Avot DeRabbi Natan

Sefaria · Talmud > Bavli > Minor Tractates · 253 sections

37.3
Six things can be said of demons, three ways in which they are like human beings and three ways in which they are like the angels who serve God. The three ways they are like human beings: They eat and drink like human beings, they reproduce like human beings, and they die like human beings. And the three ways they are like angels who serve God: They have wings like the angels who serve God, they know what will happen in the future like the angels who serve God, and they can move from one end of the world to the other like the angels who serve God. And some say that they can also change their faces [into any form they wish], and that they can see but are themselves unseen.
37.4
There are seven types of [false] Pharisees: the Shechemite Pharisee, the Nakfaite Pharisee, the Miktzoite Pharisee, the Machobaite Pharisee,1The false Pharisees mentioned by their locales are meant to indicate a specific type of false piety. The members of Shechem, for example, agreed to circumcise themselves, but only so their prince could marry Jacob’s daughter (see Genesis 34). the Pharisee for the sake of a profession, the Pharisee who was obligated by marriage, the Pharisee driven by lust, and the Pharisee driven by fear.
37.5
Eight things are hard on a person when done excessively, but pleasant if done sparingly: [drinking] wine, work, sleep, [having] wealth, sexual relations, [bathing in] hot water, (sexual relations,) and bloodletting.2Both the term derekh eretz (the way of the world) and the term tashmish (use [of the bed]) – which is an insertion in our text – seem to be euphemisms for sexual relations. But of course, if they are separate items in a list of eight, that would make no sense. Not surprisingly, some editions read, “Seven things are hard on a person…” and do not include tashmish.
37.6
The Holy Blessed One created the world with seven things: with knowledge, with understanding, with might, (with rebuke, with judgment,) with kindness, and with mercy.
37.7
And just as He created the world with seven things, so too did He create these seven: the three patriarchs and the four matriarchs.
37.8
Seven attributes serve before the Throne of Glory: Wisdom, Righteousness, Justice, Kindness, Mercy, Truth, and Peace, as it says (Hosea 2:21–22), “I will bind you to Me forever. I will bind you to Me with righteousness, with justice, with kindness, and with mercy. I will bind you to Me with faith, and you will know the Eternal.” [Rabbi Meir would say: What do we learn from the phrase, “and you will know the Eternal”?] This teaches that any person who possesses these attributes has knowledge of God.
37.9
There are seven realms: the upper realm, the lower realm, the air of the world, and the four upper areas. Rabbi Meir says: There are seven skies: Vilon, Rakia, Shekhakim, Zevul, Ma’on, Machon, and Aravot. The land, likewise, is called by seven names: Eretz, Adama, Arka, Haravah, Yabasha, Tevel, and Heled. And why is it called Tevel? Because it is seasoned (metubelet) with everything. Another interpretation: Because its nature is to bring in and not to take out.3It outlasts all, because it consumes but does not withdraw. There are seven distinctions between one righteous person and another: One has a more pleasant wife than the other; one has more pleasant children than the other; both eat from one bowl, but this one tastes according to what he has done and that one tastes according to what he has done; both of them dye cloth with the same kettle, but this one’s comes out lovely and that one’s comes out ugly; one’s wisdom is greater; one’s understanding is greater; and one’s knowledge is greater (and one is taller), as it says (Proverbs 12:26), “The greater one guides the righteous.”
37.10
Hillel the Elder presented seven interpretive principles before the House of Beteira: kal vahomer (an a fortiori inference: if so for a lenient case, all the more so for a stringent case), gezeira shava (similar principle learned from linking words), binyan av (building on a primary category), miklal u’frat (specific cases limiting the general rule), miprat u’klal (a generalization expanding the application of a specific case), kayotzei bo bemakom akher (a similar case in another place), and davar halamed minyano (a principle learned out from context); these are the seven interpretive principles that Hillel the Elder presented before the House of Beteira.
