Pirkei Avos 1:1 – The Five Prerequisites

I. The Five Questions

The very first Mishnah of Pirkei Avos delineates the order of the transmission of the Torah. Moses was the first to have received the Torah from G-d at Mount Sinai and he, in turn, transmitted it to Joshua. From Joshua it was passed on to the elders, from the elders to the prophets and from the prophets the Torah was passed on to the Men of the Great Assembly.

In the very same Mishnah—after listing the order of transmission of the Torah—three of the central teachings of the Men of the Great Assembly are recorded: “Be deliberate in judgment, raise up many students and make a fence around the Torah.”

Mishnah is known for its precision, and Pirkei Avos as a part of the Mishnah is no exception to this rule. Every Mishnah deals with one subject, or several facets of the same subject.¹ Rarely does a single Mishnah discuss varied subjects. The question thus arises, why does the first Mishnah of Pirkei Avos incorporate two disparate themes? First, the Mishnah chronicles the various historical periods in the process of transmitting the teachings of the Torah. And then the Mishnah lists the three ethical teachings of the Men of the Great assembly. Why didn’t the author divide these two themes into two separate Mishnayos?

A second question that arises is the way the teachings of the Men of the Great Assembly are prefaced: “They said three things.” In light of the terse literary style of the Mishnah, one is entitled to ask, why was it necessary to underscore that they said three things?² To discover the exact number of teachings, all one has to do is simply study these teachings. There is no need for the author to state explicitly that there are three teachings.

A third question that arises here concerns the order of the three teachings of the Men of the Great Assembly. Of all the three teachings, the one about “raising up many students” should have been the first since it is in harmony with the theme of Torah transmission. After having listed the various stages in the Torah’s transition from one period to the next, the Torah finally ended up in the hands of the Men of the Great Assembly. The Mishnah should have stated then that the Men of the Great Assembly made sure that the tradition of Torah would continue by stressing their teaching of raising up new students. Why then does the author insert this pivotal teaching in the center of the three teachings of the Men of the Great Assembly?³ And fourthly, we must clarify why the Mishnah refers to the Prophets as a link in the chain of Torah transmission. Is it not axiomatic in Halacha that a prophet may not make any decisions of Jewish law based on prophecy.⁴ While a prophet can also be a Torah scholar and make decisions of law based on his knowledge of Torah, he may not, however, allow his prophetic status to dictate the law. Why then does the author of this Mishnah highlight the fact that the period between the Elders and the Men of the Great Assembly was the period of the Prophets, when prophecy is totally irrelevant to the process of Torah? Furthermore, among the Men of the Great Assembly were some of the later prophets. Yet, they are not identified as such, but as Men of the Great Assembly. Why then are the Prophets so designated?

One final question. Between the Elders and the Men of the Great Assembly there was indeed a period that is Biblically characterized as the period of the Shoftim-Judges. Why is this period not mentioned in this Mishnah?

II. Two Kinds of Prerequisites

To answer these five questions it is necessary for us to see the five stages of Torah transmission not simply as historical links but as five characteristics that are crucial for proper Torah study.⁵ The entire Avos—and its study before Shavuos—was intended to prepare us for the receiving of the Torah. It is reasonable to believe that the opening Mishnah would provide us with an introduction to the proper mindset needed to approach the Torah.

Proof that these five periods represent five attitudes can be adduced from the fact that only these five generations are mentioned here. If the Mishnah was simply providing us with a chronicle of all the periods between Moses and the Men of the Great Assembly, it would have listed many other generations.⁶ It is thus apparent that these five periods were included not (only) for historical purposes, but primarily for didactic purposes. To be worthy of receiving the Torah one must incorporate five characteristics that were possessed and represented by these five periods of Torah transmission.

And while the sixth chapter of Avos includes a Mishnah that delineates forty-eight steps necessary for the acquisition of Torah, this does not pose a contradiction to the assertion here that the first Mishnah of Avos discusses five steps. There is a fundamental difference between the Mishnah there and our Mishnah. In chapter six, the objective of the Mishnah is to list the forty-eight types of behavior that are prerequisites for the acquisition of Torah knowledge. The opening Mishnah of Avos, by contrast, is interested in providing for us the attitudinal prerequisites for Torah study, the proper mindset that is needed for us to receive the Torah.

