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Avot DeRabbi Natan

Sefaria · Talmud > Bavli > Minor Tractates · 22 sections

1. 1.1

   Moses was sanctified in a cloud, and received the Torah from (Mount) Sinai as it states: (Ex. 24) "And the Glory of God dwelt on Mount Sinai" - for Moses in order to purify him. - This (the resting of the cloud) occurred after the Ten Utterances; these are the words of Rabbi Yosei The Galilian. Rabbi Akiva says: (ibid.) "and the cloud covered it (for) six days" - (in preparation) for Moses(' ascent). That is what is written: (ibid.) "and He called to Moses on the seventh day from within the cloud" - to give honor to Moses. Rabbi Nathan said: Why was Moses delayed for those six days and the Speech did not rest upon him? So that he may clear (himself) of all eating and drinking in his innards until the point (when) he became sanctified and became like the ministering angels. Rabbi Mathia son of Heresh said to him (Rabbi Nathan): Master, they only told him this, threatening him to make sure he would accept the words of Torah out trepidation, fear, out of trembling and perspiring. As it states: (Ps. 2) "Serve God out of fear and rejoice with trembling." There was a happening which occurred with Rabbi Yosiah and Rabbi Mathia son of Heresh, that both of them were sitting, (and were) involved in the words of Torah . Rabbi Yosiah left to a trade (lit. the way of the world). Rabbi Mathia son of Heresh said to him: "Master, why would you leave the words of the Living God to wash (immerse yourself) in the way of the world?And even though you are my master and I, your pupil, (I tell you that) it is not good (suitable,fit) to leave the words of the Living God to immerse in the way of the world." And they (the sages) said: "whenever they sit, (and are) involved in the words of Torah, they would seem as though they are vengeful of one another. And when they part, they would seem as though they were lovers from (their days of) youth.

2. 1.2

   Through (lit. through the hands of) Moses was the Torah given at Sinai, as it states: (Deut. 5) "and He wrote them (the ten utterances) on two tablets of stone and He gave them to me (Moses)." And later it states: (Lev. 26) "These are the statutes and the laws and the instructions that God placed between Him(self) and between the Children of Israel on the Mountain Sinai through the hands of Moses." God did not give it (through anyone) but through Moses, as it states: "between Me and between the Children of Israel." Moses merited to be the agent between the Children of Israel and the Omnipresent. Moses did (the service of) the inaugural ram and the anointing oil, and used it to anoint Aaron and his sons during the seven days of inauguration. And from that oil, high priests and kings were anointed (as well). And Elazar burned the heifer of cleansing (red heifer), from which the impure would purify for posterity. Rabbi Eliezer said: "Great is this measurement (of the anointing oil) that it serves to work for generations. As Aaron and his sons were sanctified with the anointing oil, as it states: "(Ex. 30) "and you shall anoint Aaron and his sons and you shall sanctify them to serve me as priests."

3. 1.3

   Joshua received (the Torah) from Moses, as it states: (Num. 27) "And you (Moses) shall place (a portion) of your splendor on him (Joshua), so that the entire congregation of the Children of Israel shall hear." The Elders received it from Joshua, as it states: (Judges 2) "And the nation served God during all the days of Joshua and all the days of the Elders, who saw the great deeds that God performed for Israel, whose life spanned for days after Joshua('s)." The Judges received it from Joshua, as it states: (Ruth 1) "And it was in the days of the rule of the Judges." The Prophets received from the Judges, as it states: (Jeremiah 7) "and I sent My servants, the prophets, to you daily, betimes and often." Haggai, Zakhariah and Malakhi received it from the Prophets. The Men of the Great Assembly received it from Haggai, Zakhariah and Malakhi. And they said three things: "Be patient in judgement, and appoint many students and make a fence for the Torah.