37.11
A fool has seven traits and a wise person has seven traits: When a wise person does not understand, he says: I do not understand. He does not become embarrassed, but simply admits to what is true. And all the opposite things are said about the fool.4Five of the seven items are missing from this list, but appear in Pirkei Avot itself (5:7): The wise person does not speak before one who is greater than him in wisdom and in age, and he does not interrupt his fellow, and he does not become agitated and respond too quickly; he asks appropriately and answers properly, and he speaks of first things first, and last things last.
37.12
The wise person does not speak before one who is greater than him in wisdom. From whom do we learn this? From Moses, as it says (Exodus 4:30), “Aaron repeated all the words that the Eternal had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs in the sight of the people.” And who was the appropriate person to say all these things, Moses or Aaron? One would assume Moses, for Moses had heard them from the mouth of the Almighty, whereas Aaron had heard them just from Moses! However, Moses said to himself: Can I speak in place of my older brother while he is standing right there? Therefore, he told Aaron to speak, as it says (Exodus 4:30), “Aaron repeated all the words that the Eternal had spoken to Moses.” And he does not interrupt his fellow. This is Aaron [as it says (Leviticus 10:19), “Then Aaron spoke…see, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering.” But] he was quiet until Moses had finished speaking, and he did not tell Moses to cut his words short. Only afterward did he say to Moses, “See, this day they brought their sin offering and their burnt offering,” but we are in mourning [and cannot eat of the offerings]. And some say that Aaron pulled Moses aside and said to him, “Moses my brother, tithes are the least important of the offerings, and it is still forbidden for a mourner to eat them. A sin offering is the most important of the offerings, so all the more so is it forbidden for a mourner to eat it! Immediately, Moses admitted that [Aaron] was right, as it says (Leviticus 10:20), “And when Moses heard this, it was good in his eyes.” (And in the eyes of the Almighty.) We learn also from the fact that Moses became angry with Elazar and Itamar, Aaron’s sons. From this, they say that when a person [makes a celebration] for his students, he turns his attention to the greatest of them. But when he becomes angry with them, he directs his anger to the lowliest among them, as it says (Leviticus 10:16), “And he became angry with Elazar and Itamar.” This shows that he was actually angry with Aaron as well. Aaron was older than Moses, but the Eternal is greater than Aaron! So why didn’t the Eternal speak to Aaron? Because he did not have his sons stand guard. Because if he had put Elazar and Itamar on guard, then he could have kept Nadav and Avihu from sinning. We learn also from Abraham our forefather, who prayed for the men of Sodom. The Holy Blessed One said to him (Genesis 28:26), “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will save the whole place for their sake.” But the One who spoke and brought the world into being already knew full well that if there were even three or five righteous people in Sodom, it would have been saved. Yet the Holy Blessed One waited until Abraham finished talking, and only afterward replied, as it says (Genesis 18:33), “When the Eternal had finished speaking to Abraham, He departed…” (as if the Eternal had said to Abraham, see, now I am released, as it says [at the end of the verse]), “…and Abraham returned to his place.”
37.13
And he does not become agitated and respond too quickly. This is Elihu ben Berakhel HaBuzi, as it says (Job 32:7), “I said to myself: Let age speak first.” This teaches that they were sitting in silence before Job. When he would stand up, they would stand up. When he would sit down again, they would sit down again. When he ate, they would eat. When he drank, they would drink. Finally, he asked permission to speak, as it says (Job 3:1, 3), “Afterward, Job began to speak, and cursed the day of his birth.” And he said, “Perish the day on which I was born, and the night it was announced: A male has been conceived!” Perish the day that my father came to my mother and she told him: I am pregnant. And how do we know that they did not all start speaking at the same time? For it says (Job 3:2), “Job answered and said…” and then (Job 4:1), “Elifaz HaTeimani answered and said…” and then (Job 8:1), “Bildad HaShukhi answered and said…” and then (Job 11:1), “Tzofar HaNa’amati answered and said…” and then (Job. 32:6), “Elihu ben Berakhel HaBuzi answered and said….” The book lays them out one at a time (however), to let everyone know that a wise person does not speak before someone who is greater in wisdom. And does not interrupt his fellow. And does not become agitated and respond quickly. He asks appropriately. This is Judah, as it says (Genesis 43:9), “I will pledge myself for him.” He asks inappropriately. This is Reuben, as its says (Genesis 42:3), “Reuben said to his father: Let my two sons die!” He speaks of first things first. This is Jacob. And some say this is Sarah. And last things last. These are the men of Haran. And he admits to what is true. This is Moses, as it says (Deuteronomy 5:25), “The Eternal said to me…they did well to speak thus.” So, too, did the Holy Blessed One admit to what was true, as it says (Numbers 27:7), “The daughters of Tzelophechad have spoken correctly.”
