Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 4:4-14)

This is Pt4 of a 5-part series: “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 2:10-4:22)”.¹

List of Rabbis cited in this part

1. R' Yohanan ben Beroka

2. R' Yishmael

3. R' Zadok

4. R' Yose

5. R' Yonatan

6. R' Meir

7. R' Eliezer ben Yaakov

8. R' Yohanan HaSandlar

9. R' Elazar ben Shammua

10. R' Yehuda

11. R' Shimon

12. R' Nehorai

13. R' Yannai

Outline

List of Rabbis cited in this part

The Passage - Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 4:4-14)

1. R' Yohanan ben Beroka - One who profanes God's name in secret is punished publicly, regardless of intent (4:4)

2. R' Yishmael son of R' Yohanan ben Beroka - One who studies to act is enabled to teach and preserve Torah; study for its own sake is insufficient (4:5)

3. R' Zadok - Torah should not be used for self-promotion or material gain (4:5)

4. R' Yose - Honoring Torah brings personal honor; degrading it leads to disgrace (4:6)

5. R' Yishmael ben Yose

   1. Avoid judging; arrogance in halakhic decision-making is morally and intellectually flawed (4:7)

   2. Don’t judge alone; don't insist your opinion be accepted—authority lies with others (4:8)

6. R' Yonatan - Keeping Torah in poverty leads to wealth; abandoning Torah in wealth leads to poverty (4:9)

7. R' Meir - Minimize business and focus on Torah; humility and perseverance bring reward (4:10)

8. R' Eliezer ben Yaakov - One mitzvah creates an advocate; one sin, an accuser; repentance protects against punishment (4:11)

9. R' Yohanan HaSandlar - Only groups with sincere spiritual purpose endure (4:11)

10. R' Elazar ben Shammua - Respect student like yourself; colleague like your teacher; teacher like heaven (4:12)

11. R' Yehuda - Be precise in learning—errors in study are like willful transgressions (4:13)

12. R' Shimon - Three crowns exist—Torah, priesthood, kingship—but a good name surpasses them all (4:13)

13. R' Nehorai - Move to a place of Torah; don’t expect it to come to you; others sustain your learning - Proverbs 3:5 (4:14)

Appendix - Using Torah and Torah Scholars for Personal Benefit (Megillah 28b)

1. Reish Lakish - interprets Hillel’s prohibition in Avot 1:13 as “using one who studies halakhot”

2. Ulla - one may be served by someone who has studied 4 of the 6 orders of the Mishnah, but not by someone who teaches them to others

3. Anecdote of Reish Lakish carried over water by someone who had studied 4 orders of Mishnah

The Passage

Avot.4.4-14

R' Yohanan ben Beroka - One who profanes God's name in secret is punished publicly, regardless of intent (4:4)

רבי יוחנן בן ברוקא אומר:

כל המחלל שם שמים בסתר --

נפרעין ממנו בגלוי.

• אחד שוגג

• ואחד מזיד

בחלול השם

R' Yohanan ben Berokah said:

whoever profanes the name of heaven² in secret --

he shall be punished³ in the open.

• Unwittingly

• or wittingly,

it is all one in profaning the name.

R' Yishmael son of R' Yohanan ben Beroka - One who studies to act is enabled to teach and preserve Torah; study for its own sake is insufficient (4:5)

רבי ישמעאל בנו אומר:

• הלומד תורה על מנת ללמד --

  • מספיקין בידו

    • ללמד

    • וללמד

• והלומד על מנת לעשות --

  • מספיקין בידו

    • ללמד

    • וללמד

    • לשמר

    • ולעשות

R' Yishmael his son said:

• He who studies Torah in order to teach --

  • it is granted to him (מספיקין בידו)

    • to study

    • and to teach;

• [But] he who studies [Torah] in order to practice --

  • it is granted to him

    • to study

    • and to teach

    • and to guard

    • and to practice⁴

R' Zadok - Torah should not be used for self-promotion or material gain (4:5)

רבי צדוק אומר:

אל תעשם

1. עטרה להתגדל בהם,

2. ולא קרדם לחפר בהם.

וכך היה הלל אומר: ודאשתמש בתגא, חלף.