4. 1.4

   How should one be patient in judgement? This comes to teach that one should wait in judgement. For all who wait in judgement - (their minds) are settled in judgement. As it states: (prov. 25) "These too are the parables of Solomon, which the men of Hizkiyah, King of Judah, copied over." And (the meaning of the verse) is not that they copied over, rather that they waited. Abba Shaul says (the meaning is) not that they waited, rather that they explained: in the earlier days, they would say that that Proverbs and Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes were to be put away, as those texts spoke parables and were not of the Holy Scriptures - and so they stood (in decisive judgement) and hid them away. (and these texts remained hidden away) Until the Men of the Great Assembly came allong and explained them. As it states: (Prov. 7) "And I saw amongst the simple, understood that amongst the lads, that there was youth lacking heart (understanding) ... and Lo! a woman toward him, set as a harlot, with designed purpose. She is bustling and restive; her legs dwell not in her own home. At times outside and at times in the street; and she lays in ambush at every street corner. And she grabs him and kisses him; brazenly, she tells him. ''I was obligated to bring a sacrifice; today I have paid my vow. Therefore I went out to greet you, seeking you, and have found you. I have made my bed with covers of dyed Egyptian cotton. I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe and cinnamon. Let us drink our fill of lovers till morning, let us delight in loving. For the man is not is not in his house; he is off on a distant journey. He has taken the money bag in his hand, (only on) the day of the throne/covering (mid-month) shall he return." And it is written in Song of Songs: "Let us go, my lover; we shall go out to the field; we shall sleep in the villages. Let us arise to the vineyards to see if the vine has flowered, if the blossoms have opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom; there I shall give you my love." And it is written in Ecclesiastes: "Rejoice, young man, in your childhood, let your heart and go according to the paths your heart lays out or what your eyes see. Just know, that that for all of these things, God will bring you to justice." And it is written is Song of Songs: "I am my beloved's and his desire is upon me." It is (evident), they did not wait, rather they explained. Another explanation: how so to be patient in judgement? This teaches that one should be patient in his dealings and not quick to anger in his dealings. For one who is quick to anger in his dealings, forgets matters. As we find by our master Moses who forgot his matters. As it states: (Num. 31) "And Eleazar the Priest said to the men of the legion, going to war: 'this is the statute of the instruction which God commanded Moses.' " God commanded Moses, but God did not command me (Eleazar). He commanded Moses my father's brother, and not me. (This implies that although God commanded Moses exclusively, Eleazar had to deliver this law because Moses forgot it.) And where, then, do we find that Moses got angry about his matter? The verse states concerning the officers of the army: (ibid.) "and Moses was inflamed toward the officers of the army and he told them 'You have left all females to live!' " What then does the verse mean "all females?" This must then be (referring) to the plot what Bil'am plotted against Israel. As it is written: (ibid. 24) "And now I shall return to my nation; go and I shall suggest to you what this nation shall do to yours in later days." He (Bil'am) said to him (Balak): "This nation, what you hate - be it hungry for food or thirsty for drink - they have naught what to eat but the manna. Go forth and make boxes and place food and drink in them, and place beautiful women, daughters of kings, there, so that the nation shall stray to (worship) Baal Peor, and they shall fall in the hands of the Omnipresent." Balak immediately went to o all that the evil Bil'am had told him. See now what the evil Bil'am caused among Israel; that (because of the harlots) twenty-four thousand fell from Israel. As it states: (ibid. 25) " and those that died in the plague totaled twenty-four thousand." And is the matter not deductible a fortiori? Our master Moses who was a wise man, greatest of the greats, father (greatest) of all prophets - he forgot matters when he got angry, how much more so would we. This teaches that one should be patient with matters and not quick to anger about them. Son of Azzai says: be careful of your words (to ensure you hold back) from wasting (them).

5. 1.5

   "and create a fence around the Torah" and create a fence around your words just as God created a fence around His, and First Man made a fence round his, The Torah made a fence around its words, Moses made a fence around his words and even Job and even the prophets and sages made a fence around their words. What safeguard did God make for His words? The verse states: (Deut. 29) "and all of the nations shall say 'for what did God do thus (destroy and exile) to this land (Israel)?' " This teaches that it was revealed before He who spoke and the world became that coming generations would say as follows: "for what did God do thus (destroy and exile) to this land (Israel)?" Therefore, God told Moses: "Moses, write down and leave for the coming generations, 'and they (Israel) shall respond 'it is because they left the covenant of God ... and they went and served other deities and bowed to them - other deities with whom they were not familiar nor that they had place with." From here you learn that God made a safeguard for His words. And it is written after this what they would still say this in the future, that God gave reward to His creations in peace. What safeguard did First Man make for his words? The verse states: (Gen. 2) "And YKVK God commanded man, saying, 'you may eat from all the fruits of the garden; however from the tree (which provides) knowledge of good and evil you may not eat, for the day on which you will eat from it, you will surely die.' " First Man did not want to tell this to Eve in the same manner God had told it to him, rather he told her thus, making a safeguard for his words, (restrictive) to a greater extent than what the Holy One, Blessed be He, told him: (ibid.) "and concerning the fruit of the tree in (the center of) the garden, God said 'do not eat of it and do not touch it, lest you die.' " Because he wanted to guard himself and Eve from the tree - not even to touch. At that time, the evil Snake plotted in his heart, and said: "since I cannot make the Man stumble, I will go to make Eve fail. He then went and sat by her and had lengthy conversation with her. He told her: "if you say that God commanded us (against) touching - see that I will touch it and I will not die; you as well - if you touch it you will not die. What did that evil Snake do then? He stood and touched the tree with his hands and feet and made it shake until its fruit fell to the ground. Once that tree saw (noticed) him, it screamed at him and told him: "wicked, wicked one - do not touch me! As it states: (Ps. 36) "Bring me not to the foot of haughtiness, nor expel me to the hands of the wicked."

