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כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעולם הבא, שנאמר ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ, נצר מטעי מעשה ידי להתפאר
1. Rabbi said, “Which is the right course that a man should choose for himself? Whatsoever is a pride to him that pursues it, and brings him honor from men. And be attentive to a light precept as to a grave, for you do not know not the assigned reward of precepts, and calculate the cost (והוי מחשב) for a duty against its gain, and the gain by a transgression against its loss. And consider three things, and you will not fall into the hands of transgression, know what is above you: a Seeing Eye, a Hearing Ear, and all your deeds written in a book.”
Yeshua links “calculating the cost” to bitul, self-nullification:
“Whoever does not bear his own execution stake, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”
Luke 14:27-30
The light precepts…
“Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:19
All your deed are written in a book…
“I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Revelation 20:12
2. Rabban Gamliel, son of R. Yehuda ha-Nasi, said, “Excellent is Torah study together with worldly business, for the practice of them both puts iniquity out of remembrance, and all Torah without work must fail at length, and occasion iniquity. And let all who are employed with the congregation act with them in the name of Heaven, for the merit of their fathers sustains them, and their righteousness stands for ever. And you yourselves shall have reward reckoned to you as if you had performed it.”
“But we exhort you, brothers, that you abound more and more, and that you make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, even as we instructed you; that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.”
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
3. “Be cautious with those in authority, for they do not allow a man approach them but for their own purposes, and they appear like friends when it is to their advantage, yet do not standby a man in the hour of his need.”
4. He used to say, “Do His will as if it were your will, that He may do your will as if it were His will. Annul your will before His will, that He may annul the will of others before your will.”
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Luke 22:42
5. Hillel said, “Separate not yourself from the congregation, and trust not in yourself until the day of your death; and judge not your friend until you come into his place; and say not of a word which may be heard that in the end it shall be heard; and say not, When I have leisure I will study; perchance you may not have leisure.”
“Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
6. He used to say, “No boor is fearful of sin, nor is the am ha-aretz pious, nor is the shy person apt to learn, the impatient cannot teach, nor is anyone who excessively engages in business wise. And in a place where there are no men endeavor to be a man.”
7. Moreover he saw a skull which floated on the face of the water, and he said to it, “Because you drowned they drowned you, and in the end they that drowned you shall be drowned.”
Middah Keneged Middah (Measure for Measure):
“For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.”
Matthew 7:2, cf. Sanhedrin 90a, Sotah 8b
8. He used to say, “More flesh, more worms. More treasures, more worry. More maidservants, more lewdness. More menservants, more theft. More women, more witchcraft. More Torah, more life. More wisdom, more scholars. More righteousness, more peace. He who has gotten a good name has gotten it for himself. He who has gotten to himself words of Torah, has gotten to himself the life of the world to come.”
9. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai received from Hillel and from Shammai. He used to say, “If you have much Torah study, do not claim merit for yourself, for this you were created.”
10. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai had five disciples, and they were: R. Eliezer ben Hyrkanos, and R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah, and R. Yose the Kohen, and R. Shimon ben Natanael, and R. Elazar ben Arakh.
“He called to himself his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every sickness. Now the names of the twelve emissaries are these. The first, Shimon, who is called Kefa, Andrai, his brother, Yaakov the son of Zavdai, Yochanan, his brother, Philip, Bar-Talmai, Thomas, Mattityahu the tax collector, Yaakov ben Halfai, Labbai, whose surname was Taddai, Shimon the Canaanite, and Yehuda Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”
Matthew 10:1-4
11. He used to recount their praise: Eliezer ben Hyrkanos is a plastered cistern, which does not lose a drop, Yehoshua ben Chananiah – happy is she that bare him, R. Yose the Kohen is pious, Shimon ben Natanael fears sin, and R. Elazar ben Arakh is a like a flowing spring.”
Like a flowing spring…
“He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:38
Happy is she that bare him…
“It came to pass, as he said these things, a certain woman out of the multitude lifted up her voice, and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts which nursed you!” But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of G-d, and keep it.”
Luke 11:27-28, cf. Pesikta Rabbati 37
12. He used to say, “If all the wise of Israel were in a scale of the balance, and Eliezer ben Hyrkanos in the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name, “If all the wise of Israel were in a scale of the balance, and Eliezer ben Hyrkanos with them, and Elazar ben Arakh in the other scale, he would outweigh them all.”
13. He said to them, “Go and see which is the good way that a man should cleave to.” Rabbi Eliezer said, “A good eye.” R. Yehoshua said, “A good friend.” and R. Yose said, “A good neighbor.” and R. Shimon said, “He that foresees what is to be.” R. Elazar said, “A good heart.” He said to them, “I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arakh rather than your words, for his words include your words.”
14. He said to them, “Go and see which is the evil way that a man should shun.” R. Eliezer said, “An evil eye.” R. Yehoshua said, “An evil companion.” R. Yose said, “An evil neighbor.” R. Shimon said, “He that borrows and does repay – he that borrows from a man is the same as if he borrowed from God (blessed is He) – for it is said, “The wicked borrows, and does not pays, but the Tzaddik is merciful and gives.” (Psalm 37:21) R. Elazar said, “An evil heart.” He said to them, “I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arakh rather than your words, for your words are included in his words.”
“…the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.”
Matthew 15:18-19
15. They each said three things. R. Eliezer said, “Let the honor of your friend be dear to you as your own, and do not be easily provoked, and repent one day before your death. And warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of their embers, lest you be burned, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss the hiss of a fiery serpent, and all their words are as coals of fire.”
16. R. Yehoshua said, “An evil eye, and the evil nature, and hatred of the creatures put a man out of the world.”
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”
Matthew 6:22-23
17. R. Yose said, “Let the property of your friend be precious unto you as your own, set yourself to learn Torah, for it is not an heirloom unto you, and let all your actions be for the sake of Heaven.”
18. R. Shimon said, “Be careful in reading the Shema and in Prayer, and when you pray, make not your prayer an ordinance, but an entreaty before God, blessed is He, for it is said, “For G-d is compassionate and easily-entreated, long-suffering, and abounding in grace, and be not wicked to yourself.”
“In praying, do not use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do. For they think that they will be heard because of their many words.”
Matthew 6:7
19. R. Elazar said, “Be diligent to learn Torah, with which you may give answer to an Apikoros, and know before whom you toil, and who is the Master of your work.”
“But sanctify the L-rd G-d in your hearts, and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear.”
1 Peter 3:15
20. R. Tarfon said, “The day is short, and the task is great, and the laborers are lazy, and the reward is great, and the Master of the house is urgent.
“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is rich, but the workers are few. Pray that the L-rd of the harvest will send out workers to gather in his harvest.”
Matthew 9:37-38, Luke 10:2
21. He said, “It is not for you to finish the work, nor are you free to desist from it. If you have learned much Torah, they give you much reward, and faithful is the Master of your work, who will pay you the reward of your work, and know that the reward of the reward of the righteous is for the time to come.”
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.”
Luke 6:35