He [Hillel] used to say: The more flesh the more worms; the more possessions the more anxiety; the more women the more witchcraft; the more maidservants the more lewdness, the more manservants the more theft. But the more Torah the more life, the more study the more wisdom; the more counsel the more understanding; the more charity (righteousness) the more peace. (Avot 2:8)

While studying this mishnah (“saying”) from Pirkei Avot, I came across some interesting thoughts in regard to Paul, and how we might understand one of his teachings on an entirely new dimension than before. First, let me give some background.

Less Is More

The more flesh the more worms; the more possessions the more anxiety; the more women the more witchcraft; the more maidservants the more lewdness, the more manservants the more theft.

This maxim can easily stand on its own. We all realize, to some degree or another, that “less” is often “more,” and “more” is often an overdose. The main point Hillel is making here is that just because we think we need “more,” it is not necessarily a good thing. “More” can often lead to our demise.

Our Animal Nature

In Rabbi Abraham Twerski’s excellent commentary on Pirkei Avot, Visions of the Fathers, he expounds upon this saying through a couple of illustrations. He says that if we look at a human being we will find that he is composed of both a physical body, and a spiritual soul. Our bodies are essentially the same as any other animal, and living for our bodies as our main priority (it’s easy to find out if this is true or not, by simply looking at where we invest our time & resources) causes us to be no better than an animal. In actuality, in some ways being an animal would really be better, because animals generally don’t over-indulge. When they have eaten to their fill, they stop. Not so with humans. Too often we eat more for pleasure than for our physical needs. Animals don’t struggle with obesity. Humans do.

So to primarily feed our physical bodies puts us at a level that is actually below the animal kingdom. We miss our calling of truly being human. Therefore, just as this mishnah states, we must attend to our physical needs with limitations.

Our Spiritual Nature

On the other hand, however, our spiritual needs are different than our physical needs. While we must be careful to limit our physical pleasures, our neshamot (our spiritual beings) should be handled with an entirely different approach. Just as God is infinite, the needs of our neshama, made from the spark of the Divine (“…breath deep the breath of God”), are also infinite. Therefore, placing a limit upon our spiritual pursuits (in contrast to our physical pursuits) may actually be detrimental to us, rather than beneficial. Rabbi Twerski sums this thought up with the following:

There are some things for which halachah does not designate an appropriate limit, but for many other spiritual activities — such as helping others or Torah study — there are no limits.¹

This immediately brought my mind back to a passage from the Mishna that is recited each morning:

These are the precepts that have no prescribed measure: the corner of the field [which must be left for the poor], the first-fruit offering, the pilgrimage, acts of kindness, and Torah study. (Peah 1:1)

These things “have no limit.” They may be done “to excess.” After all, can we be too kind? Too generous? Too devout? Should we place a limit on godliness?

The Fruits of the Spirit

This brought my mind back to something we hear from the Apostle Paul that has always troubled me in its wording. In his letter to the Galatians he introduces his concept of the “fruit of the Spirit” with the following:

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:16,17)

He essentially does the same thing as our mishnah. He warns us against “feeding our flesh,” and contrasts this with being sensitive to the Spirit and living a more spiritual life than a fleshly one. But the curious part about it is when he actually gives us his list for the “fruit of the Spirit”:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22,23, emphasis mine)

Paul could have stopped with “self-control.” However, he concludes his list with the phrase, “Against such things there is no law.” In other words, these are things which “have no limit,” just as the corners of the field, the first-fruit offering, the pilgrimage, acts of kindness and Torah study. There should be no limit to love, nor joy, nor peace, nor kindness, nor goodness, nor faithfulness, nor gentleness, nor self-control.

Have you been limiting yourself unnecessarily? I know I have. Are you ready to live life without limits?

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

This is how we do it. This is how we truly live. To coin a phrase… “Just do it.”

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Rabbi Abraham Twerski

Mesorah Publications, 1999

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I’ve owned and cherished Visions of the Fathers for a few years now. It has become a wealth of inspiration, as well as a guide to practical application of the wisdom contained within Pirkei Avot. Some of my readers may not be familiar with Pirkei Avot, so let me begin by sharing a little about this source

Pirkei Avot, often shortened to merely Avot, is a chapter of tractate Nezakin (Damages) of the Mishnah, the Oral Law of Judaism. It contains six chapters¹, which are traditionally studied one chapter per week during the counting of the Omer, and then continue again at a slower pace until Sukkot (Tabernacles).