III. Moses-Humility

Moses was the one who bequeathed the Torah to us, as it is stated: “Moses commanded the Torah to us, an inheritance to the House of Jacob.”⁷ The implication of this statement is that every one of us is an heir to Moses and all that being an heir entails.⁸ According to the legal definition of an heir as one who assumes the role of the person they inherit,⁹ it follows that we have all inherited and assumed Moses’ identity, particularly with respect to the receiving of the Torah, since it is specifically the Torah that we inherited from him. Granted, these qualities of Moses that we possess are not at all apparent, and we have a long way to go before these qualities of Moses are actualized, nevertheless, they do exist within the hidden precincts of our souls and they define who we really are.

To be sure, Moses exhibited many admirable characteristics. He was a liberator, a provider of sustenance, a leader and judge, among other qualities. Which quality of Moses should we emulate or actualize in order to be prepared for the Torah? The answer is that it must be a quality that Moses possessed that is associated with his own relationship with Torah.

Indeed, our Sages cite the verse “Remember the Torah of My servant Moses,”¹⁰ and comment, “Because he sacrificed his life for Torah, it was named after him.”

Moses was not only the first link from G-d to us, but Moses who personified humility¹¹ represents the first prerequisite for Torah study. Indeed, Moses’ humility was so intrinsic to his relationship with Torah that our Sages commented: “Because he diminished himself, the Torah was named after him.”¹² And when Moses displayed a “reduction” in his state of humility by saying to the Jewish people “And those matters that will be too difficult for you, you shall bring to me,”¹³ Moses was punished by forgetting several sections of the Torah.¹⁴ This was not a punishment, but a natural consequence of his reduction of humility. When humility is missing, one loses their capacity to retain Torah.

Humility, as a prerequisite for receiving the Torah is echoed by the Talmud¹⁵ when it discusses the location of the giving of the Torah—on Mount Sinai. “One should always learn from the mindset of his Maker Who did not give the Torah on the majestic mountains but rather on Mount Sinai, the lowest of all the mountains.”

Moses’ trait of humility was so intrinsic to Moses that it is contained in his name. The word mah, which means what, is included in Moses name Moshe. Moreover they form the first and last letter of his name.

The obvious lesson for every Jew is that our introduction of Torah depends on humility and self-abnegation. As we say in the concluding prayer of the Amidah, “And my soul shall be as the dust for everyone,”

followed by

“Open my heart for Your Torah.”

The importance of humility as a prerequisite to Torah study is also expressed in the Talmudic statement¹⁶ that a student must be imbued with a sense of awe as he sits before his teacher of Torah.

Humility and the negation of one’s ego is crucial for Torah study because without it one will be unduly influenced by one’s personal interests and proclivities. The self- serving nature of the human being who is not humble will corrupt the integrity of the Torah. One’s understanding of Torah will fit into one’s very limited, narrow and biased frame of reference.

IV. Joshua-Obsession

Joshua, as his mentor Moses, was a man of many qualities, but the one that is relevant to the reception of Torah is captured in the verse, “He never departed from Moses’ tent.”¹⁷ Armed with the first characteristic of humility and self-abnegation, one then must develop an unrelenting pursuit of Torah knowledge. With this approach Torah study becomes one’s obsession. For Joshua and the Joshua minded student of Torah, there is nothing but the “tent” of Torah.

This prerequisite of Torah applied generally to the entire generation of Jewish people who lived in the desert, as the Midrash states, “The Torah was given only to the eaters of the Manna.”¹⁸ At first glance, this statement is puzzling. Wasn’t the Torah given to all Jews?

The answer is that the Midrash is not referring to the people as much as it is referring to the mindset of the people.

To properly be able to receive the Torah one must be like the eaters of the Manna who had absolutely no distractions. All of their needs were taken care of by G-d and were able to devote themselves to Torah study exclusively.

Even the observance of the Mitzvos was a secondary pursuit for that generation because most Mitzvos could not have been observed until they entered into the Promised Land and began the process of plowing, sowing etc.

The most exemplary role model for this obsessive approach to Torah study was Joshua. And the lesson for us is for us to incorporate the obsession for Torah during the times that we allocate for Torah, as if our sole preoccupation was the study of Torah. It is imperative for every Jew to adopt the Joshua model as a prerequisite to the receiving of the Torah.