38.1
Seven types of punishments come into the world [due to seven kinds of sin]. When some tithe and some do not, famine comes because of drought. When some donate to the priesthood and some do not, famine comes because of chaos. When some separate the dough offering [challah] and some do not, famine comes because of devastation. When no one tithes, they stop up the heavens from giving dew and rain, and people toil and toil and never have enough. Rabbi Yoshia said: For the sin of not separating the dough offering, fruit are not blessed, and people toil and toil and never have enough. (For the sin of not donating to the priesthood or tithing, the heavens are stopped up, and do not give any dew or rain, and the people are given over to the hands of their enemies.)
38.2
Pestilence comes into the world because of the sins of not leaving aside [in one’s field during the harvest] the dropped produce, the forgotten produce, the corner of the field, and the tithe for the poor. There is a story of a woman who was sitting in the neighborhood of a field owner. Her two sons had gone out to collect the left produce, but the field owner had not left it. The mother said: When will my sons come back from the field? Perhaps they will bring me a bit to eat. And her sons said: Shall we go to see our mother? Perhaps she will have a bit for us to eat. But they had nothing for her, and she had nothing for them. The sons laid their heads on their mother’s knees, and all three of them died that day. The Holy Blessed One said: You have taken their lives, so I, too, will take your lives! And this is what is meant by the verses (Proverbs 22:22–24), “Do not rob from the wretched, because he is wretched. Do not crush the poor man at the gate. For the Eternal will take up their cause, and despoil those who despoil them of life.”
38.3
The sword comes into the world because of the delay and perversion of justice, and because of those who teach the Torah contrary to the Halakhah. When Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel and Rabbi Yishmael were taken out to be killed, Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel was sitting and wondering, and he said: Woe are we, for we are being killed like those who violate the Sabbath, worship idols, commit sexual transgressions, and murder! Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said: May I suggest something to you? Rabbi Shimon said: Go ahead. Rabbi Yishmael said: Perhaps you were once sitting at a meal, and some poor people came and stood at your door, and you did not allow them to come in to eat? Rabbi Shimon said: Heaven forbid I ever did something like that! I had guards posted at my door, so that when poor people came, they would be let in to sit and drink with me, and then bless the heavenly Name with me. So Rabbi Yishmael said: Perhaps when you were sitting and preaching on the Temple Mount, and all of Israel were sitting before you, you became arrogant for a moment? Rabbi Shimon said: Yishmael my brother, a person must simply be ready to receive his punishment. So they went and pleaded with the executioner. One said: I am a priest, the son of a high priest. Kill me first, so that I do not have to witness the death of my friend. [The other said: I am the leader of the community, the son of a former leader of the community. Kill me first, so that I do not have to witness the death of my friend.] The executioner replied: Let’s draw lots. So they drew lots, and it fell on Rabbi Shimon. Immediately, the executioner took his sword and chopped off Rabbi Shimon’s head. Rabbi Yishmael took it and held it to his chest and cried and shouted out: This holy mouth, this faithful mouth! This holy mouth, this faithful mouth! This mouth that brought forth precious jewels and gems and pearls! Who has buried you in the dirt? Who has stuffed your mouth with dirt and dust? Of you the verse (Zechariah 13:7) speaks: “Arise, sword, against My shepherd, against My own beloved man!” He had not finished speaking when the sword came down and chopped off his head as well. (About them the verse [Exodus 22:23] says: “My anger will rage, and I will kill them by the sword! [And your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans.]” [From the fact that it says, “I will kill them by the sword,”] don’t I know that their wives were made widows and their children were made orphans? But they both were and were not widows. For there were no witnesses there to testify that these women were permitted to marry again. This is like what happened in Beitar, where not a soul survived to testify that a woman could marry again. And from the fact that it says, “your wives will become widows,” don’t I know that the children will be orphans? But they both were and were not orphans. For their inheritance stood in their fathers’ name and was not given to them to inherit so they could marry and give it to their wives.)