Avot is probably the most familiar work of the Mishnah due to its timeless aphorisms which affect all aspects of our lives. Sayings such as:

• On three things the world stands: Torah, Service & Acts of Loving Kindness
• Make a teacher for yourself, acquire a friend/companion for yourself and judge all men on the scale of merit
• The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah
• Make your Torah study a fixed practice. Say little & do much; and greet everyone with a cheerful countenance
• Do not say, “When I am free I will study,” for perhaps you will never be free

So, why is studying Avot important? First, because it’s just good wisdom and we can all use more wisdom. But secondly, because the words of Jesus predate nearly all of the wisdom sayings found within this work, and yet you can almost hear his voice in the majority of these sayings. And though studying these comparatively with the words of our Master, I think we can gain some insight and understanding into his teachings which may have eluded us.

Lastly, I find one of the most important reasons to study Avot is that many often spend a considerable amount of time learning the text and meaning of Scripture, but fail in the application. The main focus on Avot (and all of Jewish theology for that matter) is application. Comparing the straight forward instructions of Avot with the sometimes broad strokes of Yeshua’s teachings can sometimes really help in understanding practical application of the Master’s imperatives.

Every Wednesday morning I meet with three other men for fellowship & to discuss the things we are learning, studying, etc. Over the last couple of weeks we have been discussing Avot, based on Twerski’s work. So far, we’ve gotten through the first three sayings of the first chapter. Yes, it’s that engaging. It’s been a wonderful time of digging into this text and then into the words of our Master to see how they compare and if we can learn something new and applicable to our lives.

In regard to Avot commentaries, there are a plethora of commentaries available from various sources. This commentary by Twerski, however, is personally significant in that it seems to contain the kind of analogies which really drive home the message of each particular mishnah (segment of text, similar to a verse). He is a natural maggid (story teller), and includes an enormous amount of talmudic anecdotes & chassidic stories to illustrate his points for each mishnah. Some Messianics might take issue with his constant affinity with psychological principles or kabbalistic insights. However, I find them very stimulating and accessible.

As far as illustrating Twerski’s methods, time permits me to give only one example.

Avot 1:6 says

Yehoshua ben Perachyah says: Make a teacher for yourself; acquire a friend for yourself; and judge everyone favorably.

Commenting on the last portion of this passage regarding judging everyone favorably, Twerski states

If we are flexible and lenient with other people, then God is lenient to us. If we are stern, rigid, and demanding, then God will act accordingly with us. When we judge other people favorably rather than condemn them, we merit that God will judge us favorably as well.

Essentially, this is what Yeshua tells in the Gospel of Matthew:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

So, why should we judge others favorably? Why not judge them with the measure they “deserve”? Because we will be judged in like manner, according to our Master.

From there, Twerski references the Baal Shem Tov and the Zohar on a couple of insightful points, and then says the following:

If we fail to identify our own shortcomings, we are likely to see them in others and be critical of them. If we acquire a teacher and friend that can alert us to our own biases and allow us to be more impartial in our judgments, we are far less likely to be condemning of others.

This is the essence of Yeshua’s instructions, and the extension of the mishnah at hand. Twerski does a great job at digging to the heart of the mishnah and looking at both the broad and specific applications time after time throughout the book. I would definitely be interested to hear any other specifics as to what you have enjoyed from Visions of the Fathers if you want to post a note for me in the comments. If you haven’t read it yet, you can pick up a copy here.