V. Elders-Toil

While the Moses-model of humility and the Joshua-model of exclusivity are necessary for the reception of the Torah, one cannot possibly acquire Torah without the involvement of the Elders-model.

To understand the Elders approach to Torah, the Hebrew word for Elders, Zaken must be analyzed. The Talmud states¹⁹ that the word Zaken is a contraction of the phrase, “zeh shekanah chochma-This is the one who acquired wisdom.” The key word “acquired” will shed light on the characteristic needed for the reception of the Torah.

There are two modes of acquiring something. One is by way of a gift and the other is through a purchase. The common denominator of these two modes is that they both require effort on the part of the recipient. Even a gift for which one does not pay had to have done something nice for the giver for which he is now being compensated. In the words of the Talmud, “If he had not done him some favor, he would not have given him the gift.”²⁰ There are, however, significant differences between the mode of receiving something by way of a gift or by way of a purchase. First, and most obvious, is that purchasing a gift requires a more tangible and concrete form of payment, not just some amorphous favor. Second, giving a gift does not guarantee that it actually becomes the permanent property of the recipient. One can give a gift on the condition that it is returned after temporary use of the object. That too would qualify as a gift.²¹ A purchase, by contrast, is irrevocable.²² It is the absolute transfer of an object from one person’s possession to the other. These two differences between a purchase and a gift are interconnected. Because a purchase demands a significantly greater involvement on the part of the recipient, the degree to which it becomes his is greater as well.

Now we can understand what our Sages meant when they said that an elder, Zaken is one who acquired wisdom. True acquisition of wisdom requires the maximum degree of effort and toil. One’s approach to Torah study cannot be a casual one. Even one who has no other preoccupation other then Torah study—the Joshua mode—they might still apply only minimal effort in the study of Torah. The Elders model of Torah study demands that one invest all his energy in the study of Torah.

VI. Prophets-Divine Assistance

With all the prerequisites to Torah study one cannot be guaranteed that they will not err. No matter how much effort and energy one expends, no matter how absolute one’s dedication and humility, no person can be sure that their understanding of Torah is the absolute correct one. For that one must have Divine assistance.

The source of this premise is the discussion in the Talmud concerning King David’s virtues.²³ After being told of King David’s qualities, King Saul was unimpressed. When it was mentioned, “G-d was with him,” King Saul could not deny King David’s superiority. What does G-d being with him mean? “The Halacha, the final determination of law, accords with King David’s opinions.” This impressed Saul because all the other qualities are within our reach by way of our efforts. To really fathom the Halacha, one must have Divine assistance.

VII. Men of the Great Assembly-Practical

Application

To become a beneficiary of the Divine assistance in the study of Torah, there is one more prerequisite that is represented by the Men of the Great Assembly. This body of Sages lived at the time of the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. What distinguished this body of Sages from others was their preoccupation with the practical application of Torah. Ravaged by 70 years of exile, the Jews in exile and those who returned to the Land of Israel faced many challenges. The Men of the Great Assembly addressed the specific needs of the Jewish nation at one of its most trying and challenging times. They are especially known for the enactments that bolstered Jewish life and observance.

The Men of the Great Assembly element in the reception of Torah is thus using and applying Torah knowledge for the exigencies of life. When one knows that the theoretical knowledge of Torah will be used for practical purposes that will affect the lives of other people, it will compel one to delve more deeply into the subject matter so as not to err. Erring would have a negative impact on others, G-d forbid.²⁴ In addition, the very fact that one’s Torah study will impact the lives of others is what elicits Divine assistance. There is a wellknown story of the famed Rabbi Yechezkel Landau of Prague, known as the Noda B’Yehudah, who was given a test as a candidate for this important rabbinic position. Rabbi Landau answered all the questions correctly, with the exception of one question that he got wrong. When confronted about his error, he remarked, “This question must not have been a practical one.”

When asked, how he knew this, he replied, “Whenever a rabbi renders a legal decision, he is given special Divine assistance to prevent him from causing harm to others. G- d is “compelled” to provide this assistance, for how can a mere mortal fathom the unfathomable G-dly mind? And since G-d entrusted these matters into the hands of the rabbis, they must have to also be endowed with Divine guidance to not stray from the truth. If, however, a question of Jewish law is only of a theoretical nature, there is no compelling need for G-d to grant special direction. Therefore, the fact that I erred proved that this question was not of a practical nature.”

