Ethics Guide PDF

‫בס"ד‬ Bullet Points Encompassing Avos Note: Unless otherwise annotated explanations follow the Bartenura's commentary. * The tractate begins with an outline of the Torah's transmission to teach that ethics were also given on Sinai It also records the life-lessons...

‫בס"ד‬ Bullet Points Encompassing Avos Note: Unless otherwise annotated explanations follow the Bartenura's commentary. * The tractate begins with an outline of the Torah's transmission to teach that ethics were also given on Sinai It also records the life-lessons that each sage or body of sages focused on. For the sake of brevity names have not been included. Chapter 1: * Be deliberate in judgment, teach many students, make decrees to protect Torah * The world stands on three things (in their merit the world exists): Torah, service and kindness * Let your home be a meeting place for sages, follow them and drink in their words. * Let your house be open to guests like the house of Avraham, and let poor people be members of your household. Do not speak overly much with women since this often has negative repercussions. * Even a wise man should find himself a Rabbi. * Acquire friends and judge people favorably. * Stay away from an evil neighbor, do not befriend evil people and do not despair from punishment. * Do not make yourself like a lawyer teaching a claimant the best claim. When those seeking judgment stand before you, perceive them as wicked. When they leave and accept judgment, see them as righteous. * Thoroughly cross examine witnesses and speak carefully so your words do not teach them to lie. * Love work, hate the rabbinate(since it buries its constituents) and do not become close to the people in power.. * Sages, beware what you say lest you are exiled to a place of heretics who will twist your words. Disciples who come later will drink these distorted words and become like the wicked who are considered dead. G-d's name will be profaned since people will think these damaging words were yours. * Be like the students of Aharon: love and pursue peace, love people and draw them close to Torah. * One who takes power will be lose it, one who does not increase learning will forget and one who does not learn deserves death. One who uses the crown of Torah will perish.  ‫בס"ד‬ * If I am not for myself who is for me? If I am only for myself what am I? If not now, in this world, when? * Make Torah a permanent focus of your life, say little and do much and receive everyone with a pleasant countenance. * Make yourself a teacher (even if the only person available is of lesser stature) and do not rule alone so as to distance yourself from doubt. Do not tithe by approximation. *There is nothing better for a person than remaining silent in the face of humiliation. The main reward is for action, not only learning. Speaking overly much leads to sins. *The world rests on three things (without which people cannot get along:) law, truth and peace Chapter 2: * The correct path is one of balance for the person (taking a measured middle way in middos) and harmony with mankind. * Be as meticulous regarding a minor mitzvah as a major one since you do not know the reward of mitvos (perhaps you will connect to Hashem when fulfilling the minor mitzvah and it will be considered like you fulfilled the entire Toiah--Rambam) *Compare the loss fulfilling a mitzvah (in time, money and effort) to its vast reward in the next world. Consider the cost of a sin in the next world to its passing benefit in the here and now. * Remember that Hashem hears and sees all and that everything you do is recorded and you will not sin. *Torah learning is excellent when combined with work since one's toil in both causes him to forget sin. (The Vilna Gaon explains that our goal is be so busy that sin is forgotten. One who is idle is vulnerable to negative thoughts that lead to sinful words and deeds.) *Torah without some means of support leads to idleness and sin (to find a way to sustain oneself and ones family). *Those who work with the community should do so for the sake of heaven. The merit of the community's ancestors will assist them since their righteousness is forever. Those who do a mitzvah for the community will be rewarded as though they managed this through their own merit. * Be careful with the government since they only draw near a person for their own needs and only appear to support him. They will not back him in his time of need.  ‫בס"ד‬ *Make Hashem's will your own so He makes your will like His. Nullify your will to His and he will nullify the will of others to yours. * Don't be aloof from the community's pain. Don't believe in yourself until you the day you die. Don't judge your friend until you have reached his place. Don't reveal what should not be heard in the hopes it will remain secret, since it will likely get out. Don't say I will study when I have free time, since perhaps you will not have time (and your task is to steal time to learn despite being very busy --Rebbe of Kotzk.) *A boor: one without wisdom or good character traits cannot fear sin. An ignoramus: one with some good character traits but lacking knowledge cannot be pious. A bashful person cannot learn and an irritable person cannot not teach. It is rare for one very involved in business to acquire Torah. In