Back to Sinai. The process begins Pirkei Avot with G-d giving us the . During the 40 days and 40 nights MOSHE KIBEIL TORAH MISINAI... Moshe Rabeinu spent on Har Sinai, he So begins the first mishna of the first RECEIVED the Torah from G-d. perek of Avot. Hence, Moshe KIBEIL Torah MiSinai. is called (among other The mishna continues, that Moshe things) Z'MAN MATAN TORATEINU, gave over the Torah to Yehoshua - the time of the giving of our Torah. and, we should add, to the whole Note well the different verbs. MATAN generation of the Midbar and the is the giving of (okay, it's a gerund younger generation who would soon noun but it comes from the verb). be entering Eretz Yisrael. KIBEIL is to receive. Big difference. The outline of the Chain of Trans- mission of the Torah, as described in At Sinai, HaShem gave us the Torah. Avot 1:1, the process was many Actually, He gave us the down pay- people of the earlier generation ment in the form of His verbal state- giving the Torah to the children and ments. The hard cop, engraved in students AND they receiving it. stone, didn't come to us until forty Torah is an issue of give and take, days later, when Moshe came down from parents to children, from from Har Sinai with the Luchot, but teachers to students. Children and he broke them because of Cheit students then grow to become HaEigel, the sin of the golden calf. parents and teachers of Torah, and We actually got the Luchot on the the give and take continues. original Yom Kippur - more than four months after the Sinai Experience. Pirkei Avot (and all of Mishna and , and more) is filled with And we didn't get the whole Torah in teachings our our great Tana'im - not written form until the end of the forty only to their children and students, years of wandering. but to of every generation from During much of the time between then until now, and beyond. hearing G-d at Sinai and getting the The official Chain is G-d to Moshe to Torah in hand, B'nei Yisrael spent a Yehoshua to the Z'keinim (Sho-f'tim) lot of time learning the mitzvot of the to the Nevi'im to the Anshei Knesset Torah and reviewing what they were HaGedola, and on. We are part of that taught. 'on'. by commentators - it either refers to Pirkei Avot the individual who chooses the path Israel and Chutz LaAretz have been of Torah, or it refers to G-d as the out of sync Pirkei Avot-wise since OSEHA - to Him who makes it. their second day of Shavuot and our There is a variant reading of the regular that followed our one mishna for the word L'OSEHA - day of Shavuot. L'OSEH, to the one who does. This week, we read/learn the second Leaving aside small grammatical perek and in Chutz LaAretz, they issues with the wording of Rabi's double up and read/learn 1 & 2. statement, we can combine the That will leave Ki Tavo with 3 & 4 for different opinions into one concept. all of us and 5 & 6 for Nitzavim-Vayei- A person (a Jew) should choose a lech. And that's it for the Pirkei Avot path in life that is pleasing and season that began right after Pesach. honorable to G-d, to other people, By the time RH rolls around, we will and to himself. have learned four cycles of Avot. Bnei Reuven and Gad needed to fulfill Noteworthy is the fact that during Elul their oaths in order to be 'clean' in we step up the learning by doubling up G-d's eyes and in Israel's. twice or thrice, as the case may be. It give us the experience of going into It is not enough to strick to the strict high gear as the Yamim Nora'im letter of halacha. One's behavior approach. must always conform with the dictates of Torah and Mitzvot - with a The opening words of Rabi (R' Yehuda pleasant, healthy attitude. HaNasi) in Avot 2:1 are - Torah, Service of HaShem, and Fl xFaI¨W¤ dx¨W¨ i§ Kx¤c¤ id¦ Ffi`¥ ,xn¥ F` iA¦ x© G'milut Chasadim are the pillars