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Pirke Avot is translated from the Hebrew as The Sayings of the Fathers. The Fathers are the sages of Jewish thought, our wise fathers. Part of the Mishnah, which is, in turn, part of the Talmud, it is an unusual tractate because it does it not deal specifically with the Law, but with the moral precepts that go into, and often beyond the Law. Written at the time of the Roman occupation of Palestine, the political atmosphere surrounding that era is reflected in the text.
The Talmud is not an easy read. Filled with what often appears to be nitpicking discussions dealing with interpretations of the Law, the reader must access the long synapses in his brain to follow the twisting paths laid out by the sages. Pirke Avot is filled with what I will call sound bytes: concise thoughts providing much food for our own thoughts. Even a random selection yields a full plate. Add to that the many published versions with commentary, and Pirke Avot fills a pantry.
Ongoing discussions between Christians and Jews often center around the attempt to distinguish between Christian and Jewish tenets by citing the Christian concept of a God of Love, and comparing it to the Jewish concept of a fearsome God. Two short passages in Pirke Avot shed some light on this debate.
One passage establishes the duality of the concept. It is said that love of God leads us to serve Him by fulfillment of the positive commandments, while fear of God gives us reason to fulfill the negative commandments. This balance is necessary for the attainment of compliance with the will of God.
Another passage defines fear of God, and further explores the theme of duality. According to Antignos, there are two kinds of fear. The first is familiar enough--fear of punishment for disobedience to God; the child and the stern father. The second kind of fear is defined as awe and reverence, generated by an understanding of God’s superiority to humankind.
The passages in Pirke Avot that deal with the administration of justice are as relevant today as they were when they were written. At a first reading, the following passage appears to be diametrically opposed to our dictum of “innocent until proven guilty,” but upon reflection, we find that the concept is the same. “[When serving as a judge,] do not act as a lawyer; while the litigants stand before you, consider them both as guilty; but when they are dismissed from you, consider them both as innocent, provided they have accepted the judgment,” Yehudah ben Tabbai.
The words of Shimon ben Shatach could appear in any contemporary legal textbook: “Interrogate the witnesses extensively; yet be cautious with your words, lest they learn from them to lie.”
The wisdom of The Fathers on politics applies to our world of today with perfection: “Seats of authority are precarious, for jealousy abounds and one may be forced to react in a spiritually inappropriate manner in order to protect one’s power.” Rambam.
And my favorite: “Government officials show favor to people solely for their own purposes. The moment they no longer stand to gain from their relationship with you, the relationship is summarily terminated.” Rashi.
As with any text that is old enough to be considered ancient, there are antiquated notions expressed in Pirke Avot that will raise many an eyebrow. The attitudes expressed about women have been interpreted and reinterpreted over the centuries in an attempt to soften the words. The words don’t take easily to softening. This is true of many words written centuries ago in the context of religion.
But wisdom is entirely too precious a commodity to toss it away because of attitudinal changes that have been made slowly over centuries. A reading of the text requires the maintenance of a mental footnote: That was then, and this is now. With the footnote firmly in place, the wisdom contained in Pirke Avot is the reward for all who read it.
Julie Goldman |