38.4
Exile comes into the world because of idolatry, sexual transgression, murder, and not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year. Idolatry, as it says (Leviticus 26:30), “I will destroy your altars.” The Holy Blessed One said: Since you want to worship idols, I will exile you to a place where they worship idols. That is why it says, “I will destroy your altars.” Not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year, as it says (Leviticus 26:34), “Then shall the land make up for its sabbatical years [throughout all the time that it is desolate and you are in the land of your enemies].” The Holy Blessed One said to them: Since you do not let the land rest, it will rest by itself, and the number of months that you did not let it rest, it will rest by itself. That is why it says, “Then shall the land make up…all the time.” (Sexual transgression: How so? Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei said: As long as Israel commits sexual transgressions, the Divine Presence removes Itself from them, as it says (Deuteronomy 23:15), “Let no unseemly [lit., naked] thing be seen among you, so that [God] will turn away from you.”)
39.1
Five kinds of people cannot be forgiven: One who constantly (again and again) sins; One who sins (in a righteous generation. One who sins) with the intent to repent. Anyone whose sin publicly desecrates God’s name. (A human being is incapable of grasping [God’s] likeness.) But if not for his sin, they would give him the keys, and he would know how heaven and earth were created. (He would also say: Everything is planned. Everything is revealed. Everything is knowable. He would also say: Everything is given in trust, and a net is spread out over all living things.) Repentance delays the judgment of the wicked, though their fate is already sealed. But the contentedness of the wicked ends badly. Power buries those who wield it. Repentance is suspended until Yom Kippur atones. Death (along with repentance) wipes clean. The wicked are paid, but the righteous accrue credit. The wicked are paid [in this world] – that is, the people who act as if they follow the Torah, but they have evil intentions, and there was never any good in them. The righteous accrue credit – that is, people who follow the Torah with good intentions, and there was never any bad in them. Both types receive just a little in this world, but [for the righteous,] a large remainder is accounted to them for the future. (He would also say: Everyone leaves this world naked; if only one’s leaving the world can be like one’s coming into the world! Rabbi Meir would say: Beloved is the human being, who was created in the image of God, as it says (Genesis 9:6), “For in God’s image did God make the human.” Beloved are Israel, who are called children of the Omnipresent God, as it says (Deuteronomy 14:1), “You are children of the Eternal your God.” Beloved are Israel, for they were given a valuable tool. With it the world was created, as it says (Proverbs 4:2), “For I have given you a good thing; do not forsake My Torah.”) Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok would say: What are the righteous like in this world? Like a tree that is planted in a pure place, but its branches extend out to an impure place. What do people say? Cut off that tree’s branches so that all of it will be pure, as it should be. What are the wicked like in this world? Like a tree that is planted in an impure place, but its branches extend out to a pure place. What do people say? Cut off that tree’s branches so that all of it will be impure, as it should be.
39.2
The lion has six names: Aryeh, Kefir, Lavi, Layish, Shakhal, and Shakhatz.
39.3
The snake has six names: [Nahash], Saraf, Tanin, Tzifoni, Efeh, and Akhshuv.