6. 1.6

   Another interpretation: "Bring me not to the foot of haughtiness, nor expel me to the hands of the wicked." This refers to the wicked Titus, what his bones grated down because he showed with his hand and struck on top of the altar, saying: Locus, Locus (Omnipresent?)

7. 1.7

   Eve was then cursed with ten curses, as it states: (Gen. 3) "To the woman He said 'I shall greatly increase your pain and your travail; with pain shall you birth children; and your desire shall be to your husband and he shall rule over you." These (the double expression of "greatly increase") refer to two quarter measures of blood: the one, the painful blood of menstruation and the other, the painful virgin blood. "...Your pain ... - " this refers to the pain of raising children. " ... Your travail ... - " this refers to the pain of gestation. "... With pain shall you birth children ... - " this refers to its plain meaning. " ... And your desire shall be to your husband ... - " this teaches that the woman desires for her husband when he goes out on a journey. " ... And he shall rule over you ... - " this means that the man demands with his mouth and the woman demands with her heart (thoughts). Enwrapped as a mourner, and incarcerated of all men in the dungeon, and ostracized of all men. Who caused this affliction? It was the safeguard that First Man placed around his words. From here the sages said: "If one safeguards his words, he may not be able to abide by them." From this the sages said: "One should not add onto things that he heard." Rabbi Yosei says: "Ten hand-breadths and still standing bests one-hundred cubits and fallen over." What was the wicked snake thinking then? "I shall go and kill Adam and marry his wife and I shall then be king over all the world, and I shall stride upright and eat all of the delicacies of the world." The Holy One, Blesses be He, said to him: "You said 'I shall kill Adam and marry Eve?' I will therefore "place a hatred (between the snake and the children of Eve)." You said 'I shall become king over all the world?' Therefore, "you shall the most cursed of all the beasts." You said "I shall stride upright?" Therefore "on your belly shall you go." You said 'I shall eat of all the delicacies of the world?' Therefore "And you shall eat dust all the days of your life." Rabbi Simon son of Menasia says

8. 2.3

   ...He stared at them and saw that the writing flew off of them. He said, "How can I give Israel tablets that do not have substance in them. Rather, I will take hold of them and break them." So is it stated, "And I took hold of the two tablets, and cast them out of my two hands"...

9. 3.2

   He used to say: One who tears their clothes in anger, or breaks their vessels in anger, in the end they will perform star-worship, since thus is the craft of the urge to evil. Today it says to a person, "tear your clothes," and tomorrow it says to them "perform star-worship."

10. 3.3

    He used to say, one who sets his eyes on his wife that she will die and he will inherit her, or that she will die and he will marry her sister, and anyone who sets his eyes on his brother that he [the brother] will die and he will marry his wife, in the end they will bury him in their lifetimes. About him it is written (Ecclesiastes 10:8) "He who digs a pit will fall into it; he who breaches a stone fence will be bitten by a snake."

11. 4.5

    Once, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was walking with his disciple, Rabbi Y'hoshuah, near Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple. R. Y'hoshua looked at the Temple ruins and said, "Oy for us! The place that atoned for the sins of the people Israel - through animal sacrifice - lies in ruins!" Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai spoke to him in comfort, "Do not be too sad, my son. We has another equally meritorious way of gaining atonement - deeds of lovingkindness." For it is written, "Lovingkindness I desire, not sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6).