הא למדת:

כל הנהנה מדברי תורה --

נוטל חייו מן העולם

R' Zadok said:

do not make them [=words of Torah]

1. a crown for self-exaltation,

2. nor a spade with which to dig.

So too Hillel used to say, “And he that puts the crown to his own use shall perish.”⁵

Thus you have learned:

anyone who derives worldly benefit from the words of the Torah --

removes his life from the world.

R' Yose - Honoring Torah brings personal honor; degrading it leads to disgrace (4:6)

רבי יוסי אומר:

• כל המכבד את התורה --

  • גופו מכבד על הבריות.

• וכל המחלל את התורה --

  • גופו מחלל על הבריות

R' Yose said:

• whoever honors the Torah⁶ --

  • is himself honored by others,

• [but] whoever dishonors the Torah --

  • is himself dishonored (מחלל) by others.

R' Yishmael ben Yose

Avoid judging; arrogance in halakhic decision-making is morally and intellectually flawed (4:7)

רבי ישמעאל בנו אומר:

• החושך עצמו מן הדין --

  • פורק ממנו

    1. איבה

    2. וגזל

    3. ושבועת שוא.

• והגס לבו בהוראה --

  1. שוטה

  2. רשע

  3. וגס רוח

R' Ishmael his son said:

• he who refrains⁷ himself from judgment --

  • rids himself of

    1. enmity (איבה),

    2. robbery

    3. and false swearing (שבועת שוא);

• [but] he whose heart is presumptuous (גס) in giving a judicial decision (הוראה) --

  1. is foolish (שוטה),

  2. wicked

  3. and arrogant.

Don’t judge alone; don't insist your opinion be accepted—authority lies with others (4:8)

הוא היה אומר:

1. אל תהי דן יחידי --

   1. שאין דן יחידי אלא אחד.

2. ואל תאמר קבלו דעתי --

   1. שהן רשאין ולא אתה

He [=R' Yishmael ben Yose] used to say:

1. judge not alone⁸ --

   1. for none may judge alone save one [=God]

2. And say not “accept my view” --

   1. for they are allowed (רשאין) but not you.

R' Yonatan - Keeping Torah in poverty leads to wealth; abandoning Torah in wealth leads to poverty (4:9)

רבי יונתן אומר:

• כל המקים את התורה מעני --

  • סופו לקימה מעשר.

• וכל המבטל את התורה מעשר --

  • סופו לבטלה מעני

R' Yonatan said:

• whoever fulfills the Torah out of a state of poverty --

  • his end will be to fulfill it out of a state of wealth;

• [but] whoever discards the Torah out of a state of wealth --

  • his end will be to discard it out of a state of poverty.

R' Meir - Minimize business and focus on Torah; humility and perseverance bring reward (4:10)

רבי מאיר אומר:

1. הוי ממעט בעסק, ועסק בתורה.

2. והוי שפל רוח בפני כל אדם.

3. 1. ואם בטלת מן התורה --

      1. יש לך בטלים הרבה כנגדך.

   2. ואם עמלת בתורה --

      1. יש לו שכר הרבה לתן לך

R' Meir said:

1. Engage but little in business, and busy yourself with the Torah.

2. Be of humble (שפל - literally: “low”) spirit before all men.

3. 1. If you have neglected the Torah⁹ --

      1. you shall have many who bring you to neglect it,

   2. [but] if you have labored at the study of Torah --

      1. there is much reward to give unto you

R' Eliezer ben Yaakov - One mitzvah creates an advocate; one sin, an accuser; repentance protects against punishment (4:11)

רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר:

1. העושה מצוה אחת --

   1. קונה לו פרקליט אחד.

2. והעובר עברה אחת --

   1. קונה לו קטגור אחד.

3. תשובה ומעשים טובים --

   1. כתריס בפני הפרענות.

R' Eliezer ben Jacob said:

1. he who performs one commandment --

   1. acquires for himself one advocate¹⁰

2. [but] he who commits one transgression --

   1. acquires for himself one accuser¹¹

3. Repentance and good deeds --

   1. are a shield¹² against punishment.