39.4
Solomon had six names: Shlomo, Yedidya, Kohelet, Ben Yakeh, Agur, and Lemuel.
40.1
For four things a person reaps the benefit in this world, and the principal reward remains in the World to Come. They are: respect for parents, acts of kindness, bringing peace between two people, and the study of Torah [which] is equal to them all. For four things a person suffers the consequences in both this world and the World to Come. They are: idolatry, sexual transgression, murder, and evil speech [which] is the worst of them all.
40.2
A good deed takes root and yields fruit, as it says (Isaiah 3:10), “Say that the righteous is good, for he shall eat the fruit of his deeds.” A sin takes root but yields no fruit, as it says (Isaiah 3:11), “Woe to the evil wicked one, for what his hands have produced, will be done to him.” And some say: Sins do yield fruit, as it says (Proverbs 1:31), “They shall eat the fruit of their ways, and have their fill of their own counsels.”
40.3
Anyone who causes others to do good, his own sins will not overtake him. For it cannot be that his students will inherit the World to Come while he himself goes down to Sheol, as it says (Psalms 16:10), “For you will not abandon me to Sheol.” And anyone who causes others to sin, no amount of repentance will ever help him. For it cannot be that his students go down to Sheol while he himself inherits the World to Come, as it says (Proverbs 28:17), “A person with blood on his hands will go down into a pit.”
40.4
One who says: I will sin, and then I will repent, will not be given the opportunity to repent. If he says: I will sin and Yom Kippur will atone for me, then Yom Kippur will not atone for him. If he says: I will sin and my death will wipe my slate clean, then his death will not wipe his slate clean.
40.5
Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yosei would say: One who sins, and then repents and returns to his uprightness, nevertheless remains in a state of sin until he is forgiven. One who says: I will sin and then I will repent, can be forgiven up to three times for this, but no more.
40.6
There are four types of people. The one who says: What’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine, etc. There are four types of students: One who wants to learn and to teach others, he is looked on favorably. One who wants to learn but not to teach others, he is looked on unfavorably. One who wants to teach others but not to learn, he has a mediocre character (and some say he has the character of someone from Sodom). One who wants neither to learn nor to teach others, this is a completely wicked person. There are four types of people in the study hall: One who approaches others and sits down with them to learn, he has share in the learning. One who approaches others but does not sit down with them, he has no share in the learning. One who keeps his distance from others but still sits down with them to learn, he has share in the learning. One who keeps his distance from others and [likewise] does not sit down with them, he has no share in the learning.
40.7
One who asks and answers questions has a share in the learning. One who sits and is quiet has no share in the learning. One who approaches others and sits down with them in order to listen and learn has a share in the learning. One who approaches others and sits down with them, but only so people will say: That man sits and learns from the sages, he has no share in the learning. One who keeps his distance in order to be respectful of those who are greater than him, but still sits down to learn, has a share in the learning. One who keeps his distance and sits to learn, but only so people will say: That man does not need a sage, he has no share in the learning. One who sits and asks questions, but only so people will say: That man sits before the sages, he has no share in the learning. One who sits and asks questions so that he may listen and learn, he has a share in the learning. One who sits and is quiet in order to listen and learn, he has a share in the learning. One who sits and is quiet, but only so people will say: That man sits quietly before the sages, he has no share in the learning.
40.8
There are four types of people who sit before the sages. There is one who is like a sponge, one who is like a sifter, one who is like a funnel, and one who is like a sieve. Who is like a sponge? This is the wise student who sits before the sages and learns Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and just like a sponge absorbs everything, this student absorbs everything. Who is like a sifter? This is the wise and alert student who sits before the sages and listens to them speak about Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and just like a sifter removes the coarse flour and gathers the fine flour, he lets go of what is useless and gathers what is valuable. Who is like a funnel? This is the stupid student, who sits before the scholars and listens to them speak about Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and just like a funnel takes something from here and lets it out there, so it is with everything that enters this students ears; it goes in one ear and out the other, one by one, until he has forgotten everything. Who is like a sieve? This is the wicked student, who sits before a sage and listens to Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and just like the sieve lets out the wine and holds onto the sediment, this student lets go of what is valuable and gathers what is useless. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya'akov called him a punctured, shortened horn. Shortened how? This is like a baby who is given a pearl, and then given a piece of bread. He throws away the pearl and takes the bread. Then he is given some pottery, and he throws away the bread and takes the pottery and finds that he is holding nothing but an empty pot in his hands.
