Ethics of the Fathers

Fe AREER WEEE LOD HEMET AMON S TOM) AAC ali) tO INOAN, LO Make KNOWN Now patient God is, for all those generations increasingly provoked Him until He brought on them the waters of the Flood. 3. There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham, to make known how patient Godis, for all those generations increasingly provoked Him until Abraham our | father came and received the reward which could have been theirs. 4. Abraham our father was tested with ten trials and he withstood all of them, to make known how deep was our father Abraham’s love of God. 5. Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten at the Sea. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought ten plagues against the Egyptians in Egypt, and ten at the Sea. 6. With ten trials our ancestors tried the patience of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the wilderness, as it is written, “They have tested Me these ten times, Num. 14 and did not listen to My voice.” 7. Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in the Temple: (1) No woman miscarried from the aroma of the sacrificial meat; (2) the sacrificial meat never became putrid; (3) no fly was seen in the slaughterhouse; (4) the High Priest never suffered ritual pollution on Yom Kippur; (s) rain never extinguished the fire of the wood-pile on the altar; (6) the wind never blew away the column of smoke that rose from the altar; (7) no defect was ever found in the Omer, the Two Loaves, or the Showbread; (8) the people stood crowded together, yet there was ample space when they prostrated themselves; (9) no serpent or scorpion ever harmed anyone in Jerusalem; and (10) no one ever said to his fellow, “There is no room for me to stay overnight in Jerusalem.” 8. Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight. They were: (1) the mouth of the earth; (2) the mouth of the well; (3) the mouth of [Balaam’s] ass; (4) the rainbow; (5) the manna; (6) the staff; (7) the Shamir; (8) the writing [on the Tablets]; (9) the inscription; and (10) the Tablets. Some say: also the demons, Moses’ burial place, and the ram of our father Abraham. And some say: also tongs made with tongs. g. Seven traits characterize an uncultured person, and seven a sage. A sage: | (1) does not speak before one who is wiser than he; (2) does not interrupt | the words of his fellow; (3) does not answer impetuously; (4) asks relevant | questions and gives appropriate answers; (5) deals with first things first, and