1. Rabbi Judah said, “which are the most eligible paths for man to choose?
All such as are an ornament to those who tread therein; and get them honor
from man. Be also as careful of the observance of a light precept, as of a
weighty one; because thou knowest not the due reward of the precepts, and
balance the loss sustained by the omission of a precept against its
recompense, and the reward of sin against its loss of happiness. Consider
also three things, and thou wilt not transgress. Understand what is above
thee: an All-seeing Eye and a Hearing Ear; and that all thy actions are
written in a Book.”
2. Rabban Gamaliel, the son of Rabban Judah the Prince, said, “that the
study of the law and intercourse with the world are commendable together,
as the joining of these two annihilates sin; and all the study of the law,
that is not supported by business, will become of none effect, and will be
the cause of sin; and whoever is engaged in the service of the
congregation, ought to act for God’s sake, then will the merit of their
ancestors support them, and their charitable deeds exist to eternity; and
I (God) shall account you deserving of a great recompense, as if ye had
actually done it.”
3. “Be ye warned of following princes, as they only bestow favors on men
for their own interest. They show themselves as friends while men are
useful to them; but they will not support a man in time of need.”
4. He used to say, “do His will as if it were thine own will, that He may
accomplish thy will as if it were His will; abolish thy will for the sake
of His will, that He may abolish the will of others for the sake of thy
will.” Hillel said, “separate not thyself from the congregation, nor have
confidence in thyself, until the day of thy death. Judge not thy neighbor
till thou art in his situation, neither utter a sentence as if it were
incomprehensible, that afterward may be comprehended, nor say, when I
shall have leisure I shall study; mayhap thou wilt not have leisure.”
5. He also said, “a boor cannot be fearful of sin, nor can a rustic be a
saint; the bashful will not become learned, nor the passionate man a
teacher; neither will he, who is much engaged in traffic, become wise; and
where there are no men, strive thou to be a man.”
6. He having also seen a skull floating on the water, said, “because thou
didst make others float, have they floated thee! and the end of those who
made thee float will be that they will float.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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