40.9
Rabban Gamliel the Elder spoke about four kinds of students: the impure fish, the pure fish, the fish from the Jordan, the fish from the Great Sea. What is the impure fish? A child of the poor, who has learned Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, but has no knowledge. What is the pure fish? A child of the rich, who has learned Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and has knowledge. What is the fish from the Jordan? A scholar who has learned Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, but does not know how to comment upon it. What is the fish from the Great Sea? A scholar who has learned Tanakh, Mishnah, Midrash, Halakhah, and Aggadah, and knows how to comment upon it.
40.10
There are four types [of afflictions]: the one that sees and is seen, the one that is seen but does not see, the one that sees but is not seen, and the one that does not see and is not seen. What sees and is seen? The wolf, the lion, the tiger, the bear, the hyena, the snake, robbers, and conscription officers – these all see and are seen. What is seen but does not see? The sword, the bow, the spear, the knife, the staff, and rods – these are all seen but do not see. The affliction of the Evil Spirit sees but is not seen. The affliction of intestinal illness is not seen and does not see.
40.11
There are four sages [who appear in dreams]. One who sees Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri in a dream should expect to acquire a fear of sin. One who sees Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah should expect greatness and riches. One who sees Rabbi Yishmael should expect to receive wisdom. One who sees Rabbi Akiva should worry about punishments.
40.12
There are three Torah scholars [who appear in dreams]. One who sees Ben Azzai in a dream should expect to acquire piety. One who sees Ben Zoma in a dream should expect to receive wisdom. One who sees Elisha ben Abuya in a dream should worry about punishments.
40.13
There are three books of the Prophets [that appear in dreams]. One who sees the book of Kings in a dream should expect greatness and riches. One who sees [the book of] Isaiah in a dream should expect to receive comfort. One who sees [the book of] Jeremiah in a dream should worry about punishments.
40.14
There are three books from the Writings [that appear in dreams]. One who sees the book of Psalms in a dream should expect to acquire humility. One who sees the book of Proverbs in a dream should expect to acquire wisdom. One who sees the book of Job in a dream should worry about punishments.
40.15
Death for the wicked is beneficial for them and beneficial for the world. Death for the righteous is bad for them and bad for the world. Quiet for the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world. Quiet for the righteous is good for them and good for the world. A person should not stand naked in front of the place of the Holy of Holies1In other words, he should not defecate when facing east-west, for then he is facing Jerusalem; rather, he should face north-south. See Berakhot 61b..
40.16
One who enters the bathroom should not turn toward the east or the west, but only to the sides, and should not relieve himself while standing, but only while sitting. A person should not wipe himself with his right hand, but only with his left. And why do they say a person should not wipe himself with his right hand, but only with his left? Rabbi Eliezer says: Because the right hand is used to point to words of Torah. Rabbi Yehoshua says: Because one eats and drinks with the right hand.
40.17
Any love that is dependent on something, [when that thing perishes, the love perishes]. What is an example of love that is dependent on something? [The love of Amnon for Tamar.] Any debate that is carried out for the sake of Heaven [is destined to endure]. What is an example of a debate that is carried out for the sake of Heaven? [The debate between Hillel and Shammai]. Any gathering that is for the sake of performing the commandments….2See Pirkei Avot 4:11. What is an example of a gathering that is for the sake of performing the commandments? The Men of the Great Assembly. What is an example of a gathering that is not for the sake of performing the commandments? The assembly of the men of the Generation of the Dispersal [those who built the Tower of Babel]. 17.