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http://etexts.diggingwithdarren.com/

It will be my permanent repository for such texts and will be easily searchable. I through it together quickly, but it’s already very handy and easy to use. I plan on making it a lot more functional in the future. I would also like to know if anyone would volunteer to help me add texts from time to time. If you’re interested, please give me a shout at darren [at] diggingwithdarren (dot) com. I look forward to hearing if anyone finds the site useful.Similar Posts:

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R. Abba b. Kahana said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘Do not spend time weighing up the precepts of the Torah, as Scripture hath it, And weighed the mountains in scales- [Based on the word ba-peles] (Isa. 40:12); and do not say, ‘Seeing that this precept is a great one, I will perform it because its reward is great, and seeing that the other precept is a minor one, I will not perform it.’ What did God do? He did not reveal to His creatures the reward for each separate precept, so that they may perform all the precepts without questioning. Whence this? For it is said, ‘Her ways wander, that thou canst not know them.’ It is as if a king hired for himself labourers and brought them straight into his garden without disclosing what he intended to pay for the various kinds of work in the garden, lest they should neglect the work for which the pay was little for work for which the pay was high. In the evening he called each one in turn and asked him: ‘ At which tree have you worked? ‘ He replied: ‘At this one.’ Thereupon the king said to him: ‘This is a pepper tree and the pay for working at it is one golden piece.’ He then called another and asked him: ‘At which tree have you worked? ‘ And he replied: ‘ Under this tree.’ The king thereupon said: ‘This is a white-blossom tree and the pay for working at it is a half a golden piece.’ He then called yet another, and asked him: ‘At which tree have you worked?’ And he replied: ‘At this one.’ Whereupon the king exclaimed: ‘ This is an olive tree and the pay for working at it is two hundred zuz.’ Said the labourers to the king: ‘You should have informed us from the outset which tree had the greater pay attached to it, so that we might have worked at it.’ Thereupon the king replied: ‘ Had I done this, how would the whole of my garden have been worked?’ So God did not reveal the reward of the precepts, except of two, the weightiest and the least weighty. The honouring of parents is the very weightiest and its reward is long life, as it is said, Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long (Ex. XX, 12); and the sending away of the mother bird is the least weighty, and what is its reward? Length of days.
—Devarim Rabba 6:2

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
—Matthew 20:1-16, ESV

Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: …Be as scrupulous about a light precept as of a weighty one, for you do not know the reward allotted for each precept.
Avot 2:1

Ben Azzai said: Be eager to fulfill the smallest mitzvah and flee from transgression; for one mitzvah induces another and one transgression leads to another transgression. The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, the reward of one transgression is another transgression.
Avot 4:2

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“Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (in Mesillas Yesharim Chapter 1) explains that Hashem placed man in a world that is full of situations that can distance him from maintaining a close relationship with Hashem. Even things that seem to be good are tests for a person, to see if he will withstand temptation and use what seems to be an obstacle as a stepping-stone to come closer to Hashem”
(vol 14, p. 31).

It then sites the example from Proverbs 30:8 & 9, which states:

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD ?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”

The commentary notes that both poverty and wealth can be a test of one’s service of Hashem. This reminds me of a passage in Pirkei Avot (which we study from now until Shavuot – Pentecost), which says:

Rabbi Yonatan said: He who fulfills the Torah in poverty shall in the end fulfill it in wealth. He who disregards the Torah in wealth shall in the end disregard it in poverty. (Avot 4:11)

Also, Hillel (the grandfather of Paul’s teacher Gamliel) said, “Say not: When I have time I will study, because you may never have the time” (Avot 2:5).

The time to study and live Torah is now. The spirit of Elijah is calling us to return to Torah and live it, not merely theorize about it. If you haven’t cleared the leaven from your home, please do so today. We only have three days left of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and we must purge ourselves from both the physical and spiritual leaven in order to be obedient to Torah and our Messiah. Otherwise, we are denying the validity of Torah and Messiah in our lives and deceiving ourselves, being merely “hearers of the Word” rather than “doers of the Word.”Similar Posts:

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As Shasta (the main character of the book) has just reached what he believes to be his haven and resting place after narrowly escaping death and saving his companion’s life, he is told there is no time to rest and he must press on to warn King Lune of an impending attack. Lewis tells us:

Shasta’s heart fainted at these words for he felt he had no strength left. And he writhed inside at what seemed the cruelty and unfairness of the demand. He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.

