A Peacenik Rabbi

This is the last of three posts meant to introduce the Hebrew of Pirkei Avot to those with a smattering or more of biblical Hebrew. (Scroll down for the other two.) Follow the link just given, and you will find a brief introduction to the tractate, links to the Hebrew text online, translations, and commentary. But be aware that the mechon-mamre online text biblicizes the Hebrew of the tractate, and inserts extra matres lectionis (‘helping letters’ to aid the reader in correct vocalization). That’s understandable, but still a shame.

The title of this post is purely journalistic. The peace that Hillel speaks of is that between people at the interpersonal level. Scholars could be very unbrotherly toward each other. Hillel teaches that scholars should love harmony and foster it. They are to be people-lovers, and win them for Torah.

הלל ושמאי קבלו מהם

הלל אומר

    הוי מתלמידיו שלאהרון

    אוהב שלום ורודף שלום

    אוהב את הבריות

    ומקרבן לתורה

Pirkei Avot 1:12

Hillel and Shammai received from them.

Hillel is the one who said:

Be of the number of the disciples of Aaron:

loving peace and pursuing peace,

loving humanity

and drawing others to the Torah.[1]

R. Neusner says, “[T]he notion that the principal calling of the truly noble is to love peace and love people and make our own tradition of Torah attractive to them – that notion is remarkably relevant.” (Jacob Neusner, Torah from Our Sages: Pirke Avot. [pointed Hebrew text included] Translation and Explanation; Dallas: Rossel Books, 1983; p. 36). 

The association of Aaron with peace goes back to the Aaronide blessing:

 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,

Thus you shall bless the children of Israel, and say to them:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine on you,

and be gracious to you;

the Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

and give you peace."

And they will put my name on the children of Israel

and I will bless them. (Numbers 6:24-27)

 The association of Aaron with peace is also found in Psalm 133. Actually, the association is with the beard of Aaron, a delightful metonymy. The psalm will make you want to run your fingers through Aaron’s beard, “which comes down over the collar of his robe,” - at least, as it were, metaphorically. 

Hillel and Shammai constitute the fifth of the זוּגוֹת zugot or ‘pairs’ of rabbis in the chain of tradition. Pirkei Avot 1:12 with vowels (those of Hanokh Yalon in the Albeck Mishnah) is provided below the fold.

---

[1] Lit., ‘and others being drawn,’ an interesting use of the passive participle.   

 

הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם

הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר

    הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁלְּאַהֲרוֹן

    אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם

    אוֹהֵב אֶת־הַבְּרִיּוֹת

    וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה

Comments

[Kevin P. Edgecomb]

Surely הבריות should be חבריות, right?

[John Hobbins]

I'm not surprised you thought so, given the translation I offer ('fellowship').

A better translation is 'humanity.' The root is ברא. The noun in the sg., בריה, means 'creature' or 'creation.' The noun in the pl. has a specialized meaning derived there from, but also a tad removed there from (as happens in language), to wit: 'people, persons.'

In modern Hebrew שונא הבריות means a 'misanthrope.' Hebrew Wikipedia has an entry with that heading. It covers Molière's play of that title.

Hillel is inviting us to be philanthropes. Pretty cool, if you ask me.

Thanks for catching this. I fixed the translation.

[Kevin P. Edgecomb]

Ah! The infamous post-biblical elided aleph strikes again! I hate that.

[Hebrew Student]

Thanks for this additional passage from Pirkei Avot! Maybe you should have a few blog entries comparing how Mishanic/Rabbinic Hebrew differs from Biblical Hebrew - perhaps a section on vocabulary, for instance.

[JohnFH]

Very nice idea. It would be nice to do the same for Ben Sira Hebrew and DSS Hebrew.