אבות ב׳:ח׳ - ב׳:ט׳

"Do not credit it favorably for yourself": to say, "I have learned much Torah." And since he did not leave a verse nor a mishnah, halakha (law) or aggada (homily) that the did not learn (Sukkah 28a, Bava Batra 134a), he said this.

"a pit covered in plaster (sud)": is the [correct] version that we have - and not a pit of plaster (sid) - meaning to say, like a pit sealed with plaster.

"that does not lose a drop": Thus does he not forget a [single] thing from his study.

"happy is the one who gave birth to him": Rendered happy by good character traits is one who the whole world says about him, "happy is the one who gave birth to him." And some say, because she caused him to be a sage. For she would go out to all of the study halls in her town and say to them, "I request from you that you should seek mercy (pray) for this embryo that is in my innards, that he should be a sage." And from the day that he was born, she did not remove his crib from the study hall, so that only words of Torah would enter his ears.

"pious": [One] who does beyond the letter of the law.

"fears sin": [He is] strict upon himself and forbids upon himself things that are permissible out of his fear, lest he come to do a sin. As if it is not like this, what is the novelty - even an ignorant man can be one that fears sin.

"an ever-strengthening fountain": His heart (mind) is broad and he adds analysis and reasoning from his own knowledge.

Abba Shaul says in his name: of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai.

"and Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh were on the other side"" I have found it written that Abba Shaul is not arguing with the first teacher [in this mishnah] and Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said both things; and both of them are true, as concerning expertise and memory Rabbi Eliezer would outweigh [them], and concerning sharpness and analysis, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh would outweigh them.

"A good eye": One who suffices with what he has and does not seek extraneous things - and is not envious when he sees that his fellow has more than him.

"A good friend": who rebukes him when he sees him doing something that is improper.

"A good neighbor": who is found near him, whether by day or by night; whereas a good friend is not found near him all the time.

"Seeing the consequences of one's actions": One who looks out and sees what will be in the future. And through this, he calculates the loss [engendered by doing] a commandment versus its reward and the reward [engendered by doing] a sin versus its loss.

"A good heart": Since the heart is the generator of all the other forces and it is the source from which emanate all of the actions. And even though there are specific limbs for [different] actions, nonetheless, the place of the force that animates all of the actions is in the heart. Therefore, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh said, "A good heart." And for this reason, Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said, "I see the words of Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh [as better than] all of yours."

"what is an evil path that a person should distance himself from": He needed to ask them this, as he did not understand from their first words that the evil path is the opposite of the good path [that they each suggested], since not with all that is good is its opposite evil. As [for example] piety - and that is going beyond the letter of the law - is good, but one who is not pious and holds his actions according to the law of the Torah is not evil. And it may have been possible to say, if sufficing - and that is a good eye - is the good path, the seeking of extraneous things is not the evil path, as he does not hurt any person with this. And so [too] with the other traits. Therefore, he had to ask them, "what is the evil path that a person should distance himself from."

"One who borrows but does not repay": And this is the opposite of "seeing the consequences of one's actions;" as if he does not repay, who will [now] lend to him and he will be stuck in [his] famine. And he did not say just, "not seeing the consequences of one's actions," as it is possible for a person who does not see the consequences of his actions not to come to a mishap, as he will be able to rescue himself when that consequence comes to him.

"'but the righteous one gives graciously'": [It is] speaking about the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the righteous One of the world, Who gives graciously to the lender what this one borrowed from him and did not repay him. It comes out that the borrower is in debt to the Omnipresent.