Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 3:13-4:4)

This is Pt3 of a 5-part series: “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 2:10-4:22)”.¹

List of Rabbis cited in this part

1. R' Akiva

2. R' Elazar ben Azariah

3. R' Eliezer Hisma

4. Ben-Zoma²

5. Ben-Azzai

6. R' Levitas of Yavneh

Outline

List of Rabbis cited in this part

The Passage - Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 3:13-4:4)

1. R' Akiva

   1. Frivolity leads to sexual sin; various practices act as protective “fences”; silence is a safeguard for wisdom (3:13)

   2. Humanity is beloved for being created in God's image; Israel is especially beloved for their unique status and gift of Torah - Genesis 9:6, Deuteronomy 14:1 (3:14)

   3. Everything is foreseen, but free will exists; judgment is merciful and based on one’s actions (3:15)

   4. Life is a divine loan; accountability is constant; divine judgment is unavoidable and absolute (3:16)

2. R' Elazar ben Azariah (3:17)

   1. Torah and ethics are interdependent

   2. One whose wisdom exceeds his deeds is like a tree whose branches are numerous but roots few - Jeremiah 17:6

   3. One whose deeds exceed his wisdom is like a tree whose branches are few but roots are many - ibid., verse 8

3. R' Eliezer Hisma - Laws of sacrifices and niddah are central; astronomy and gematria are secondary (3:18)

4. Ben-Zoma - Wisdom is learning from all; strength is self-control; wealth is contentment; honor is giving respect - Psalms 119:99, 128:2, Proverbs 16:32, I Samuel 2:30 (4:1)

5. Ben-Azzai

   1. Be quick to do mitzvot and avoid sin; mitzvot and sins are self-perpetuating (4:2)

   2. Do not dismiss any person or thing—everything has value and timing (4:3)

6. R' Levitas of Yavneh - Extreme humility is proper—humans end in decay (4:4)

Appendix 1 - The Divine Books that Record Human Righteous and Sinful Activity (Rosh Hashanah 16b)

1. R' Kruspedai citing R' Yoḥanan - God opens three books on Rosh HaShana—for wicked, righteous, and average people

2. R' Avin - source from Psalms 69:29

3. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak - source from Exodus 32:32

Appendix 2 - Taxonomy of areas of halakhah by the degree to which they are “anchored” in the biblical text (Mishnah Chagigah 1:8)

1. Untethered Laws - Dissolution of vows

2. Minimally Anchored Laws - Shabbat, festival offerings, and sacrilege

3. Firmly Grounded Laws - Civil law, temple service, ritual purity, and forbidden sexual relations

The Passage

Avot.3.13-4.4

R' Akiva

Frivolity leads to sexual sin; various practices act as protective “fences”; silence is a safeguard for wisdom (3:13)

רבי עקיבא אומר:

1. שחוק וקלות ראש --

   1. מרגילין לערוה.

2. מסרת --

   1. סיג לתורה.

3. מעשרות --

   1. סיג לעשר.

4. נדרים--

   1. סיג לפרישות.

5. סיג לחכמה --

   1. שתיקה

R' Akiva said:

1. Merriment (שחוק) and frivolity³ —

   1. accustom one to sexual licentiousness;

2. Tradition (מסרת) —

   1. is a fence to the Torah;⁴

3. Tithes (מעשרות) —

   1. a fence to wealth,

4. Vows (נדרים - neder) —

   1. a fence to abstinence;

5. A fence to wisdom —

   1. is silence.

Humanity is beloved for being created in God's image; Israel is especially beloved for their unique status and gift of Torah - Genesis 9:6, Deuteronomy 14:1 (3:14)

הוא היה אומר:

1. חביב אדם שנברא בצלם.

   1. חבה יתרה נודעת לו —

   2. שנברא בצלם,

   3. שנאמר (בראשית ט): כי בצלם אלהים עשה את האדם.

2. חביבין ישראל שנקראו בנים למקום.

   1. חבה יתרה נודעת להם —

   2. שנקראו בנים למקום,

   3. שנאמר (דברים יד): בנים אתם לה' אלהיכם.

3. חביבין ישראל שנתן להם כלי חמדה.

   1. חבה יתרה נודעת להם—

   2. שנתן להם כלי חמדה, שבו נברא העולם,

   3. שנאמר (משלי ד): כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם, תורתי אל תעזבו

He [=R' Akiva] used to say:

1. Beloved (חביב) is man (אדם) for he was created in the image [of God].⁵

   1. Especially beloved (חבה) is he —

   2. for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God],

   3. as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6).

2. Beloved are Israel in that they were called God's children⁶

   1. Especially beloved are they —

   2. for it was made known to them that they are called God's children,

   3. as it is said: “you are children to YHWH your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1).

3. Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel⁷ was given to them.

   1. Especially beloved are they —

   2. for it was made known to them that the precious vessel, with which the world had been created, was given to them,

   3. as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).

Everything is foreseen, but free will exists; judgment is merciful and based on one’s actions (3:15)

1. הכל צפוי, והרשות נתונה,

2. ובטוב העולם נדון.

3. והכל לפי רב המעשה

1. Everything is foreseen (צפוי), [yet] freedom of choice is granted,

2. And the world is judged with goodness;

3. And everything is in accordance with the preponderance of works.

Life is a divine loan; accountability is constant; divine judgment is unavoidable and absolute (3:16)

An extended metaphor of life as commerce—credit, financial obligations, and paying back.

הוא היה אומר:

1. 1. הכל נתון בערבון,

   2. ומצודה פרוסה על כל החיים.

2. 1. החנות פתוחה,

   2. והחנוני מקיף,

3. 1. והפנקס פתוח,

   2. והיד כותבת,

4. 1. וכל הרוצה ללוות —

   2. יבא וילוה,

5. 1. והגבאים מחזירים תדיר בכל יום,

   2. ונפרעין מן האדם מדעתו ושלא מדעתו,

6. 1. ויש להם על מה שיסמכו,

   2. והדין דין אמת,

7. והכל מתקן לסעודה

He [=R' Akiva] used to say:

1. 1. everything is given against a pledge,⁸

   2. and a net⁹ is spread out over all the living;

2. 1. the store is open,

   2. and the storekeeper allows credit,

3. 1. the ledger¹⁰ is open,

   2. and the hand writes,¹¹

4. 1. and whoever wishes to borrow —

   2. may come and borrow;

5. 1. the collectors (גבאים) go round regularly every day

   2. and exact dues from man, either with his consent or without his consent,

6. 1. and they have that on which they [can] rely [in their claims],¹²

   2. [as] the judgment is a righteous judgment,

7. and everything is prepared for the banquet¹³

R' Elazar ben Azariah (3:17)

Torah and ethics are interdependent

רבי אלעזר בן עזריה אומר:

1. 1. אם אין תורה, אין דרך ארץ.

   2. אם אין דרך ארץ, אין תורה.

2. 1. אם אין חכמה, אין יראה.

   2. אם אין יראה, אין חכמה.

3. 1. אם אין בינה, אין דעת.

   2. אם אין דעת, אין בינה.

4. 1. אם אין קמח, אין תורה.

   2. אם אין תורה, אין קמח.

R' Elazar ben Azariah said:

1. 1. Where there is no Torah, there is no right conduct (דרך ארץ);

   2. where there is no right conduct, there is no Torah.

2. 1. Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of God;

   2. where there is no fear of God, there is no wisdom.

3. 1. Where there is no understanding, there is no knowledge;

   2. where there is no knowledge, there is no understanding.

4. 1. Where there is no bread, there is no Torah;

   2. where there is no Torah, there is no bread.

One whose wisdom exceeds his deeds is like a tree whose branches are numerous but roots few - Jeremiah 17:6

Metaphor of good deeds as roots and branches of a tree.

הוא היה אומר:

כל שחכמתו מרבה ממעשיו --

למה הוא דומה?

לאילן שענפיו מרבין ושרשיו מעטין,

והרוח באה ועוקרתו והופכתו על פניו,

שנאמר (ירמיה יז):

"והיה כערער בערבה

ולא יראה כי יבוא טוב

ושכן חררים במדבר

ארץ מלחה ולא תשב"

He [=R' Elazar ben Azariah] 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).

One whose deeds exceed his wisdom is like a tree whose branches are few but roots are many - ibid., verse 8

אבל כל שמעשיו מרבין מחכמתו --

למה הוא דומה?

