Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Avot/Chapter 6/10

Introduction

This Baraita lists five possessions that God particularly prizes.

Hebrew Text

חֲמִשָׁה קִנְיָנִים קָנָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בָּעוֹלָמוֹ,
וְאֵלּוּ הֵן:
תּוֹרָה קִנְיָן אֶחָד,
שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ קִנְיָן אֶחָד,
אַבְרָהָם קִנְיָן אֶחָד,
יִשְׂרָאֵל קִנְיָן אֶחָד,
בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קִנְיָן אֶחָד.

תּוֹרָה מִנַּיִן?
דִּכְתִיב:
"יְהֹוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכּוֹ קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָז."

שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ מִנַּיִן?
דִּכְתִיב:
"כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה: 'הַשָּׁמַיִם כִּסְאִי וְהָאָרֶץ הֲדֹם רַגְלָי. אֵי זֶה בַיִת אֲשֶׁר תִּבְנוּ לִי? וְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מְנוּחָתִי?'"
וְאוֹמֵר:
"מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְהֹוָה כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶךָ."

אַבְרָהָם מִנַּיִן?
דִּכְתִיב:
"וַיְבָרְכֵהוּ וַיֹּאמַר: 'בָּרוּךְ אַבְרָם לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן קוֹנֶה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ.'"

יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנַּיִן?
דִּכְתִיב:
"עַד יַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ יְהֹוָה עַד יַעֲבוֹר עַם זוּ קָנִיתָ";
וְאוֹמֵר:
"לִקְדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה וְאַדִּירֵי כָּל חֶפְצִי בָם."

בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ מִנַּיִן?
דִּכְתִיב:
"מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְהֹוָה מִקְּדָשׁ אֲדֹנָי כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶיךָ,"
וְאוֹמֵר:
"וַיְבִיאֵם אֶל גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ הַר זֶה קָנְתָה יְמִינוֹ."

English Translation

Five possessions has the Holy One, Blessed be He, declared His own in His world,
And they are:
The Torah [is] one possession,
Heaven and earth [are] one possession,
Abraham [is] one possession,
Israel [is] one possession,
[And] the Sanctuary [is] one possession.

From where [do we infer that] the Torah [is] one possession?
For it is written:
“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, the first of His of old.” (Proverbs 8:22.)

From where [do we infer that] heaven and earth [are] one possession?
For it is written:
“Thus says the Lord: ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Which house might you build for Me? And which place might be My resting-place?’” (Isaiah 66:1),
And it [also] says:
“How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; full is the earth, Your possession.” (Psalm 104:24.)

From where [do we infer that] Abraham [is] one possession?
For it is written:
“And [Melchizedek] blessed him, and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Maker of heaven and earth.’” (Genesis 14:19.)

From where [do we infer that] Israel [is] one possession?
For it is written:
“Till Your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over whom You have made Your own” (Exodus 15:16),
And it [also] says:
“As for the holy that are in the earth, they are the excellent in whom is all My delight.” (Psalm 16:3.)

From where [do we infer that] the Sanctuary [is] one possession?
For it is written:
“The Sanctuary, O Lord, that Your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17),
And it is [also] said:
“And He brought them to His holy border, to the mountain, which His right hand had possessed.” (Psalm 78:54.)

Explanation

For commentary on Avot 6:10, see, for example:

• Rabbi Menachem Schneerson
• Rabbi Dovid Rosenfeld