a place where there is no one to lead strive to be a leader. *One who drowned others will be drowned, since we are judged as we act. *Increasing flesh increases worms; increasing possessions adds worry (see there for more teaching regarding situations that are less likely today.) Adding Torah adds life; Increasing study increases wisdom; increasing council increases understanding; adding charity adds peace. One who acquired a good name attained this for himself. One who acquires Torah acquires reward in the next world. But let one who has learned much Torah take no credit since this is why he was created. *The best character trait one should work on attaining is a good heart. It includes a good eye, a good friend, a good neighbor and to see the outcome of one's actions. The opposite is true of an evil heart. * Your friend's honor should be as valued to you as your own. Do not be easy to anger. Repent every day, lest it is the day before you die. * Warm yourself by the fiery coals that are the words of the sages but be wary you are not burned by their embers. * An evil eye (desire for money), the evil inclination and hatred of others (lack of desire to help them) drive a person from the world. *Your friend's money should be as precious to your own. Prepare yourself to toil in Torah, since it is not an inheritance. Your every act should be for the sake of heaven. *Be careful to recite shema (and pray) on time. Do not pray by rote. Let your prayers be an appeal for mercy and a supplication before Hashem. Do not see yourself as wicked. * The day is short, there is much work and the workers are lazy. The reward is vast and the Master presses. *You must not complete the task but are not free to absolve yourself from it. If you have learned much you will be greatly rewarded. The righteous are rewarded in the world to come.  ‫בס"ד‬ Chapter 3: * Consider three things and you will not come to sin: where you come from, where you are going and before Who you will have to give a judgment and accounting *Pray for government for if not for its authority people would swallow each other alive. * Two who sit without words of Torah are a session of scorners but if two sit together and speak words of Torah The Shechinah is with them. Even one who sits alone and learns Torah is rewarded. * Three who eat together without words of Torah are likened to have eaten of idolatrous sacrifices. But three who eat together and speak words of Torah are considered to have eaten at Hashem's table. * One who is up at night or going on the road and does not think in Torah forfeits his life (if he dies. These are dangerous places but thinking words of Torah can protect from harm.) *Accepting the yoke of Torah exempts from the yoke of government and other worldly concerns. The opposite for one who removes the yoke of Torah from himself. * The Shechinah rests on ten men who sit together and learn Torah. The same is true regarding even one man who learns Torah. * We must serve Hashem since each person and everything he has is His. * One who is studying while traveling and interrupts by commenting on the scenery is considered as though he forfeited his life. The same is true regarding someone who deliberately removes words of Torah from his heart until he forgets them. * If one's fear of heaven exceeds his wisdom his wisdom endures. If his wisdom surpasses his fear of sin, it does not endure. The same is true regarding whether one's deeds exceed his wisdom. * One who is pleasing to people is pleasing to Hashem. The opposite is also true. * Morning sleep, afternoon wine, children's talk and sitting in meeting places of ignoramuses remove a person from the world. *One who profanes sanctified things, debases the festivals, shames his fellow in public, nullifies the covenant of Avraham or interprets the Torah opposite of its intent has no share in the world to come even if he has learned Torah and done good deeds. (Obviously we discuss someone who did not do teshuvah.) * Be flexible to one who is greater than you, pleasant to one on a lower level and receive everyone with joy.  ‫בס"ד‬ * Mockery and frivolity lead to debauchery. Tradition safeguards the Torah. Tithing safeguards wealth. Vows safeguard abstinence. Silence is a fence for wisdom. * All mankind are beloved since they are created in the image of Hashem. The Jewish people are even more beloved since they are called Hashem's children and He gave us His holy Torah, even revealing how precious the Torah is. * All is foreseen but we are free to choose. the world is judged with mercy but reward is determined by the quantity of good deeds fulfilled. * Everything is collateral and a net is set over all living things. The store is open and credit is extended: all who wish can borrow. The collectors take payment. with and without a man's knowledge. The judgment is precisely in accordance with one's deeds and serves to prepare one for his reward in the world to come. *If there is no Torah there is no derech eretz, decency, If there is no decency there is no Torah (since it is sure to be forgotten.) if there is no wisdom there is no fear of heaven. Without fear of heaven there is no wisdom. If there is no reflexive knowledge one does not truly understand one thing from another. One who does not understand one thing from another