אבות א׳:ט״ז - א׳:י״ז

”Make for yourself a mentor:”: It is now speaking concerning the matter of jurisdiction. If a case comes in front of you and you are in doubt about it, make for yourself a mentor, and remove yourself from doubt. And do not decide upon it by yourself; as it was with Rava: when a possibly unfit animal was brought to him, he would gather all of the slaughterers of Mata Machsia – he would say, “So that we will [all only] receive a chip of the beam."

"and do not frequently tithe by estimation": as the one who separates his tithes by estimation is not spared from disarray: if he reduces from what needs to be given, his tithes are made adequate but his fruit are disarrayed; if he adds upon what is fitting to give, his fruits are rendered adequate and his tithes are disarrayed.

"And I did not find anything good for the body except silence": One who hears his disgrace and is silent.

"and it is not the study which is the main thing but rather the deed": And you should know that silence is better for him, since even interpretation, homily and discussion of Torah – of which there is nothing greater – the main attainment of reward is for the action. And someone who teaches but does not practice [what he teaches], it would have been better if he had been silent and had not taught.

"and anyone who increases words, brings sin": As such have we found with Chava, who increased words and said, “God said, 'Do not eat from it and do not touch it,'” and added touching, about which she was not forbidden. And the snake pushed her until she touched it and said to her, “In the same way as there is no death from touching, so [too] is there no death from eating.” And from this, she came to sin, as she ate from the fruit. This is what Shlomo said (Proverbs 30:6), “Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar."