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New
Insights for Introductory Verse
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"All
Jews have a part to [in] the World to Come"
The
reward for a Torah-observant life is Olam Haba - the World
to Come - but one might impertinently wonder if there is unlimited
room in heaven. Perhaps wide-spread observance would lead to celestial
overcrowding. Therefore, we introduce Pirkei Avot with the information
that Hashem has provided every Jew with accommodations in the
next world. Secure in the knowledge that Hashem is in no danger
of becoming an overburdended host, the individual Jew need only
concern himself with securing his own place.
(Yismach Moshe) (9)
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Insights for Introductory Verse
"…
a part to [in] the World to Come"
It is
significant that the mishna does not say, in the World to Come,
which would refer to the eventual reward attained after our life on
earth. Instead, it says to the World to Come. Even in This World,
every action of the Jew is blessed with the aura of Olam HaBa. This
Divine gift is not always apparent. However, if one penetrates beneath
the surface one detects a certain sanctity in every deed of the Torah-true
Jew. This inner kedusha is derived from the sacred radiance of the World
to Come that is enjoyed in some small measure in This World. In fact,
the primary purpose of man's creation is that by virtue of his proper
conduct he can elicit the latent Divine Spark that propels this material
world. By doing so he can in some measure help to perfect the world.
Maggidei
HaEmes (6)
"...they
are the stem of My plantings..."
The stem
is that straight, vertical branch which first comes out of the ground,
before it develops side branches that extent in different directions.
Eternity is symbolized by the straight and true, and hence the nation
of Israel is called the "stem of my plantings," for it is
directed towards G-d. That early trunk is the primary structure of the
tree and it defines the direction of a tree's growth. This metaphor
contrasts Israel with the other nations who, like side branches turning
from the trunk, become sidetracked from the quest for eternity.
"...My
handiwork, in which to take pride."
A finite
creation such as this world does not adequately reflect G-d's greatness.
Only the eternal World to Come can evince the perfection of the eternal
Creator. Since Israel completes the World to Come, as its primary citizens,
they are a principal part of that world's tribute to G-d's greatness.
Maharal
of Prague: Pirkei Avos by Tuvia Basser (Mesorah)
"...In which to take pride."
Since every Jew’s soul is an actual part of G-d, each and every Jew
— man, woman, and child — praises G-d by virtue of his very existence.
“Even the sinners of Israel are filled with mitzvos as a pomegranate
is filled with seeds.”
This teaching serves as an introduction to each chapter of Pirkei
Avot because Pirkei Avot focuses on ethical development and personal
refinement. When one becomes aware of the essential G-dly core of every
individual, one appreciates: a) the necessity to refine oneself so that
this essential quality can be expressed, and b) that every individual,
regardless of his present level of development, has the potential to
achieve such refinement.
Lubavitcher
Rebbe (1)
Insights
for Concluding Mishnah
“…To
make the people of Israel meritorious…”
Lezakot, translated as ‘to make meritorious’, also means ‘to refine’.
The goal of the Torah and its mitzvos is to refine the Jewish people.
This intention is manifest in Pirkei Avot, which teaches us to
lift our ethical conduct above the limits of human wisdom and cultivate
it according to G-d’s desire.
Lubavitcher
Rebbe (1)
An
alternative translation: G-d gave them much Torah and mitzvot
to refine and purify them.
One
would expect the Torah to reflect the oneness of its Author. Why then
does the Torah contain so many different elements? Why aare the mitzvot
so varied and detailed?
Because
G-d wished to refine the human being. And since the human being posseses
many facets, the Torah and its precepts are multifacated as well. Each
aspect of the human mind and deed can be refined by another aspect of
Torah. (Mikveh Yisrael; Biurim)
Additionaly,
a person is transformed by his deeds. Thus the more mitzvot he actually
performs the greater the transformation of his character (Chinuch 16).
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