Although I’m sure Lewis didn’t intend on citing a Talmudic principle (as he was generally smug in the Christian “superiority” to Judaism), he nevertheless was able to deduce the same conclusion as Rabbi Azzai of the Talmudic era:

Ben Azzai said: Be eager to fulfill the smallest mitzvah and flee from transgression; for one mitzvah induces another and one transgression leads to another transgression. The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, the reward of one transgression is another transgression.
Avot 4:2

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shalom uvracha,
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Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron — a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Everyone wants it; few are willing to pay the purchase price. We live in an age of consumerism. Mass production, tantalizing marketing and effortless credit have created a generation who is a slave to our impulses, aiding our impetuousness and undermining self-restraint and long-term security. We are perfectly content with accumulating many years of painful debt for a moment of credit bliss. When something breaks, it is easier to just purchase a new one on credit, than to scrape up the cash in order to fix the one we already own.

This mentality has directly affected our relationships with others. When we are offended by another person, it is easier to discard them and acquire a new relationship than to fix the “old, outdated” one into which we have already invested. Unfortunately, repairing the “old” relationship appears to be too costly and outweighs the payoff in the eyes of the consumer. Thus we leave a trail of broken relationships and broken people in our wake.

Being a peacemaker doesn’t mean picket signs and protest rallies. It means rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty.

The Hebrew behind Yeshua’s statement is “אַשְׁרֵי עֹשֵׂי שָׁלוֹם כִּי–הֵם יִקָּרְאוּ בְּנֵי–אֱלֹהִים”. An oseh shalom (עשי שלום) is one who makes or creates peace. Herein lies the truth of being a peacemaker. If, indeed, a peacemaker is one who makes peace, it stands to reason that being that peacemaker requires action. If we are making peace, then we are in the process of creating. Creating is an action verb. Being a peacemaker doesn’t mean picket signs and protest rallies. It doesn’t mean burying your head in the sand. It means rolling up your sleeves and getting dirty. It requires getting out of your comfort zone. It requires affecting those around us. It requires time, skill, effort, and expense. It requires effort, and lots of it. It requires us to be active, rather than passive in our approach to making peace, not only between us and another person, but between others even when we are not directly involved. It requires sacrifice.

Just as our mishnah states, a wonderful example this is Aaron, the brother of Moshe. It is said of Aaron that the way he would make peace between a man and his fellow would be as follows:

So, too, when two men had quarreled with each other, Aaron would go and sit down with one of them and say to him: “My son, mark what thy fellow is saying! He beats his breast and tears his clothing, saying, ‘Woe unto me! how shall I lift my eyes and look upon my fellow! I am ashamed before him, for I it is who treated him foully.’ ”

He would sit with him until he had removed all rancor from his heart, and then Aaron would go and sit with the other one and say to him: “My son, mark what thy fellow is saying! He beats his breast and tears his clothing, saying, ‘Woe unto me! how shall I lift my eyes and look upon my fellow! I am ashamed before him, for I it is who treated him foully.’ ”

He would sit with him until he had removed all rancor from his heart. And when the two men met each other, they would embrace and kiss each other. That is why (of Aaron’s death) it is said, They wept for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel (Num. 20:29) ¹

This is why we are to be disciples of Aaron. He both knew how to make peace and put it into practice. Therefore peace was made between one man and another. It took Aaron getting involved, rather than merely praying for them. It required him to be vulnerable to being the brunt of his brother’s anger.

For those familiar with the Chofetz Chaim (which translates to “Desire of Life“), you know that the hallmark of his namesake is found in Psalm 34:12-14, which states “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” He spent his entire life dedicated to learning and putting into practice the laws of proper speech and ethical conduct. He both sought peace and pursued it with his entire being.

Psalm 34:10 says, “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” An alternate version of ARN comments on this passage through the following teaching. “Rabbi Simeon ben Eleazar says: If a man sits in his own place and is inactive, how can he pursue peace in Israel between man and man? Let him therefore go forth from his place and move around in the world and pursue peace in Israel, as it is said, Seek peace and pursue it.” ²

Boaz Michael has aptly noted that being a peacemaker should be inherent for disciples of the Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace), Yeshua HaMashiach. We should be the first to bring peace to others, rather than sitting by idly while strife manifests between brothers. Avoidance should not be our method of dealing with conflict.

The Apostolic Writings are full of such instruction. In his epistles, Rav Sha’ul speaks on peace at length. He encourages us to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace,” (Ephesians 4:3). In Romans 8:6 he also reminds us that “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” He also tells us “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone,” (Romans 12:18). He says we should “make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification,” (Rom 14:19).

