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Rabbi Eliezer Gave His Students a Deadline No One Could Calendar

Rabbi Eliezer tells his students to repent one day before death. His students ask how. He tells them that is precisely the point.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. The Impossible Appointment
  2. The Guests Who Kept Their Clothes Clean
  3. The Three Things Worth Considering
  4. What the Evil Eye and the Evil Inclination Do

The Impossible Appointment

Rabbi Eliezer is teaching and he gives his students three things: honor your friend's dignity as you would your own, be slow to anger, and repent one day before your death.

The students hear the puzzle in the third one immediately. How does a person know which day is one day before death?

That is the whole teaching. No one knows which day is their last. Therefore every day is potentially the day before death. The logic does not soften the demand. It sharpens it into a daily practice. A person wakes each morning having made peace with what needs to be repaired and does not leave the day's accounts open. The calendar cannot announce when the summons will come, so the only safe posture is readiness at all times.

Hillel, in an earlier form of the same pressure preserved in Pirkei Avot, says: do not trust in yourself until the day of death, and do not say you will study Torah when you have leisure, because perhaps the leisure will never arrive. The danger is not only moral failure. The danger is the story a person constructs about having time. That story is the most common form of delay, and delay in moral life has the same character as delay in physical life: sometimes the opportunity closes before a person is ready to act.

The Guests Who Kept Their Clothes Clean

Kohelet Rabbah expands the point through a parable. A king invites guests to a feast but does not tell them the hour. The wise guests bathe and dress in their finest clothes and stand by the palace door, ready. The foolish guests go off to work, assuming the feast cannot begin without more notice. When the king calls without warning, the wise ones enter the banquet hall dressed for it. The foolish ones scramble in their work clothes and are shamed.

The white garments and the oil that Ecclesiastes mentions, says the midrash, are not literally festival dress. They are good deeds and Torah study accumulated over a lifetime. A person cannot put on good deeds in the moment of summons. They have to already be wearing them.

The Three Things Worth Considering

Akavya ben Mahalalel, preserved in both Avot DeRabbi Natan and Pirkei Avot, offers a parallel set of meditations. Take four things to heart and you will never sin: where you came from, where you are going, what you will become, and before whom you will give account.

Where you came from: a putrid drop. Where you are going: to a place of dust, worms, and decay. What you will become: the same. Before whom you will account: the King of the kings of kings.

The language is deliberately unbeautiful. It is not poetry about human dignity. It is anatomy: where the body originates, where the body ends. The purpose of this meditation is not to produce despair. It is to produce the specific clarity that comes from seeing the situation accurately. A person who knows they came from nothing and will return to nothing has a different relationship to the things they covet and the injuries they defer repairing.

What the Evil Eye and the Evil Inclination Do

Rabbi Joshua names three things that drive a person out of the world: the evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred of people. The evil eye is not mere jealousy. It is the grudging gaze that cannot celebrate another's learning or success, and the story is told of a man who looked with such a grudging eye at a colleague's scholarship that his own life was cut short. The gaze cost him years.

The evil inclination is older than the good inclination in the tradition, operating from birth while the moral counterforce develops slowly. Its seniority is not a reason to despair. It is a reason to understand the terrain. A person who knows they are working against an older, more established internal force can stop being surprised when the fight is hard.

RepentanceDeathJudgmentYetzer Hara
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Avot DeRabbi Natan 15Avot DeRabbi Natan

THEY EACH SAID THREE THINGS. R. ELIEZER SAID: LET THE HONOUR OF YOUR FELLOW BE DEAR TO YOU AS YOUR OWN; BE NOT EASILY MOVED TO ANGER; REPENT ONE DAY BEFORE YOUR DEATH.LET THE HONOUR OF YOUR FELLOW BE DEAR TO YOU AS YOUR OWN. What does this mean? It teaches that as a man regards his own honour, so should he regard the honour of his fellow; and as a man would not wish to see an ill report spread about his own honour, so should he not wish to see an ill report spread about the honour of his fellow.Another interpretation of LET THE HONOUR OF YOUR FELLOW BE DEAR TO YOU AS YOUR OWN: Thus if a man once possessed a million and is now deprived of all his wealth, he should not lose his self-respect even to the slightest degree.1lit., ‘to the value of a peruṭah’. Though he is destitute his self-esteem should remain high; cf. Sanh. 92b (Sonc. ed., p. 621): ‘Even in times of danger one should not lay aside his insignia of office’. Honour is a precious possession.