To master the Torah, one must therefore know how to relate the Torah knowledge to the practical aspects of life—the “Men of the Great Assembly-model of Torah reception.

In summary, the five prerequisites for us to receive the Torah Moses-are humility, Joshua- Exclusive dedication to Torah, Elders-Toiling and investing all of one’s energies in Torah study, Prophets-Divine assistance and Men of the Great Assembly-Applying Torah to real life circumstances.

VIII. There Are Three Things, Not Two

The Men of the Great Assembly‘s contribution to the reception of Torah is their ability to see Torah in the applied mode; how Torah relates to and affects the world in which we live. Thus, the very first thing said about them in our Mishnah is that “they said three things.” Even before reading about the three teachings, it is instructive that they said three things; that the number three was highlighted. In the beginning of this essay the question was raised why the need to say that they said three things? In light of the role of the Men of the Great Assembly as sages who applied the Torah to the physical world, we can appreciate the significance of the number three.

Three represents not just the number of their teachings but also the number of things in existence of which we must be aware. They are: G-d, the Giver of the Torah; the person who studies the Torah and the world in which we live towards which the Torah is directed.²⁵ One can—feigning a higher spiritual awareness—claim that there are only two entities, himself and G-d. “Only he and G-d exist and nothing else.”²⁶ While this approach has validity for the theoretical scholar who has yet to apply Torah to the physical world, the student of Torah who has reached the level of practical Halacha, must recognize that there are three entities.

One might think that the three entities are of unequal importance. After all, one might think, does G-d really care about what happens in this world? Does it really mean that much to Him how and what one observes? With an attitude like this, the individual who serves as the guide for the world, likewise feels that he is aloof and dealing with the world is beneath his dignity just as he presumes it must be beneath G-d’s dignity, as it were.

To negate this condescending attitude the Mishnah underscores that there are three inclination and the third element that renders the final decision as to a person’s behavior.

entities, implying that they are equal. This means that G-d does indeed care and takes a keen interest as to what goes on in this world.

Even the way in which a child observes a Mitzvah—whether it is a little boy who wears a juvenile size of garment with Tzitzis or a little girl who lights a solitary candle before the onset of Shabbos— G-d does find important. He even is interested in the way a child is educated to do a Mitzvah with beauty and enhanced quality. Even these most apparently insignificant aspects of this world that is governed by Torah are crucial to G-d.

Similarly, we must know that we cannot look down at the world and the teachings of Torah that relate to the world. Realizing the equal importance of the three entities—the Giver of Torah, the recipient of Torah and the application of Torah to the minutest details and nuances of life—is a the first application of the approach of the Men of the Great Assembly to receiving the Torah.

IX. Deliberate in Judgment

From the attitude that relating the Torah to the real world is integral to the entire process of receiving the Torah, one then can appreciate the first of the directives of the Men of the Great Assembly, the Sages who personified this approach, to “be deliberate in judgment.”

When one realizes the importance of imparting knowledge to the student, one is careful to consider the needs of the student. Were we to think that the needs of the world are of now real concern to G-d and to the Torah scholar, then a casual, cursory and indifferent approach would suffice in teaching Torah. Proper education requires that the teacher, while disciplining the child, must always give more dominance to the warmth and love he shows the child. As our Sages say, :One should always use the left [i.e., weaker] hand to push away [i.e., discipline] and the right hand [i.e., the stronger and more dominant approach] to bring [the student] close.”²⁷ when one knows that only one will realize the goal of the men of the Great Assembly— practical application of the Torah? Why not seek out the one student with the potential and aptitude for practical Halacha and devote all of our attention to him?

To allay this thought, the Men of the Great Assembly stated emphatically that, on the contrary, “Raise up many students!” In order to get the one for practical application of the Torah one must first produce the ten who are qualified for the theoretical knowledge of Gemara. To produce those ten, one must first have a hundred students who study Mishnah and to obtain those hundred, one must first have a thousand students who are qualified for the study of Scripture.

The Men of the Great Assembly are thus instructing us to increase the number of students so that eventually we will produce the few select teachers of Jewry who will be equipped to deal with the day-to-day issues that confront society.