לאילן שענפיו מעטין ושרשיו מרבין,

שאפלו כל הרוחות שבעולם באות ונושבות בו

אין מזיזין אותו ממקומו,

שנאמר (שם):

"והיה כעץ שתול על מים

ועל יובל ישלח שרשיו

ולא יראה כי יבא חם,

והיה עלהו רענן,

ובשנת בצרת לא ידאג,

ולא ימיש מעשות פרי

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).

R' Eliezer Hisma - Laws of sacrifices and niddah are central; astronomy and gematria are secondary (3:18)

(See footnote.)¹⁴

רבי אליעזר בן חסמא אומר:

1. קנין ופתחי נדה --

   1. הן הן גופי הלכות.

2. תקופות וגימטריאות --

   1. פרפראות לחכמה

R' Eliezer Hisma said:

1. the laws of mixed bird offerings (קנין - literally: “nests”) and the key to the calculations of menstruation days (פתחי נדה - literally: “openings of niddah”),

   1. these are the body of the halakha¹⁵

2. The calculation of the equinoxes (תקופות) and gematria (גימטריאות)

   1. are the desserts (פרפראות) of wisdom.

Ben-Zoma - Wisdom is learning from all; strength is self-control; wealth is contentment; honor is giving respect - Psalms 119:99, 128:2, Proverbs 16:32, I Samuel 2:30 (4:1)

בן זומא אומר:

1. 1. איזהו חכם?

   2. הלומד מכל אדם,

   3. שנאמר (תהלים קיט):

      1. מכל מלמדי השכלתי,

      2. כי עדותיך שיחה לי.

2. 1. איזהו גבור?

   2. הכובש את יצרו,

   3. שנאמר (משלי טז):

      1. טוב ארך אפים מגבור,

      2. ומשל ברוחו מלכד עיר.

3. 1. איזהו עשיר?

   2. השמח בחלקו,

   3. שנאמר (תהלים קכח):

      1. יגיע כפיך כי תאכל,

      2. אשריך וטוב לך.

         1. אשריך, בעולם הזה.

         2. וטוב לך, לעולם הבא.

4. 1. איזהו מכבד?

   2. המכבד את הבריות,

   3. שנאמר (שמואל א ב)

      1. כי מכבדי אכבד

      2. ובזי יקלו

Ben Zoma said:

1. 1. Who is wise?

   2. He who learns from every man,

   3. as it is said:

      1. “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99).

2. 1. Who is mighty?

   2. He who subdues his [evil] inclination,

   3. as it is said:

      1. “He that is slow to anger (ארך אפים) is better than the mighty;

      2. and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

3. 1. Who is rich?

   2. He who rejoices in his lot,

   3. as it is said:

      1. “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors,

      2. you shall be happy (אשריך) and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2)

         1. “You shall be happy” in this world,

         2. “and you shall prosper” in the World-to-Come.

4. 1. Who is he that is honored?

   2. He who honors his fellow human beings

   3. as it is said:

      1. “For I honor those that honor Me,

      2. but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).

Ben-Azzai

Be quick to do mitzvot and avoid sin; mitzvot and sins are self-perpetuating (4:2)

בן עזאי אומר:

הוי רץ למצוה קלה כבחמורה,

ובורח מן העברה.

• שמצוה גוררת מצוה,

• ועברה גוררת עברה.

• ששכר מצוה, מצוה.

• ושכר עברה, עברה

Ben Azzai said:

Be quick (רץ - literally: “run”) in performing a minor commandment (מצוה - mitzvah) as in the case of a major one,

and flee from transgression (עברה - aveira);

• For one commandment leads to [another]¹⁶ commandment,

• and transgression leads to [another] transgression;

• For the reward for [performing] a commandment is [another] commandment

• and the reward for [committing] a transgression is [another] transgression.

Do not dismiss any person or thing—everything has value and timing (4:3)

הוא היה אומר:

1. אל תהי בז לכל אדם,

2. ואל תהי מפליג לכל דבר,

• שאין לך אדם שאין לו שעה

• ואין לך דבר שאין לו מקום

He [=Ben-Azzai] used to say:

1. do not despise (בז) any man,

2. and do not discriminate against anything,

• for there is no man that has not his hour,

• and there is no thing that has not its place.

