Mishnah 6 - Chapter 6 - Pirkei Avot

Gedolah torah yoter min hakkehunnah umin hammalchut, shehammalchut nikneit bishloshim ma'alot, vehakkehunnah be'esrim ve'arba', vehattorah nikneit be'arba'im ushemoneh devarim, ve'elu hen. Betalmud, bishmi'at ha'ozen, ba'arichat sefatayim, bevinat hallev, be'eimah, beyir'ah, ba'anavah, besimchah, betohorah, beshimmush chachamim, bedikduk chaverim, befilpul hattalmidim, beyishuv, bemikra, bemishnah, bemi'ut sechorah, bemi'ut derech eretz, bemi'ut ta'anug, bemi'ut shenah, bemi'ut sichah, bemi'ut sechok, be'erech appayim, belev tov, be'emunat chachamim, bekabbalat hayissorin, hammakkir et mekomo, vehassameach bechelko, veha'oseh seyag lidvarav, ve'eino machazik tovah le'atzmo, ahuv, ohev et hammakom, ohev et habberiyot, ohev et hatzedakot, ohev et hammeisharim, ohev et hattochachot, umitrachek min hakkavod, velo megis libbo betalmudo, ve'eino sameach behora'ah, nosei ve'ol im chavero, umachri'o lechaf zechut, uma'amido al ha'emet, uma'amido al hashalom, umityashev libbo betalmudo, sho'el umeshiv shomea umosif, hallomed al menat lelammed vehallomed al menat la'asot, hammachkim et rabbo, vehamchavven et shemu'ato, veha'omer davar beshem omero, ha lamadta kol ha'omer davar beshem omero mevi ge'ullah la'olam, shenne'emar vattomer ester lammelech beshem maredechai.

Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight things. By study, Attentive listening, Proper speech, By an understanding heart, By an intelligent heart, By awe, By fear, By humility, By joy, By attending to the sages, By critical give and take with friends, By fine argumentation with disciples, By clear thinking, By study of Scripture, By study of mishnah, By a minimum of sleep, By a minimum of chatter, By a minimum of pleasure, By a minimum of frivolity, By a minimum of preoccupation with worldly matters, By long-suffering, By generosity, By faith in the sages, By acceptance of suffering. [Learning of Torah is also acquired by one] Who recognizes his place, Who rejoices in his portion, Who makes a fence about his words, Who takes no credit for himself, Who is loved, Who loves God, Who loves [his fellow] creatures, Who loves righteous ways, Who loves reproof, Who loves uprightness, Who keeps himself far from honors, Who does not let his heart become swelled on account of his learning, Who does not delight in giving legal decisions, Who shares in the bearing of a burden with his colleague, Who judges with the scales weighted in his favor, Who leads him on to truth, Who leads him on to peace, Who composes himself at his study, Who asks and answers, Who listens [to others], and [himself] adds [to his knowledge], Who learns in order to teach, Who learns in order to practice, Who makes his teacher wiser, Who is exact in what he has learned, And who says a thing in the name of him who said it. Thus you have learned: everyone who says a thing in the name of him who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22).

Knowing one's place, rejoicing in one's lot, making a fence to one's words, not arrogating good to oneself, being beloved, loving the L rd, loving men, loving charity, loving reproof, loving uprightness, distancing oneself from honor, not vaunting oneself on one's learning, not rejoicing in (halachic) ruling, bearing the yoke with one's friend, judging him in the scales of merit, guiding him to truth, guiding him to peace, finding gratification in one's learning, asking and answering, listening and adding, learning in order to teach, learning in order to do, making one's teacher wiser, coordinating one's learning, and saying something in the name of its sayer, as we have learned: Whoever says something in the name of its sayer brings redemption to the world, as it is written (Esther 2:22): "And Esther told (it) to the king in the name of Mordecai."