאָר זי איז גוט מיט ברויט. | Love is sweet, but tastes best with bread. |
| פֿון גליק צום אומגליק איז אַ שפאַן - פֿון אומגליק צום גליק איז אַ שטיק וועג. | From forune to misfortune is but a step; from misfortune to fortune is a long way. |
| פֿון נחת לעבט מען ניט פֿון צרות שטאַרבט מען ניט. | One does not live on joy, nor die of sorrow. |
| מען טאָר ניט בעטן אויף אַ נײַעם מלך. | Never pray for a new king. |
| מיט אַ ייִדן איז גוט קוגל צו עסן - אָבער ניט פֿון אײן טעלער. | It's good to feast with your fellow, but not from one plate. |
| צרות מיט זופ איז גרינגער צו פֿארטראָגן ווי צרות אָן זופ. | Troubles are easier to bear with soup than without. |
| צו איטלעכן נײַעם ליד קען מען צופאַסן אַן אַלטן ניגון. | Every new song can be sung to an old tune. |
| טו ניט דאָס וואָס דו וועסט דאַרפֿן געפֿינען אַ תירוץ. | Don't do anything for which you will later need an excuse. |
| פֿאַרלאָרענע יאָרען איז ערגער ווי פֿאַרלאָרענע געלט. | Lost years are worse than lost dollars. |
| איך דאַרף עס ווי אַ לאָך אין קאָפּ. | I need it like a hole in the head. |