עִברִית
הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים, הֱווּ מְתוּנִים בַּדִּין, וְהַעֲמִידוּ תַלְמִידִים הַרְבֵּה, וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה:
English
They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Commentary
Rodef Shalom Commentary- (2024) Zev ben David, ואוש
My eldest sister, a former food scientist for Digiorno once told me a story of her experience helping develop the instructions for a new product she’d recently invented: the microwavable thin crust pizza. Though she’d prepared instructions for heating it up in home microwave ovens, placing it in on the reflective stand for an appropriate length of time, when she witnessed the first test participants trying it out, the marketing team had instead provided the Frozen product in its final consumer ready form in a blank white box in a room with a microwave oven and no instructions. Watching through a one-way mirror, they observed. Some people took out the Frozen Pizza from the box, removed the plastic film, placed it in the reflective stand and set the microwave for a reasonable time of 2 minutes just as intended from the intuitive workflow built into the thoughtful design of the product. However, many more got only part way through the steps, omitting one or more steps, or setting the time far too short or far too long. A few even managed to set the product on fire by simply placing the closed box in the microwave for 10 minutes. From these observations new instructions were prepared to help set the boundaries of what was intended, acceptable, and what needed to serve as a warning to prevent acute harm. When some prefer their pizza more or less hot and more or less crispy, there may be many suitable approaches but providing guide rails to avoid injury is wise.
Looking at this week’s verse, an air of admonition lies in the advice offered. Be patient, do not be hasty in administering justice for hasty decisions may be rendered before all the evidence can be found or examined for corruption. Raise many disciples because each of us, especially in the days before mass media, can only share our collected data, observations, and frameworks of understanding with so many others before our time is at an end and the law of exponential growth tells us that the larger the starting point of influence, the greater its propagation through the generations. Traditionally the notion of a fence around the Torah has been interpreted to mean that when performing a negative, prohibitive mitzvah, do not even approach the violation of it.
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Discussion Topics
Topic 1:
What did our Sages intend?the notion of a fence around the Torah has been interpreted to mean that when performing a negative, prohibitive mitzvah, do not even approach the violation of it
Are we bound to follow in this tradition?Topic 2:
What is the fence for?Is the fence to protect us from the Torah or the Torah from us
Fences can protect by keeping something out, but also serve to define a boundary between one area and anotherShould the fence be used to keep us from going to the Torah without struggle, to help us avoid using it to render hasty judgment?
Topic 3:
How can a fence help us train disciples?How does the fence help us train many disciples?
Perhaps because we cannot build a fence on our own, but only with many hands?Translations
English
Mishnah Yomit- Dr. Joshua Kulp
They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah.
Open Mishnah
They said three things, “Be deliberate in judgment, stand up (establish) many students and make a fence for the Torah.”
Open Mishnah
The Mishna with Obadiah Bartenura- Rabbi Shraga Silverstein
They were wont to say three things. [They said many things; but they were wont to say these three things to uphold the integrity of Torah]: Be patient (“metunim”) in judgment [i.e., if something comes before you for judgment, do not say: “Such a case has come before me two or three times before,” but be patient; that is, “wait” (‘mamtinim’) before you rule upon it.] And set up many disciples, [(as opposed to the view of R. Gamliel, who says (Berachoth 28a): “Let no disciple whose inside is not like his outside enter the house of study.”) We are hereby taught that Torah is taught to every man, and there is no need to “search him out,” so long as he is not known to be a man of ill conduct and of ill repute. Or, we are (hereby) being taught that if one set up disciples in his youth, he should continue doing so in his old age, as it is written (Koheleth 11:6): “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening let your hand not rest.”] And make a fence for the Torah, [so that you not come to violate the issur of the Torah itself (e.g., the secondary class [shniyoth] of forbidden relations) and shvuth (rabbinically interdicted occupation) on Sabbath, as it is written (Leviticus 18:30): “And you shall keep My charge” — Make a “keeping” for My charge.]
Sayings of the Jewish Fathers (Pirqe Aboth) translated by Charles Taylor
1(b). They said three things: Be deliberate in judgment; and raise up many disciples; and make a fence to the Thorah.
Deutsch
Mischnajot mit deutscher Übersetzung und Erklärung
Talmud Bavli- Lazarus Goldschmidt (1929)
DIESE SPRACHEN DREI DINGE AUS: SEID BEDÄCHTIG BEIM RECHTSPRECHEN, BILDET VIELE SCHÜLER AUS, UND ERRICHTET EINEN ZAUN UM DIE TORA.
Talmud Bavli. Lazarus Goldschmidt. 1929 [de]
Source: nli.org.il
Digitization: Sefaria License: Public Domain
Français
Maximes des Pères- Rabbi Rivon (2023)
Ces derniers ont enseigné trois principes: «Soyez pondérés dans le jugement, formez de nombreux disciples et érigez un rempart autour de la Tora.»
Español
Ritual de oraciones para todo el ano- Marcos Edeery (1965)
Ellos emitieron estos tres principios:Sed circunspectos en vuestros juicios, formad muchos alumnos y erigid una valla para salvarguardar la Torá.
Português
Ética dos Pais- Bruno Manuel (2023)
Ele dizia: “Em três coisas baseia-se o mundo: na Torá, no serviço e nos atos de compaixão”. (Nota do tradutor: o estudo da Torá está aberto a todos os seres humanos que a queiram com verdadeiro amor)
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