12. 12.7

    "Love the creatures" (Pirkei Avot 1:12), how so? This teaches that a person should love the creatures and not hate the creatures. And so we find in the Generation of the Dispersion, that from their loving one another, the Holy Blessed One did not wish to destroy them from the world. Rather, They [God] dispersed them to the four winds of the world. But, the people of Sdom, since they hated one another, the Holy Blessed One destroyed them [both] from this world and from the world to come. As it is said, (Genesis 13:13) "Now the inhabitents of Sdom were very wicked sinners against the LORD." 'And sinners,' this is forbidden sexual relations [lit. revealing nakednesses]. 'Against the LORD,' this is desecration of God. 'Very,' that they intended and they sinned. So it teaches us that from their hatred for each other the Holy Blessed One destroyed them from this world and the world to come.

13. 12.8

    "And bringing them close to the Torah" (Pirkei Avot 1:12), how so? This teaches that a person should preserve [lit. withhold] creatures and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence, like Avraham our Father preserved creatures and brought them under the wings of the Divine Presence. [And Avraham did not do this alone, but also his wife Sarah, as it is said] (Genesis 12:5) "Avram took his wife Sarai and his brother’s son Lot, and all the wealth that they had amassed, and the persons that they had acquired in Charan...". And is it not that the case that none who walks on earth is able to create even one gnat?! Why then does the Torah say "the persons that they had acquired in Charan"? It teaches that the Holy Blessed One considered them as though they had made them. Just a person does not apportion for their fellow reward in this world, so they do not apportion reward for their fellow in the world to come. As it says (Ecclesiastes 4:1) "the tears of the oppressed, with none to comfort them; and the power of their oppressors—with none to comfort them." Why does it say "none to comfort them" twice? These are the children of those who ate and drank and succeeded with sons and daughters in this world, and in the world to come they do not have (anything, and they do not have) a comforter. That if a person stole from them in this world, or they experienced a death, their children and siblings and close ones would comfort them. Could this be so in the world to come? The Teaching says, also a child or a sibling they will not have. And so with one who committed a sin and begot a mamzer. They say to him "Fool [lit. empty one]! That which you bound yourself with, binds him [too]!" (Since this mamzer wishes to learn Torah with these students) that are sitting and studying in Jerusalem. And the mamzer walks with them until they reach Ashdod, stands there, and says "Woe is me! If I were not a mamzer I would already be sitting and studying between the students, and I would now have learned! And since I am a mamzer I do not sit and study between the students, since a mamzer does not enter Jerusalem at all!" As it says (Zechariah 9:6) "And a mamzer shall sit in Ashdod, I will uproot the grandeur of Philistia".

14. 12.10

    "

15. 13.1

    Shammai said: Make your Torah [study] a fixed thing, say little and do much, and greet everyone with a pleasant disposition.

16. 13.2

    How do you make your Torah [study] a fixed thing? If a man heard something from a scholar in the house of study, he shouldn't do it temporarily, but on a fixed basis. And whatever a man learned, he should do and teach others to do, as it said (Deuteronomy 5): "And you shall learn them and keep doing them". And also in Ezra he said (Ezra 6): "For Ezra prepared his heart to learn G-d's Torah and to do it" and then "to teach in Israel law and justice".

17. 13.3

    "Say little and do a lot" how, it teaches that the righteous say a little and do a lot, but the wicked say a lot and don't do even a little bit. How do we know that the righteous say little and do a lot? With Abraham who told the angels they'll have a slice of bread with him today. As it said (Genesis 18): "And I'll take a slice of bread and you'll dine your hearts". But eventually see what Abraham did for the angels, he went and got them three bulls and nine se'as (a unit of volume) of wheat germ. How do we know it was nine se'as of wheat germ? It says "Abraham hurried to the tent to Sarah and told her: 'hurry, three sea's of flour, wheat germ'". Three as it says. Flour is six. Wheat germ is nine. How how do we know he cooked three bulls? It says "And Abraham ran to the cattle". "Cattle" one, "son of the cattle" two, "soft" three. And some say, "and good" made four. "And he gave it to the boy and he did it quickly", Abraham gave to Ishmael his son to teach him to follow Mitzvot. Even The Holy One Blessed Be He said little and did a lot, as it says (Genesis 18) "And he told Abram, know that your descendants will be foreigners in a land not theirs, and they'd make them labor and torture them four hundred years, and I will punish the people who'll enslave them, and they'll leave with a lot of property". He only said it in 54 letters (in the Hebrew), but when The Holy One Blessed Be He punished the oppressors of Israel, he did it in 72 letters, as it says (Deuteronomy 4): "Or has G-d ever tried to take nation out of nation with great and fearful miracle?". From here you learn that he punished the oppressors of Israel with 72 letters. And how do we know that the wicked say a lot and don't do even a little bit? We found that in Efron who told Abraham (Genesis 23): "Land for four hundred shekels of silver". But when Abraham pays him it says "And Abraham listened to Efron and weighed for him...".

