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Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from
Rabbinic Jewish Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian ...
tradition. It is part of didactic
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
ethical literature. Because of its contents, the name is sometimes given as Ethics of the Fathers. Pirkei Avot consists of the Mishnaic
tractate A tractate is a written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject; the word derives from the Latin ''tractatus'', meaning treatise. One example of its use is in citing a section of the Talmud, when the term ''masekhet'' () is used i ...
of ''Avot'', the second-to-last tractate in the order of
Nezikin ''Nezikin'' ( he, נזיקין ''Neziqin'', "Damages") or ''Seder Nezikin'' (, "The Order of Damages") is the fourth Order of the Mishna (also the Tosefta and Talmud). It deals largely with Jewish criminal and civil law and the Jewish court s ...
in the
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
, plus one additional chapter. Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Mishnah dealing ''solely'' with ethical and moral principles; there is relatively little
halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
(laws) in Pirkei Avot.


Translation of the title

In the title ''Pirkei Avot'', the word "pirkei" is Hebrew for "chapters of". The word ''avot'' means "fathers", and thus ''Pirkei Avot'' is often rendered in English as "Chapters of the Fathers", or (more loosely) "Ethics of the Fathers." This translation engenders an appealing and not entirely mistaken image of "patriarchal teachings". However, the term 'avot' is not usually used as an honorary designation for 'rabbis' or 'sages'; in rabbinical usage, it refers to the Patriarchs of the Bible. Rather, in the
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
, the word ''avot'' generally refers to fundamentals or principal categories. (Thus, the principal categories of creative work forbidden on Shabbat are called ''avot melacha'', and the principal categories of ritual impurity are referred to as ''avot'' ''tum'ah''.) Using this meaning, ''Pirkei Avot'' would translate to "Chapters of Fundamental Principles". Additionally, the possibility that the title was intentionally worded to support multiple renderings—both "fathers" and "fundamental principles"—cannot be ruled out. The recognition of ethical maxims as 'Fundamental Principles' may derive from the high regard in which the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
,
Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...
, and
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law ('' halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the ce ...
hold such wisdom. "Love your neighbor as yourself," states the Bible (), an injunction that Rabbi Akiva in
Genesis Rabbah Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...
24:7 famously calls a "great principle" of the Torah. In Shabbat 31a, Hillel, when challenged by a prospective convert to explain the entire Torah while the latter stood on one foot, answered: "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: This is the entire Torah, the rest is the explanation, go now and learn it." (This maxim is not included in Pirkei Avot.) The attribution of Biblical Wisdom books to King Solomon (e.g., Ecclesiastes,
Proverbs A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
, Book of Wisdom) attests also to the central importance that Jews of this period placed on transmitting the ethical way of life.