R' Levitas of Yavneh - Extreme humility is proper—humans end in decay (4:4)

רבי לויטס איש יבנה אומר:

מאד מאד הוי שפל רוח,

שתקות אנוש רמה.

R' Levitas a man of Yavneh said:

be exceeding humble spirit,¹⁷

for the end of man is the worm¹⁸

Appendix 1 - The Divine Books that Record Human Righteous and Sinful Activity (Rosh Hashanah 16b)

Rosh_Hashanah.16b.12-14

R' Kruspedai citing R' Yoḥanan - God opens three books on Rosh HaShana—for wicked, righteous, and average people

אמר רבי כרוספדאי, אמר רבי יוחנן:

שלשה ספרים נפתחין בראש השנה:

1. אחד של רשעים גמורין,

2. ואחד של צדיקים גמורין,

3. ואחד של בינוניים

§ The Talmud goes back to discuss the Day of Judgment.

R' Kruspedai said that R' Yoḥanan said:

Three books are opened on Rosh HaShana before God:

1. One of wholly wicked people,

2. and one of wholly righteous people,

3. and one of middling people whose good and bad deeds are equally balanced.

1. צדיקים גמורין —

   1. נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר לחיים,

2. רשעים גמורין —

   1. נכתבין ונחתמין לאלתר למיתה,

3. בינוניים —

   1. תלויין ועומדין מראש השנה ועד יום הכפורים,

   2. זכו — נכתבין לחיים,

   3. לא זכו — נכתבין למיתה.

1. Wholly righteous people —

   1. are immediately written and sealed for life;

2. wholly wicked people —

   1. are immediately written and sealed for death;

3. and middling people —

   1. are left with their judgment suspended from Rosh HaShana until Yom Kippur, their fate remaining undecided.

   2. If they merit, through the good deeds and mitzvot that they perform during this period, they are written for life;

   3. if they do not so merit, they are written for death.

R' Avin - source from Psalms 69:29

אמר רבי אבין:

מאי קרא?

״ימחו מספר חיים

ועם צדיקים אל יכתבו״.

1. ״ימחו מספר״ —

   1. זה ספרן של רשעים גמורין,

2. ״חיים״ —

   1. זה ספרן של צדיקים,

3. ״ועם צדיקים אל יכתבו״ —

   1. זה ספרן של בינוניים.

R' Avin said:

What is the verse that alludes to this?

“Let them be blotted out of the book of the living,

but not be written with the righteous” (Psalms 69:29).

1. “Let them be blotted out of the book”;

   1. this is the book of wholly wicked people, who are blotted out from the world.

2. “Of the living”;

   1. this is the book of wholly righteous people.

3. “But not be written with the righteous”;

   1. this is the book of middling people, who are written in a separate book, not with the righteous.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak - source from Exodus 32:32

רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר:

מהכא:

״ואם אין

מחני נא מספרך אשר כתבת״,

1. ״מחני נא״ —

   1. זה ספרן של רשעים,

2. ״מספרך״ —

   1. זה ספרן של צדיקים,

3. ״אשר כתבת״ —

   1. זה ספרן של בינוניים.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

This matter is derived from here:

“And if not,

blot me, I pray You, out of Your book which you have written” (Exodus 32:32).

1. “Blot me, I pray You”;

   1. this is the book of wholly wicked people, who are blotted out from the world.

2. “Out of Your book”;

   1. this is the book of wholly righteous people, which is special and attributed to God Himself.

3. “Which You have written”;

   1. this is the book of middling people.

Appendix 2 - Taxonomy of areas of halakhah by the degree to which they are “anchored” in the biblical text (Mishnah Chagigah 1:8)

Mishnah_Chagigah.1.8

This mishnah categorizes areas of halakhah by the degree to which they are “anchored” in the biblical text. It distinguishes between rulings that are grounded in explicit verses and those derived largely from oral tradition or midrash.

Untethered Laws - Dissolution of vows

Dissolution of vows (התר נדרים) is described as “flying in the air” (פורחין באויר), with no solid biblical support.¹⁹

התר נדרים —

פורחין באויר,

ואין להם על מה שיסמכו

Incidental to the Festival peace-offering, the mishna describes the nature of various areas of Torah study.