BE NOT EASILY MOVED TO ANGER. What does this mean? It teaches that a man should be meek like Hillel the Elder and not impatient like Shammai the Elder.What was the meekness of Hillel the Elder? It is related2Cf. Shab. 31a (Sonc. ed., pp. 138ff) for variants of this passage. that two men once wagered with each other the sum of four hundred zuz, saying, ‘Whoever will succeed in provoking Hillel to anger will take the four hundred zuz’. One of them went [to call on Hillel]. The day was the eve of the Sabbath towards dusk, and Hillel was then washing his head. He came, knocked at the door, and called out, ‘Where is Hillel? Where is Hillel?’ Hillel wrapped himself in his robe and went to him, asking, ‘My son, what do you require?’ ‘I have a question to ask,’ he said. ‘Ask it,’ said Hillel. Thereupon he asked, ‘Why are the inhabitants of Palmyra bleary-eyed?’ He answered, ‘Because they live in sandy deserts, and the winds scatter the sand over their eyes; for that reason their eyes are bleary’. The man departed, waited a while, returned, again knocked at the door, and called out, ‘Where is Hillel? Where is Hillel?’ Hillel wrapped himself in his robe and went out to him, asking, ‘My son, what do you require?’ ‘I have a question3The Heb. halakah, the term for a legal decision, cannot have this meaning here. to ask,’ he said. ‘Ask it,’ said Hillel. Thereupon he asked, ‘Why have the Africans flat feet?’ He answered, ‘Because they live in marshy places and constantly walk in the water;4They therefore walk barefoot, and so their feet are broad because of not having been cramped by shoe or sandal. for that reason their feet are flat’. The man departed, waited a while, returned, again knocked at the door and called out, ‘Where is Hillel? Where is Hillel?’ He wrapped himself in his robe, and went out to him, asking, ‘What do you wish to ask?’ ‘I have a question to ask,’ he said. ‘Ask it,’ said Hillel. The man then wrapped himself in his cloak and sat down before him. ‘What do you wish to ask?’ said Hillel. The other rejoined, ‘Is that the manner in which a President5The Heb. is in the plural, referring to the Presidents of the Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court). replies? May there not be many like you in Israel!’ ‘Heaven forfend!’ exclaimed Hillel, ‘r temper. What is it you require?’ He asked, ‘Why have the Babylonians long heads?’6An insulting remark since Babylon was Hillel’s birthplace. He answered, ‘My son, you have asked an important question. Because they lack skilful midwives there, as soon as a child is born it is placed in the arms7The Heb. is ’ebarim, ‘limbs’, a peculiar word in the context. A variant is ḥeḳ, ‘bosom’. of male and female slaves; for that reason their heads are long. Here [in the Holy Land] there are expert midwives, and as soon as a child is born it is placed in a cot and its head is massaged; for that reason their heads are round’. Then said the man to him, ‘Through you I have lost four hundred zuz’. Hillel retorted, ‘Hillel is worthy that you should lose [twice] four hundred zuz on his account, and Hillel should not lose his temper’.

What was the impatience of Shammai the Elder? It is related that a man8In Shab., loc. cit., he was ‘a Gentile’, but in the context a Jew is clearly intended. once came and stood before Shammai and said to him, ‘Master, how many Torahs have you?’ He answered, ‘Two, one written and one oral’. The man said, ‘I believe you regarding the written, but I do not believe you regarding the oral’. Shammai rebuked him and [24b] angrily drove him away. The man then came before Hillel and asked, ‘Master, how many Torahs were given [to Israel]’. He answered, ‘Two, one written and one oral’. He said, ‘I believe you regarding the written, but I do not believe you regarding the oral’. Hillel said to him, ‘My son, take a seat’. He then wrote the alphabet for him. Hillel asked him, ‘What is this letter?’9Pointing to an alef. ‘An alef,’ he replied. Hillel said, ‘It is not an alef but a beth’. He asked, ‘And what is this letter?’10Pointing to a beth. ‘A beth,’ he replied. Hillel said, ‘It is not a beth but a gimel’. ‘Moreover, how do you know that this letter is alef, that beth, and the other gimel?’ continued Hillel. He replied, ‘So it has been handed down to us by our forebears: this is alef, that beth, and the other gimel’. ‘Just as you have accepted this11The letters of the alphabet. on trust, so accept the other12The existence of two Torahs. on trust.’Once a gentile was passing behind a Synagogue when he heard a child reciting the verse, And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe.13Ex. 28, 4. He came to Shammai and asked him, ‘Master, for whom is all that finery?’ He answered, ‘For the High Priest who stands and ministers at the altar’. The gentile said to him, ‘Make me a proselyte on condition that you appoint me High Priest’. Shammai retorted, ‘Is there no priest in Israel and have we no High Priests in Israel to serve in the High-priesthood, except this insignificant proselyte who comes with staff and scrip only and wishes to minister as High Priest?’ He rebuked him and angrily drove him away. The gentile then came to Hillel and said to him, ‘Master, make me a proselyte on condition that you appoint me High Priest, so that I may stand and minister at the altar’. Hillel said to him, ‘Take a seat, and I will tell you something. If a man wishes to have an audience of a human king, is it not proper for him to learn how to make his entrance and his exit?’ ‘Certainly,’ answered the gentile. Hillel continued, ‘As you are desirous to have an audience of the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, is it not all the more incumbent upon you to learn how to enter the Holy of Holies, how to trim the lamps, how to approach the altar, how to order the table, how to arrange the altar-pile?’ ‘Do whatever seems good to you,’ said the gentile. Hillel then wrote the alphabet for him which he soon learnt, and then [he studied] the Book of Leviticus. So he continued until he reached the verse, And the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.14Num. 1, 51. Then the proselyte reasoned within himself thus, ‘If Israelites who are designated sons of the All-present,15Cf. Deut. 14, 1. of whom the Divine Presence declares, Ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation,16Ex. 19, 6. are warned by Scripture, And the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death, how much more so does it apply to me, an insignificant proselyte, who am come with nothing but my scrip!’ In this manner the proselyte was reconciled of his own accord. He came to Hillel the Elder and said to him, ‘May all the blessings of the Torah alight on your head! Had you been like Shammai the Elder, I would never have entered the assembly of Israel. The impatience of Shammai sought to destroy me out of this world and out of the world to come; your gentleness brought me to life in this world and in the world to come’. It is reported that that proselyte became the father of two sons; one he named Hillel and the other Gamaliel. They were called ‘Hillel’s proselytes’.