R' Yohanan HaSandlar - Only groups with sincere spiritual purpose endure (4:11)

(See footnote.)¹³

רבי יוחנן הסנדלר אומר:

כל כנסיה

• שהיא לשם שמים --

  • סופה להתקים.

• ושאינה לשם שמים --

  • אין סופה להתקים

R' Yochanan Hasandlar said:

every assembly (כנסיה)

• which is for the sake of heaven --

  • will in the end endure;

• [but] every assembly which is not for the sake of heaven --

  • will not endure in the end.¹⁴

R' Elazar ben Shammua - Respect student like yourself; colleague like your teacher; teacher like heaven (4:12)

(See footnote.)¹⁵

רבי אלעזר בן שמוע אומר:

1. יהי כבוד תלמידך --

   1. חביב עליך כשלך,

2. וכבוד חברך --

   1. כמורא רבך,

3. ומורא רבך --

   1. כמורא שמים

R' Elazar ben Shammua said:

1. let the honor of your student --

   1. be as dear to you as your own,

2. and the honor of your colleague --

   1. as the reverence for your teacher,

3. and the reverence for your teacher --

   1. as the reverence of heaven.

R' Yehuda - Be precise in learning—errors in study are like willful transgressions (4:13)

רבי יהודה אומר:

הוי זהיר בתלמוד --

ששגגת תלמוד עולה זדון.

R' Yehuda said:

be careful in study --

for an error in study counts as deliberate sin.

R' Shimon - Three crowns exist—Torah, priesthood, kingship—but a good name surpasses them all (4:13)

רבי שמעון אומר:

שלשה כתרים הם:

1. כתר תורה

2. וכתר כהנה

3. וכתר מלכות,

וכתר שם טוב עולה על גביהן

R' Shimon said:

There are three crowns:

1. the crown of Torah,¹⁶

2. the crown of priesthood,

3. and the crown of royalty,

[but] the crown of a good name¹⁷ supersedes them all.

R' Nehorai - Move to a place of Torah; don’t expect it to come to you; others sustain your learning - Proverbs 3:5 (4:14)

רבי נהוראי אומר:

הוי גולה למקום תורה,

ואל תאמר שהיא תבא אחריך,

שחבריך יקימוה בידך.

ואל בינתך אל תשען (משלי ג)

R' Nehorai said:

go as a [voluntary] exile to a place of Torah

and say not that it will come after you,

for [it is] your fellow [student]s who will make it permanent in your hand

and “and lean not upon your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Appendix - The Prohibition of Using Torah and Torah Scholars for Personal Benefit (Megillah 28b)

Megillah.28b.14-16

Reish Lakish - interprets Hillel’s prohibition in Avot 1:13 as “using one who studies halakhot”

The mishnah states that one who "uses the crown" (תגא - i.e. of Torah) will lose their life (חלף).

Reish Lakish interprets this as referring to one who benefits from a person who studies halakhot,¹⁸ which he equates with Torah's crown (כתרה של תורה).

תנן התם:

ודאשתמש בתגא — חלף.

תני ריש לקיש:

זה המשתמש במי ששונה הלכות

כתרה של תורה.

We learned in a Mishnah there (Avot 1:13):

And one who makes use of the crown [taga] of Torah learning will perish from the world.

Reish Lakish taught:

This is referring to one who allows himself to be served by one who studies halakhot (שונה הלכות)

which is the crown of the Torah.

Ulla - one may be served by someone who has studied 4 of the 6 orders of the Mishnah, but not by someone who teaches them to others

Ulla adds a distinction: one may be served by someone who has studied (תני) 4 of the 6 orders of the Mishnah,¹⁹ but not by someone who teaches (מתני) them to others (indicating a hierarchy in Torah knowledge).

ואמר עולא:

לשתמש איניש במאן דתני ארבעה,

ולא לשתמש במאן דמתני ארבעה.

And Ulla said:

It is better that a person should be served by one who studies (תני) 4 of the 6 orders of the Mishnah,

and he should not allow himself to be served by one who teaches (מתני) to others 4 orders of the Mishnah

Anecdote of Reish Lakish carried over water by someone who had studied 4 orders of Mishnah

A narrative illustrates the principle.

While traveling, Reish Lakish is carried over water by a man.

