Chapter 4

Ben Zoma would say: Who is wise? One who learns from every man. Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations. Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot. Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows.

Ben Azzai would say: Run to pursue a minor mitzvah, and flee from a transgression.

For a mitzvah brings another mitzvah, and a transgression brings another transgression. For the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, and the reward of transgression is transgression.

He would also say: Do not scorn any man, and do not discount any thing. For there is no man who has not his hour, and no thing that has not its place.

Rabbi Levitas of Yavneh would say: Be very, very humble, for the hope of mortal man is worms.

Whoever desecrates the Divine Name covertly, is punished in public. Regarding the desecration of the Name, the malicious and the merely negligent are one and the same.

One who learns Torah in order to teach, is given the opportunity to learn and teach. One who learns in order to do, is given the opportunity to learn, teach, observe and do.

Rabbi Yossei would say: Whoever honors the Torah, is himself honored by the people; whoever degrades the Torah, is himself degraded by the people.

One who refrains from serving as a judge avoids hatred, thievery and false oaths. One who frivolously hands down rulings is a fool, wicked and arrogant… Do not judge on your own…

The dignity of your student should be as precious to you as your own; the dignity of your colleague, as your awe of your master; and your awe of your master as your awe of Heaven.

Rabbi Yaakov would say: This world is comparable to the antechamber before the World to Come. Prepare yourself in the antechamber, so that you may enter the banquet hall.

Rabbi Yaakov taught “One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is better than all the life of the World to Come; and one hour of bliss in the World to come is better than all the life of this world”

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar taught “Do not placate your fellow in the moment of his anger; do not comfort him while his dead lies before him; do not question him [about the details] of his vow at the moment he makes it; and do not seek to see him at the time of his degradation".

Shmuel HaKatan declared “When your enemy falls do not rejoice, and when he stumbles let your heart not be glad, lest the L-rd see and it will be displeasing to Him, and He will divert His wrath from him [to you]".

Elisha ben Avuya taught “He who studies Torah as a child, to what can he be compared? To ink written on fresh paper; and he who studies Torah as an old man, to what can he be compared? To ink written on paper that has been erased”.