REPENT ONE DAY BEFORE YOUR DEATH. The disciples asked R. Eliezer.17Cf. Shab. 153a (Sonc. ed., p. 781). ‘Does, then, a man know on which day he will die that he should repent [the day before]?’ He replied, ‘All the more reason that he repent to-day lest he die tomorrow, or that he repent to-morrow lest he die the day after; as a consequence his whole life is spent in repentance’.R. Jose b. Judah said in the name of R. Judah b. R. Ilai, who said it in the name of his father R. Ilai, who reported it in the name of R. Eliezer the Great: REPENT ONE DAY BEFORE YOUR DEATH; WARM YOURSELF BEFORE THE FIRE OF THE SAGES, BUT BEWARE OF THEIR GLOWING COALS LEST YOU BE SCORCHED, FOR THEIR BITE IS THE BITE OF A FOX, AND THEIR STING IS THE STING OF A SCORPION; YEA ALL THEIR WORDS ARE LIKE COALS OF FIRE.18From Aboth 2:15 (Sonc. ed., II, 10, pp. 20f).

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Pirkei Avot 2Pirkei Avot

Rabbi said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.

Rabban Gamaliel the son of Rabbi Judah Hanasi said: excellent is the study of the Torah when combined with a worldly occupation, for toil in them both keeps sin out of one’s mind; But [study of the] Torah which is not combined with a worldly occupation, in the end comes to be neglected and becomes the cause of sin. And all who labor with the community, should labor with them for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their forefathers sustains them (the community), and their (the forefather’s) righteousness endures for ever; And as for you, [God in such case says] I credit you with a rich reward, as if you [yourselves] had [actually] accomplished [it all].

Be careful [in your dealings] with the ruling authorities for they do not befriend a person except for their own needs; they seem like friends when it is to their own interest, but they do not stand by a man in the hour of his distress.

He used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His. Set aside your will in the face of His will, so that he may set aside the will of others for the sake of your will. Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place. Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure.

He used to say: A brute is not sin-fearing, nor is an ignorant person pious; nor can a timid person learn, nor can an impatient person teach; nor will someone who engages too much in business become wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.

He saw a skull floating on the face of the water. He said to it: because you drowned others, they drowned you. And in the end, they that drowned you will be drowned.

He used to say: The more flesh, the more worms; The more property, the more anxiety; The more wives, the more witchcraft; The more female slaves, the more lewdness; The more slaves, the more robbery; [But] the more Torah, the more life; The more sitting [in the company of scholars], the more wisdom; The more counsel, the more understanding; The more charity, the more peace. If one acquires a good name, he has acquired something for himself; If one acquires for himself knowledge of Torah, he has acquired life in the world to come.

Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: if you have learned much Torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Johanan] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yohanan] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all.

He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included.

They [each] said three things: Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death. And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire.

Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world.

Rabbi Yose said: Let the property of your fellow be as precious unto you as your own; Make yourself fit to study Torah for it will not be yours by inheritance; And let all your actions be for [the sake of] the name of heaven.

Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem.

Rabbi Elazar said: Be diligent in the study of the Torah; And know how to answer an epicuros, And know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.

Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent.

He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say: It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it; If you have studied much Torah, you shall be given much reward. Faithful is your employer to pay you the reward of your labor; And know that the grant of reward unto the righteous is in the age to come.

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Kohelet Rabbah 8:1Kohelet Rabbah

It all starts with the verse, "May your garments be white at all times, and may the oil on your head not be lacking" (Ecclesiastes 9:8).

What does that even mean? Is it literally about always wearing white clothes and slathering on oil? The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), masters of interpretation, didn’t think so. I mean, as the text asks, how many white garments or oils do the other nations of the world have? Instead, they understood it as a call to action, a reference to mitzvot (commandments), good deeds, and Torah study.

Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, a key figure in the compilation of the Mishnah (the earliest code of rabbinic law), offered a parable to explain. Imagine a king throwing a feast and inviting guests. He tells them to bathe, anoint themselves, and prepare their garments, but doesn't specify when the feast will begin.

Some guests, the clever ones, hang around the palace entrance, knowing that everything needed for the feast is readily available. They’re ready at a moment’s notice. "Does the king's palace lack anything?" they reason. The others, the not-so-clever ones, ignore the king's instructions. They figure they'll have plenty of warning. "We will sense when the king’s feast begins!" they say. They head back to their work – the plasterer to his plaster, the potter to his mortar, the blacksmith to his coal, the launderer to his laundry room.

Suddenly, the king announces, "Everyone to the feast!" Chaos ensues. The prepared guests arrive in glory, while the unprepared show up looking… well, not so great. As Matnot Kehuna tells us, the king’s messengers rushed the guests to the feast. The king, naturally, is pleased with those who heeded his instructions and displeased with those who didn't.

The king declares that only those who prepared themselves will partake in the feast. But it doesn't end there! Those who didn’t prepare don't get to just leave. Instead, they have to watch the others feasting while they stand, are punished, observe, and suffer.

This parable, according to Kohelet Rabbah, is a metaphor for the World to Come. Those who prepare themselves during their lifetimes by engaging in mitzvot will enjoy the benefits, while those who don't will suffer and regret their choices. As Isaiah says (65:13), "Behold, My servants will eat and you will starve; [behold, My servants will drink and you will thirst; behold, My servants will rejoice and you will be ashamed]."

Zivetai, quoting Rabbi Meir, adds a layer to this image. The unprepared still recline, but they can't eat or drink. And there's a world of difference between standing and suffering, and reclining yet being unable to partake. It’s like being a waiter versus having your face turn sallow with unfulfilled hunger. Malachi (3:18) sums it up: "You will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked."

Bar Kappara and Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Kappara offer another analogy: a royal courier's wife who always adorns herself, even when her husband is away. Her neighbors question her, but she replies that her husband could arrive at any moment. Wouldn't she want him to see her at her best?

So, "May your garments be white at all times" means to be free from transgressions, and "may the oil on your head not be lacking" means to constantly engage in mitzvot and good deeds.

The teaching concludes with a powerful reminder: "Repent one day before your death" (Avot 2:10). But since we don't know when that day will be, Rabbi Eliezer's students ask, shouldn't we repent every day? Absolutely! That way, we are always engaged in repentance, always striving to be our best selves, and always ready for that metaphorical feast.

What does this all mean for us today? Perhaps it's a reminder that life is a continuous process of preparation. We don't know when opportunity will knock, or when we'll be called upon to act. By consistently striving to do good, to learn, and to grow, we ensure that we're always ready, our "garments white" and our "heads oiled," to face whatever comes our way. Are we living each day in preparation for that ultimate feast? That's the question I'm left pondering.

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Avot DeRabbi Natan 16Avot DeRabbi Natan

R. JOSHUA SAID: THE EVIL EYE, THE EVIL INCLINATION, AND THE HATRED OF MANKIND DRIVE A MAN OUT OF THE WORLD.THE EVIL EYE. What does this mean? It teaches that as a man regards his own house, so he should regard the house of his fellow; and as a man would not wish an evil report spread about his wife and children, so he should not wish an evil report spread about his fellow’s wife and children.Another interpretation. What is meant by THE EVIL EYE? It teaches that no man should begrudge the learning of his fellow. The story is told of a man who looked with a grudging eye upon his colleague’s learning that his life was cut short and he departed [prematurely from the world].