The halakhot of the dissolution of vows (התר נדרים), when one requests from a Sage to dissolve them —

“fly in the air”

and have nothing to “support” them, as these halakhot are not mentioned explicitly in the Torah. There is only a slight allusion to the dissolution of vows in the Torah, which is taught by the Sages as part of the oral tradition.

Minimally Anchored Laws - Shabbat, festival offerings, and sacrilege

Shabbat, festival offerings (חגיגות), and sacrilege (מעילה - me'ilah) are likened to “mountains suspended by a hair” (הררים התלויין בשערה). There is minimal scriptural basis for these areas, yet their legal details are extensive.

1. הלכות שבת,

2. חגיגות

3. והמעילות —

הרי הם כהררים התלויין בשערה,

שהן

• מקרא מעט

• והלכות מרבות

1. The halakhot of Shabbat,

2. Festival peace-offerings,

3. and misuse of consecrated property —

are like “mountains suspended by a hair”,

as they

• have little written about them in the Torah,

• and yet the details of their halakhot are numerous.

Firmly Grounded Laws - Civil law, temple service, ritual purity, and forbidden sexual relations

Civil law (דינין), temple service (עבודות), ritual purity (הטהרות והטמאות - tumah and taharah), and forbidden sexual relations (עריות) all have substantial biblical support. The mishnah calls these “the bodies of Torah” (גופי תורה), adding that their foundations are robust and scripturally grounded.

1. הדינין

2. והעבודות,

3. הטהרות והטמאות

4. ועריות —

יש להן על מה שיסמכו

הן הן גופי תורה

1. The details of monetary law,

2. sacrificial rites,

3. ritual purity and impurity,

4. and the halakhot of those with whom relations are forbidden —

all have something to “support” them, i.e., there is ample basis in the Torah for these halakhot,

and these are the essential parts of Torah

1. Previous parts:

1. Pt1 - “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 2:10-3:2)“.

2. Pt2 - “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 3:2-12)“

The intro can be found there at Part 1, where I discuss “The Major Relevant Literary and Rhetorical Formulas“.

2. For more on Ben-Zoma, see my “Annotated List of Talmudic Figures Known as 'Ben X' or 'Bar X,' and Stories of Ben Zoma (Chagigah 14b-15a)“.

3. קלות ראש - literally: “lightness of head”.

Compare my piece “Pt2 The Biblical Books Nearly Suppressed: Reconciling Contradictions in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs (Shabbat 30b)“, section “Joy as a Prerequisite for Divine Inspiration (II Kings 3:15), Halachic Discussion, and Good Dreams“, where “laughter” (שחוק) and “frivolity“ (קלות ראש) are also listed as preventing spiritual growth, among other moods (behavioral or emotional states):

אין שכינה שורה

1. לא מתוך עצבות

2. ולא מתוך עצלות

3. ולא מתוך שחוק

4. ולא מתוך קלות ראש

5. ולא מתוך שיחה

6. ולא מתוך דברים בטלים,

אלא מתוך דבר שמחה של מצוה

the Shekhina rests upon an individual

1. neither from an atmosphere of sadness,

2. nor from an atmosphere of laziness,

3. nor from an atmosphere of laughter (שחוק),

4. nor from an atmosphere of frivolity (קלות ראש),

5. nor from an atmosphere of [idle] conversation (שיחה),

6. nor from an atmosphere of idle words (דברים בטלים),

but rather from an atmosphere imbued with the joy of a mitzva.

4. Here and elsewhere in the tractate, 'Torah' serves as shorthand for the study of Torah, halachic knowledge, and religious observance.

5. בצלם.

On the trope of humans as created in the “image of God”—based on verses in Genesis (1:26-27, 5:1-3, and 9:6)—compare my piece “Ancient Burial Caves, Rankings of Beauty, and the Magus: Tales of R' Bena’a (Bava Batra 58a)“, section “Burial cave of Adam“:

כי מטא למערתא דאדם הראשון,

יצתה בת קול ואמרה:

״נסתכלת בדמות דיוקני,

בדיוקני עצמה אל תסתכל״

When he arrived at the cave of Adam the first man, who is buried in the same area,

a bat kol emerged and said:

You gazed upon the likeness (דמות) of My image (דיוקני - from Greek ikon), i.e., Abraham, who is similar to the image of Adam the first man.

