Pt3 Prayer, Poetry, and Ethics: A Journey Through Seventeen Talmudic Prayers and Ethical Teachings (Berakhot 16b-17a; Eruvin 54a)

Additional passages recited by the Sages on different occasions: R' Yoḥanan; R' Meir; Rabbis of Yavne (רבנן דיבנה); Abaye; Rava; Appendix - Two more Wisdom Statements (Eruvin 54a): Shmuel; Rav

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. The first part is here; second part here.

Additional passages recited by the Sages on different occasions

See Wisdom literature - Wikipedia: 

Wisdom literature is a genre of literature common in the ancient Near East. It consists of statements by sages and the wise that offer teachings about divinity and virtue.

Ibid., section “Biblical wisdom literature and Jewish texts”, with adjustments:

The most famous examples of wisdom literature are found in the Bible. Wisdom is a central topic in Proverbs, Psalms, Job, Song of Songs, Kohelet, Ben Sira.

Tractate Avot follows in the tradition of wisdom literature.¹

R' Yoḥanan

The Talmudic passage can be split into three parts, each mentioning a key theme in Jewish wisdom literature: 

1. The certainty of death (lines #1-3)²

2. The paramount importance of Torah study (lines #4-6)³

3. The value of a good name (lines #7-9)⁴

רבי יוחנן, כי הוה מסיים ספרא דאיוב, אמר הכי: 

1. ״סוף אדם למות 

2. וסוף בהמה לשחיטה, 

3. והכל למיתה הם עומדים. 

4. אשרי מי שגדל בתורה 

5. ועמלו בתורה, 

6. ועושה נחת רוח ליוצרו, 

7. וגדל בשם טוב 

8. ונפטר בשם טוב מן העולם, 

9. ועליו אמר שלמה: [...]

When R' Yoḥanan would conclude study of the book of Job, he said the following:

1. A person will ultimately die 

2. and an animal will ultimately be slaughtered, 

3. and all are destined for death. Therefore, death itself is not a cause for great anguish.

4. Rather, happy is he who grew up in Torah, 

5. whose labor is in Torah,

6. who gives pleasure to his Creator,

7. who grew up with a good name 

8. and who took leave of the world with a good name.

9. Such a person lived his life fully, and about him, Solomon said: [...]

R' Meir

מרגלא בפומיה דרבי מאיר: 

1. ״גמור בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך לדעת את דרכי, 

2. ולשקוד על דלתי תורתי. 

3. נצור תורתי בלבך, 

4. ונגד עיניך תהיה יראתי. 

5. שמור פיך מכל חטא, 

6. וטהר וקדש עצמך מכל אשמה ועון. 

7. ואני אהיה עמך בכל מקום״.

R' Meir was wont to say the following idiom:

1. Study with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways

2. and to be diligent at the doors of My Torah.

3. Keep My Torah in your heart,

4. and fear of Me should be before your eyes.

5. Guard your mouth from all transgression,

6. and purify and sanctify yourself from all fault and iniquity.

7. And if you do so, I, God, will be with you everywhere.

Rabbis of Yavne (רבנן דיבנה)

מרגלא בפומייהו דרבנן דיבנה: 

1. ״אני בריה, וחברי בריה. 

2. אני מלאכתי בעיר, והוא מלאכתו בשדה. 

3. אני משכים למלאכתי, והוא משכים למלאכתו. 

4. כשם שהוא אינו מתגדר במלאכתי, כך אני איני מתגדר במלאכתו. 

5. ושמא תאמר: אני מרבה, והוא ממעיט — 

6. שנינו: אחד המרבה, ואחד הממעיט, ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים״.

The Sages in Yavne were wont to say:⁵

1. I who learn Torah am God’s creature and my counterpart who engages in other labor is God’s creature.

2. My work is in the city and his work is in the field.

3. I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work.

4. And just as he does not presume to perform my work, so I do not presume to perform his work.

5. Lest you say: I engage in Torah study a lot, while he only engages in Torah study a little, so I am better than he,

6. it has already been taught: One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit, as long as he directs his heart towards Heaven (Rav Hai Gaon, Arukh).

Abaye 

מרגלא בפומיה דאביי: 

1. לעולם יהא אדם ערום ביראה. 

2. ״מענה רך משיב חמה״. 

3. ומרבה שלום 

   1. עם אחיו, 

   2. ועם קרוביו, 

   3. ועם כל אדם, 

   4. ואפילו עם גוי בשוק, 

4. כדי שיהא אהוב למעלה 

5. ונחמד למטה, 

6. ויהא מקובל על הבריות.

[...]

