Mishnah.org Logo
Perek 6

Mishnayos Avos Perek 6 Mishnah 8

אבות פרק ו׳ משנה ח׳

8
Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: Beauty, strength, riches, honor, wisdom, [old age], gray hair, and children are becoming to the righteous, and becoming to the world, As it is said: “Gray hair is a crown of glory (beauty); it is attained by way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31), And it says: “The ornament of the wise is their wealth” (ibid. 14:24), And it says: “The glory of youths is their strength; and the beauty of old men is their gray hair” (ibid. 20:29), And it says: “Grandchildren are the glory of their elders, and the glory of children is their parents” (ibid. 17:6), And it says: “Then the moon shall be ashamed, and the sun shall be abashed. For the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and God’s Honor will be revealed to his elders” (Isaiah 24:23). Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: these seven qualities, which the sages have listed [as becoming] to the righteous, were all of them fulfilled in Rabbi and his sons.

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יְהוּדָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר, הַנּוֹי וְהַכֹּחַ וְהָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד וְהַחָכְמָה וְהַזִּקְנָה וְהַשֵּׂיבָה וְהַבָּנִים, נָאֶה לַצַּדִּיקִים וְנָאֶה לָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם טז) עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת שֵׂיבָה בְּדֶרֶךְ צְדָקָה תִּמָּצֵא. וְאוֹמֵר (שם כ) תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם וַהֲדַר זְקֵנִים שֵׂיבָה. וְאוֹמֵר (שם יד) עֲטֶרֶת חֲכָמִים עָשְׁרָם. וְאוֹמֵר (שם יז) עֲטֶרֶת זְקֵנִים בְּנֵי בָנִים וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם. וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה כד) וְחָפְרָה הַלְּבָנָה וּבוֹשָׁה הַחַמָּה, כִּי מָלַךְ ה' צְבָאוֹת בְּהַר צִיּוֹן וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן מְנַסְיָא אוֹמֵר, אֵלּוּ שֶׁבַע מִדּוֹת שֶׁמָּנוּ חֲכָמִים לַצַּדִּיקִים, כֻּלָּם נִתְקַיְּמוּ בְרַבִּי וּבְבָנָיו:

ח׳

A crown: This is riches.

of glory: This is beauty.

and children: "and the glory of children are their fathers."

strength: "The glory of young men is their strength."

honor: "and before His elders shall be honor."

and wisdom: as there are many [times that the word,] elders (zekenim) [is] found here. And one of them is to [include its acrostic], zeh she'kanah chochmah (the one who acquired wisdom).

עֲטֶרֶת. זֶה הָעֹשֶׁר:

תִּפְאֶרֶת. זֶה הַנּוֹי:

וְהַבָּנִים. וְתִפְאֶרֶת בָּנִים אֲבוֹתָם:

וְהַכֹּחַ. תִּפְאֶרֶת בַּחוּרִים כֹּחָם:

וְהַכָּבוֹד. וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד:

וְהַחָכְמָה. דִּזְקֵנִים טוּבָא אִיכָּא הָכָא, וְחַד מִנַּיְהוּ לְזֶה שֶׁקָּנָה חָכְמָה: