Wednesday 28 September 2022: Don't just sit and learn! For God's sake get a job ... Pirkei Avot offers support to both sides of the learn-or-work debate -- and here's a fresh perspective on it.
Sunday 25 September 2022: Shanah Tovah! A happy new year to you all. For once, here's a post that is self-explanatory.
Friday 23 September 2022: Lions, foxes and a mysterious proof verse. Several classical commentators explain the mishnah about being a tail to lions rather than a head to foxes by reference to a verse from Proverbs that no longer appears in the Ethics of the Fathers.
Wednesday 21 September 2022: Portrait of a prophet: another reason for not judging by appearances; A midrashic "case study" of Moses shows the dangers of superficial assessment of others.
Monday 19 September 2022: Do good, feel bad? Fulfilment of a divine commandment should make us feel great about ourselves. Avot advocates the virtues of charitable giving, though that can have quite the opposite effect.
Sunday 18 September 2022: A vanishing hatred. We take a deeper look at Ben Azzai's warning that we should not regard any fellow human lightly.
Friday 16 September 2022: Goodwill to all men. How can we ascertain whether the idea of greeting everyone with a cheerful countenance really does mean "everyone" and not just other Jews?
Wednesday 14 September 2022: Avot, Elul and repentance: it's not too late. A few simple thoughts about the best way to make use of the month that leads up to the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Tuesday 13 September 2022: Does God accept bribes? A further comment. We look at the Meiri's contribution to this great debate.
Sunday 11 September 2022: Escape from captivity. Rabbi David Hazan's David BaMetzudah opens with a description of the unusual circumstances in which he came to write his commentary on Avot.
Friday 9 September 2022: Are you a man or a chameleon? Is a person's individuality compromised by the need to conform to norms and meet the needs of others, or is it determined by these things?
Monday 5 September 2022: Left dangling: limits to free will revisited. Returning to one of Judaism's favourite topics, we suggest that there is a half-way stage between total free will and complete predestination.
Sunday 4 September 2022: Orphaned, Unloved: Another seemingly unwanted commentary on Pirkei Avot is unearthed. Information concerning it and its author is earnestly requested.
Friday 2 September 2022: Seniors and Juniors: One can learn a lot from those higher up in the hierarchy and those below, even though what one learns may be quite different in each case.
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