Abaye was wont to say:

1. One must always be shrewd and utilize every strategy in order to achieve fear of Heaven and performance of mitzvot.

2. One must fulfill the verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1)

3. and take steps to increase peace 

   1. with one’s brethren 

   2. and with one’s relatives,

   3. and with all people, 

   4. even with a non-Jew in the marketplace, despite the fact that he is of no importance to him and does not know him at all (Me’iri),

4. so that he will be loved above in God’s eyes,

5. pleasant below in the eyes of the people,

6. and acceptable to all of God’s creatures.

[...]

Rava 

מרגלא בפומיה דרבא: 

1. תכלית חכמה — תשובה ומעשים טובים, 

2. שלא יהא אדם 

   1. קורא, 

   2. ושונה, 

   3. ובועט 

      1. באביו 

      2. ובאמו 

      3. וברבו 

      4. ובמי שהוא גדול ממנו בחכמה ובמנין, 

3. שנאמר: [...]

Rava was wont to say:

1. The objective of Torah wisdom is to achieve repentance and good deeds;⁶

2. that one should not 

   1. read the Torah 

   2. and study mishna and become arrogant

   3. and spurn 

      1. his father 

      2. and his mother 

      3. and his teacher

      4. and one who is greater than he in wisdom or in the number of students who study before him,

3. as it is stated: [...]

Rav 

מרגלא בפומיה דרב: 

לא כעולם הזה העולם הבא. 

העולם הבא, אין בו 

1. לא אכילה 

2. ולא שתיה 

3. ולא פריה ורביה 

4. ולא משא ומתן 

5. ולא קנאה 

6. ולא שנאה 

7. ולא תחרות, 

אלא 

8. צדיקים יושבין 

9. ועטרותיהם בראשיהם 

10. ונהנים מזיו השכינה, 

11. שנאמר: [...]

Rav was wont to say:

The World-to-Come is not like this world.

In the World-to-Come there is 

1. no eating, 

2. no drinking,

3. no procreation, 

4. no business negotiations,

5. no jealousy, 

6. no hatred, 

7. and no competition.

Rather, 

8. the righteous sit 

9. with their crowns upon their heads, 

10. enjoying the splendor of the Divine Presence, as it is stated: [...]

Appendix - Two more Wisdom Statements (Eruvin 54a)

Eruvin.54a.4-5

Seizing the Moment: Shmuel's Advice on Embracing Life's Fleeting Pleasures

Shmuel advises his student, Rav Yehuda, to enjoy life’s pleasures—symbolized by eating and drinking—while he can. He compares life to a wedding feast (הלולא), emphasizing that its joys are fleeting, and those who don't partake now will miss out later.⁷

אמר ליה שמואל לרב יהודה: 

שיננא, 

חטוף ואכול, חטוף ואישתי, 

דעלמא דאזלינן מיניה כהלולא דמי.

The Gemara cites additional instructions issued by Shmuel: Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda, his beloved student: 

Keen scholar,

 grab and eat, grab and drink, 

as the world from which we are departing is like a wedding feast, whose joy is only temporary, and one who does not take pleasure in it now will not be able to do so in the future.

The Impermanence of Wealth and Life: A Reflection on the Futility of Hoarding and the Uncertainty of Death

Rav advised Rav Hamnuna to enjoy his wealth while he is alive, rather than saving it solely for his children, as life is unpredictable and death can come at any time. He emphasized that no one knows who will die first, and people are like grass that grows and flourishes or withers and dies unpredictably.⁸

אמר ליה רב לרב המנונא: 

1. בני, אם יש לך — היטב לך, 

2. שאין בשאול תענוג, ואין למות התמהמה. 

3. ואם תאמר: אניח לבני — 

4. חוק בשאול מי יגיד לך?!

5. בני האדם דומים לעשבי השדה 

6. הללו נוצצין, והללו נובלין.

Similarly, Rav said to Rav Hamnuna: 

1. My son, if you have money, do well for yourself. 

2. There is no point waiting, as there is no pleasure in the netherworld, and death does not tarry. 

3. And if you say: I will save up in order to leave for my children, 

4. who told you the law of the netherworld, i.e., how do you know which of you will die first (Arukh)?!

5. People are similar to grass of the field,

6. in that these blossom, i.e., grow, and their actions are blessed, and these wither and die.

1. See my previous pieces on the usage of metaphors in Shir Hashirim and Avot. On connections between late biblical books and the mishnah, see my previous pieces here and here.

2. Mortality: The idea that all humans and animals share the same inevitability of death is resonant with the themes in Ecclesiastes, particularly in Kohelet 3:19-20:

For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing. Both go to the same place; both came from dust and both return to dust.

The inevitability of death is a central theme in Ecclesiastes, and it underpins the existential reflection in the Talmudic passage. 

 See also Avot 4:22:

against your will were you formed, against your will were you born, against your will you live, against your will you will die.

3. Compare Avot 6:1:

R’ Meir said: Whoever occupies himself with the Torah for its own sake, merits many things; not only that but he is worth the whole world.