THE EVIL INCLINATION. What does this mean? It has been said that the evil inclination is senior to the good inclination by thirteen years,1The evil inclination, it was held, entered the human body even before birth, whereas the good inclination was acquired at the age of thirteen, the age of religious responsibility. for it grows with and accompanies the child from the moment it comes forth from the mother’s womb. If the child begins to profane the Sabbath it2i.e. the evil inclination the child has no sense of wrongdoing. does not deter him; if he is about to take life it does not deter him; if he is about to commit an immoral act it does not deter him. After thirteen years, however, the good inclination is born in him. If then he is about to profane the Sabbath it3i.e. the good inclination. warns him, ‘You fool! Scripture states, Every one that profaneth it shall surely be put to death’.4Ex. 31, 14. If he is about to take life, it warns him, ‘You fool! Scripture states, Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed’.5Gen. 9, 6. If he is about to commit an immoral act, it warns him, ‘You fool! Scripture states, Both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death’.6Lev. 20, 10. When a man’s passions are stirred and he is about to commit an act of lewdness, all his limbs are ready to obey him, because the evil inclination is king over the two hundred and forty-eight limbs of man. On the other hand, when a man is about to perform an act of piety, all his limbs become sluggish,7The Heb. mith‘annin is unusual in this sense, but might be derived from the verb ‘innah, ‘to delay’ (cf. ‘innuï haddin, ‘the delay of justice’, Aboth 5:8). Schechter suggests the reading mith‘aẓẓlin, ‘are slothful’. because the evil inclination which is within him bears sway over the two hundred and forty-eight limbs of his body, whereas the good inclination is like one who is confined in prison, as it is stated, For out of prison he came forth to be king,8Eccl. 4, 14. which verse has been interpreted as referring to the good inclination.9Cf. Midrash Rabbah, Ecclesiastes, ad loc. (Sonc. ed. p. 123).Others interpret this verse as referring to the righteous Joseph. When that wicked woman10Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39, 7ff). came [to tempt him] she afflicted him with her words, saying, ‘I will have you imprisoned’; and he replied, ‘The Lord looseth the prisoners’.11Ps. 146, 7. She said, ‘I will have your eyes plucked out’; and he replied, ‘The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind’.12ibid. 8. She said, ‘I will bend your stature’; and he replied, ‘The Lord raiseth up them that are bowed down’.13ibid. She said, ‘I will accuse you of sin’;14lit. ‘I will make you wicked’. and he replied, ‘The Lord loveth the righteous’.15ibid. She said, ‘I will make you a stranger’;16The word in the text ’armai, ‘a heathen’, makes no sense. The translation follows the version quoted by the Baalë Tosafoth on Gen. 39, 12. Joseph is threatened with banishment. and he replied, ‘The Lord preserveth the strangers’.17ibid. 9. Finally he said, ‘How then can I do this great wickedness’.18Gen. 39, 9.Marvel not at the [virtue of the] righteous Joseph, for consider the case of R. Zadok, the greatest man of his generation. When he was taken captive, a certain matron acquired him [as a slave] and sent in a beautiful maid-servant to him. As soon as he saw her, he turned his eyes to the wall so as not to look upon her, and sat absorbed in study the whole night long. In the morning the girl went and complained to her mistress, saying, ‘I would rather die than be given to that man!’ [The matron] sent for him and asked, ‘Why did you not treat this woman as men usually act?’ He replied, ‘What else could I do, seeing that I belong to the High-priestly line? I am from a noble family and said to myself, “[I must refrain] lest I cohabit with her and increase the number of illegitimate children in Israel” ’. On hearing his words, she ordered [his release] and set him free with great honour.Do not marvel at [the virtue of] R. Zadok, for consider the case of R. ‘Aḳiba who was greater than he. When R. ‘Aḳiba came to a certain land,19MS. E. reads ‘to Rome’. a malicious accusation was laid against him before the Ruler. The latter sent in two beautiful women to him who had bathed, anointed and adorned themselves like brides for their grooms. They importuned him throughout the night, each saying, ‘Turn to me’. He sat between them, spat [in disgust], and turned to neither of them. They went and complained to the Ruler, saying, ‘We would rather die than be given to that man!’ He sent for him and asked, ‘Why did you not treat these women as men usually act towards women? Are they not beautiful? Are they not human like yourself? Did not He Who created you create them?’ He answered, ‘I could not do otherwise; their odour seemed to me like the odour of carrion, torn beasts and creeping things’.Do not marvel at [the virtue of] R. ‘Aḳiba, for consider the case of R. Eliezer the Great who was more distinguished than he. R. Eliezer brought up his sister’s daughter, and for thirteen years she [slept] with him in one bed until she reached puberty. Then he said to her, ‘Go and get married’. She replied, ‘Am I not your maid, [even contented] to be a servant to wash the feet of your disciples?’20By this expression she implied her desire to marry him. The parallel passage in j.Yeb. XIII, 2, 13C reads, ‘I am your handmaid to wash the feet of my master’s slaves’. He said to her, ‘My daughter, I am now an old man; go and marry a young man of your own age’. She replied, ‘Have I not already told you that I am your maid, [even contented] to be a servant to wash the feet of your disciples?’ When he heard her words, he obtained her consent to a betrothal and married her.