After discovering the man has studied 4 orders of Mishnah, Reish Lakish rebukes him for treating a scholar that way, rhetorically asking in Aramaic: “You have hewn (פסלת) 4 mountains²⁰—how can you carry me?!”

The man responds that he finds it an honor to serve him.

כי הא דריש לקיש

הוה אזיל באורחא

מטא עורקמא דמיא,

אתא ההוא גברא

ארכביה אכתפיה וקא מעבר ליה

as in that case of Reish Lakish.

He was traveling along the road

when he reached a deep puddle of water.

A certain man came

and placed him upon his shoulders and began transferring him to the other side.

אמר ליה: קרית?

אמר ליה: קרינא.

תנית?

תנינא ארבעה סידרי משנה.

Reish Lakish said to him: Have you read²¹ the Bible?

He said to him: I have read it.

He then asked: Have you studied (תנית) the Mishnah?

He answered him: I have studied 4 orders of the Mishnah (ארבעה סידרי משנה)

אמר ליה:

פסלת לך ארבעה טורי

וטענת בר לקיש אכתפך?!

שדי בר לקישא במיא!

אמר ליה: ניחא לי דאשמעיה למר.

Reish Lakish then said to him:

You have hewn (פסלת) these 4 mountains (טורי)

and yet you bear the weight of Bar-Lakish upon your shoulders?!

It is inappropriate for you to carry me; throw Bar-Lakish into the water!

The man said to Reish Lakish: It is pleasing for me to serve the Master in this way.

1. Previous parts:

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

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

3. Pt3 - “Tannaitic Aphorisms (Avot 3:13-4:4)“

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

2. מחלל שם שמים - chillul ha-shem.

See Wikipedia, “Chillul hashem“, section “Biblical source“:

There are four references to chillul hashem in the Torah: Leviticus 18:21, 19:12, 22:2, 22:32. The general prohibition of desecrating God's name is stated most explicitly in Leviticus: "You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be sanctified in the midst of the Israelite people." (Leviticus 22:32).

In addition, chillul hashem is mentioned extensively in Nevi'im and Ketuvim, especially in the Book of Ezekiel. The fact that it appears so frequently throughout the Hebrew Bible demonstrates its centrality and severity. A notable example is 36:20–24 in which the prophet laments the Babylonian captivity. It claims that the reality of exile (specifically the Jewish people living outside their ancestral homeland) is itself a desecration of God's name.

3. נפרעין ממנו - literally: “they collect payment from him”.

See Jastrow, Nif[‘al] - נפרע , sense #2:

with מן, to collect payment from;

[transferred meaning:]. to call to account, punish

For another usage of this verb (נפרעין) in this sense, see earlier in the tractate, see here, section “Life is a divine loan; accountability is constant; divine judgment is unavoidable and absolute (3:16)“, as part of an extended metaphor of life as commerce—credit, financial obligations, and paying back:

והגבאים מחזירים תדיר בכל יום

ונפרעין מן האדם מדעתו ושלא מדעתו

the collectors (גבאים) go round regularly every day

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

For another example, see Megillah.21b.6:

לאחריה מאי מברך?

ברוך אתה ה׳ אלהינו מלך העולם

(האל)

1. הרב את ריבנו

2. והדן את דיננו

3. והנוקם את נקמתנו

4. והנפרע לנו מצרינו

5. והמשלם גמול לכל אויבי נפשנו,

ברוך אתה ה׳

הנפרע לישראל מכל צריהם.

The Talmud asks: What blessing is recited after the reading of the Megilla in places where it is customary to recite such a blessing?

The Talmud answers that the following blessing is recited: Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe,

the God

1. Who litigates (רב) our cause,

2. and Who judges our claim,

3. and Who avenges (נוקם) our vengeance,

4. and Who punishes (נפרע) our foes,

5. and Who brings retribution (משלם גמול) to our enemies.

Blessed are You, Lord,

Who, on behalf of Israel, punishes (נפרע) all of their foes.

On this blessing, see Hebrew Wikipedia, “ברכת הרב את ריבנו“.

4. לשמר ולעשות - literally: “to guard and to do”.