Do not gaze upon My image (דיוקני) itself, i.e., Adam the first man, about whom the verse states that he was formed in the image of God (see Genesis 1:27).

And see also my appendix to my piece “The Geonic Bracha on Virginity (ברכת בתולים)“, “Appendix - Blessings on Betrothal and Marriage (Ketubot 7b-8a)“, section “Blessing #3“:

[…]

אשר יצר את האדם בצלמו

בצלם דמות תבניתו

[…]

Who made humanity in His image (בצלמו),

in the image (בצלם) of the likeness (דמות) of His form (תבניתו)

[…]

6. בנים למקום.

Compare the same assertion and phrase in my piece “Pt2 Hillel’s Three Converts: Lessons in Patience, the Oral Torah, and the Golden Rule (Shabbat 31a)“, section “Hillel Convert Story #3: From Aspiration for High Priesthood to Embracing Being a Commoner“, sub-section “Part 2 (Numbers 1:51; Exodus 4:22)“:

[…]

ומה ישראל,

שנקראו בנים למקום

ומתוך אהבה שאהבם,

קרא להם: ״בני בכורי ישראל״

[…]

[…]

If the Jewish people

who are called God’s children (בנים למקום)

and due to the love that God loved them

he called them: “My son, My firstborn Israel” (Exodus 4:22)

[…]

See Emil G. Hirsch, “GOD, CHILDREN OF“, in Jewish Encyclopedia (with stylistic adjustments):

The Israelites are addressed as "the children of YHWH your God" (Deut. xiv. 1).

When Israel was young, he was called from Egypt to be God's son (Hosea xi. 1).

The Israelites are designated also "the children of the living God" (ib. ii. 1 [R.V. i. 10]; comp. Jer. iii. 4).

They are addressed as "backsliding children" (Jer. iii. 14) that might and should call God their father (ib. iii. 19).

Deut. xxxii. 5, though the text is corrupt, seems to indicate that through perverseness Israel has forfeited this privilege.

Isaiah, also, apostrophizes the Israelites as "children [of God] that are corrupters," though God has reared them (Isa. i. 4).

As a man chastises his son, so does God chastise Israel (Deut. viii. 5); and like a father pities his children, so does God show pity […]

The relation of God to the individual man is also regarded as that of a parent to his child. "For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but YHWH taketh me up" (Ps. xxvii. 10, Hebr.; comp. II Sam. vii. 14).

That other peoples besides Israel are God's children seems suggested by Jer. iii. 19, the rabbinical interpretation of the verse construing it as implying this […]

Israel as the "first-fruits" is the "bekhor," or first-born, in the household of God's children (Jer. ii. 3; Ex. iv. 22).

7. כלי חמדה - i.e. the Torah.

The term “precious vessel“ (כלי חמדה) appears 6 times in the Bible (not referring to Torah), see search results here.

Compare also my piece “Humanity's Deserving of the Torah on Trial: Moses Convincingly Argues That the Ten Commandments Are Irrelevant For Angels (Shabbat 88b-89a)“, section “The angels objected, arguing that Torah should remain in heaven (Psalms 8:2,5)“, where the same root (חמ”ד) is used to describe the Torah:

אמר להן: לקבל תורה בא.

אמרו לפניו:

חמדה גנוזה

שגנוזה לך תשע מאות ושבעים וארבעה דורות קודם שנברא העולם,

אתה מבקש ליתנה לבשר ודם?!

He [=God] said to them [=the angels]: He [=Moses] came to receive the Torah.

The angels said before Him [=God]:

The Torah is a concealed treasure (חמדה גנוזה)

that was concealed (גנוזה) by You 974 generations before the creation of the world,

and You seek to give it to flesh and blood?!

8. ערבון - “a guarantee, deposit, collateral”

9. מצודה - literally: “trap”.

10. פנקס - literally: “notebook”, from Greek pinax.

11. Compare also earlier in the tractate, Avot.2.1:

רבי אומר:

הסתכל בשלשה דברים,

ואי אתה בא לידי עברה:

דע מה למעלה ממך —

1. עין רואה

2. ואזן שומעת,

3. וכל מעשיך בספר נכתבין

R’ [Yehuda HaNasi] said:

[…]

Apply your mind to (הסתכל - literally: “gaze at, notice”) three things

and you will not come to sin (עברה):

Know what there is above you (.i.e. in heaven) —

1. an eye that sees (i.e., God listens),

2. an ear that hears,

3. and all your deeds are written in a book.