James, the brother of the Master, tells us, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness,” (James 3:18). The seed we sow determines the harvest we reap. Are we sowing in strife or peace? When harvest time approaches, what crop will we reap? It’s not too late to begin planting a fresh crop of seed for the harvest…

Footnotes

1. Goldin, Judah. The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan. Yale University Press, New York, 1955, p. 64.
2. Ibid. p. 67.Similar Posts:

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Avtalyon would say: Scholars, be careful with your words. For you may be exiled to a place inhabited by evil elements [who will distort your words to suit their negative purposes]. The disciples who come after you will then drink of these evil waters¹ and be destroyed, and the Name of Heaven will be desecrated.

There is an ancient restatement of and commentary on Pirkei Avot called “Abot de’Rabbi Natan” (ARN). It is a minor tractate of the Talmud of which I have discussed previously. ARN states our mishnah in this manner:

Abtalyon says: Sages, watch your words lest ye decide something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah, and incur the penalty of exile and be carried off to a place of evil waters; and your disciples also who come after you decide in your name something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah, and they incur the penalty of exile and be carried off to a place of evil waters.

I really like the way ARN states this portion of the mishnah: “Watch your words lest ye decide something not in accord with the teaching of the Torah.” Isn’t this the heart of any matter of teaching? If we are teaching something that contradicts the Torah, we are in danger of becoming a false prophet and leading others astray (Deuteronomy 13). This mishnah also brings to mind the words of Ja’acov (James), brother of the Master, who said: “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 1:1, NIV) We must add caution to caution in this regard. Let’s take a little deeper look at the various aspects of this mishnah. My commentary is based on the synthesis of these two texts.

Be careful with your words

Those who teach others must take it as serious business. The Master spent his entire earthly ministry correcting bad teaching. Let’s make sure we are not undoing his work. We must be careful with our words in a few regards. First, we must be extremely careful as to their accuracy. Second, we must consider how they might affect others. We never know how our words might be interpreted, and therefore must make a thorough effort to clearly present our points to those who are receiving instruction. I take this seriously, but I also know that I have a target audience for my method of teaching. If someone from outside my target audience were to pick up one of my teachings on a particular topic, the chances of it being misinterpreted are near one hundred percent. The reason for this is that they do not possess the needed knowledge base to properly filter many of the subjects discussed.

For instance, when I speak of ‘the Law,’ different people have different understandings on the subject. My previous understanding, having been raised in an evangelical church, was that the Law was some sort of twisted plot by God to show man his worthlessness, holding the proverbial carrot in front of him. For close to the last decade, however, my understanding of this has shifted to understand the Law from its intended purpose and perspective—a means of transforming us into the image of our Creator. If someone having the paradigm from which I previously came were to read my commentaries on the various laws in the Torah, such as Sabbath restrictions, they could and would easily be distorted. The same is true with any subject. Some very good advise I heard towards this was, “Explain, explain and clarify your explanation.” ²

Not in accord with the teaching of the Torah

When Yeshua was teaching, he was under constant scrutiny from those who were in places of teaching authority. He responded many ways at many times. However, his ultimate response (in my opinion) was this: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” ³ This was the foundation of his teaching. Others had stepped into evil waters. Yeshua, however, had come to establish proper halachic teaching authority as one whose words upheld Torah.

We often get into a debate over this passage in regard to whether he set aside the Torah (e.g. through the traditional interpretation of “fulfilling” it) or he “filled it up”⁴. Christendom has traditionally interpreted this passages via the previous method, saying that since Yeshua “fulfilled” the Torah, it is no longer necessary—it has become obsolete. On the other hand, there are others who say he “filled it up,” therefore our obedience to the specifics of Torah is not necessary, merely our proper application of its principles; somehow Yeshua “spiritualized” the Torah.