of d¨ iU¤ Frl§ zx¤`¤ t§ z¦ `id¦ W¤ lŸM ,mc¨`¨ d¨ the world. .mc¨`¨ d¨ on¦ Fl zx¤`¤ t§ z¦ e§ Satisfying G-d (so to speak) and Rabi said, Which is the right course being admired among one's fellows is that a man should choose for wonderful, but it is only 2/3 of the himself? That which is an honor to challenge for each of us. We each him who does it, and which also must be happy with ourselves. Each brings him honor from mankind. aspect of this challenge sometimes The word L'OSEHA (to him who does takes different feelings, thoughts, it) is interpreted two different ways and actions. must be part of the Torah in which we Pirkei Avot are engrossed as we walk on the 'road of life'. Perspectives on the Study of Nature The study of nature, of the life We in Israel read/learn the 3rd perek sciences, needs a very special of Avot this Shabbat. In Chutz perspective. On the one hand, to view LaAretz, they have the 3rd perek next nature as something different from week. Let's look at the 9th mishna G-d is problematic. It short changes (some texts number the mishnayot G-d. This attitude manifests itself differently). This mishna is some- with making a sharp distinction times attributed to a R' Yaakov. between Limudei Kodesh and Limudei R' Shimon says: He who walks on the Chol - studying holy matters and road and is reviewing (his Torah mundane matters. The Torah way of learning in his mind), and stops his life does not recognize the pursuit of learning and says - How beautiful is any area of knowledge as being this tree, how beautiful is this field - outside the Jew's lifetime challenge the verse considers him to have put of Knowing G-d, better and better. his life in jeopardy. This, says the Rambam, leads to a The obvious question is what is so deeper and richer Love of G-d. terrible about admiring a tree or a When one studies biology or field while walking on the road? The chemistry or physics or astronomy... admiration of nature is the (any topic, really), he should close the admiration of G-d's World. We even part of his mind and heart that is have brachot for different elements reserved for Torah Learning, and of nature. open up a different part for other The standard explanation is that disciplines. A beloved biology when one is engrossed in Torah professor I was privileged to have for study, nothing should cause him to several courses at University interrupt himself - even the beauties - Dr. William Etkin z"l - said to us of nature. Studying Torah is above all. once, a Torah person's mind must always be open (he would have said There is another way to understand 24/7, but that phrase wasn't popular this mishna. The key words to this yet) and everything that he learns, understanding is UMAFSIK MIMISH- sees, experiences, should be seen NATO, and he stops his learning to within a Torah perspective. admire nature. Admiration of nature The above touches on one side of this matter into energy every second as a issue. MAFSIK MIMISHNATO is prob- result... Wow, look at what G-d lematic. created - that's fine. What does G-d have to do with the Sun which formed There is another side of the study and about 4,600,000,000 years ago from admiration of nature, that is just as the collapse of part of a giant problematic. molecular cloud that consisted When admiration of nature, of the mostly of hydrogen and helium and Sun and the Moon, of lofty mountains that probably gave birth to many and magnificent animals and trees, other stars. - that's the problem! leads to veneration and worship. This is the dire concern Moshe Rabeinu Study of nature can and has led some expresses in the beginning of next people and societies to forget about week's sedra (Va'etchanan) about the one G-d and worship many other seeing various impressive elements things. Study of nature has led