And see also Rosh_Hashanah.16b.12-14, quoted in my appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix - The Divine Books that record Human Righteous and Sinful Activity (Rosh Hashanah 16b)“.

12. יש להם על מה שיסמכו.

Compare this same idiom used in the Mishnah elsewhere, in Mishnah_Chagigah.1.8, quoted in my appendix at the end of this piece: “Appendix 2 - (Mishnah Chagigah 1:8)“.

13. סעודה - i.e. the World-to-Come.

On the World-to-Come as metaphorically like a banquet, see later in the tractate, :

רבי יעקב אומר:

העולם הזה —

דומה לפרוזדור בפני העולם הבא.

התקן עצמך בפרוזדור,

כדי שתכנס לטרקלין

R’ Yaakov said:

this world —

is like a vestibule (פרוזדור - from Greek) before the World-to-Come;

prepare yourself in the vestibule,

so that you may enter the banqueting-hall (טרקלין - from Greek)

And compare also the Talmudic concept of a literal banquet in the messianic future, in Pesachim.119b.4:

דרש רב עוירא:

[…]

עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות סעודה לצדיקים

[…]

Rav Avira taught:

[…]

In the future, God will prepare a feast (סעודה) for the righteous

[…]

And in Bava_Batra.75a.4:

אמר רבה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות סעודה לצדיקים מבשרו של לויתן

[…]

Rabba says that R' Yoḥanan says:

In the future, God will make a feast for the righteous from the flesh of the leviathan

[…]

14. See my discussion of this Mishnah section in a footnote in my piece here, “Appendix 1 - The Mysterious Writing on the Wall In Daniel 5: Various cryptographic possibilities of how it was written (Sanhedrin 22a, # 8-10)“.

I write there:

However, in one place, in tractate Avot, the phrase "פרפראות לחכמה" (parparot la-ḥokhmah) the word is used in the general figurative sense of “secondary”: “side/secondary wisdom”, see Avot.3.18, where R’ Eliezer Hisma (רבי אליעזר בן חסמא) contrasts two levels of study in Jewish tradition.

He explains that the practical laws—like those governing mixed bird offerings (קנין - kinnim - literally: “nests”) and determining niddah days (פתחי נדה)—form the core of halakhah (Jewish law), while the more abstract and intricate studies, such as calculating equinoxes (תקופות; for the purpose of calculating the Hebrew calendar) and exploring gematria, serve as intellectual embellishments or "desserts" that enhance wisdom.

See also the anecdote mentioning R’ Eliezer Hisma that I cite in a recent footnote, here, on section “Resolution and Compromise - Leadership shared“.

15. גופי הלכות.

Compare the Mishnah quoted in the appendix at the end of this piece, “Appendix 2 - (Mishnah Chagigah 1:8)“:

1. הדינין

2. והעבודות,

3. הטהרות והטמאות

4. ועריות —

יש להן על מה שיסמכו.

הן הן גופי תורה

1. The details of monetary law,

2. sacrificial rites,

3. ritual purity and impurity,

4. and the halakhot of those with whom relations are forbidden —

all have something to “support” them, i.e., there is ample basis in the Torah for these halakhot,

and these are the essential parts of Torah ( גופי תורה - literally: “bodies of Torah”)

16. גוררת - literally: “drags” (transitive).

So מצוה גוררת מצוה means: “a mitzva drags [another] mitzva“.

17. שפל רוח - literally: “low spirit”.

This idiom appears in later in the chapter as well, see here, section “R' Meir - Minimize business and focus on Torah; humility and perseverance bring reward (4:10)“:

רבי מאיר אומר:

[…]

והוי שפל רוח בפני כל אדם

R' Meir said:

[…]

Be of humble spirit (שפל רוח) before all men.

The idiom is biblical, it appears 3 times in the Bible, see search results here. For example, Proverbs.16.19, where it’s contrasted with “haughty” (גאים):

טוב שפל־רוח את־[ענוים] (עניים)

מחלק שלל את־גאים

Better to be humble (שפל רוח) and among the lowly

Than to share spoils with the proud.