However, neither of these are the case. The problem with both of these interpretations is that they fail to consider the cultural milieu in which Yeshua’s words were cast. Both of these interpretations are based solely upon the guesswork of the interpreters, rather than the context in which they were given. Here is a brief explanation of the proper understanding of this passage:

“In rabbinic literature, the Greek words from the Gospel which are translated “abolish” and “fulfill” possess dynamic equivalents. The word “abolish” means to “interpret incorrectly.” In Greek, the word kataluo means “abolish,” and its dynamic Hebrew equivalent batel also means “cancel, abolish, destroy,” but batel is often used in contexts that deal with interpreting Scripture. One cancels Torah when it is misunderstood. The word “fulfill,” moreover, refers to interpreting a passage correctly. In Greek the word pleroo means “fulfill.” Its Hebrew equivalent kiyem is derived from a root, that means “cause to stand” and possesses the sense, “to uphold, to observe, to fulfill, or to place on a firmer footing.” It too is used in contexts that deal with interpreting Scripture.

When one misunderstands the proper meaning of Torah, one many not obey the Lord’s will and therefore will cancel the law. Hence a person may abolish Torah by misunderstanding the divine revelation. On the other hand, when one understands the proper meaning, one is able to obey God’s will and therefore fulfill Torah.”⁵

Ironically, by misappropriating the words of Yeshua, we are doing exactly the opposite of his example. We are abolishing the very words of the Master, rather than fulfilling them.

This the downfall of Antignos of Socho. From his one misunderstood statement regarding eternal rewards for works done in this life, his disciples constructed an entirely new doctrine that actually was in opposition to his original statement. Unfortunately, this is what has been done with the words of our Master as well.

Incur the penalty of exile…and evil waters

Unfortunately, I have a good example of this. I have a friend who believes he is a divinely appointed teacher of the Scriptures. He has been prolifically writing article after article on various subjects and unsolicitedly sending them out to a slew of people. These “teachings,” however, are nothing more than lies and slander, mixed in with half-truths in order to add a bit of credibility to his arguments. With a blind determination to vociferously attack the Jews and anything Jewish, he has neglected to accurately represent his opponents. Therefore, his arguments are all straw men. They just don’t hold any weight, because they are all based on fabrications which have been created to support his animosity. They are not necessarily fabrications that have been created deliberately (G-d forbid), but primarily out of a desire to accept information that supports with his false assumptions. His words are not only inaccurate, but they are distorting reality and possibly leading uneducated people into a false perception of the truth. Unfortunately, I can see the “exile” and “evil waters” clearly in such a person.

In the case where someone is teaching untruth repeatedly, they will eventually not know truth from fiction. They will have gone to a place of no return, especially having fallen prey to the “evil elements” (i.e. those who would perpetuate the false teachings). The Apostolic Scriptures warn us of such, by saying:

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Timothy 4:3, 4, NIV)

This is a luring trap that we in which must be careful not to fall, and it is running rampant within Christianity, as well as the Torah movement. We are pulled to teachers that have the talk, rather than the walk; the gnosis, rather than the da’at⁶. As teachers of the Word of the Almighty, we must not fall into such traps. May we break this curse and have our eyes opened to this deception, and be disciples of those who walk the walk (rather than merely talk the talk) and teach others to do the same.

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
(James 3:13-18, NIV)

And be destroyed

This is the final result of those who perpetuate and “drink” false teachings. Outside of the grace of the Almighty, destruction is the payment for such labors.

Footnotes

1 “Evil waters” = heresy
2 Verbal quote from Boaz Michael at the Wooden Podium conference, Fall 2005.
3 Matthew 5:17, NIV
4 Ironically, David Stern’s Complete Jewish New Testament Commentary argues that Yeshua “filled up” the Torah and the Prophets, not taking into consideration the Semitic nature of this phrase.
5 Young, Brad H., Jesus the Jewish Theologian, p. 265.
6 Both gnosis (Greek) and da’at (Hebrew) mean “knowledge.” However, gnosis implies only the knowing aspect of information, while da’at implies the application of information.Similar Posts:

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There is a version of it contained in the printed texts of the Babylonian Talmud, but this particular version is based on two versions of ARN which were translated and documented by Solomon Schechter more than a century ago. Schechter had not only translated and compared these two “non-canonical” versions of ARN, but had come upon a third as well. What is interesting to note is that these versions of ARN contain information from Pirkei Avot (PA) in a different form than what exists in the Talmud. The arrangements of the various mishnayot are not parallel to PA, and often it attributes sayings to persons other than whom PA claims as their source. I plan on incorporating some of the information within ARN in my ongoing commentary on PA. I can’t help but feel a sense of amazement at the parallels to the Apostolic Writings in several instances. Here’s a sneak peek at some of what I’ve come across already:

Regarding the statement “Thy belly is like a heap of wheat hedged in by lilies (Cant. 7:3)¹ ” the following statements are made.

