Welcome to Avot Today

This blog is dedicated to discussion of Pirkei Avot, usually known in English as the Ethics of the Fathers.

Avot is a tractate of the Mishnah -- the compilation of Oral Jewish Law that complements the Written Law of the Torah and forms the foundation on which the Talmud is built. It deals principally with the themes of the importance of learning Torah, good practice in hearing and deciding legal disputes and the cultivation of good habits of thought and behaviour.

My contention is that Avot is not merely interesting in itself but that it has a great deal to teach us even today, getting on for two thousand years after its compilation.  Subsequent posts will examine the ways Avot is interpreted and the means by which it reflects light on current problems faced by people in their relationships with God, with each other and with themselves.

Readers' comments on this and subsequent posts are welcomed, since no-one has a monopoly of wisdom or understanding where Avot is involved.