Avot 4:2: The Religious Disposition

By Rabbi Alan Yuter
Posted Wednesday, May 10, 2006

In previous Mishnah, we learn that the wise person learns from everyone, the hero is in control of himself, the rich person is satisfied, and honored person is the one who creates rather than consumes honor. Applied to the observance of Jewish law, Ben Azzai, the colleague of Ben Zoma, deals with how one relates to God:

• 1 Run to observe the light as well as heavy commandment
• 2 Flee from the doing of sin
• 2' because sin drags sin
• 1' and commandments drag commandments
• 1' ' the reward for the commandment is the doing of a commandment
• 2' ' and the payback for a sin is a sin

In mAvot 1:3 we learn that we do not serve God for the sake of reward. Ben Azzai teaches a similar idea in different words. Apply speed to direct oneself to obeying God's commands, while fleeing, as from danger, from sin. The wages of sin are death, the reward for the commandments is life, in this world and in the next.

Once one knows how to be wise, strong, rich, and honored, one applies the sensibility to right living. The religious person asks, "what does God want me to do?" For this question to be answered, we need

1. learning
2. wisdom
3. courage
4. contentment
5. the willingness to share honor
6. and the belief commitment to put one's faith into practice

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