18. רמה.

On “the end of man [=death] is the worm [=decomposition]”, see also earlier in the tractate, here, section “Akavya ben Mahalalel - Reflect on where you came from, where you’re going, and before whom you’ll give account—to avoid sin (3:1)“:

[…]

ולאן אתה הולך?

למקום עפר רמה ותולעה

[…]

Where are you going?

To a place of dirt, worm (רמה) and maggot (תולעה)

And see my extended note in “Pt2 Thief-Catching, Corpulence, and Virility: Stories of R' Elazar ben Shimon and R' Yishmael ben Yosei (Bava Metzia 83b-84a)“, on section “R' Elazar ben Shimon and the Laundryman: A Tale of Moral Judgment, Regret, and Divine Validation“, sub-section “Part 2“.

19. אין להם על מה שיסמכו.

I.e. these halakhot exist primarily in the oral tradition and are barely alluded to in the written Torah.

The Talmud on this Mishnah cites a baraita, Chagigah.10a.6-8, that brings four tannaitic opinions for homiletic biblical sources for the annulment of vows, each one starting with the formula “they [=dissolution of vows] have something [in the Bible] to support them“ (יש להם על מה שיסמכו):

1. R' Eliezer: Derives biblical support from the doubled phrase “כי יפליא” (“when [one] clearly utters”)—once for creating a vow and once for dissolving it (Leviticus 27:2; Numbers 6:2).

2. R' Yehoshua: Cites “I swore in My wrath” (Psalms 95:11) to indicate that even divine oaths can be retracted, implying precedent for human annulment due to regret.

3. R' Yitzḥak: Interprets “whoever is of a willing heart” (Exodus 35:5) as suggesting that voluntary intent matters—if the will changes, the vow can be annulled.

4. Ḥananya, R' Yehoshua’s nephew (חנניה, בן אחי רבי יהושע): Uses “I have sworn, and I will fulfill it” (Psalms 119:106) to imply contrast—some oaths are fulfilled (those not dissolved), implying others may be annulled.

The full passage:

תניא,

It is taught in a baraita:

רבי אליעזר אומר:

יש להם על מה שיסמכו,

שנאמר:

״כי יפליא״

״כי יפליא״

שתי פעמים:

• אחת הפלאה לאיסור,

• ואחת הפלאה להיתר.

R' Eliezer said:

The halakhot of the dissolution of vows have something to support them,

as it is stated:

“When a man shall clearly utter (יפליא) a vow” (Leviticus 27:2),

and: “When either man or woman shall clearly utter a vow” (Numbers 6:2),

i.e., the words “clearly utter” appear twice.

• One ‘clear utterance’ (הפלאה) — is for prohibition, i.e., when one states his intention to accept the vow,

• and one ‘clear utterance’ — is for dissolution, when he provides the Sage with a reason why the vow should no longer apply.

This is an allusion in the Torah to the annulment of vows.

רבי יהושע אומר:

יש להם על מה שיסמכו,

שנאמר: ״אשר נשבעתי באפי״ —

באפי נשבעתי, וחזרתי בי.

R' Yehoshua likewise says:

These halakhot have something to support them,

as it is stated: “Wherefore I swore in My wrath (באפי)” (Psalms 95:11),

meaning: In my wrath I swore, and I retracted.

This is the basis for the dissolution of vows, in which the one who uttered the vow tells the Sage that he regrets it, as he did so in a moment of anger.

רבי יצחק אומר:

יש להם על מה שיסמכו,

שנאמר: ״כל נדיב לבו״.

R' Yitzḥak says:

These halakhot have something to support them,

as it is stated: “Whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it” (Exodus 35:5).

This verse indicates that as long as one retains the same desire to fulfill the vow, he must continue to fulfill it, but if he regrets taking the vow he may arrange for it to be dissolved.

חנניה בן אחי רבי יהושע אומר:

יש להם על מה שיסמכו,

שנאמר:

״נשבעתי ואקיימה

לשמור משפטי צדקך״.

Ḥananya, son of R' Yehoshua’s brother, also says:

They have something to support them,

as it is stated:

“I have sworn, and have fulfilled it,

to observe your righteous ordinances” (Psalms 119:106).

This verse indicates that certain oaths need not be fulfilled, i.e., those that have been dissolved.