can have no reflexive knowledge. If there is no Torah there is no flour. If there is no flour there is no Torah. * The laws of bird offerings that were confused and mixed up times regarding nidah are the body of Jewish law (even though these are both not relevant today, since we do not have bird offerings and we always sit seven days for nidah, these complex halachos are also considered the body of Jewish law.) Calculating solar seasons and numerical values are supplementary to wisdom. Chapter 4: * One who learns from every man is wise; one who overpowers his evil inclination is strong; one who is happy with his lot is wealthy; one who honors others is honorable. * Rush to fulfill a minor mitzvah and run away from sin since one mitzvah brings another mitzvah and the same with sin. The reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah, most often the outcome of sin is to sin again. * Do not denigrate any man and do not disregard any thing since there is no man who does not have his hour and no thing that doesn't have its place. * Be exceedingly humble leaving no room for arrogance since the hope of one physical self is worms. * One who profanes Hashem's name privately will be publicly punished. Both one who acted negligently and one acted out of malice will be punished in public.  ‫בס"ד‬ * One who learns to teach is granted the opportunity to learn and teach. One who learns to fulfill is granted the opportunity to learn and teach, observe and do. * Do not separate yourself from the community. Do not act as a lawyer (when serving as a judge.) Do not make the Torah a crown for your honor or a spade to dig with. One who benefits himself from words of torah removes his life from the world. * People honor one who honors the Torah and debase one who disgraces it. * One who holds back from judging (when there is someone else more worthy) removes from himself enmity, theft and false oaths. One who is unworthy who agitates to rule is a wicked, arrogant fool. * Do not judge alone and do not try to force the other two judges to agree with your analysis. *Whoever fulfills the Torah from poverty will fulfill it from wealth and whoever neglects the Torah due to wealth will neglect it when poor. * Do a minimum of business, occupying as much time as possible with Torah and be humble before everyone. If you neglect Torah due to business many things will prevent your success. If you toiled in Torah Hashem will give you much reward (the reward parallels how much one toils while learning not merely how much ground is covered.) * Each mitzvah one fulfils creates an angel to advocate for him. The opposite is true regarding each sin. Repentance and good deeds shield one from punishment. * Gatherings for the sake of heaven will succeed. Those not for the sake of heaven even if they are meeting to fulfill a mitzvah will not succeed. * Value your students honor as your own, your friend's honor like what is fitting for your teacher and fear your teacher like you fear heaven. (Therefore all who disagree with their teacher are as one who disagrees with the Shechinah, all who fight with their teacher are as one who fights with the Shechinah and all who complain about their teacher are as one who complains against the Shechinah--Rambam, Hilchos Talmud Torah, 5:1) *Study diligently since if one permits the forbidden due to insufficient learning he is considered to have done so on purpose. * The crown of a good name received from good deeds surpassed the crown of Torah, kehunah and kingship. *If there is no qualified teacher in your area exile yourself to a place of Torah. Do not think that your friends will suffice to help you grow in Torah since they cannot be compared to a teacher. Do not rely on your own understanding. Be part of a group since that is how one retains Torah.  ‫בס"ד‬. * We cannot comprehend the tranquility of the wicked nor the suffering of the righteous. * Be the first to greet every man, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Better to be tail in a group of great people who can teach you much than the head of a group of people on a lower level than oneself. * This world is like a portal to the world to come. Prepare many mitzvos and good deeds in the portal so you can access the banquet hall. * An instant of repentance and good deeds in the world is greater than life in the next world where one can no longer repent or perfect himself. An instant of the delight in the next world is greater than ones entire life on Earth. * Do not attempt to sooth your friend at the height of his anger since this is prone to upset him even more.Don't try to comfort one while his dead is before him. Do not try to assist in nullifying one's vow immediately after it is made. Do not attempt to see a person at the time of his disgrace. *Do not rejoice when your enemy falls nor have a happy heart when he stumbles. Perhaps he will do teshuvah and Hashem will remove his ire, making your reactions inappropriate. * Learning when one is young is like ink on fresh paper, since this learning remains fresh and is not forgotten. Learning while one is old is like ink on erased paper., since this learning is easily forgotten. learning from a youth is like eating unripe grapes and drinking unfermented wine. Learning from elders is like eating ripe grapes and