R. Reuben b. Iẓtroboli said: How can a man keep far away from the evil inclination which is within his body? For the first drop which a man injects into a woman is the evil inclination.21i.e. the first seed, the result of man’s passion, creates the evil inclination in the unborn child. The evil inclination dwells at the entrances of the heart, as it is stated, Sin coucheth at the door.22Gen. 4, 7. Cf. Ber. 61a (Sonc. ed. p. 384). It already speaks to the human being while he is an infant in the cot, saying, ‘That man seeks to kill you’, and [in consequence the infant] is ready to pluck out his hair.23The aggressive tendencies in a child are accordingly explained as incitement by the evil inclination, the latter creating the fear that persons wish to do him harm. When an infant lies in his cot and places his hand upon a snake or a scorpion so that he is bitten, this was caused by none other than the evil inclination which is within his body. Or when he lays his hand on glowing coals and is burnt, this was caused by none other than the evil inclination which is within his body, since the evil inclination it is that drives him headlong [to destruction]. Observe, however, a kid or lamb: when it sees a well it turns back, since there is no evil inclination in a beast [to lead it into harm].R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: I will explain it to you by a parable. To what is the evil inclination like? [25a] To a piece of iron which is cast into the fire. As long as it is in the fire one can make of it whatever vessel he wishes. So it is with the evil inclination: there is no other remedy for it but the study of the Torah which is likened to fire;24Cf. Jer. 23, 29, homiletically explained as teaching that by a man’s devotion to Torah, God will cause the enemy (i.e. the evil inclination) to be at peace with him and cease assailing him. as it is stated, If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; for thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord will reward thee.25Prov. 25, 21f. Read not will reward [yeshallem] thee but ‘will make him at peace [yashlim] with thee.’R. Judah the Prince said: I will explain it to you by a parable. To what is the evil inclination like? To the case of two men who entered an inn and one of them was arrested on a charge of robbery. When asked, ‘Who was with you [as an accomplice]?’ he could reply, ‘There was no one with me’; but he says to himself, ‘Since I am to be executed, let my fellow be executed along with me’. In the same way the evil inclination speaks, ‘Since I am doomed in the world to come, I will drag the entire body with me to destruction’.R. Simeon b. Yoḥai said: By this reasoning Israel will never see Gehinnom (the place of spiritual purification after death). This may be explained by a parable. To what is the matter like? To a mortal king who had a field of poor quality. Certain men came and leased it at a rental of ten kors of wheat annually. They manured it, hoed it, watered it and weeded it; but they could only make it yield one kor of wheat during the year. The king asked them for an explanation and they replied, ‘Our sovereign lord! You know that the field which you leased to us originally yielded nothing to you; now after manuring it, weeding it and watering it, we made it yield us no more than one kor of wheat’. In like manner Israel will in the future plead with the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the universe! Thou knowest that it is the evil inclination that incites us, as it is stated, For He knoweth our impulse’.26Ps. 103, 14. E.V. our frame, the Heb. being the same as for ‘inclination, impulse’.

THE HATRED OF MANKIND. What does this mean? It teaches that a man should not adopt the rule: Love the Sages and hate the disciples, or Love the disciples and hate the ‘Am ha’areẓ. Let his rule be: Love them all, and hate [only] heretics, apostates, seducers and informers. So said David, Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee? And do not I strive with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with utmost hatred; I count them mine enemies.27ibid. CXXXIX, 21f. But does not Scripture declare, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord?28Lev. 19, 18. And why? Because I created him. If he acts as thy people should act,29Cf. Ex. 22, 27, Thou shalt not … curse a ruler of thy people, and B.Ḳ. 94b (Sonc. ed. p. 549). then you must love him, but if not, then you must not love him. R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: With a great oath30So according to the MSS.; V reads ‘in a great hour’ which makes no sense. was this command said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. I the Lord have created him31Is. 45, 8. E.V. created it. if you love him, I am trustworthy to give you a good reward; but if you do not, I am a Judge to punish you.32On this passage, cf. Finkelstein, op. cit. pp. 47-52.