Structure of the work

The Mishnaic tractate ''Avot'' consists of five chapters. It begins with an order of transmission of the Oral Tradition; Moses receives the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
at
Mount Sinai Mount Sinai ( he , הר סיני ''Har Sinai''; Aramaic: ܛܘܪܐ ܕܣܝܢܝ ''Ṭūrāʾ Dsyny''), traditionally known as Jabal Musa ( ar, جَبَل مُوسَىٰ, translation: Mount Moses), is a mountain on the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. It ...
and then transmits it through various generations (including
Joshua Joshua () or Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' lit. 'Yahweh is salvation') ''Yēšūaʿ''; syr, ܝܫܘܥ ܒܪ ܢܘܢ ''Yəšūʿ bar Nōn''; el, Ἰησοῦς, ar , يُوشَعُ ٱبْنُ نُونٍ '' Yūšaʿ ...
, the Elders, and the Neviim, but notably not the Kohanim), whence it finally arrives at the
Great Assembly According to Jewish tradition the Men of the Great Assembly ( he, כְּנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה) or Anshei Knesset HaGedolah (, "The Men of the Great Assembly"), also known as the Great Synagogue, or ''Synod'', was an assembly of 120 s ...
, i.e., the early generations of Sages (Avot 1:1). It contains sayings attributed to sages from
Simon the Just Simeon the Righteous or Simeon the Just ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַדִּיק ''Šīməʿōn haṢadīq'') was a Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. He is also referred to in the Mishnah, where he is described as one of the ...
(200 BCE) to shortly after Judah haNasi (200 CE), redactor of the Mishnah. These aphorisms concern proper ethical and social conduct, as well as the importance of
Torah study Torah study is the study of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature, and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts. According to Rabbinic Judaism, the study is done for the purpose of the '' mitzvah'' ("co ...
. The first two chapters proceed in a general chronological order, with the second focusing on the students of Yochanan Ben Zakkai. Chapters Three and Four are thematic and contain various attributed sayings in no explicit order. Chapter Five departs from the organization and content of the preceding four in that it consists mostly of anonymous sayings structured around numerical lists, several of which have no direct connection with ethics. The last four paragraphs of this chapter return to the format of moral aphorisms attributed to specific rabbis. In liturgical use, and in most printed editions of ''Avot'', a sixth chapter, ''Kinyan Torah'' ("Acquisition of Torah") is added; this is in fact the eighth (in the Vilna edition) chapter of tractate ''Kallah'', one of the
minor tractates The minor tractates (Hebrew: מסכתות קטנות, ''masechtot qetanot'') are essays from the Talmudic period or later dealing with topics about which no formal tractate exists in the Mishnah. They may thus be contrasted to the Tosefta, whose ...
. It is added because its content and style are somewhat similar to that of the original tractate Avot (although it focuses on Torah study more than ethics), and to allow for one chapter to be recited on each '' Shabbat'' of the Omer period, this chapter being seen well-suited to ''Shabbat Shavuot'', when the giving of the Torah is celebrated. (See below.) The term ''Pirkei Avot'' refers to the composite six-chapter work (''Avot'' plus ''Kinyan Torah''). Modern scholars suggest that Avot 5:21 ("He would say: A five-year-old proceeds to Bible
tudy Tudy may refer to: People * Tudy of Landevennec, Breton saint Places * Île-Tudy, France * St Tudy St Tudy ( kw, Eglostudi) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated in the River Ca ...
a ten-year-old to mishna
tudy Tudy may refer to: People * Tudy of Landevennec, Breton saint Places * Île-Tudy, France * St Tudy St Tudy ( kw, Eglostudi) is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The village is situated in the River Ca ...
..") was not authored by Rabbi Yehudah ben Teimah (the author of 5:20, and seemingly the referent of "He would say" in 5:21) but rather by
Shmuel ha-Katan Shmuel ha-Katan (literally ''Samuel the Small'', or ''Samuel the Lesser'') was a Babylonian Jew considered a great early religious scholar. He was one of the second generation of Tannaim, who served under the patriarch Gamliel II of Yavneh, durin ...
, and was not part of the Mishna tractate of Avot, but rather added later to Pirkei Avot. In Machzor Vitry, for example, this passage is printed after the words "Tractate Avot has ended". "The structure of the tractate differs greatly from the thematic structure of the other tractates and Avot sayings employ a highly stylized language instead of the clear and straightforward mishnaic prose. In addition, the anomalous character of Avot is heightened by the biblical influences on its linguistic expressions, grammatical forms, and vocabulary."


Study of the work

From at least the time of
Saadia Gaon Saʻadiah ben Yosef Gaon ( ar, سعيد بن يوسف الفيومي ''Saʻīd bin Yūsuf al-Fayyūmi''; he, סַעֲדְיָה בֶּן יוֹסֵף אַלְפַיּוּמִי גָּאוֹן ''Saʿăḏyāh ben Yōsēf al-Fayyūmī Gāʾōn''; ...
(10th century), it has been customary to study one chapter a week on each Shabbat between
Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holiday that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites escape from slavery in Egypt, which occurs on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the first month of Aviv, or spring. ...
and Shavuot; today, the tractate is generally studied on each ''Shabbat'' of the summer, from Passover to Rosh Hashanah, the entire cycle repeating a few times with doubling of chapters at the end if there are not a perfect multiple of six weeks. The tractate is therefore included in many
prayer books A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them are ...
, following Shabbat afternoon prayers. In the course of such study, it is common to preface each chapter with the Mishnaic saying, "All Israel has a share in the world to come" (
Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin ( Hebrew and Aramaic: סַנְהֶדְרִין; Greek: , '' synedrion'', 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was an assembly of either 23 or 71 elders (known as " rabbis" after the destruction of the Second Temp ...
10:1), and to conclude each chapter with the saying, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wished to bestow merit upon Israel; therefore he gave them Torah and mitzvot in abundance" ( Makkoth 3:16).