“Thy belly is like a heap of wheat refers to the minor commandments that are tender. Hedged in by lilies teaches this: when Israel put them into practice, they are led thereby to the life of the world to come. How so? One’s wife in her menses² is alone with him at home. If he is so minded he cohabits with her; if he is otherwise minded he does not cohabit with her. Does then anyone see him, or does anyone know to tell him aught? He fears only Him who commanded against contact with a menstruant.

(Again,) one has suffered a pollution. If he is so minded he bathes; if he is otherwise minded he does not bathe. Does anyone see him, or does anyone know to tell him aught? He fears only Him who commands ritual immersion.

The same may be said of the law of dough offering; and the same may be said of the law of first shearings. These minor commandments, tender as lilies, when Israel put them into practice, lead them to the life of the world to come.”³

To me, this brings to mind the warning the Master gives his disciples in Luke’s Gospel:

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell.
(Luke 12:1-5, NIV)

Food for thought…

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Joshua the son of Perachia and Nitai the Arbelite received from them. Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Provide yourself with a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every man on the scale of merit.

This has to be one of my favorite sayings from Pirkei Avot. These three things are three areas in which I would imagine most people fall short (with my name being at the top of the list). Let’s touch on these briefly.

Provide yourself with a teacher

Being nearly two thousand years removed from the faith of Yeshua and his talmidim (disciples), we honestly do not have an idea of what it means to be a disciple or student. In modern times, a student is a single person in a sea of classmates; a teacher is a distant authoritarian to guide you through a textbook. We just don’t have the concept of a student-teacher relationship like in the Biblical period. During these times, especially within the Jewish cutlure, a rabbi would take on a few students and spend a great deal of time with them. He would pour into them his great wealth of knowledge. From those students there would be those who would excel and shine a little brighter than the rest. Like the fat from milk, the cream would rise to the top—not to dominate, but to be proven as a candidate to take the mantel from the rabbi and pass it to the next generation. From there the student-teacher relationship was further bonded, and all that the rabbi could pour out was lapped up by his student.

We have massive gaps in the wisdom of one generation to the next. We have arrogance and pride as the chasm between the younger and the older. We are “wise in our own eyes” according to Scripture, in that we literally believe we cannot be taught. We are self-made, self-taught, and self-destructive. We need the counsel and instruction of our elders, specifically a teacher who is wise in the ways of Adonai that can pour into us the wisdom that only comes through experience—not theory.

Yeshua gives us a great example of this student-teacher relationship. He has literally thousands of disciples, but he has only twelve that he is with day in and day out. Within those twelve, he has three with whom he is closest. He revealed his soul to these three only. He took them to the mountain of Transfiguration (Matthew 17) where his mission was sanctioned by his Father in the presence of these three witnesses. They were close enough to Yeshua to share in his most wonderful and most painful experiences of life.

Acquire for yourself a friend

In the west, we truly do not have an understanding of camaraderie. We are a lonely people, an isolated people. We have a shallow definition of friendship, and are threatened by the thought of needing another person—especially that of the same sex. We take pride in the fact that we don’t ‘need’ anyone. We are an island to our own. But Scripture teaches us that “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). You see, without others, we cannot be sharp. We can never be the scalpel in the hand of HASHEM. We will always be the butterknife in the wound. Without others who are close enough to us to smooth out our roughness, we will always be “rough around the edges.” We will always be abrasive with those to whom we come in contact. We will always be the “diamond in the rough”, so to speak—never being polished to our potential radiance and beauty.

If I didn’t have others in my life, I would be a Scripture-sniper. What do I mean by that? I mean, I would be using the Scriptures to knock off people left and right, without ever a care for them, and without them really ever seeing me (for who I am). I would destroy them with my doctrine, rather than encourage their spiritual metamorphosis with my love. The old adage is definitely true that people “don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

By ignoring the command to “acquire for yourself a friend” as a study partner and a true confidant, we not only deprive others from what we have to offer, but deprive ourselves from our full potential.