drinking aged wine. Rabbi Meir says: Do not consider the vessel; consider what the vessel contains. Some new vessels are full of old wine while the contents of certain old vessels are inferior even to new wine. Some youths are very learned while some remain ignorant even in their old age. * Jealousy, illicit desire and honor drive one from the world, since they lead to sin. * The grave is not one's refuge. We all must live, die and give an accounting before Hashm. He takes no bribes and knows all. He remembers everything and shows no favoritism. Our reckoning before Hashem, the King of kings is paramount. Chapter 5: *The world was created with ten utterances to make the wicked responsible for attempting to destroy a world created with ten utterances and to reward the righteous for sustaining the same. * It took ten generations from Adam to Noach before the world was finally punished for their sins to teach Hashem's great patience. The ten generations from Noach to Avraham teach Hashem's teach likewise: Although  ‫בס"ד‬ they sinned, Hahsehm waited for Avraham to serve Him truly, teaching his children after him and reaping the reward for all ten wayward generations. *Avraham was tested with ten trials he withstood demonstrating his great love for Hashem *Hashem performed ten miracles for the Jews in Egypt and another ten at the Sea of Reeds. He brought ten afflictions on the Egyptians in Egypt and another ten at the Sea of Reeds. Despite all the miracles they experienced, The Jewish people still tested Hashem ten times in the wilderness. *There were ten regular miracles in the beis hamikdash and Yerushalayim No woman miscarried from the smell of the sanctified meat, the sanctified meat never spoiled, a fly was never seen in the slaughter house. The kohain gadol never saw keri on Yom Kippur. Rain did not extinguish the wood fire on the altar, nor did the wind overpower the column of smoke rising from the altar. The omer offering, weekly lechem hapanim and the two loaves brought on Shavuos were never disqualified. (These sacrifices could not be replaced if they became invalid.) The people stood crowded but still had the space to prostrate themselves. Neither snake nor scorpion ever harmed anyone in Yerushalayim. No one said to his friend that there was no space to stay in Yerushalayim. (There were other similar miracles, since this is a partial list.) *Ten things were created (set into motion to occur, functioning in a special manner in the correct time) bein hashemashos on the first leil Shabbos: the mouth of the earth that swallowed Korach and his company, the mouth of the well of Miriam, the speaking mouth of Bilaam's donkey, the rainbow (that it would serve as a covenant), the monn, Moshe's staff, the shamir, the writing, and the inscription on the luchos. some say likewise regarding the burial place of Moshe and the ram that replaced Yitzchak at the akeidah. * Seven attributes in a wise person: He does not speak before one who is greater in wisdom or age. He does not interrupt when another speaks, and does not rush to reply. He asks on topic and answers to the point. He answers first things first and last, last. He admits when he does not know and concedes the truth. The opposite attributes are found in a golem, one whose midos and wisdom are incomplete. * Seven punishments come to the world for seven sins. when some tithe and some don't there is a hunger due to lack of sufficient rainfall; some go hungry and some are well fed. When no one tithes serious hunger comes to the world. When no one gives challah there is no rainfall. Plague befalls the world when those who transgress sins for which they deserve capital punishment are not brought to justice and for failing to declare shevi'is fruit hefker. The sword comes to the world when judgment is postponed or corrupted or when people permit the forbidden or forbid the permitted. Wild animals attack when people make false oaths or profane Hashem's name. Idol worship, promiscuity, murder and working the land during shevi'is cause exile. *Even nowadays the year after sheittah is prone to worse punishment due to neglecting the laws of shevi'is (Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky.)  ‫בס"ד‬ * There are four types of people. A boor says, "What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine." A regular person says, "What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours." Some say this is the approach of Sodom. One who says, "What is yours and what is mine is yours," is a Chossid. One who says, "What is mine and what is yours is mine," is wicked. *There are four temperaments: Easily angered and easily appeased, his advantage outweighs his flaw. Difficult to anger and difficult to appease, his flaw cancels his advantage. Difficult to anger and easy to appease is a Chossid, since it is impossible for one to never get angry. One who is easy to anger and difficult to appease is wicked. * There are four students: Quick to comprehend but fast to forget--his flaw outweighs his advantage. Slow to understand and slow to forget--his advantage outweighs his flaw. Quick to understand and slow to forget is a good portion. Slow to comprehend and quick to forget is a bad portion. *There are four types of potential donors: One who wants to give but that no one else should