Notable sayings

The tractate includes several of the most frequently-quoted rabbinic sayings on a variety of topics, including:


Show kindness to others

* "The world stands on three things: On Torah, on works, and on kindness to others" (1:2; work here translates "avodah" in the Hebrew which can mean labor, service of God, prayer, or sacrificial offerings) * "Your house should be open wide, and you should treat the poor as members of your household." (1:5) * "Meet every person with graciousness." (1:15) * "He nowiki/>Yohanan_ben_Zakkai.html" ;"title="Yohanan_ben_Zakkai.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Yohanan ben Zakkai">nowiki/>Yohanan ben Zakkai">Yohanan_ben_Zakkai.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Yohanan ben Zakkai">nowiki/>Yohanan ben Zakkaisaid to [his disciples]: 'Go and see what is the right way that a man should seek for himself.' Eliezer ben Hurcanus, Rabbi Eliezer said: 'A good eye'. Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yehoshua said: 'A good friend'. Rabbi Yose aCohensaid: 'A good neighbor'. Rabbi Shimon en Netanelsaid: 'One who sees consequences.'
Rabbi Elazar ''For other people named Eleazer. see: Eleazar (name)'' Eleazar ben Shammua or Eleazar I (Hebrew: אלעזר בן שמוע) was a rabbi of the 2nd century (4th generation of tannaim), frequently cited in rabbinic writings as simply Rabbi Eleazar ...
said: 'A good heart'. He ohanansaid to them, 'I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach to yours, because his words include yours as well.'" (2:13)


Respect the other person's rights

* "What is the right path a man should choose? Whatever is honorable to himself, and honorable in the eyes of others." (2:1) * "Let your friend's honor be as dear to you as your own." (2:15) * "The evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of od'screatures drive a person out of the world." (2:16) * "Let your friend's money be as dear to you as your own." (2:17)


Strive for greatness

* "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And being for myself, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" (1:14) This saying is written in simple and terse Hebrew and is attributed to the sage Hillel, who was famous for succinct expression. * "What is the right path a man should choose? Whatever is honorable to himself, and honorable in the eyes of others." (2:1) * "In a place where there are no worthy men, strive to be worthy." (2:5) * "He who acquires a good name, has acquired himself something indeed." (2:8) * "Do not regard yourself as an evil person." (2:18)


Respect God

* "Do His will as if it were your own, so that He will do your will as if it were His. Nullify your own will before His so that He will nullify the will of others before you." (2:4)


Seek peace

* "Be amongst the students of Aaron: Love peace and pursue peace. Love people and bring them close to Torah." (1:12) * "The more charity, the more peace" (2:8)


Take precaution to avoid transgressions

* "Make a fence for the Torah" (1:1) * "Keep far from an evil neighbor, do not befriend a wicked person, and do not despair of divine retribution" (1:7) * "Evaluate the loss of fulfilling a commandment against its reward, and the reward of committing a transgression against its loss. Consider three things, and you will not come to sin: Know what is above you: a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all of your deeds written down in a book." (2:1)