Judge every man on the scale of merit

And lastly, we have the statement that ties these two together. We are to “judge all men (yes, women as well) on the scale of merit.” But what does this mean? I understand it to mean something similar to what Yeshua said in his sermon on the Mount:

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ’Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
(Matthew 7:1-6, NIV)

In this passage, we hear Yeshua admonishing his disciples on the subject of judgement & correction. Too often we hear “Do not judge!” But we don’t understand the application. We must realize that not only are we supposed to judge (1 Corinthians 5 is a good example of this), but we must do so accurately and for the benefit of the other person. When Yeshuah instructs us not to judge, he is not telling us that we shouldn’t discern that the deeds of others are either righteous or wicked, but rather that we should not be quick to jump to conclusions to condemn the person without a fair and thorough investigation. This is why he tells us “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” If we are quick to condemn others, we will quickly be condemned. If we judge people with fairness and optimism, the same will be shown to us. This is why we must first “remove the plank” in our own eye (i.e. make sure we don’t have four fingers pointing back at us in the same area of sin!) before we come to our brother in correction.

This is the point of our mishnah. To judge a person “on the scale of merit” means that we judge with love, just as the Apostle Paul reminds us:

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:6,7)

If we truly love a person, we will not delight in knowing they have done evil, nor will we assume the worst regarding them. We will protect them and their integrity by not listening to gossip without getting the facts directly from the one accused. We will trust that Hashem is doing a work in their lives, rather than forsaking them at a moment’s notice. We will realize that we are all growing, maturing, learning and that somehow this circumstance is possibly a misunderstanding of the facts. We will persevere in loving the accused (even if it is ’tough love’ that has to distance them for a season) through their accusation until their restoration.

Lastly, I have never heard the last section of Yeshua’s teaching on judging (regarding dogs, pearls and pigs) associated with the previous two sections. It has always been taught as a separate thought or idea. However, as I was looking at this, it seemed clear that this was indeed a continuation of the instructions regarding judgement. In the same way we must be cautious to accuse someone of wrong doing, we must also be cautious of bringing a word of correction to someone who is not ready to receive it. Proverbs tell us:

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. (Proverbs 9:7-8, NIV)

If the person truly has a heart for Hashem, your (gentle)rebuke will only draw him to t’shuva (repentance). If he is bent on going his own way, your rebuke will only receive criticism. Proverbs puts this another way by saying,

“Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom” (Proverbs 17:16)

Isn’t this exactly what Yeshua is saying? This is indeed casting our pearls before swine. Therefore, let us judge all men in love, and use wisdom in our correction.Similar Posts:

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Antignos of Socho received the tradition from Shimon the Righteous. He would say: Do not be as slaves, who serve their master for the sake of reward. Rather, be as slaves who serve their master not for the sake of reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.

Although we know that everything we do for Hashem should be not for the sake of reward (i.e. “heaven”, unlike popular theology teaches us), but for the sake of our love for Hashem alone—many doctrines are formed around the antithesis of this statement. Preachers are peddling either “tickets to eternity” or “fire insurance”. They leave out the part about a covenantal relationship with the Creator & King of the Universe. Their doctrine only is concerned about one thing: where a person will spend eternity—in the blissful euphoria of a heavenly realm, or the burning pits of hell. I’m afraid neither of these is what salvation is all about. Salvation, in its purist sense, is about having Hashem as your ally in the battles of life, your friend in times of trouble. It’s about not having Him as your enemy, because there is no defense against His wrath. It’s about living in covenantal relationship with the Almighty, and having no regrets when He says “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Salvation is now. Salvation is a process (of self-transformation). Salvation is not necessarily a destination.

I don’t have time to elaborate on this much, but this is also a classic example of how something can be said, misunderstood, and entirely new doctrines formed around the misunderstanding. It is taught that after Antignos made this statement, his disciples after him began to teach that since we do not serve Hashem for reward, there must not be a reward, and thus began to teach that there was no resurrection. This is traditionally how the heretical sects of the Sadducees and Beothusians got started. This is why it is so important that those of us who are teachers are teaching as much truth as possible, and making sure we are understood properly. We will touch on this more in Mishnah 11.Similar Posts:

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