Part 11 (1/2)

(39) One who neither gives nor takes. One who does no labor of love. Cf. Ezek. XVI, 49.

(40) He does not know the sacredness of the rights of property.

(41) He does not want his neighbors to be blessed because of their liberality.

(42) The duties of which he has learned.

(43) The commands of the _Torah_.

(44) The true and the untrue.

19. Whenever love depends upon some material cause, with the pa.s.sing away of that cause, the love, too, pa.s.ses away (45); but if it be not depending upon such a cause, it will not pa.s.s away for ever. Which love was that which depended upon a material cause? Such was the love of Ammon and Tamar (46). And that which depended upon no such cause?

Such was the love of David and Jonathan (47).

(45) Lasting love is disinterested love.

(46) See II Sam. XII.

(47) See I Sam. XVIII, 1.

20. Every controversy that is in the Name of Heaven (48) shall in the end lead to a permanent result, but every controversy that is not in the Name of Heaven shall not lead to a permanent result. Which controversy was that which was in the Name of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Hillel and Shammai (49). And that which was not in the Name of Heaven? Such was the controversy of Korah and all his company (50).

(48) _I.e._, a controversy to arrive at the truth.

(49) See chapter I, n. 29.

(50) See Num. XV, 1 _et seq._

21. Whosoever causes the mult.i.tude to be righteous, over him sin prevails not; but he who causes the mult.i.tude to sin shall not have the means to repent (51). Moses was righteous and made the mult.i.tude righteous; the righteousness of the mult.i.tude was laid upon him, as it is said, ”He executed the justice of the Lord and his judgments with Israel” (52). Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, sinned and caused the mult.i.tude to sin; the sin of the mult.i.tude was laid upon him, as it is said, ”For the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and which he made Israel to sin” (53).

(51) He who leads the people astray is punished by being prevented from repenting. This does not mean, however, that man, in general, does not act in accordance with his own free will. Maimonides, in discussing this problem, says, in the eighth chapter of the _Shemonah Perakim_, ”Just as some of man's undertakings, which are ordinarily subject to his own free will, are frustrated by way of punishment, as, for instance, a man's hand being prevented from working so that he can do nothing with it, as was the case of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, or a man's eyes from seeing, as happened to the Sodomites, who had a.s.sembled about Lot, likewise how does G.o.d withhold man's ability to use his own free will in regard to repentance, so that it never occurs to him to repent, and he thus finally perishes in his own wickedness.” See ed.

Gorfinkle, p. 94 _et seq._

(52) Deut. x.x.xIII, 21.

(53) I Kings XV, 30. Cf. _Sanhedrin_ X, 2: ”Three kings have no portion in the world to come . . . Jeroboam, Ahab, and Mana.s.seh.”

22. Whosoever has these three attributes is of the disciples of Abraham, our father, but whosoever has three other attributes is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked (54). A good eye (55), a humble mind, and a lowly spirit (are the tokens) of the disciples of Abraham, our father; an evil eye, a haughty mind, and a proud spirit (are the signs) of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and those of Balaam, the wicked? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world and inherit the world to come, as it is said, ”That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and may fill all their treasuries” (56); but the disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit _Gehinnom_ (57), and descend into the pit of destruction, as it is said, ”But thou, O G.o.d, wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee” (58).

(54) See Num. XXII-XXIV.

(55) See chapter II, note 30.

(56) Prov. VIII, 21: ”Substance,” _i.e._, in the future world; ”treasures,” _i.e._, in this world.

(57) See chapter I, n. 18.

(58) Ps. LIV, 24.

23. Judah, the son of Tema, said, ”Be bold as a leopard, swift as an eagle, fleet as a hart, and strong as a lion, to do the will of thy Father who is in Heaven” (59). 24. He used to say (60), ”At five years (the age is reached for the study of the) Scripture, at ten for (the study of) the _Mishnah_ (61), at thirteen for (the fulfilment of) the commandments (62), at fifteen for (the study of) the _Talmud_ (63), at eighteen for marriage, at twenty for seeking (a livelihood) (64), at thirty for (entering into one's full) strength, at forty for understanding, at fifty for counsel, at sixty (a man attains) old age, at seventy the h.o.a.ry head, at eighty (the gift of special) strength (65), at ninety, (he bends beneath) the weight of years, at a hundred he is as if he were already dead and had pa.s.sed away from the world.”