Chapter 3
Don't Stop Looking (3:7)
Rabbi Yaakov said, "One who walks on the road, studies Torah, interrupts his studies and remarks, 'How beautiful is this tree! How beautiful is this plowed field!' Scripture considers it as if he were guilty of mortal sin. read more »
The Lonely Road (3:4)
As you all must be aware by now, the lengthy summer Shabbat afternoons are spiced up with studies from Ethics of our Fathers. This week's Chapter (#3) contains a teaching from Rabbi Chanina ben Chachinoi that reads like this, "One who is awake at night or travels alone on the road, and he turns his heart to idleness, endangers his life." read more »
JUDGE...YOURSELF (3:1)
Ethics, even more than law, often defines the true essence of who we are. The reason for this should be patently obvious. Rules, imposed by some greater, external authority compel us to do things not necessarily consistent with our real feelings or mores. Ethics, on the other hand, are not always measurable actions that can be regulated by some outside group. They represent our values, inner beliefs, attitudes, and our general outlook on life: In short, our entire personality. read more »
