Category Archives: Ethics of the Fathers

Lion’s Tail (4:20)

The author of this Mishnah served as the rabbi of Rome. While all his colleagues were coalesced together in the great Torah centers of Israel, Rabbi Masya Ben Charash led the small community and academy in the epicenter of impurity. How he got there is certainly a tantalizing question. In this teaching he guides us in making career choices, ensuring relationship harmony, and how to be a pleasant amiable person.

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Theodicy Today (4:19)

The blissful existence of the wicked and the suffering of the righteous raise difficult questions for the believer: If God is in total control of all that transpires, why would He cause pain to those who obey His words and reward those who neglect them? In this pithy mishnah we learn that the classical reconciliation of this problem may leave us wanting.

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Environment Makes the Man (4:18)

Rabbi Elazar Ben Aruch was the most promising student of Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai. Unfortunately, his potential was not actualized, and in fact he forgot his Torah. In this autobiographical Mishnah, he shares with us the reason why his greatness did not pan out.

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Crowning Achievements (4:17)

In our most ideal state, the Jewish Nation is described as “A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation.” We are all Kings! The Talmud teaches that in Olam Haba, all the righteous who merit an invitation will be adorned with a resplendent crown atop their heads, and be basking in the pleasure of God. In this Mishnah we discover the nature of those crowns.

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Precise Teaching (4:16)

Accidents happen. Generally speaking, the Torah overlooks things that happen unintentionally. If someone accidentally sins, the Almighty forgives him. Yet the Mishnah teaches that an accident in Torah study is tantamount to a willful, negligent blunder. Why are matters of Torah treated so harshly?

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Upgrading Honor (4:15)

How ought we treat subordinates, peers, and superiors? In this intriguing Mishnah we learn that we tend to undervalue others and consequently accord them insufficient honor, and must correct that by always upgrading the honor and respect for all of our relationships.

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An Enduring Union (4:14)

The Sages of yore were absolute Torah giants, of course, but many also balanced their scholastic responsibilities with earning a livelihood. Our particular Mishnah is the brainchild of Rabbi Yochanan HaSandler, Rabbi Yochanan the Shoemaker. In this pithy teaching, he differentiates between assemblies convened for the sake of Heaven and those bound for failure.

Heavenly Headlines (4:13)

What are the consequences of our behavior? What difference does it make if someone does a mitzvah or a sin? In this landmark teaching in Pirkei Avos we learn that our actions truly matter. We have the opportunity to make breaking news in Heaven. What Heavenly Headline will we write?

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Making Torah a Priority (4:12)

Rabbi Meir is one of the most significant personalities in Jewish history. He was one of the five surviving students of Rabbi Akiva, and the one whose notes were used as the basis for the Mishnah. In this seminal teaching, he guides us on how to harmonize Torah study and making a livelihood and informs us of the great, eternal benefits of making Torah the central priority of our lives.

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This Eternal Ethics podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Matisyahu Ben Avraham. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.

Getting Rich Doing What You Love (4:11)

Which is a greater inhibitor of Torah study, being rich or being poor? You would imagine that both conditions would distract someone from dedicating their time to Torah study. In this Mishnah we find an answer to this question and consequently a way for someone to achieve a rags-to-riches turnaround thanks to committed Torah study.

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This Eternal Ethics podcast is dedicated in loving memory of Matisyahu Ben Avraham. May his soul be elevated in Heaven.



Judicial Restraint (4:9-10)

Justice is one of the three things that perpetuate the world. But should one strive to be a judge? In this very interesting Mishnah, the brainchild of a fascinating Sage, we discover that a person ought to be highly reticent in avoiding serving as a judge.

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Honoring Torah (4.8)

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Rabbi Yose was one of the most important and prolific Jewish figures of the 2nd Century. There are literally hundreds of stories and teachings of his in the Talmud and Midrash, but his tenure coincided with one of the most treacherous times in Jewish history: The Hadrianic persecutions

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Sponsorship: Please consider sponsoring a podcast by making a donation to help fund our Jewish outreach and educational efforts at https://www.torchweb.org/support.php. Thank you!

Contact Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe:
Websites: Personal: RabbiWolbe.com; TORCH: Torchweb.orgTwitter: Personal: @RabbiWolbe; TORCH: @TORCHWEB
Facebook: Personal: Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe; TORCH: TORCH Centre
Email: rabbiwolbe@gmail.com.

Podcasts Links:

This Jewish Life – A Podcast About Jewish Philosophy with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Jewish History Podcast – The podcast telling the Remarkable story of the Jewish Peoples with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
The Parsha Podcast  – A Weekly podcast of analyzing and Exploring the Parsha with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
TORAH 101 – A Podcast about the Divinity of Torah and the relationship between the Written and Oral Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher;
Eternal Ethics – The Pirkei Avos Podcast with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple PodcastsAndroidStitcher.
The Mitzvah Podcast – Surveying the 613 Mitzvos of the Torah with Rabbi Yaakov Wolbe: Apple Podcasts