41.1
Rabbi Shimon would say: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, the crown of kingship – and the crown of a good name is the greater than all of them. How does the crown of priesthood work? Even if someone paid all the silver and gold in the world, we could not give him the crown of priesthood, as it says (Numbers 25:15), “It will be for him and his descendants after him an eternal covenant of priesthood.” For the crown of kingship as well; even if someone paid all silver and gold in the world, we could not give him the crown of kingship, as it says (Ezekiel 37:24), “My servant David shall be their prince for all time.” But the crown of Torah is different. For anyone who wishes to partake in the work of Torah may come and partake, as it says (Isaiah 55:1), “Ho, all who are thirsty, go to the water!” That is, go and labor in words of Torah and do not occupy yourself with meaningless things. There is a story of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: He would regularly go and visit the sick. He once came upon somebody who was bloated due to intestinal illness, and was cursing God. Rabbi Shimon said: Empty one! You ought to be begging for mercy, and instead you are cursing? The man replied: ‘May the Holy One, blessed be He, remove [these sufferings] from me and lay them on you!’ And then he said: The Holy Blessed One has done properly by me, for I have left aside words of Torah and occupied myself with meaningless things. There is a story of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: He was once coming from Migdal Eder, from his teacher’s house, and he was riding on a donkey. He was traveling along the coast, and he spotted somebody who was quite ugly. He said: Empty one, how ugly you are! Are all the people in your city as ugly as you? The man replied: What can I do about it? Go to the Artisan who made me and say to Him, How ugly is this vessel You made! When Rabbi Shimon realized that he had sinned, he got off his donkey and prostrated himself before the man. And he said: I have sinned against you. Forgive me. But the man replied: I will not forgive you until you go to the Artisan who made me and say, How ugly is this vessel You made! Rabbi Shimon followed after him for three mil. All the people in the city came out to greet him, and then said: Peace be upon you, Rabbi! The man said: Whom are you calling Rabbi? They said: The one who is traveling behind you. He said to them: If that is a rabbi, may there be no more like him in Israel! They said to him: God forbid! What did he do to you? He told them: Such-and-such he did to me. They said to him: Even so, forgive him! He said: I hereby forgive [him], but only if he does not continue doing this. On that day, Rabbi Shimon went to his great study hall and taught: A person should always be soft like a reed, and not rigid like a cedar. For the reed, when all the winds come and blow against it, moves in their direction. But when the winds quiet down, the reed returns to its place. That is why the reed merited to be made into a quill that is used to write a Torah scroll. But the cedar does not stay in its place; when the southern wind comes and blows against it, it uproots the tree and flips it over. And then what happens to the cedar? [Woodcutters come along and chop it up, and take from it to build houses and then] throw the rest into the fire. And that is why they say: A person should always be soft like a reed, and not rigid like a cedar.
41.2
Three things are said about people [who give]: One who gives charity will have blessing come upon him. One who gives a loan is even better. And one who [lets someone else work with him] so he can split his earnings is the best of them all.
41.3
There are three types of Torah scholars: The one who asks and answers questions is wise. The one who asks questions but does not answer them is a level below. And the one who does not ask and does not answer is at the lowest level.
41.4
Three kinds of sweat are good for the body: the sweat generated during illness, the sweat generated at the bathhouse, and the sweat from work. The sweat generated during illness is healing, but there is nothing like the sweat at the bathhouse.
41.5
There are six kinds of tears; three are good and three are bad. The bad: tears of sadness, tears from smoke, and tears in the bathroom. The good: tears from poison, tears from laughter, and tears from pungent fruit.
41.6
A clay vessel has three properties: it absorbs, it does not emit what it has absorbed, and it does not cause its contents to rot. A glass vessel has three properties: it does not absorb, (it does not emit), and it maintains the condition of whatever inside of it; what is hot stays hot, what is cold stays cold.