This two-word phrase is based on Deuteronomy.28.1:

והיה אם־שמוע תשמע בקול יהוה אלהיך

לשמר לעשות את־כל־מצותיו אשר אנכי מצוך היום

ונתנך יהוה אלהיך עליון על כל־גויי הארץ

Now, if you obey YHWH your God,

to observe faithfully (לשמר לעשות) all His commandments (מצותיו - mitzvot) which I enjoin upon you this day,

YHWH your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.

The same four-part list in our Mishnah is found in a baraita quoted in Sotah.37a.11-37b.1, where it’s explicitly pointed out that it’s a list of 4 items (it’s used as part of a larger calculation there):

1. ללמוד

2. וללמד

3. לשמור

4. ולעשות

הרי ארבע

And for each of the [biblical] blessings and curses [at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal] there is a mitzva

1. to learn

2. and to teach,

3. and to keep

4. and to perform.

Consequently, every mitzva contains four aspects.

5. This quote from Hillel appears earlier in the tractate as well, Avot 1:13.

This statement is cited in Megillah.28b.14-16, I quote it in the appendix at the end of this piece.

6. מכבד את התורה.

Likely referring specifically to respecting Torah scholars. On this obligation, see at length Michlol, entry “כבוד תלמידי חכמים“. And see also my 2-part series “The Four Sermons of the Mid-Second Century Sages in Yavne: On Hospitality (Xenia) and the Honor of Torah Sages (Berakhot 63b)“, final part here.

7. חושך - a biblical verb, pronounced ‘ḥosekh’ (i.e. the middle letter is a ‘sin’, not a ‘shin’); this word is relatively very rare in post-biblical Hebrew.

8. Compare the first chapter in Mishnah tractate Sanhedrin (Mishnah_Sanhedrin.1.1-6), for an extensive list of the various number of judges needed for a wide variety of judicial categories. The numbers range from 3 judges to 71 judges.

However, compare the baraita cited in Sanhedrin.4b.17-5a.1 :

תנו רבנן:

דיני ממונות בשלשה,

ואם היה מומחה לרבים —

דן אפילו יחידי.

§ The Sages taught in a baraita:

Cases of monetary law are adjudicated by three judges.

But if one was a judge accepted as an expert (מומחה) for the public —

then he may judge cases even as the lone judge.

אמר רב נחמן:

כגון אנא

דן דיני ממונות ביחידי.

וכן אמר רבי חייא:

כגון אנא

דן דיני ממונות ביחידי.

Rav Naḥman said:

One such as I (כגון אנא)

may judge cases of monetary law as the lone judge.

And similarly, R’ Ḥiyya said:

One such as I

may judge cases of monetary law as the lone judge.

9. בטלת מן התורה.

On the major sin of “neglecting Torah” (ביטול תורה), see my extended note in my piece “Pt2 ‘Due to Sin [X], Occurs [Y]’: Divine Justice and Human Responsibility for Suffering and Death (Shabbat 32b-33a)“.

10. פרקליט - from Greek paráklētos.

Compare Wikipedia, “Paraclete“:

Paraclete […] is a Christian biblical term occurring five times in the Johannine texts of the New Testament.

In Christian theology, the word commonly refers to the Holy Spirit and is translated as 'advocate', 'counsellor', or 'helper' […]

The English term Paraclete comes from the Koine Greek word παράκλητος (paráklētos). A combination of para ('beside/alongside') and kalein ('to call') […]

Lochlan Shelfer suggests that the Greek term paraclete is a translation of the preceding Latin term advocatus:

11. קטגור - from Greek kătḗgoros.

Compare Wikipedia, “Athenian democracy“, section “Citizen-initiator“:

In situations involving a public figure, the initiator [of a lawsuit] was referred to as a kategoros ('accuser'), a term also used in cases involving homicide […]

As an aside, the modern English word category is cognate with Greek kategoros.

12. תריס - from Greek thŭreós, sense #2: “a wide oblong shield“.

Compare Wikipedia, “Thyreos“:

A thyreos or thureos (Ancient Greek: θυρεός) was a large oval shield which was commonly used in Hellenistic armies from the 3rd century BCE onwards […]

Troops who carried it were known as thyreophoroi.