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Avot DeRabbi Natan 19Avot DeRabbi Natan

‘Aḳabya b. Mahalalel said: Whosoever takes four things to heart1Cf. Aboth 3:1 (Sonc. ed. p. 26) where the more popular version reads: ‘Consider three things’, etc. omitting the third item, ‘what he is destined to become, dust, worms and maggots’ as being heterodox in outlook; cf. Finkelstein, Akiba: Scholar, Righteous One and Martyr, pp. 159f, where the maxim of ‘Aḳabya is described as ‘this unequivocal denial of personal immortality’. See also DER III, 1 (below, p. 543) where the saying is quoted as in the present text in the name of Ben ‘Azzai. will never sin: whence he came, whither he is going, what he is destined to become, and who is his Judge. ‘Whence he came’, from a place of darkness; ‘whither he is going’, to a place of thick darkness; ‘what he is destined to become’, dust, worms and maggots; ‘and who is his Judge’, the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

R. Simeon said: Man came from a place of darkness and returns to a place of darkness. He came from a fetid drop, from a place which no eye can behold. And what is he destined to become? Dust, worms and maggots, as it is stated, How much less man, that is a worm! and the son of man, that is a maggot!2Job 25, 6. R. Eleazar b. Jacob said: Man that is a worm when alive, and the son of man that is a maggot when dead. In what sense is he a worm when alive? By reason of the lice [which infest him]. And a maggot when dead? By reason of the creeping things which he generates when dead.

R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: I will illustrate it to you by a parable. To what can the matter be compared? To a king who built a large palace in which he resided,3According to a variant reading: ‘which he elaborately adorned’. GRA reads ‘magnificent in every detail’. V has ‘large palaces’. but the waste-pipe of a tannery ran through it and emptied itself at the entrance. Every passer-by exclaimed, ‘How beautiful and magnificent would that palace be if the waste-pipe of the tannery did not run through it!’ Just so is it with man; and if in his present state, when from his entrails issue fetid streams,4The natural secretions. he lords it over all creatures, how much more would he lord it over all creatures if there were to issue from him streams of fine oil, balsam and spikenard!

When R. Eliezer fell ill, his disciples came to visit him. They sat before him and said, ‘Master, tell us in one word what you have taught us’.5lit. ‘teach us one word of what you have taught us’. In the master’s last hours the disciples enquire of him the epitome of his wisdom and experience. In the parallel passage, Ber. 28b (Sonc. ed. p. 173), the text reads: ‘Teach us the ways of life’. He replied, ‘What shall I tell you? Go forth and be mindful of the honour of your fellow-man, and when you pray know before Whom you are standing and praying. Then will you merit the life of the world to come’.R. Eleazar said: Five things did we learn from R. Eliezer [on that day], and they afforded us greater pleasure than all that we had enjoyed from him in his lifetime, and they are as follows: If a round cushion, a ball, a shoemaker’s last, an amulet or a phylactery, about which you spoke to us, were torn, what would be the law?6The five articles enumerated have in common that they are made of leather and are permanently filled with stuffing. It is established law that an article of leather can contract defilement only if it is a receptacle, i.e. it has a cavity in which it can hold things. Since the articles here listed are permanently filled, the Sage held the view that they are not considered to be vessels with receptacles and consequently cannot be ritually defiled. R. Eliezer, however, was of the opinion that since the filling was removable, they were to be considered vessels with receptacles and could contract defilement. If any one of the enumerated articles were torn the opinion was unanimous that it could contract defilement, because some of the filling must have fallen out and in consequence a receptacle was formed. If, in the circumstances stated, the article became unclean, there was a further argument between R. Eliezer and the Sages whether it was necessary to remove all the filling before immersion took place. The Sages held the view that this must be done otherwise the immersion would be invalid, since the filling interposed between the vessel and the water. R. Eliezer, on the other hand, ruled that it could be immersed as it was without the removal of the filling. R. Eliezer here put forward his views as ancient traditional rulings. Cf. Kel. XXIII, 1 (Sonc. ed. p. 110). The answer he gave was: They can contract uncleanness so be careful with them; and [if unclean] they may be immersed as they are. These laws are well established, for they were communicated to Moses on Mount Sinai.7For textual variants of this passage, cf. below XXV 2 (p. 171), Sanh. 68a (Sonc. ed. pp. 462f) and DER III, end (below p. 544).

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Pirkei Avot 3Pirkei Avot

Akabyah ben Mahalalel said: mark well three things and you will not come into the power of sin: know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. From where do you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot. Before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning? Before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. R. Hananiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said: “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah (the Divine Presence) abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward? As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28).