41.7
Four situations make for bad sexual relations: when someone has just come off the road, when someone has just gotten up from learning, ([when someone has just gotten up from an illness]), and when someone has just gotten out of prison.
41.8
Anyone who accepts upon himself four things [will be accepted] into the fellowship: (that he will not go into a cemetery, that he will not raise lean animals), [that he will not give a donation to an ignorant priest, that he will not deal with ritually pure items in the presence of an ignorant person, [and that he will commit to] eating chulin in the state of purity.
41.9
The money taken from Egypt was returned to its proper place, as it says (Exodus 12:36), “They stripped the Egyptians.” And it also says (Genesis 47:14), “Joseph gathered in all the money.” [And it also says (I Kings 14:25–26), “In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt marched against Jerusalem and carried off the treasures of the House of the Eternal.”] The heavenly writing was also returned to its place, as it says (Proverbs 23:5), “It flies from your eyes and is there no more, [it grows wings and flies like an eagle, heavenward].”
41.10
Rabbi Yehudah ben Teima would say: Be strong like a leopard, light like an eagle, fast like a deer, and brave like a lion in doing the will of your Father in heaven.
41.11
He would also say: Love ([be beloved] from) the heavens, and study all the commandments. If you’ve done your friend just a little bit of harm, think of it as a lot. And if you’ve done your friend a lot of good, think of it as a little. If your friend has done you just a little bit of good, think of it as a lot. [And if he has done you a lot of harm, think of it as a little.] The “sponge” and the “sealed bottle” – these are types of Torah scholars. The “funnel” and the “tube” – these are types of scoundrels. Be like a bottle that has no opening that air can get into. Learn how to accept pain. And forgive all offenses done to you.
41.12
These are the things that were made and then hidden: The Tent of Meeting, and the items inside it; the Ark and the broken tablets; the jar of manna; the rod [of Moses]; [the flask of anointing oil]; the staff of Aaron, with its almonds and flowers; the priestly garments and garments of the high priest. But the mortar and pestle of the House of Avtinus, the table, the lamp, the curtain, and the headband of the high priest – those are still kept in Rome.
41.13
(There is a story of Rabbi Tarfon: He was sitting and teaching his students when a bride passed before him. He told her to stop. He brought her into his house and told his mother and his wife: Bathe her, oil her skin, put makeup on her, and dance before her until she reaches her husband’s house.)
41.14
These people ([decreed the sages]) have no share in the World to Come: Five kings and six commoners ([who sought greatness]): Cain, Korah, Bil’am, Ahitophel, Doeg, and Gehazi.
41.15
Rabbi Yosei would say: The completely righteous are not included in this reckoning, nor are the completely wicked. Who, then, are we wondering about? All those in the middle. [As it says in (Psalms 116:4),] “Please, Lord, save my soul” – from the punishments of Gehenna, lest I be among those who go down into it screaming and come up from it screaming, as it says (Zechariah 13:9), “I will bring the third into the fire, and I will smelt them as one smelts silver, and test them as one tests gold.” The House of Hillel say: As it says (Psalms 63:4), “Your kindness is better than life itself, my lips praise You!” And it also says (Nehemiah 13:22), “Take pity on me (and them), in Your abundant kindness” (so that they are saved from the punishments of Gehenna).
41.16
Everything that the Holy Blessed One created in the world was created only for His glory, as it says (Isaiah 43:7), “All that has been called by My name, whom I have created, formed, and made for My glory.” And it also says (Exodus 15:18), “The Eternal will reign forever and ever.”
41.17
Rabbi Hananya ben Akashya said: The Holy Blessed One wanted to give merit to Israel. Therefore, He increased the amount of Torah and mitzvot, as it says (Isaiah 42:21), “The Eternal desires, for the sake of [His servant’s] righteousness, to expand and enhance the Torah.”

Avot DeRabbi Natan, trans. by David Kasher, 2019. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.sefaria.org Licence: CC-BY. Source.