other of G-d's Creation, and either making people and societies to leave G-d to the grave mistake of worshiping the spiritual matters in the world (if them, even in the misguided thinking that) and consider nature as we know that it is a way to serve and worship it and are still learning about, to have G-d. nothing to do with G-d at all. If a person is rightly impressed with Wikipedia's entry on the Sun is huge. the Sun (for example), its light, I did a search for God in the entry - warmth, energy, life-force, and this gods and goddesses were mentioned leads to Sun-worship (as it did in numerous times in the article. Not generations of long ago), then that is G-d as Creator of All. a very serious situation, to say the If the study and admiration of nature least. is so fraught with pitfalls for the But being equally impressed with the G-d-fearing person, may it be better Sun as a ball of fiery plasma with not to study nature. internal convective motion that No, says the Navi Yeshayahu in next creates a magnetic field... that it is week's haftara of Nachamu. He says, 109 times the diameter of the Earth S'U MAROM EINEICHEM UR-U MI and 330,000 times as massive... The VARA EILEH..., lift your eyes Sun currently fuses about 600 million heavenward and see (and understand tons of hydrogen into helium every and appreciate) Who created it all. second, converting 4 million tons of are you going? to a place of dust, Pirkei Avot worms and maggots; and before whom will you in the future have to Finally, all Avot-learning Jews will give account and reckoning? Before have the same p'rakim this Shabbat the Supreme King of kings, the Holy and next - the final two Shabbatot of One, blessed be He. 5780. Doubling up is not just the way to One famous question on this mishna complete the fourth cycle of Avot; it is the asking of the questions, and also speaks to the urgency of using then repeating the questions with Elul well as a preparation for the answers. Seems unnecessarily wordy. Yamim Nora'im, which a very close. But it is not. Because before hearing what Akavya had to say, we are given The mishnayot of Avot are probably a chance to ponder the questions on the most well-known mishnayot of our own. The union of a sperm and an SHAS. And the first mishna of Perek egg and the grave is one way to look Gimel might be the best known of the at the questions. mishnayot in Avot, because we hear them at funerals, often repeated a But so is - what kind of home and few times. background did I come from? To where am I going with that back- lM¥ Y© q§ d¦ :xn¥ F` l`¥ l§ l© d£n© oA¤ `i¨a§ w© r£ ground? It is what a person does with ic¥il¦ `a¨ dY¨ `© oi`¥ e§ mix¦a¨ c§ dW¨ ŸlW§ A¦ his life - between his origin, however ,Kl¥ Fd dY¨ `© o`¨ l§ E ,z¨ `A«¨ oi¦`«© n¥ rC© .dx¨a¥ r£ one interprets MEI-AYIN BATA and .oFAW§ g¤ e§ oiC¦ oY¥ l¦ ciz¦ r¨ dY¨ `© in¦ ip¥t§ l¦ e§ where he ends up in life, again how- dY¨ `© o`¨ l§ E ,dg¨ Exq§ dR¨H¦ n¦ ,z¨ `A«¨ oi¦`«© n¥ ever you understand that - that a ip¥t§ l¦ e§ .dr¨ l¥ Fze§ dO¨ x¦ xt¨r¨ mFwn§ l¦ ,Kl¥ Fd person will give an account and be ip¥t§ l¦ ,oFAW§ g¤ e§ oiC¦ oY¥ l¦ ciz¦ r¨ dY¨ `© in¦ judged after 120 years. .`Ed KExA¨ WFcT¨ d© mik¦ l¨ O§ d© ik¥ l§ n© Kl¤ n«¤ From where? A religious home, a Akavya, the son of Mahalalel, said, non-religious home, Brooklyn, Reflect upon three things, and you poverty, wealth... Lots of ways to will not come within the power of sin: understand 'from where you came'. know from where you came, to where So too with 'to where are you going?' you are going, and before whom you A Torah life, happy family, Aliya, will in future have to give account values... We are challenged variously and reckoning. From where did you in this life. And the ultimate question is how we'll be judged by The Judge. come? From a fetid