Today’s learning is dedicated to the refuah sheleima of Simcha Nosson ben Zissel.

In our previous post we discussed how following the guidance of the Tzaddikim is crucial to our spiritual development. With that in mind, we will be beginning a new topic – Perkei Avos, Ethics of Our Fathers (a collection of moral and ethical teachings from the great leaders of two thousand years ago). Tonight, we will provide a general overview of this unique tractate.

Perkei Avos is an anthology of practical advice, guiding each generation towards spiritual growth and progression. As we learn these concepts, it will become clear that the advice and guidance contained in Perkei Avos is cogent, complete, and effective.

While Perkei Avos is customarily studied during the summer months (to counter the associated temptations), these lessons provide direction and meaning throughout the entire year.

The teachings of Perkei Avos are cited frequently in the works of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of the modern Chassidic movement, as well as in the teachings of his successors, including his great-grandson, Rebbe Nachman. As Rabbi Dovid Sears writes, “Following the Baal Shem Tov’s initiative, the Chassidic masters sought to bring about a spiritual revival among the unlettered masses and Torah scholars alike, revealing dimensions of Torah wisdom that were previously concealed. They taught that the imperative cited in the Book of Proverbs (3:6), to ‘know [G-d] in all your ways,’ applies equally to the great and small, at all times and in all circumstances.”

Each Mishnah of Perkei Avos, each teaching, contains great depth and insight. As Rabbi Yosef Marcus writes, “The Mishnah lends itself to numerous interpretations. Beneath the straightforward meaning, apparent even from a cursory reading, lie deeper meanings and allusions hinted to in the choice of one word over another, the unique construct of a phrase, the author of the saying, the juxtaposition of the passages, the placement of seemingly unrelated maxims within one passage, and other nuances.”

But as Rabbi Tuvia Basser writes, “Although there are many concepts discussed in Perkei Avos, this chapter consists of one fabric, consisting of tightly woven messages.” It is our hope that as we examine the details of each Mishnah, it will become apparent and clear that the words of Rebbe Nachman and the other great Tzaddikim act as a magnificent embroidery, complimenting and accentuating the words of the Avos.

The Talmud (Bava Kama 30a) refers to this tractate as the “Words of the fathers,” referring to our Sages as “the fathers.” As the Tosfos Yom Tov explains, “The teachings of Avos refine a person’s character. Since one who guides another person and leads him on the path of self-actualization is considered to have fathered him, the Sages of this tractate are therefore called ‘fathers.’” Similarly, the Me’am Loez explains, “This is a tractate that every father must study and internalize, so that he will know now to guide his children toward refined character, purity, and love of Torah.”

The Tzaddikim provide the deepest, most relevant advice. As the Talmud states (Pesachim 87a), “Talmidei chachamim are like tall towers.” Rabbi Yaakov Klein explains, “Their knowledge of Torah gives them the best insight on life, and thus they have the potential for the most influence.”

However, the Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the name Avos refers also to the sayings and teachings themselves. For the moral and ethical teachings of Perkei Avos are the principles that truly fashion the character. (This is unlike the other tractates of the Mishnah, which discuss specific issues within Torah law.) It is therefore called Avos, Fathers, since the sayings it contains are the “fathers,” or the principles, upon which all study and fulfillment of Torah must be based. In this way, Perkei Avos acts as an imperative prerequisite to the rest of the Mishnah.

Similarly, Rebbe Nachman teaches (Likutey Moharan I, 31:9), “To be a righteous person, one must be both a Torah scholar and a chassid, performing acts of kindness. It is necessary to be a Torah scholar, for as our Sages state: A boor cannot fear sin (Avos 2:5). But to be only a Torah scholar without good deeds is equally worthless. A person must be both.” And as the Talmud states (Bava Kama 30a), “He who wishes to become a chassid should fulfill the word of Avos.”

One of the primary objectives of the Torah and its mitzvos, is to refine our character traits; so that we may “Walk in His ways” (Devarim 11:22). As Rabbi Dovid Feinstein zt’l said, “When Yidden get up after learning a sugya (topic or subject in Torah), they should be more compassionate, kinder, with more room in their heart for others. If that doesn’t happen, then they didn’t really learn it and should sit down and learn it again.”

Rav Yoel Teitlebaum, the Satmar Rebbe, once honored Rabbi Elimelech “Mike” Tress, the Administrative President for Agudas Yisrael of America, and the man responsible for saving thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Some of the Satmar Rebbe’s younger students brazenly asked how he could honor someone without a beard. “Surely the Rebbe knows the importance of having a beard,” they said. The Satmar Rebbe looked at them and said, “You’re right. When that man leaves this world, the Heavenly Court may ask, ‘Yid, Yid, where’s your beard?’ But when you leave this world, they will ask, ‘Beard, Beard, where’s your Yid?!’”

As the dictum states, derech eretz kadma l’Torah, respect precedes Torah. (The Netziv explains that it is for this reason that the stories of our ancestry are included in Sefer Bereishis, providing us with a model of ethics and morality, prior to introducing the mitzvos.) As Rabbi Moshe Schochet writes, “While we certainly must go to great lengths to ensure that we perform each and every mitzvah in the best way possible, we must also approach developing positive character traits and middos as a prerequisite for observing mitzvos within the appropriate framework.”

Lastly, the words and counsel contained in Perkei Avos provide us with the strength and fortitude to triumph and overcome all obstacles. The Torah recounts the words of the non-Jewish prophet, Bilam, who wondered from where the Jewish nation derives its greatness, where they find the courage and resilience to rise up despite all hurdles. As Rabbi Dovid Sears writes, “Throughout their long history, the Jewish people have experienced periods of nobility and grandeur, and also periods of terrible suffering and basement. Unquestionably, when they were noble and at their pinnacle of power – such as in the days of Dovid HaMelech, or during the period of the Second Temple when a handful of Jews defeated the mighty and overwhelming Greek armies – other nations marveled at them and viewed them with great respect. But since the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel nearly two thousand years ago, much sorrow – e.g., pogroms, intolerable taxation, inquisitions and holocausts has passed over them. Nevertheless, they have always bounced back… Even more, for every blow they took, they kept on rising to greater heights. Bilam, a prophet, one who could foresee the future, wondered at this strength. From where do the Jews get their energy and drive to continuously rebuild, to always strive for the top, despite their difficulties?”

(Similarly, the Ya’avetz, Rabbi Yaakov Emden, said, “When I ponder the miracle of the survival of the Jewish people, it is in my opinion greater than all the miracles and wonders that Hashem performed for our ancestors in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in the land of Israel. The longer the exile persists, the more apparent the miracle becomes.”)

Gazing upon the Jewish nation, Bilam had found his answer, “I see their beginnings, their roots, and I see that these are as strong and solid as rocks and mountains.” As Rabbi Sears elaborates, “The Avos – the roots of the nation – and their moral and ethical teachings keep the Jewish people strong and viable, so strong that no one can truly conquer their spirit. And when we, too, ingest these teachings of the Avos, there is no obstacle that we cannot overcome, and no level of morality and purity that we cannot attain. Then we will live the good life – physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually – and experience G-d in every aspect of our lives.”