Rabbi Shimon said: if three have eaten at one table and have not spoken there words of Torah, [it is] as if they had eaten sacrifices [offered] to the dead, as it is said, “for all tables are full of filthy vomit, when the All-Present is absent” (Isaiah 28:8). But, if three have eaten at one table, and have spoken there words of Torah, [it is] as if they had eaten at the table of the All-Present, blessed be He, as it is said, “And He said unto me, ‘this is the table before the Lord’” (Ezekiel 41:22).

Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakinai said: one who wakes up at night, or walks on the way alone and turns his heart to idle matters, behold, this man is mortally guilty.

Rabbi Nehunia ben Hakkanah said: whoever takes upon himself the yoke of the Torah, they remove from him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns, and whoever breaks off from himself the yoke of the Torah, they place upon him the yoke of government and the yoke of worldly concerns.

Rabbi Halafta of Kefar Hanania said: when ten sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Shechinah abides among them, as it is said: “God stands in the congregation of God” (Psalm 82:1). How do we know that the same is true even of five? As it is said: “This band of His He has established on earth” (Amos 9:6). How do we know that the same is true even of three? As it is said: “In the midst of the judges He judges” (Psalm 82:1) How do we know that the same is true even of two? As it is said: “Then they that fear the Lord spoke one with another, and the Lord hearkened, and heard” (Malachi 3:16). How do we know that the same is true even of one? As it is said: “In every place where I cause my name to be mentioned I will come unto you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21).

Rabbi Elazar of Bartotha said: give to Him of that which is His, for you and that which is yours is His; and thus it says with regards to David: “for everything comes from You, and from Your own hand have we given you” (I (Chronicles 29:1)4). Rabbi Jacob said: if one is studying while walking on the road and interrupts his study and says, “how fine is this tree!” [or] “how fine is this newly ploughed field!” scripture accounts it to him as if he was mortally guilty.

Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: whoever forgets one word of his study, scripture accounts it to him as if he were mortally guilty, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes” (Deuteronomy 4:9). One could [have inferred that this is the case] even when his study proved [too] hard for him, therefore scripture says, “that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live” (ibid.). Thus, he is not mortally guilty unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.

Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said: anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom is not enduring. He [also] used to say: anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom is not enduring.

He used to say: one with whom men are pleased, God is pleased. But anyone from whom men are displeased, God is displeased. Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas said: morning sleep, midday wine, children’s talk and sitting in the assemblies of the ignorant put a man out of the world.

Rabbi Elazar of Modiin said: one who profanes sacred things, and one who despises the festivals, and one who causes his fellow’s face to blush in public, and one who annuls the covenant of our father Abraham, may he rest in peace, and he who is contemptuous towards the Torah, even though he has to his credit [knowledge of the] Torah and good deeds, he has not a share in the world to come.

Rabbi Ishmael said: be suppliant to a superior, submissive under compulsory service, and receive every man happily.

Rabbi Akiva said: Merriment and frivolity accustom one to sexual licentiousness; Tradition is a fence to the Torah; Tithes a fence to wealth, Vows a fence to abstinence; A fence to wisdom is silence.

He used to say: Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6). Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to the All-Present. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said: “you are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that the desirable instrument, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).

Everything is foreseen yet freedom of choice is granted, And the world is judged with goodness; And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works.

He used to say: everything is given against a pledge, and a net is spread out over all the living; the store is open and the storekeeper allows credit, but the ledger is open and the hand writes, and whoever wishes to borrow may come and borrow; but the collectors go round regularly every day and exact dues from man, either with his consent or without his consent, and they have that on which they [can] rely [in their claims], seeing that the judgment is a righteous judgment, and everything is prepared for the banquet.

Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: Where there is no Torah, there is no right conduct; where there is no right conduct, there is no Torah. Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God; where there is no fear of God, there is no wisdom. Where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge; where there is no knowledge, there is no understanding. Where there is no bread, there is no Torah; where there is no Torah, there is no bread. He used to say: one whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, to what may he be compared? To a tree whose branches are numerous but whose roots are few, so that when the wind comes, it uproots it and overturns it, as it is said, “He shall be like a bush in the desert, which does not sense the coming of good. It is set in the scorched places of the wilderness, in a barren land without inhabitant” (Jeremiah 17:6). But one whose deeds exceed his wisdom, to what may he be compared? To a tree whose branches are few but roots are many, so that even if all the winds in the world come and blow upon it, they cannot move it out of its place, as it is said, “He shall be like a tree planted by waters, sending forth its roots by a stream. It does not sense the coming of heat, its leaves are ever fresh. It has no care in a year of drought; it does not cease to yield fruit” (ibid, 17:8).

Rabbi Eliezer Hisma said: the laws of mixed bird offerings and the key to the calculations of menstruation days, these are the body of the halakhah (Jewish religious law). The calculation of the equinoxes and gematria are the desserts of wisdom.

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