4. שם טוב.

Compare Kohelet, Ecclesiastes.7.1:

A good name is better than fragrant oil, and the day of death than the day of birth.”

And see Avot.4.13:

R’ Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name supersedes them all.

5. The passage uses a balanced, repetitive structure to convey the idea that different people can have different roles and responsibilities, but what matters most is the intention (כוונה) behind their actions, not their output (מרבה / ממעיט). 

The structure of the passage is a series of parallel comparisons (between “I” and “him” - אני / הוא), which can be broken down as follows:

1. Initial Statement of Inherent Equality:

   • The speaker introduces themselves and their peer as equals:

   • ״אני בריה, וחברי בריה״ ("I am a creature, and my friend is a creature.")

2. Contrasting work environments:

   • The speaker then contrasts their work environments:

   • ״אני מלאכתי בעיר, והוא מלאכתו בשדה״ ("I work in the city, and he works in the field.")

3. Equal Actions:

   • A parallel is drawn in their actions:

   • ״אני משכים למלאכתי, והוא משכים למלאכתו״ ("I rise early for my work, and he rises early for his work.")

4. Mutual Respect of Roles:

   • The speaker emphasizes mutual respect and non-interference:

   • ״כשם שהוא אינו מתגדר במלאכתי, כך אני איני מתגדר במלאכתו״ ("Just as he does not interfere with my work, so I do not interfere with his work." Aternatively, Jastrow (Hithpa. - הִתְגַּדֵּר 1), translates מתגדר as “to cut one’s self off from others, to distinguish one’s self, to excel; to raise one’s self above others, to arrogate power, be presumptuous”. And he accordingly translates our line as “as he cannot excel in my work, so can I not in his.”

5. Potential Objection and Response:

   • The speaker anticipates a possible objection regarding the amount of work:

   • ״ושמא תאמר: אני מרבה, והוא ממעיט״ ("And perhaps you might say: I do more, and he does less.")

   • The passage then resolves this concern by emphasizing intention over quantity:

   • ״שנינו: אחד המרבה, ואחד הממעיט, ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים״ ("We were taught: Whether one does more or one does less, the important thing is that their heart is directed toward Heaven.")

Traditional commentators interpret the speaker to be a Torah scholar, contrasting himself with a common working person. But the simplest understanding is that the speaker is a productive and/or urban worker “(I work in the city”, “I do more”), comparing and contrasting himself with a less-prestigious less-productive and/or farm laborer (“he works in the field”, “he does less”), ultimately stating that they both have equal value, and that what’s ultimately important is a worker’s intention.

6. It’s notable that the word חכמה - “wisdom” is used, not Torah.

For the general idea, compare Avot.1.17:

“Study (מדרש - literally: “seeking, biblical analysis”) is not the most important thing, but actions”

7. On life as a temporary feast, compare Kohelet, Ecclesiastes.9.7:

Go, eat your bread in gladness, and drink your wine in joy.

8. Rav’s statement is strikingly similar to Ben Sira 14:11-18 (translation NABRE) (this parallel is pointed out by A. E. Cowley and A. Neubauer, Original Hebrew of a Portion of Ecclesiasticus, Ben Sira's Proverbs Preserved In Talmudic And Rabbinic Literature (1897), # 27 (XXVII)), I point to the parallel talmudic line in parentheses:  

11 My son, if you have the means, treat yourself well, (line #1)

    and enjoy life as best you can.

12 Remember that death does not delay,

    and you have not been told the grave’s appointed time. (line #4)

[...]

14 Do not deprive yourself of good things now

    or let a choice portion escape you.

15 Will you not leave your riches to others,

    and your earnings to be divided by lot? (line #3)

16 Give and take, treat yourself well,

    for in Sheol there are no joys to seek. (line #2)

17 All flesh grows old like a garment;

    the age-old law is: everyone must die.

18 As with the leaves growing on a luxuriant tree—

    one falls off and another sprouts— (line #6)

So with the generations of flesh and blood:

    one dies and another flourishes. (line #5)

On the final two lines in Rav’s extended maxim:

People (בני האדם) are similar to grass of the field (עשבי השדה), these blossom (נוצצין), and these wither (נובלין)

compare Isaiah.40.6-8:

כל הבשר -- חציר 

וכל־חסדו -- כציץ השדה

יבש חציר, נבל ציץ 

[...]

אכן, חציר העם

יבש חציר, נבל ציץ 

“All flesh (כל הבשר) is grass (חציר),

All its goodness like flowers of the field (ציץ השדה):

Grass withers, flowers fade (נבל)

[...]

Indeed, people are but grass:

Grass withers, flowers fade

Compare also Psalms.103.15: 

אנוש, כחציר ימיו 

כציץ השדה, כן יציץ

Man (אנוש), his days are like those of grass;

he blooms (יציץ) like a flower of the field