It was made of wood covered with leather and had a spined boss. It was carried using a central handgrip.

Some variants of the shield were nearly rectangular: the name thyreos derives from the word thyra (θύρα), "door", reflecting its oblong shape.

13. Compare later in the tractate, re 2 types of Disputes - For the sake of Heaven (Hillel–Shammai) vs not (Korah) - Only the former is sustainable (5:17):

• כל מחלקת שהיא לשם שמים --

  • סופה להתקים.

• ושאינה לשם שמים --

  • אין סופה להתקים.

• איזו היא מחלקת שהיא לשם שמים?

  • זו מחלקת הלל ושמאי.

• ושאינה לשם שמים?

  • זו מחלקת קרח וכל עדתו

• Every dispute that is for the sake of Heaven,

  • will in the end endure;

• [But] one that is not for the sake of Heaven,

  • will not endure.

• Which is the controversy that is for the sake of Heaven?

  • Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai.

• And which is the controversy that is not for the sake of Heaven?

  • Such was the controversy of Korah and all his congregation.

14. אין סופה להתקים.

Compare this same idiom for “won’t endure” in Sotah.35a.2:

״ויספרו לו ויאמרו באנו וגו׳״,

וכתיב: ״אפס כי עז העם״,

אמר רבי יוחנן, משום רבי מאיר:

כל לשון הרע שאין בו דבר אמת בתחילתו —

אין מתקיים בסופו

The Torah states: “And they told him, and said: We came to the land to which you sent us, and it also flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27),

and then it is written: “However the people that dwell in the land are fierce” (Numbers 13:28).

Why did the [biblical Twelve] spies praise the land and then slander it?

R’ Yoḥanan says in the name of R’ Meir:

Any slander (לשון הרע - lashon ha-ra) that does not begin with a truthful statement —

ultimately does not stand (אין מתקיים בסופו), i.e., it is not accepted by others.

15. This tripartite rabbinic hierarchy is a common one throughout Talmudic literature:

1. Student (תלמיד)

2. Peer/colleague (חבר - compare Wikipedia, “Chaver (title)“, and see also ibid., “Fellow Student“, on the Talmudic term ‘talmid-chaver’)

3. Master/teacher (רב - ‘rabbi’)

For an extended story where the honorifics associated with each caused intra-rabbinic tension, see my piece “ “Huna, our friend, we wish you peace!”: The Story of a Tense Correspondence between Rav Anan and Rav Huna (Ketubot 69a-b)“.

And see also this three-part hierarchy explicitly listed in Sanhedrin.106b.22:

ואמר רבי יוחנן:

1. בתחלה קרא דוד לאחיתופל "רבו",

2. ולבסוף קראו "חבירו",

3. ולבסוף קראו "תלמידו"

And R' Yoḥanan says:

1. Initially, David called Ahithophel (his counselor) “his teacher” (רבו)

2. and eventually, he called him “his colleague” (חבירו)

3. and ultimately, he called him “his student” (תלמידו)

And compare also my piece on honorifics in Talmudic literature.

16. On the Torah as a metaphorical “crown”, see the earlier section, “R' Zadok - Torah should not be used for self-promotion or material gain (4:5)“:

רבי צדוק אומר:

אל תעשם עטרה להתגדל בהם

[…]

וכך היה הלל אומר:

ודאשתמש בתגא —

חלף.

R' Zadok said:

do not make them [=words of Torah] a crown (עטרה - “diadem”) for self-exaltation

[…]

So too Hillel used to say:

“And he that puts the crown (תגא) to his own use —

shall perish.

And see the appendix at the end of this piece, section “Reish Lakish - interprets Hillel’s prohibition in Avot 1:13 as “using one who studies halakhot”“:

תני ריש לקיש:

זה המשתמש במי ששונה הלכות

כתרה של תורה.

Reish Lakish taught:

This is referring to one who allows himself to be served by one who studies halakhot (שונה הלכות)

which is the crown (כתרה) of the Torah.

17. כתר שם טוב.

On the major value of a “good name” (שם טוב), see Ecclesiastes.7.1a:

טוב שם משמן טוב

A [good] name (שם) is better than fragrant oil

And Proverbs.22.1a:

נבחר שם מעשר רב

A [good] name (שם) is preferable to great wealth

In biblical Hebrew, “name” (שם) can be a metonym for “reputation”, see Hebrew Wiktionary, sense #2.

