11
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Was there ever a Talmudic tractate on Avot?
According to the Mevo to Oz VeHadar's Maseches Avos Otzar Midrashei Chazal, p. 5, since Avos wasn't written on any specific mitzvah, Chazal never had their usual debates or discussions which are found ...
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10
votes
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Mouth of the donkey ("פִי הָאָתוֹן"): how can the Rambam seem to contradict the mishnah in Pirkei Avos?
Like Rambam, Ralbag also maintains that this incident did not occur in real life, and he explicitly discusses the view of the Sages:
והנה דעת רבותינו ז”ל הוא שזה הענין היה כפשוטו ולזה אמרו שפי ...
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8
votes
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Yose b. Yoezer and Yose b. Yohanan received from them. Who does "them" refer to?
Rabbeinu Yonah writes that the 'them' is Shimon HaTzaddik and Antigonos. Before they studied under Antigonos they studied under Shimon HaTzaddik.
It could also mean the Men of the Great Assembly (...
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7
votes
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What are the 10 utterances in Pirkei Avot 5:1
Chazal give a listing of the ten utterances is given in Bereishit Rabba 17:1, together with what to swap out.
ויאמר ה' אלהים לא טוב היות
תנינן:
בעשרה מאמרות נברא העולם, ואלו הן:
...
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7
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Shammai - receive everyone with a pleasant countenance
This discrepancy is addressed in the footnotes of the collected lectures of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Likutei Sichos Vol. 17 p. 114 note 37
ועד"ז יש לבאר במאמר שמאי אבות פ"א מט"ו הוי מקבל את כל האדם ...
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7
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Which of the *Zugos* were in charge during the Chanukah story?
Adding to what @Schmerel wrote, the Chanukah story probably took place during the time of Yose ben Yoezer & Yose ben Yochanan and possibly also during the time of their students, Yehoshua ben ...
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6
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Is it permissible for a woman to learn Pirkei Avot & Shulchan Aruch?
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt"l in Igros Moshe, YD III, siman 87 (top left column) famously said that girls can learn pirkei avos:
משום שהוא עניני מוסר והנהגות טובות יש ללמדם בהסבר לעוררן לאהבת תורה ...
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6
votes
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Why does אבות cite Gen. 9, not Gen. 1, for נברא בצלם?
It seems to me that the key is "חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם"
In Bereishit 9, G-d is directly commanding mankind not to kill people, because they were created in the image of G-d. ...
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6
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Answer to question in first chapter of Tanya
Chapter 13
He explains that one should see them self "כרשע" as having the capacity for sin and should never let their guard down. But not actually as a rasha.
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6
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Why does the Mishna say "שְׂנָא אֶת הָרַבָּנוּת"?
The simple answer is that רַבָּנוּת doesn't mean "the rabbinate." The Israeli rabbinate of today is called רַבָּנוּת, but it didn't exist in antiquity. The closest thing to an official body of rabbis ...
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6
votes
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Are we supposed to know which transgressions are light or severe?
Bartenura in Yoma explains (based on the gemara to this mishnah) that ‘light’ commandments here means all positive mitzvot as well as negative mitzvot which are able to be subsequently ‘fixed’ (lav ...
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6
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What does "נגללים" mean about the tablets?
So there are a few sources that point to the fact that one of the miracles of the luchos were that they could be rolled up (as per your assumption).
Firstly, there is an intriguing פסוק in שיר השירים ...
- 33.9k
5
votes
Who is the author of the 5th parek of pirkei avot?
R. David Zvi Hoffman has a fascinating monograph called HaMishnah HaRishonah uFelugta deTannai, in which he traces the development of various mishnayot, from their earliest forms to what we have today....
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5
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Why honor someone who teaches one thing? Say dayo lihyos k'Achisofel!
The Midrash Shmuel in his commentary there raises the possibility (but acknowledges that it is forced) that this Beraisa follows the opinion of R. Tarfon who allows a kal vachomer even when it is &...
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5
votes
What does Avot 6:6 mean when it invokes redemption?
Based on R' Samson Raphael Hirsch's commentary on Shemot 6:2-5 and his citation there of Isaiah 52:6, I'd like to suggest that the ultimate Redemption can be identified with attribution of God as the ...
- 48.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Why does Hillel's teachings change to Aramaic in Ethics of the Fathers?
SEE TOSFOS YOM_TOV on this mishnah HERE.
