Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Avot/Chapter 6/2

Hebrew Text

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי:

בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת מֵהַר חוֹרֵב

וּמַכְרֶזֶת וְאוֹמֶרֶת:

"אוֹי לָהֶם לַבְּרִיּוֹת מֵעֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה;"

שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה נִקְרָא נָזוּף,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: "נֶזֶם זָהָב בְּאַף חֲזִיר אִשָּׁה יָפָה וְסָרַת טָעַם,"

וְאוֹמֵר: "וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה, וְהַמִּכְתָּב מִכְתַּב אֱלֹהִים הוּא, חָרוּת עַל הַלֻּחֹת,"

אַל תִּקְרָא חָרוּת אֶלָּא חֵרוּת,

שֶׁאֵין לְךָ בֶּן חוֹרִין אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה;

וְכָל מִי שֶׁעוֹסֵק בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְעַלֶּה,

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת.

English Translation

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

Each and every day a heavenly echo goes out from Mount Horeb,

and announces and says:

"Woe to the creatures for disparaging the Torah;"

for anyone who does not involve himself in the Torah is called "rebuked,"

as it is said (Proverbs 11:22): "A ring of gold in a swine's snout is a beautiful woman who turns from discretion,"

and it says (Exodus 32:16): "And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets,"

do not read "graven" (harut) but rather "freedom" (herut),

for there is no free man except one that involves himself in Torah learning;

And anyone who involves himself in Torah learning is elevated,

as it is said (Numbers 21:19): "and from Mattanah, Nahaliel; and from Nahaliel, Bamoth."