Be humble

* "Love work, and do not admire official positions, and do not become too acquainted with the governing power." (1:10) * "One who seeks to make his name great, destroys it" (1:13) * "Anyone who works for the community, let your work with them be for the sake of Heaven... And as for you all, I will make your reward great as though you had accomplished all the work." (2:2) * "Be wary regarding the ruling power, because they only befriend a person for their own purposes; they appear as friends when it suits them, but they do not stand by a man in his time of need." (2:3) * "Do not separate yourself from the community, and do not be sure of yourself until your day of death." (2:4) * "The more flesh, the more worms. The more possessions, the more worry. The more wives, the more witchcraft. The more maidservants, the more licentiousness. The more manservants, the more theft." (2:8) * "If you have learned much Torah, do not flatter yourself about it, because it was for this purpose you were created." (2:8) * "Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven." (2:12)


Be intent in prayer

* "Be careful when reciting the
Shema ''Shema Yisrael'' (''Shema Israel'' or ''Sh'ma Yisrael''; he , שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ''Šəmaʿ Yīsrāʾēl'', "Hear, O Israel") is a Jewish prayer (known as the Shema) that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewis ...
and regarding
prayer Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deifie ...
. Do not pray as though by rote, but plead for mercy and grace before God." (2:18)


Combine Torah learning with labor

* "Torah learning is best combined with an occupation, because the effort of both will keep one from sin. Torah study alone without work will in the end be nullified and lead to sin." (2:2) (See '' Torah im Derech Eretz''.) * "Reduce your business activities and occupy yourself with the Torah instead, and be of a humble spirit before everyone." (4:10) * "If there is no Torah study, there is no worldly involvement (derech eretz); if there is no worldly involvement, there is no Torah study. ... If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour." (3:21)


Do not exploit your learning

* "One who exploits the crown (of scholarship) will pass away" (1:13)


Be careful with speech

* "All my life I was raised amongst the Sages, and I never found anything better for a person than silence... one who talks too much causes sin." (1:17) * "Do not speak (excessively) much with women. This regards a man's own wife, how much more so regarding another man's wife!" (1:5) * "Sages, you should be careful in what you say, lest you be punished with exile and be sent to a place of evil waters, and your pupils who follow you will die, and the name of Heaven will be disgraced." (1:11) * "Say little and do much." (1:15) * "Do not say something that cannot be understood, thinking it will be understood later." (2:5)


Do not seek rewards

* "Do not be like slaves who serve the master in order to obtain a reward. Rather, be like slaves who serve the master not to receive a reward. And let the fear of Heaven be upon you." (1:3) * "Be as careful in observance of a minor commandment as in a major commandment, because you don't know the respective rewards for the commandments." (2:1)


Do not judge another person

* "Judge every person favorably" (1:6) * "Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his place." (2:4)


Be fair and deliberate in legal decision

* " hen judging,do not act as an advocate. When litigants stand before you, regard them othas guilty. And when they leave you, regard them as meritorious, provided that they have accepted your judgment." (1:8) * "Be thorough in examining witnesses, and watch what you say, so they do not learn from you how to lie." (1:9) * "On three things the world continues to exist: On justice, truth, and peace." (1:18)


The time for action is now

* "If not now, when?" (1:14) * "The main thing is not study, but doing." (1:17) * "Do not say 'I will study when I have the time', for perhaps you will never have time." (2:5) * "The day is short, the labor vast, the workers idle, the reward great, and the Employer is insistent." (2:20), attributed to Rabbi Tarfon * "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it" (2:21), attributed to Rabbi Tarfon


Patience

* "An ignoramus cannot be sin-fearing, and a boor cannot be pious. A shy person cannot learn, and an impatient person cannot teach." (2:6) * "Do not be quick to anger." (2:15)


The punishment matches the sin

* "He saw a skull floating on the water, and said to it, 'Because you drowned others, they drowned you. And they will also eventually be drowned because they drowned you.'" (2:7)