18. 13.4

    “Greet every person with a pleasant countenance.” [Pirkei Avot 1:15 - Teaching of Shammai] What does this mean? It teaches us that even if a person gives someone the most precious gifts in the world but his face is gloomy, then the Torah considers it as if he gave nothing. But one who greets his friend with a pleasant countenance is considered to have given the best gifts in the world, even if he did not actually give any gifts at all.

19. 14.6

    When Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai's son died, his disciples came into comfort him. Rabbi Eliezer entered, sat down before him, and said to him, "Master, with your permission, may I say something to you?" "Speak," he replied. Rabbi Eliezer said, "Adam had a son who died, yet he allowed himself to be comforted. How do we know? For it is said: 'And Adam knew his wife again.' (Genesis 4:25) You, too, will be comforted." Rabbi Yohanan said to him, "Is it not enough that I grieve over my own loss and you remind me of the grief of Adam?" Rabbi Joshua entered and said to Rabbi Yohanan, "May I say something to you?" "Speak," he replied. Rabbi Joshua said, "Job had sons and daughters, all of whom died in one day, but he allowed himself to be comforted. You, too, will be comforted. How do we know that Job was comforted? For it is said: 'Adonai gave, and Adonai has taken away, blessed is the name of Adonai.'" (Job 1:21) Rabbi Yohanan said to him, "Is it not enough that I grieve over my own son, and you remind me of the grief of Job?" Rabbi Yosi entered and sat down before Rabbi Yohanan. He asked, "Master, with your permission, may I say something to you?" "Speak," Rabbi Yohanan replied. "Aaron had two grown sons," Rabbi Yosi began, "both of whom died in one day. Yet he allowed himself to be comforted, as it is said: 'And Aaron said nothing.' (Leviticus 10:3) Is not silence consolation? Therefore, you, too, will be comforted." Rabbi Yohanan said, "Is it not enough that I grieve over my own; now you remind me of the grief of Aaron?" Rabbi Simeon entered and said to him, "Master may I say something to you?" "Speak," Rabbi Yohanan replied. "King David had a son who died, yet he allowed himself to be comforted. You, too, will be comforted. How do we know that David allowed himself to be comforted? For it is said: 'And David comforted Batsheva, his wife, and bore with her a son, and called his name Solomon.' (2 Samuel 12:24) You, too, Master, will be comforted." Rabbi Yohanan said, "Is it not enough that I grieve over my own son and now you remind me of the grief of King David?" Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah entered ... and sat down before Rabbi Yohanan and said, "I want to tell you a parable. You are like the man who was given a very precious jewel by a ruler. Every single day, the man would cry out with worry: 'Woe unto me! The ruler has implored me to care for the jewel with absolute trust. When will the ruler want the jewel returned?' You, Master, had a son. He studied the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings. He studied Mishnah, Halakha, Agadah. And he departed the world without sin. You should be comforted knowing that you returned him with absolute trust. Rabbi Yohanan said, "Rabbi Eleazar, my son, you have comforted me the way comfort should be given!" ...

