Mishnah 2 - Chapter 3 - Pirkei Avot

Rabbi chanina segan hakkohanim omer. Hevei mitpallel vishlomah shel malchut, she'ilmalei mora'ah, ish et re'ehu chayim bela'o. Rabbi chananya ben teradyon omer. Shenayim sheyoshevin ve'ein beineihen divrei torah, harei zeh moshav letzim, shenne'emar (t'hlm ), uvemoshav letzim lo yashav. Aval shenayim sheyoshevin veyesh beineihem divrei torah, shechinah sheruyah beineihem, shenne'emar (mlch g), az nidberu yir'ei hashem ish el re'ehu vayakshev hashem vayishma vayikkatev sefer zikkaron lefanav leyir'ei hashem ulechoshevei shemo. Ein li ella shenayim. Minnayin she'afillu echad sheyoshev ve'osek battorah, shehakkadosh baruch hu kovea lo sachar, shenne'emar (chh g, ), yeshev badad veyiddom ki natal alav.

Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. R. Hananiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said: “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward? As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28).

R. Chanina, the adjutant high-priest says: Pray for the well-being of the king, [even the kings of the nations]. For if not for its [(monarchy's)] fear, one man would swallow his fellow alive, [as it is written (Habakkuk 1:14): "And You have made a man like the fish of the sea" — Just as with the fish of the sea, all who are bigger than the other swallow the other, so with men. If the fear of the king were not upon them, all who were greater than the other would swallow the other.] R. Chanina ben Teradyon says: If two sit and there are no words of Torah between them, this is called "the seat of scoffers," as it is written (Psalms 1:1): "And he did not sit in the seat of scoffers. ((2): For in the Torah of the L rd is his desire, etc.") But if two sit and there are words of Torah between them, the Shechinah is between them, as it is written (Malachi 3:16): "Then the fearers of the L rd spoke to each other [(two are implied)], and the L rd listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for the fearers of the L rd and the thinkers on His name." This tells me only of two. Whence do I derive that even if one sits and studies Torah the Holy One Blessed be He sets aside reward for him? From (Eichah 3:27): "He shall sit alone and be silent, [learning by himself in "a still, small voice"], for he has taken it upon him" [i.e., it is as if the giving of the entire Torah was for him alone.]