drop; to where The second mishna of Perek Dalet Azzai's words that the reward for says: doing a mitzva is the joy of doing a mitzva. ,dN¨ w© de¨v§ n¦ l§ ux¨ ie¥d¡ :xn¥ F` i`G©r© oA¤ ,de¨v§ n¦ zx¤x«¤FB de¨v§ O¦ W¤ .dx¨a¥ r£d¨ on¦ g© x«¥FaE This implies that our main motivation de¨v§ n¦ xk© V§ W¤ ,dx¨a¥ r£ zx¤x«¤Fb dx¨a¥ r£e© for doing mitzvot is AHAVAT .dx¨a¥ r£ dx¨a¥ r£ xk© U§ E ,de¨v§ n¦ HASHEM, Love of G-d. Motivated only be fear, or observing mitzvot on Ben Azzai said, Run to do even a automatic pilot, will not necessarily slight mitzva, and flee from lead to the real SIMCHA that one can transgression; for one good deed find being an EVED HASHEM, a draws another good deed in its train, servant of G-d. Not a slave, but a and one sin, another sin; for the happy and content servant who loves reward of a good deed is a good deed, his Master. and the wages of sin is sin. Approaching Rosh HaShana, Aseret In the first mishna of Perek Bet, Rabi Y'mei T'shuva, and Yom Kippur, one said that one should be enthusiastic can find it easier to operate in the to do a light mitzva like a heavy one, fear mode. But that is selling oneself because we don't know 'how G-d short. Yes, Yir'at HaShem is essential keeps score'. Earlier (1:3), Antignos - and perhaps first (but not necessar- taught that we should serve G-d as a ily so), but Ahavat HaShem is such a servant who is not doing what he higher spiritual goal and a great does for the reward... incentive to improve oneself. Ben Azzai, Rabi, and Antignos are not Not easily accomplished. That's one saying the same thing, but the of the reasons that Sukkot, Z'man common factor is to be enthusiastic Simchateinu, comes so soon after in the performance of all mitzvot - big Yom Kippur. or small. However, we should remember the Eagerly observing mitzvot leads to a last mishna in Taanit that tells us that life of mitzvot. Sin, on the other hand, there was no greater joyous day than leads one down the path of sin. Yom Kippur (and TU b'Av). In Ben Azzai's words, the reward for RH and YK combine joy and trepida- doing a mitzva is the opportunity to tion. We must find the right balance do more mitzvot, and to become a between the two emotions. Maybe Torah & Mitzvot person. the keys are to be emotional and not The Baal Shem Tov added to Ben be like automatons. If you've counted, there are 8 Pirkei Avot VAYOMER ELOKIMs. That makes 9 The first mishna in Avot ch.5 states: Divine sayings. With ten (Divine) Sayings, the world As to the 10th saying, there are three was created... candidates. Most often (with some exceptions) B'reishit 1:29, VAYOMER ELOKIM... when the mishna says there is a list whereby He gives humans dominance of a certain number of items, we do over nature. This too can be seen as not find the list itself in the mishna. part of Creation of the World - since without this Divine statement, we Commentaries provide us with the would't survive for too long. list. Or - 1:28, And G-d blessed them (the Number 1 on this list is B'REISHIT humans), VAYOMER LAHEM BARA ELOKIM EIT HASHAMAYIM ELOKIM... be fruitful and multiply... V'EIT HAARETZ. This is counted as a this can be seen as the climax of MAAMAR (Divine saying) based on Creation, by giving humans (and all the pasuk in T'hilim (33:6) - BIDVAR animals) the ability to procreate, so HASHEM SHAMAYIM NAASU... By that the world continues to exist. the word of G-d were the heavens G-d's Creation has 9 statements and made; And all the host of them by the the 10th allows the world to continue breath of His mouth. to exist. This deviates slightly from After this slightly oblique first item, the format of VAYOMER ELOKIM. we are told that the rest of the list Close enough. consists of the easier to find Divine Or - 2:18, VAYOMER HASHEM sayings. They would begin with ELOKIM... it