R. Nathan said: There is no love like the love for the Torah, no wisdom like the wisdom of the land of Israel,1So MSS. and GRA; V, ‘worldly affairs’. no beauty like the beauty of Jerusalem, no wealth like the wealth of Media, no might like the might of Persia, no immorality like that of the Arabs, no arrogance like the arrogance of Elam, no hypocrisy like the hypocrisy of Babylon, as it is stated, And he said unto me: To build her a house in the land of Shinar,2Zech. 5, 11. and no magic like the magic of Egypt.3On this passage, cf. Ḳid. 49b (Sonc. ed., pp. 248f).

R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: If a sage who has been living in the land of Israel leaves it for a foreign country, he has lost merit;4Cf. B.B. 158b (Sonc. ed., p. 691): ‘The climate of the land of Israel makes one wise’. and he who remains there is more worthy than he. But although he has lost merit, he is still far more worthy than the meritorious of other lands. [This may be illustrated by] a parable. To what can the matter be compared? To Indian iron5Iron from India was highly prized for the making of armour. Cf. ‘A.Z. 16a (Sonc. ed., p. 79). which has been exported to a land6So GRA. V. reads, ‘which has come from a land’. beyond the sea; even when it has deteriorated it is still superior to the best of other lands.

R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: Whoever makes peace in his house, Scripture ascribes it to him as though he made peace for every individual in Israel; but whoever brings jealousy and strife into his house, Scripture ascribes it to him as though he brought these among Israel; because each person is a king in his home, as it is stated, That every man shall bear rule in his own house.7Esth. 1, 22.

Rabban Gamaliel said: By four methods heathen States devour [their inhabitants]: by their taxes, bath-houses, theatres and annual levies.8The exorbitant taxes, and the life of ease, sport and luxury indulged in by the upper classes, contributed largely to the disintegration of the Roman Empire.

He used to say: The words of the Torah are as difficult to acquire as fine woollen clothes, but are as easily lost as linen garments. Foolish and frivolous words are easily acquired, but are as hard to lose as a sack. Often a man buys a sack in the market for a sela‘ and continues using it for four or five years.R. Judah the Prince said: Whoever indulges in the pleasures of this world will be withheld from the pleasures of the world to come; but whoever denies himself the pleasures of this world will be granted the pleasures of the world to come.

He used to say: To what can the righteous who are unfortunate in this world be compared? To a chef who prepares a meal for himself; for though it cost him much effort, he prepares it for none other than himself; but to what can the wicked who are unfortunate in this world be compared? To a chef who prepared a meal for others; for though it cost him much effort, he has prepared nothing for himself but only for others.

He used to say: Let your private life be open to full view;9i.e. act in private as you would in public. The phrase used is equivalent to the more usual expression toko kebaro, ‘whose inside is as his outside’, i.e. sincere; cf. Ber. 28a (Sonc. ed., p. 168). and what is not meant to be heard10i.e. a confidential matter. tell not to your fellow.

HILLEL SAID: DO NOT SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM THE CONGREGATION, etc.11From Aboth 2:5 (Sonc. ed., II, 4, p. 14).

He used to say: The more one eats the more he discharges; the more flesh one puts on the more worms and maggots he breeds; the more good deeds [28b] one does the more peace he provides for his body.R. Eleazar b. Shammua‘ said: There are three types of disciple: a cut stone, a corner-stone and a plinth. ‘A cut stone’—what does this describe? The disciple who has studied Midrash12Laws derived from the text of the Torah by exegesis. only, so that whenever a scholar comes to consult him on a Midrashic subject he can enlighten him. Such a one is like a cut stone which has only one polished surface. ‘A corner-stone’—what does this describe? The disciple who has studied Midrash and halakoth, so that whenever a scholar comes to consult him either on a Midrashic or halakic subject he can enlighten him. Such a one is like a corner-stone which has two polished surfaces. ‘A plinth’—what does this describe? The disciple who has studied Midrash, halakoth, ’aggadoth and tosephoth, so that whenever a scholar comes to consult him on a subject in the Midrash, in the halakoth, in the ’aggadoth or in the tosephoth he can enlighten him. Such a one is like a plinth which has four polished surfaces on its four sides.

R. Judah b. Ilai said: He who treats the words of the Torah as of primary importance and worldly affairs as secondary will himself be of primary importance in the world;13V. prints ‘this’ with ‘world’ in brackets. MS. E. has ‘in the world to come’. but he who treats worldly affairs as of primary importance and the words of the Torah as secondary will himself be of secondary importance in the world.13V. prints ‘this’ with ‘world’ in brackets. MS. E. has ‘in the world to come’. [This may be illustrated by] a parable. To what is the matter like? To a public roadway which runs between two paths, one formed of fire and the other of snow. If a man walks close to the path of fire he will be scorched by the heat, and if he walks close to the path of snow he will be frost-bitten; so what should he do? He should walk in the middle of the roadway and so protect himself from being scorched by the fire or bitten by the frost.14The view expounded by this parable is that of the via media, a wholesome combination of Torah-study and worldly affairs.