The same is true in modern English, see Wiktionary, sense #2. For example, compare the modern expression “drag someone's name through the mud”, meaning: “to publicly say false or bad things that harm someone's reputation“.

18. שונה הלכות - ‘shoneh halakhot’.

On the word ‘shoneh’ on its own, see the amoraic dispute quoted in my appendix here, “Appendix 2 - The “Biblicist” (Kara): Bible Experts in the Talmud“, section “Betrothal on condition of Bible or Mishnah literacy and study (Kiddushin 49a)“, where I summarize:

The Talmud cites an amoraic debate regarding if he says, "On the condition that I am ‘shoneh’ " (שונה - “a learner”):

Ḥizkiyya says this refers to as a halacha scholar (הלכות), while R' Yoḥanan defines it as a Bible scholar (תורה - i.e. the Pentateuch).

In our context, the word ‘halakhot’ is explicitly added - שונה הלכות. For other uses of this verbal phrase ‘shoneh halakhot’ (שונה הלכות) - see the search results here.

Another noteworthy example appears in Taanit.16a.16-17, where R’ Yehuda lists 11 qualities that make someone suitable to lead the congregation in prayer for rain:

עמדו בתפלה, מורידין לפני התיבה זקן כו׳.

תנו רבנן:

עמדו בתפלה,

אף על פי שיש שם זקן וחכם —

אין מורידין לפני התיבה אלא אדם הרגיל.

§ The mishna teaches: They stood for prayer, and the congregation appoints an elder.

The Sages taught in a baraita:

They stood for prayer,

and even if there is a man there who is elderly and a scholar,

they appoint to descend before the ark as prayer leader only a person who is accustomed to lead in prayer.

רבי יהודה אומר:

1. מטופל ואין לו,

2. ויש לו יגיעה בשדה,

3. וביתו ריקם,

4. ופרקו נאה,

5. ושפל ברך,

6. ומרוצה לעם,

7. ויש לו נעימה,

8. וקולו ערב,

9. ובקי לקרות

   1. בתורה

   2. ובנביאים

   3. ובכתובים,

10. ולשנות

    1. במדרש

    2. בהלכות

    3. ובאגדות,

11. ובקי בכל הברכות כולן

Who is considered an accustomed prayer leader in this sense?

R’ Yehuda says:

One who has

1. financially dependent children but he does not have the means to support them,

2. and he has no choice but to toil in the field,

3. and whose house is empty, and who will therefore pray for rain with great devotion.

4. And his youth (פרקו) was becoming,

5. and he is humble (שפל ברך)

6. and accepted by the people (מרוצה לעם), as he is likable.

7. And familiar with songs (יש לו נעימה)

8. and his voice pleasant (קולו ערב),

9. and he is expert in reading

   1. the Torah,

   2. the Prophets,

   3. and the Writings (i.e. the entire Bible),

10. and he knows how to study (לשנות)

    1. midrash,

    2. halakha,

    3. and aggada.

11. And expert (בקי) in all of the blessings.

19. Referring to four orders that related to practical halacha, as opposed to two orders (Toharot, and either Zeraim or Kodashim) that are less practically relevant.

20. טורי.

Alternatively, this word may mean “rows” (טורים), as in the four rows of the High Priest’s breastplate, see Exodus.28.17a:

ומלאת בו מלאת אבן

ארבעה טורים אבן

Set in it mounted stones,

in four rows (טורים) of stones.

This also fits well with the correlating verb pasal, which means “carve into stone”.

21. קרית.

Compare the Talmudic definition of having “read” the Bible, quoted in my appendix here, “Appendix 2 - The “Biblicist” (Kara): Bible Experts in the Talmud“, section “Betrothal on condition of Bible or Mishnah literacy and study (Kiddushin 49a)“, where I summarize:

The condition the betrother stated is specifically that he is a “karyana” (קריינא - not “kara” - קרא).

If he said “kara”, the definition is more stringent: he must show that he can read the entire Bible “with precision (דיוקא)”.