20. 20.1

    Rabbi Hananya, deputy of the priests, would say: Anyone who takes words of Torah to heart is no longer troubled by thoughts of destruction, thoughts of hunger, foolish thoughts, lustful thoughts, thoughts of temptation, thoughts of another man’s wife, thoughts of meaningless things, or thoughts of human burden. So it was written in the book of Psalms by King David (Psalms 19:9), “The precepts of the Eternal are true, bringing joy to the heart. The commandments of the Eternal are clear, illuminating the eyes.” But anyone who does not take words of Torah to heart is troubled by thoughts of destruction, thoughts of hunger, foolish thoughts, lustful thoughts, thoughts of temptation, thoughts of another man’s wife, thoughts of meaningless things, and thoughts of human burden. So it was written in Deuteronomy (28:46–48) by Moses our teacher, “They will be a sign and a proof against you and your offspring for all time. Because you would not serve the Eternal your God with joy and gladness over the abundance of everything. You will have to serve, in hunger and in thirst, naked and lacking everything.” “In hunger.” How so? (When a person wishes) to eat even barley bread, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for wheat bread and fatty meat. “In thirst.” How so? When a person wishes he could drink just a drop of vinegar, or beer, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for the finest wine in the land. “Naked.” How so? When a person wants to wear a wool or linen shirt, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for the finest silk in the land. “Lacking everything.” Without a candle, without a knife, and without a table. Another interpretation of “lacking everything”: Without vinegar and without salt. For this is a curse that people often give: May there be no vinegar or salt in your house! He would also say (with regard to Song of Songs 1:6): “Do not look at me, for I am blackened, scorched by the sun.” These are all the cities in Yehudah who cast off the yoke of the Holy Blessed One, and accepted human kingship upon themselves. [The verse continues:] “My mother’s children were angry with me.” This is Moses, who killed the Egyptian, as it says (Exodus 2:11–12), “Sometime after that, when Moses had grown older, he went out among his brothers and saw what they were enduring…and he turned this way and that, and saw that there was no one there.” What do we learn from “there was no one there”? This teaches that Moses brought the question before the council of angels who serve God, and asked them: Shall I kill this man? They said to him: Yes, kill him. And did Moses kill him with a sword? No, he killed him with words, as it says (Exodus 2:14), “Are you saying you will kill me, just as you killed the Egyptian?” This teaches that Moses killed him by saying the [Ineffable] Name of God. (Another interpretation of) “My mother’s children are angry with me”: this is Moses, who fled to Midian, as it says (Exodus 2:15,17), “Pharaoh heard what happened, and sought to kill Moses, and Moses fled from Pharaoh. He arrived in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well…And some shepherds came and tried to drive [Jethro’s daughters] away. And Moses got up and saved them, and gave water to their flocks.” Then Moses came and sat among them to render judgment. He said: The general practice in the world is for men to fill the buckets and women to give water to the animals. Here, women draw the water and men give the water to the animals. There is a perversion of justice in this place! (They are guilty by law, and have become guilty through this incident.) Some say that the whole time Moses was standing near the mouth of the well, the water was bubbling up to meet him, and when he left, the water went back down. Then Moses said: Woe is me! For I have left my people and come to live among these heathens. Another interpretation of “My mother’s children are angry with me”: This is Israel, who made the Golden Calf. At first, they said (Exodus 24:7), “Everything the Eternal has said, we will do and we will understand.” And then they went back and said (Exodus 32:4), “These are your gods, Israel!” Another interpretation of “My mother’s children are angry with me”: These are the spies, who slandered the land and caused Israel to die in the desert, as it says (Numbers 14:29), “In this desert your carcasses will fall.” “They made me guard the vineyards” (Song of Songs 1:6). The Holy Blessed One said: Who is it that caused Me to favor the heathens? Israel! (For while) the heathens live well, [Israel] are oppressed, scorned, and scattered about. Another interpretation of “They made me guard the vineyards”: This is Israel, who were exiled to Babylon. And prophets rose among them and told them to separate their donations and tithes. The people said to them: We were exiled because we did not separate our donations and tithes, and now you tell us we should separate them? [And that is why it says, “They made me guard the vineyards.”]

21. 27.3

    Rabbi Yochanan son [?] used to say, the one who says "This halacha was not created" does not have a portion in the world to come. He would say, "Do not distance yourself from a measure which has no end, or from a work which has no completion." An analogy: to what is the matter similar? To one who would take seawater and pour it on the dry land; the sea was not lessened, nor was the dry land filled [with water]. He was discouraged [lit. shortened in his mind] -- [another person] said to him, "Fool [lit. empty one]! Why are you discouraged?! Every day take your wage: a golden dinar."

22. 41.10

    Rabbi Yehuda ben Taima says one should be as bold as a leopard, as light as an eagle, run like a deer, and be strong like a lion to do the will of his father in heaven.

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