is not good that ADAM VAYOMER ELOKIM... And G-d said... should be alone... This, of course, led We find VAYOMER ELOKIM... let to the formation of WOMEN, the there be light, Raki'a amidst the culmination of Creation. This one, waters, let the waters gather too, deviates from the format (forming seas and dry land), VAYOMER ELOKIM, but it is close vegetation, heavenly bodies, sea life enough. So which is the tenth item on and birds, land animals, and humans. the list? It doesn't really matter, because each candidate completes the list meaningfully. between Shavuot and 17 Tamuz, Pirkei Avot another cycle split between the Three Weeks of mourning for the There are only five chapters (p'rakim) Churban and the first three weeks of in Masechet Avot. When it was Nechama, and a fourth cycle during decided that Avot would be the best Elul. This fourth cycle requires text to study during the period doubling up chapters the last two between Pesach and Shavuot, as a weeks, or so. This gives us a feeling way of elevating us to better relive of a crowded agenda for us all during Matan Torah, a sixth chapter was the days leading up to the Yamim needed, so that there would be one Nora'im. chapter each Shabbat during the Omer period. Whereas the five [Because the 8th day of Pesach and chapters of Avot contain many the 2nd day of Shavuot in Chutz teachings for living a Torah life, this LaAretz can sometimes fall on sixth chapter was to focus on Torah Shabbat, the above description of the Learning, to be read/ learned on the cycles of Avot does not always fit Auf Ruf Shabbat of Bnei Yisrael. The perfectly.] five chapters of Avot are part of the Each cycle, as described above, gives body of the Shisha Sidrei Mishna. The us a different background to our sixth chapter, nicknamed KINYAN Pirkei Avot learning. This makes it HATORAH - the acquisition of Torah, less repetitive, and allows for is a collection of Mishna- different insights each time we study contemporary writings, known Avot. The perek of KINYAN collectively as B'RAITA. HATORAH is introduced with the The original practice of reading/ statement: SHANU CHACHAMIM learning Pirkei Avot during the Omer BILSHON HAMISHNA - BARUCH weeks was subsequently extended to SHEBACHAR BAHEM UVMISHNA- all the Shabbatot (except when 9 Av TAM - Our Sages taught us in the is Shabbat) until Rosh HaShana. This style of the Mishna, blessed are THEY is considered a constructive practice and their Teachings - what our Sages for the longer Shabbatot of the teach us is important and so is the summer. quality and character of our teachers. It's not just the learning; it's who As it turns out, we do one cycle of teaches us. Avot during the Omer period, one cycle during a 'neutral' period How can the Ramban say that? A Pirkei Avot Rishon cannot contradict a Mishna. Final week of the Pirkei Avot season - The Ramban might not be contradict- but don't let that stop you from ing a Mishna, but might be teaching learning Pirkei Avot anytime you want. us a very important lessons in Life's It is a wonderful text to study and tests. explore with different m'forshim - any Perhaps Avraham should have time of the year. 'toughed it out' during the famine, On this Shabbat before Rosh feeling that if G-d sent him to the HaShana, we learn the 5th and 6th Land, then He surely would watch p'rakim of Pirkei Avot. over him during the famine. Perhaps. But that means that Avraham made Avot 5:3 (numbering might vary): the wrong decision concerning the Epia«¦ `¨ md¨ x¨a§ `© dQ¨ p©z§ p¦ zFpFiq§ p¦ dx¨U¨ r£ famine. If this was a test of faith, the lW¤ FzA¨ g¦ dO¨ M© r© ic«¦Fdl§ ,mN¨ kªA§ cn© r¨ e§ test was not what he would do, but what effect the experience would .mFlX¨ d© eil¨ r¨ Epia«¦ `¨ md¨ x¨a§ `© have on his faith in G-d. Had Avraham With ten trials, our