give, is begrudging towards others. One who wants others to give but does not want to give is stingy. One wants both to give and that others should give is a Chossid. One wants neither himself or others to give is wicked. * There are four types of people who frequent the beis midrash. Those who attend but do nothing, are rewarded for coming. Those who learn but generally do not go are rewarded for learning. One who goes and learns is a Chossid. One who neither goes nor learns is wicked. *There are four types of students who listen to lectures: one absorbs and retains all. One absorbs but does not retain. One retains only the sediment. One who rejects the coarse flour and retains the fine flour. *Love that depends on something dissipates when what it depends on ceases. Love that is not dependant on anything remains. *A dispute for the sake of heaven will endure. One not for the sake of heaven will not endure. *One who makes the community meritorious will be protected from sin so he will not need to be in Gehinom while those who helped are in Gan Eden. One who causes the community to sin will not be assisted in repentance so he will not be in Gan Eden while those he misled are in Gehinom. *The students of Avraham have a good eye, a humble spirit and a modest soul. The opposite characterizes the students of Bilaam. * Be audacious as a leopard, since the bashful do not learn light as an eagle to review one's learning, quick as a deer to do mitzvos and powerful as a lion to resist sinning. The brazen go to Gehinom, the bashful to Gan Eden. When the beis hamikdash will be rebuilt we will no longer require audacity to learn since the entire world will be filled with knowledge of Hashem.  ‫בס"ד‬ *Perpetually delve into the Torah for all is in it. It will help you see the truth. Grow old not budging from it for there is nothing better. The gain is in accordance with the pain. *Study scripture from five, Mishnah from ten and Talmud from fifteen. Thirteen is the age when one is obligated in mitzvos and eighteen is the proper age to marry. From twenty the heavenly court pursues one who sinned. Thirty is the age of strength, forty the age of understanding, fifty is the time when one gives council. At sixty one is an elder, at seventy one is old, at eighty one has reached the age of "might," at ninety one is bent over, at one hundred one is considered to have left the world since all his worldly desires have faded away. Chapter 6: * Whoever studies Torah for its own sake merits many things and the world is worthwhile for him alone. He is called friend, beloved by all and loves others, showing it by drawing them close to Hashem and Torah. He makes Hashem happy by doing mitzvos perfectly and he makes people glad. He is enclothed in humility and fear of sin. He does no wrong and fulfills more than the letter of the law. He is faithful and distanced from sin, being drawn to merit. People enjoy council, wisdom, understanding from him and are empowered by him. He is granted sovereignty, dominion and the ability to rule correctly. Secrets of torah are revealed to him and he is a like a wellspring that increases and an unceasing river., since he continually trains new students. He is modest, hard to anger and forgives humiliations. The Torah uplifts him over all of creation. (Note: Rav Chaim Vital writes that since most scholars do not achieve the status recorded here, we must assume they are not yet completely l'shmah.) * A bas kol emerges from Har Sinai every day proclaiming, "Woe to those who humiliate the Torah." A man who does not delve in Torah is considered an outcast since the only free man is one who toils in Torah. One who learns Torah is uplifted. *One who learns even a single letter, word, verse, law or chapter from his friend must treat him with respect and it is fitting to revere him. *Even a poor person who has only bread with salt to eat, a small amount of water to drink and sleeps on the ground should learn Torah. One who sacrifices to learn Torah is fortunate in this world and it is good for him in the world to come. * Do not chase greatness or covet honor. Let your deeds be more than your wisdom and do not desire the table of kings for your table is greater than theirs as is your crown and Hashem is faithful to grant your reward. *Torah is greater than kehunah or melucha since it is acquired in forty-eight ways. Note: we have not included these since they are midas Chasidus (Ohr HaChaim, Parshas Chukas)  ‫בס"ד‬ *Torah is great since it imparts life to those who keep it in this world and the next. It heals and grants honor and wealth. *Beauty, strength, wealth, honor, wisdom, sageness, old age and children are becoming to the righteous and the world. * Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma refused an offer of a million dinarim to live in a place that was not a makom Torah. He explained that only Torah and good deeds will help a person when he leaves this world. Money and the entire material world will be meaningless then. Only Torah protects one in this world and in every stage until the world to come. *Hshem acquired five acquisitions in the world: Torah, heavens and earth, Avraham, the Jewish people and the beis`hamikdash. He created everything for His honor (since that is how we cleave to Him and attain eternity.)