XI. Make a Fence Around the Torah

After being told how careful we have to be in providing the student with his needs by judging deliberately the student’s level and catering to his needs, and after being told that we cannot limit the number of students we include, one might have thought that we should provide the student with his heart’s desires. By doing so we will make it easier to attract more students and to develop a positive and warm relationship with the student.

To dispel any such notion—that by relaxing standards we will succeed in raising qualified students—the Men of the Great Assembly conclude their three teachings with the admonition, “Make a fence around the Torah.” The simple meaning of this statement is that we must constantly look for ways to buttress and reinforce that which the Torah restricts. Even those things that might not be inherently wrong and forbidden by the Torah, one should still shun. As the Ramban explains how “one can become a degenerate Commentary on Torah, Leviticus 19:2.

[even] with the license of Torah.” This means that if one does not seek ways of strengthening one’s moral fiber by becoming even more disciplined than the Torah demands, one can degenerate.

So while the Men of the Great Assembly advocate relating with positive energy to as many students as possible, this does not suggest that we should loosen our standards and use permissiveness as a way of reaching the students. The only way we can cultivate many responsible students who will become the guides for the next generation is to maintain the highest standards without sacrificing our acceptance of and dedication to the largest number of students.

(Adapted from the talk of Shabbos Parshas Naso, 5736)

From the book Essays on Pirkei Avos: Chapter One, Mishnah One by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, adapted from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and published by the Jewish Discovery Center.

The division of the Mishnayos is not merely an academic issue, but it relates to practical Halacha as well. Chelkat Mechokek (commentary on Shulchan Aruch, Even Hoezer 38:40) cites the law regarding marriage that if one were to stipulate that his marriage should take effect on the condition that he is a scholar, the marriage is valid if he has mastered three Mishnayos. Accordingly, if one mastered the first Mishnah of Avos, despite the fact that it contains two distinct subjects, it would still only count as one Mishnah. To qualify as a scholar in this context one would have to master another two Mishnayos instead of only one more. See footnote n. 1 in preceding essay. ↩
See Kiddushin 2b. ↩
Alternatively, considering the Men of the Great Assembly’s judicial function, the Mishnah should have commenced with the teaching about being deliberate in judgment, followed by a second judicial imperative to create a fence around the Torah, and only then should it have stated the non-judicial teaching concerning raising up of many students. Either way the three teachings of this Mishnah appear to be out of order. ↩
Shabbat Rambam, Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah ↩
See preceding essay for a similar discussion. ↩
See Rambam’ introduction to his Yad HaChazakah and introduction to his commentary on the Mishnah (Incorrectly referred to as his introduction to Zeraim) for a complete list of all the generations of “Mikablei HaTorah-recipients of Torah.” ↩
Deuteronomy 33:4. ↩
See Sanhedrin 91b. ↩
“In place of your fathers are your children” (Psalms 45:17). See Tzofnas Pa’aneiach Kelalim, entry “Yerushah.” ↩
Malachai 3:22. ↩
Bamidbar 12:3: And Moses was the humblest man on the face of the earth.” ↩
Sotah 5a. ↩
Devarim 1:17. ↩
Sifrei, ad loc. ↩
Sotah 10a. ↩
Pesachim 117a. ↩
Shemos 33:11. ↩
Tanchuma, Beshallach 20. ↩
Kiddushin 32b. ↩
See Gittin 50b. ↩
Kiddushin 6b. Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim, 658:4. ↩
See Bava Metzia 44a. ↩
Sanhedrin 93b. ↩
See Bava Basra 130b: “One does not make a ruling except if it was based on a decision rendered in a real situation.” See also Hemshech 5666 p. 406. ↩
The number three is also highlighted in the judicial process. Every case has a plaintiff, defendant and a judge. The minimal composition of a court requires three judges; two would be called “an audacious court.” (Sanhedrin 3a. A person consists of three driving forces, the good inclination, the evil ↩
Toras Sholom p. 191. ↩
Sotah 47a. X. Raise up Many Students Following the line of thought that the teachings of the Men of the Greta Assembly reflect their function as those whose role is to apply Jewish law to the needs of the world, we can also understand their second teaching of “Raising up many students.” Our Sages of the Midrash state: “A thousand [students] enter for the study of Scripture and a hundred emerge; a hundred [of them enter for the study of] Mishnah; ten of them emerge; ten [of them enter for the study of] Gemara and one emerges [qualified] for practical instruction.” ↩