father Avraham reacted (which he didn't) by saying was tried, and he stood firm in them What kind of G-d would send me all, to make known how great was the away from my birthplace and my love of our father Avraham. father's house to an unknown The exact list of the ten trials of faith destination and them subject me and of Avraham Avinu is disputed by the Land to a famine? THAT would be commentaries, but all consider his a failure of a test. Avraham did what going down to Egypt because of a he thought he must do, and the famine and posing as brother and Ramban thinks he was in error. Not a sister with Sara to be on the list (as faith-test failure. Rambam also one or two items). doesn't think Avraham acted in the best way, but he says that we learn The Ramban states that Avraham that a person may temporarily leave committed a serious sin (albeit Eretz Yisrael in certain dire circum- b'shogeg) by leaving the Land to stances. which G-d had sent him, and by endangering Sara Imeinu to protect Our faith, belief, trust in G-d must be himself. able to withstand whatever curves are thrown our way. The first mishna of Perek Shishi, discerning judgment: to him the a.k.a. Perek Kinyan HaTorah says: secrets of the Torah are revealed; he is made like a never-failing fountain, dx¨FYA© wq¥ Frd¨ lM¨ :xn¥ F` xi`¦ n¥ iA¦ x© and like a river that flows on with cFr `Ÿle§ ,dA¥ x§d© mix¦a¨ c§l¦ dk¤ Ff ,Dn¨ W§ l¦ ever-sustained vigor; he becomes .Fl `Ed i`c©M§ FNMª ml¨ Frd¨ lM¨ W¤ `N¨ `¤ modest, patient, and forgiving of ,mFwO¨ d© z`¤ ad¥ F` ,aEd`¨ ,r© x«¥ `x¨w§ p¦ insults; and it magnifies and exalts ,mFwO¨ d© z`¤ g© O«¥ U© n§ ,zFIx¦A§ d© z`¤ ad¥ F` him above all things. de¨p¨r£ FYW§ A© l§ n© E ,zFIx¦A§ d© z`¤ g© O«¥ U© n§ Remember that this sixth perek is not ,ciq¦ g¨ ,wiC¦v© zFid§ l¦ FYx§W© k§ n© E ,d`¨ x§i¦e§ part of Masechet Avot, although it ,`h§ g¥ d© on¦ FYw§ g© x©n§ E ,on¨ `¡p¤e§ ,xW¨ i¨ completes the work known as Pirkei dv¨ r¥ EPO«¤ n¦ oip¦d¡p¤e§ ,zEkf§ ic¥il¦ FYa§ x©w¨ n§ E Avot. It is a collection of B'raitot, dv¨ r¥ il¦ :xn© `¡P¤W¤ ,dx¨Eab§ E dp¨iA¦ dI¨W¦ Eze§ written by Tana'im, as is all of Avot, Fl zp¤z«¤ Fpe§ .dx¨Eab§ il¦ ,dp¨ia¦ ip¦`£ ,dI¨W¦ Eze§ and its special focus is immersion in Fl oiN¦ b©n§ E ,oiC¦ xETg¦ e§ dl¨ W¨ n§ n¤ E zEkl§ n© all aspects of TORAH. This was xd¨ p¨k§ E xA¥ B©z§ O¦ d© oi¨r§ n© M§ dU¤ r£p©e§ ,dx¨Fz if¥x¨ purposely done because the original ,g© Ex« Kx¤`«¤ e§ r© Ep«v¨ de¤Ÿde§ ,wq¥ Ft Fpi`¥ W¤ Shabbat for its study was the one FYn§ n© Fxn§ E FYl§ C©b©n§ E ,FpFAl§ r¤ lr© lg¥ FnE right before Shavuot, Z'man Matan .miU¦ r£O© d© lM¨ lr© Torateinu. The five chapters of Avot R. Meir said, Whosoever labors in the also extoll the importance of Torah Torah for its own sake, merits many study and observance, together with things; and not only so, but the whole many ethical teachings - in light of world is indebted to him: he is called Derech Eretz Kodma LaTorah. Being a friend, beloved, a lover of the prerequisite to Torah learning and All-present, a lover of mankind: it values, these ethical teaching help us clothes him in meekness and grow during the weeks between reverence; it fits him to become just, Pesach and Shavuot - and then the pious, upright and faithful; it keeps intense emphasis on Torah of the him far from sin, and brings him near sixth perek. to virtue: through him the world This same idea fits well with the enjoys counsel and sound knowledge, month of Elul. Generally, all of Pirkei understanding and strength; (as it is Avot is learned a fourth time through said, Counsel is mine, and sound during Elul, and the TORAH perek knowledge; I am understanding; I brings us into Rosh HaShana, as it did have strength): and it gives him with Shavuot. The whole book helps sovereignty and dominion and us prepare for the Yamim Nora'im.