והא דאמר בלשון תרגום עיין סוף מכילתין: - See my comments on 5:22 for
why this mishna uses Aramaic.
He sends to his comments HERE
הפוך בה והפוך בה וכו'
...
- 7,062
5
votes
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Pirkei Avos- how does a sieve retain the fine flour?
Bartenura explains that the desired fine flour is actually coarser than the unwanted dust-like particles which are removed via the sifting process. (The bran is removed prior to this stage.)
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5
votes
Who are the Elders in the beginning of Avot
See mefarshim, e.g. Yachin:
הן השופטים שאחר יהושע:
The elders: The judges after Yehoshua.
שעלי השופט האחרון מסר לשמואל ראש הנביאים.
Eli (Hakohen), the last judge, transmitted to Shmuel, the first ...
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5
votes
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If Elozor ben Aruch's teaching includes all the others why is he not the בּוֹר סוּד? Avos 2(8 &9)
Elozor ben Aruch's teaching includes all that the others said; so he
should be the בּוֹר סוּד
This statement is the source of your misunderstanding. A בּוֹר סוּד is one who regurgitates without ...
- 2,107
5
votes
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Why does Rabbi Akiva in Avos 3:14 quote Genesis 9:6 and not Genesis 1:27?
In the Yachin UVoaz commentary it writes:
שאמר הקב"ה כן לנח, וגלה לו יקרת האדם, וזה מעיד על גודל החבה, עד שמודיעו שמחבבו כל כך, [משא"כ הנך קראי דבראשית שנאמר נעשה אדם בצלמינו וכו', כי בצלם ...
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5
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Uknei Lecha Chaveir- let the pen be your chavrusa
The Kav Hayashar, ch. 53 already wrote along those lines:
"קנה לך חבר כמשמעו וגם רמז על הקולמוס יהיה לך חבר שתכתוב מה שתחדש..."
Translation: "Keneh Lecha Chaver, in the plainest ...
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4
votes
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Pirkei Avot 5:17 - Defining controversies for the sake of Heaven
The Tosfot Yom Tov here explains this very precisely in name of the Midrash Shmuel, itself in name of the R.I. Lirma:
לא הזכיר צד שני של מחלוקת שהם משה ואהרון כמו שזכר בחלוקה ראשונה שני הצדדים לפי ...
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4
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What are the different "versions" of Pirkei Avot?
(Leaving Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer to one side as I know little about it, but I believe, as other commenters have noted, that it is not related to Pirkei Avot.)
The first 5 chapters of Pirkei Avot are ...
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4
votes
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Does the rule in Pirkei Avot 3:2 apply to evil governments?
Rav Chanania lived during the time of the Roman Empire and it was referred to as "the Evil Empire". In spite of that, the point that he was making was that any government no matter how tyrannical ...
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4
votes
Who added the sixth chapter of Avot?
Seder Rav Amram Gaon, Pg. 30 says the following:
והכי אמר שר שלום גאון במנחה בשבת מותר להתעסק בתלמוד, ולא עוד אלא שמנהג בית רבנו בבבל שאחר תפלת מנחה בשבת שונין אבות וקנין תורה
And this is what Sar ...
- 4,796
4
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Discrepancies in the Forty-Eight Qualities of Torah
Commonly known by their appearance in the “sixth chapter” of Avot, this list of virtuous attainments of Torah, along with the rest of the chapter, are actually an emended version of Baraitot from ...
- 4,419
4
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Pursue shalom versus distance from wicked
When the person is intentionally wicked, there is no obligation to be concerned about keeping him away from aveiros. see Shach on YD 151:7 & biur Halacha (on mishna berurah) 608:2. And thus one ...
- 7,062
4
votes
Shammai - receive everyone with a pleasant countenance
You've asked a terrific question. This article provides good insight that Shammai's adage in Pirkei Avot and the situation described in Talmud Shabbat are not contradictory at all. Excerpts:
It is ...
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4
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How are we supposed to interpret "Derech eretz kadma l'Torah"?
R. Yaakov Kamenetzky explains this Midrash in his commentary to Parshat Lech Lecha, and he cites it as "derech eretz kadma laTorah". He discusses there why Avraham had to go rescue Lot. He writes that ...
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4
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Pirkei Avos- how does a sieve retain the fine flour?
סלת is coarser flour; קמח is finer. Source (for example): בבלי מנחות דף עו עמוד ב.
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