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."



Explanation
משנה אבות ו ב