Commentaries and translations

Mishnaic tractates, composed in Mishnaic Hebrew, are usually accompanied by commentaries in
Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated i ...
known as gemara ("the teaching"). Unlike the majority of Mishnaic tractates, ''Avot'' has no corresponding ''gemara''. Some have said this is because the concepts in it can never be dealt with completely, being the "fifth part of the
Shulchan Aruch The ''Shulchan Aruch'' ( he, שֻׁלְחָן עָרוּך , literally: "Set Table"), sometimes dubbed in English as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most widely consulted of the various legal codes in Judaism. It was authored in Safed (today in ...
" (being intrinsically " derekh eretz": wise practices). Although Avot does not have an accompanying gemara, one of the minor tractates of the Talmud, the ''
Avot of Rabbi Natan Avot de-Rabbi Nathan (), usually printed together with the minor tractates of the Talmud, is a Jewish aggadic work probably compiled in the geonic era (c.700–900 CE). Although Avot de-Rabbi Nathan is the first and longest of the " minor tractat ...
'', is an expansion of the Mishnaic tractate containing numerous additional ethical teachings and legends. The number of medieval and modern commentaries on the Tractate of Avot is large, and probably not known accurately. Among the best-known commentaries are the following: *
Samson Raphael Hirsch Samson Raphael Hirsch (; June 20, 1808 – December 31, 1888) was a German Orthodox rabbi best known as the intellectual founder of the ''Torah im Derech Eretz'' school of contemporary Orthodox Judaism. Occasionally termed ''neo-Orthodoxy'', hi ...
, ''Commentary on Pirkei Avot'' * Yonah Gerondi on ''Avot'' *
Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...
, on ''Avot'', the introduction is known as ''The Eight Chapters'' A comprehensive bibliography of Hebrew commentaries on Pirke Avot has been published, including over 1500 detailed entries. The appendix lists over 500 additional books that contain a short segment on Avot, and over 400 published references on Avot in general or individual mishnayot.


Translations

The Russian-American poet and translator Yehoash published his Yiddish translation of Pirkei Avot in 1912 under the title ''Di Lehren fun di Foters''. This translation was subsequently included in a trilingual (Hebrew-Yiddish-English) edition that was published in 1921. A Chinese translation of Pirkei Avot by Prof. Ping Zhang from
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...
was published in 1996 by CASS Press, together with footnotes and an introduction of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. The first edition, of 1500 copies, sold out immediately. A revised version of Zhang's translation, with some influence from the Chinese Catholic Bible, was published in 2001 under the title ('Jewish sacred teachings, records, and ethics articles'). It is available online.


References


Sources

* Erin Kopelow
"Found Through Translation"
''Present Tense'', issue 6.


External links

Hebrew full text
''Hebrew Wikisource''
with commentaries

mechon-mamre.org

daat.ac.il
Pirkei Avot in Hebrew
Translations
''Pirkei Avot'' – Ethics of the Fathers
translation at Chabad.org
Sayings of the Jewish Fathers
an 1897 English translation by Charles Taylor
Pirkei Avot translated into english

Hebrew-Yiddish-English edition
(American Jewish Book Company, 1921) Transliterations
Transliterated Pirkei Avot
Commentary

Commentary of the
Maharal Judah Loew ben Bezalel (; between 1512 and 1526 – 17 September 1609), also known as Rabbi Loew ( Löw, Loewe, Löwe or Levai), the Maharal of Prague (), or simply the Maharal (the Hebrew acronym of "''Moreinu ha-Rav Loew''", 'Our Teacher, Rabbi ...

Insights Into Pirkei Avos
Insights from
Menachem Mendel Schneerson Menachem Mendel Schneerson (Modern Hebrew: מנחם מענדל שניאורסון; old-fashioned spelling: מנחם מענדל שניאורסאהן; April 5, 1902 OS – June 12, 1994; AM 11 Nissan 5662 – 3 Tammuz 5754), known to man ...

Pictorial Commentary for Children; Rabbi Dovid Goldschmidt

Pirke Avot: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Life
Comparison of the views of the Sages and their rivals in modern times.
The Acquisition of Torah – chapter 6 of the Sayings of the Fathers
Exegesis of Chapter 6 of Pirkei Avot
Devekut.com
has a link ("Pirkei Avot") with an abstract of Rabbi Moshe Lieber's commentary on Pirkei Avot.
''Pirkei Avot''
with classic commentaries translated in english {{Authority control Jewish ethics Sifrei Kodesh Mishnah