Week #4, Pirke Avot 4:1

Ben Zoma said,
 “Who is wise?
The one who learns from all people… 

“Who is mighty?
The one who subdues the evil inclination… 

“Who is rich?
The one who rejoices in his portion…
“Who is honored?

The one who honors other human beings….”
- Pirke Avot 4:1

Questions to consider:

1. Do you agree with Ben Zoma? Do you disagree with him? (Answer both questions!)

2. If you were asked to compose your own responses to Ben Zoma's three questions (Who is mighty? Who is rich? Who is honored?) what would they be and why?

Week #3, Pirkei Avot 3:15

 Rabbi Akiva used to say:

"All is foreseen, and yet freedom
of choice is granted."

  ~ Pirkei Avot 3:15 

You are free to comment on the above text freely with your own personal thoughts and reflections, and/or use the questions below to inspire your written responses.

1. The above perek sounds contradictory. After all, how can there be freedom of choice if God already knows the future? How can freedom of choice and ​God's all-knowing-ness be reconciled?
2. Reflect on your own life. Do you live more in a "freedom of choice" mode? Or in an "everything is foreseen" mode? Can you give an example or illustration from your own experience to elucidate on this tension?

Week #2, Pirkei Avot 2:5

Hillel used to say: "Do not remove yourself from
the community, and do not believe in yourself
  (trust yourself) until the day you die, and do not judge
your friend until you have dealt with a situation like his,
and do not say 'that could never happen,' because in the
end, it could happen, and do not say that 'when I have free time, I will learn Torah', since you may never find free time."  ~ Pirkei Avot 2:5 

You are free to comment on the above text freely with your own personal thoughts and reflections, and/or use the questions below to inspire your written responses.

1. This excerpt is composed of 5 different imperatives. How do each of these pieces of advice enhance the life of a person?  Why do you think Hillel groups these five statements together?

2. Which of Hillel's statements above concerns one's internal development, and which concern one's interactions with others? Why are both important?

3. If it were your job to make certain that each of us today has 5 "Do nots..." which of the five above on Hillel's list would you keep? Which would you set aside as perhaps not relevant in today's world? Create statements that you might substitute for any of those above so that you end up with "Hillel's 'Do Nots' for 2015: A Guide to Good Living."

 

Week #1, Pirke Avot 1:6

“Joshua the son of Perachia would say: Get yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge every person on the side of merit.”

Pirke Avot 1:6

You are free to comment on the above text freely with your own personal thoughts and reflections, and/or use the questions below to inspire your written responses.

 

1.    What are the similarities and differences between teachers and friends? Why do you think the text highlights the importance of teachers and friends in this short excerpt?

2.   Do you think that there is a connection between the text’s emphasis on teachers/friends and the imperative to “judge every person on the side of merit”?

3.   How does this quote, early in the text of Pirke Avot, set the stage for the value of learning, education, and friendship in Jewish life? What about in your own life?

Welcome... Guidelines and Our #1 and Only Rule!

I am so pleased that you have all decided to participate in this experiential learning course. Hopefully, you will find the next seven weeks enriching and filled with thought-provoking exchanges with one another.

An introduction to our text:  Pirke Avot (literally, Ethics of our Ancestors) is one of the most well-known Jewish texts and is frequently cited both within the Jewish community and beyond. It was written between the First and Third centuries of the Common Era and is part of the earliest section of Judaism’s oral law called the Mishnah. Scholars point out that whereas the majority of the Mishnah is actually “case law,” Pirkei Avot is rather a series of ethical principles articulated by the same Rabbis of the Common Era whose legal rulings and decisions appear in other parts of the Mishnah. As opposed to the formal legalise that is found in the rest of the Mishnah, Pirke Avot is actually quite human and down-to-earth in tone and content, emphasizing the importance of living a life of morality, ethics and joy.

The schedule for the class is as follows:

• Monday:  I will post an excerpt from Pirke Avot.  Included will be a few questions to think about in order to inspire personal reflection and group discussion.

• By Wednesday:  We will need 3-4 people each week to post an initial response to the discussion of each post just to make sure that a discussion gets started. 

• The remainder of the week:  Everyone else will have until the following Saturday night of that week to check out the blog and see what others have posted, respond to one another, add new thoughts, etc.

• Saturday/Sunday: I will post a sort of summary or synthesis of that week’s postings. 

The only rule to this class is to be respectful to one another, have a good time, and learn something!