Category Archives: Ethics of the Fathers

5 Paths to Perfection (Pirkei Avos 2:9)

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Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai tasked his five students with an interesting mission. He instructed them to go and find which path should a person cling to. They went and researched and returned, each with a different formula. What exactly is the goal of such an experiment? What does an evil eye mean and how does it affect our lives? Join us as we explore this wide ranging and fascinating mishna with poignant lessons that are relevant to us.

Documents mentioned in lecture:

Torah Pyramid

Chain of Transmission

Yoke of Torah: The Benefits of Total Commitment

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The Mishna (Chapters of the Fathers 3:5) declares: רבי נחוניה בן הקנה אומר, כל המקבל עליו עול תורה, מעבירין ממנו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ; וכל הפורק ממנו עול תורה, נותנין עליו עול מלכות ועול דרך ארץ. “Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakana says: whoever accepts upon themselves the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is removed from him; and whoever casts off the yoke of Torah, the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the land is placed upon him.” What are the lessons contained in this cryptic message?

The Individual in a community. Ethics 2.4

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Starting with a riveting history lesson for background, Rabbi Wolbe and his team of collaborators attempt to unravel and decipher a particularly complex Mishna.

Ethics of the Fathers: A Truism about Altruism (1:3)

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Discussing the various philosophical angles and aspects of Altruism invariably generates vigorous debate. In this class, Rabbi Wolbe attempts to unravel the very complex Jewish position on the issue.

Ethics of the Fathers: Spiritual Pipes (1.2)

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In this class we learn what distinguishes Man from all other species, about the fascinating Jewish idea of the convergence of the spiritual and the physical and, in a first, Rabbi Wolbe calls out one of the participants as being “flaky”.

Ethics of the Fathers: Introduction (1.1)

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Pirkei Avos, or Ethics of the Fathers is a compilation of Rabbinic ethical teachings spanning 500 years of Jewish vibrancy, circa 300 BCE to 200 CE, that, amazingly, retain their relevance to contemporary times. In this class, Rabbi Wolbe outlines the historical background to this fascinating work, explains the structure of the book, and digs into Chapter One Mishna One.