Mishnah 9 - Chapter 6 - Pirkei Avot

Amar rabbi yosei ben kisma. Pa'am achat hayiti mehallech badderech upaga bi adam echad, venatan li shalom, vehechezarti lo shalom, amar li, rabbi me'eizeh makom attah, amarti lo, me'ir gedolah shel chachamim veshel soferim ani, amar li, rabbi retzonecha shettadur immanu bimkomenu va'ani etten lecha elef alafim dinrei zahav va'avanim tovot umargaliyot, amarti lo im attah noten li kol kesef vezahav va'avanim tovot umargaliyot shebba'olam, eini dar ella bimkom torah, vechen katuv besefer tehillim al yedei david melech yisra'el, tov li torat picha me'alfei zahav vachasef, velo od, ella shebbish'at petirato shel adam ein melavin lo le'adam lo chesef velo zahav velo avanim tovot umargaliyot, ella torah uma'asim tovim bilvad, shenne'emar, behit'hallechcha tancheh otach beshachebecha tishmor aleicha vahakitzota hi tesichecha, behit'hallechcha tancheh otach, ba'olam hazzeh, beshachebecha tishmor aleicha, bakkaver, vahakitzota hi tesichecha, la'olam habba, ve'omer, li hakkesef veli hazzahav ne'um Hachem tzeva'ot.

Rabbi Yose ben Kisma said: Once I was walking by the way when a man met me, and greeted me and I greeted him. He said to me, “Rabbi, where are you from?” I said to him, “I am from a great city of sages and scribes”. He said to me, “Rabbi, would you consider living with us in our place? I would give you a thousand thousand denarii of gold, and precious stones and pearls.” I said to him: “My son, even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls that are in the world, I would not dwell anywhere except in a place of Torah; for when a man passes away there accompany him neither gold nor silver, nor precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone, as it is said, “When you walk it will lead you. When you lie down it will watch over you; and when you are awake it will talk with you” (Proverbs 6:22). “When you walk it will lead you” in this world. “When you lie down it will watch over you” in the grave; “And when you are awake it will talk with you” in the world to come. And thus it is written in the book of Psalms by David, king of Israel, “I prefer the teaching You proclaimed to thousands of pieces of gold and silver” (Psalms 119:71), And it says: “Mine is the silver, and mine the gold, says the Lord of Hosts” (Haggai 2:8).

R. Yossi b. Kisma said: "Once I was walking along the road when a certain man met me and greeted me and I greeted him in return. He asked me: 'Rebbi, where are you from?' I answered: 'From a great city of sages and scribes.' He replied: "Rebbi, please live with us in our place and I will give you thousands upon thousands of golden dinars and precious stones and pearls.' I said to him: 'My son, if you gave me all the silver and gold and precious stones and pearls in the world I would live only in a place of Torah. For when a man dies there accompany him neither silver nor gold nor precious stones nor pearls, but Torah and good deeds alone.'" As it is written (Proverbs 6:22): "In your going forth, it will lead you, in your lying down, it will guard you, and in your waking, it will be your converse." "In your going forth, it will lead you" — in this world; "in your lying down it will guard you" — in the grave; "in your waking, it will be your converse" — in the world to come. And thus is it written in the book of Psalms of David, king of Israel (Psalms 119:72): "Better to me the Torah of Your mouth than thousands in gold and silver," and (Chaggai 2:8): "Mine is the silver and Mine the gold, says the L rd of hosts."