אבות ו׳:ה׳ - ו׳:ו׳

Do not seek greatness: to run after power.

and do not covet honor: to be honored for your Torah [knowledge]. As from this, you will appear as one who is is doing [it] not for its own sake.

since your table is greater than their tables: This is [referring to] the reward that you will receive for the study of Torah. (Another textual variant) More than your study, do: More than that which you have studied, do good deeds and perform commandments, as we say (Avot 3:9), "Anyone whose actions are more plentiful than his wisdom, his wisdom endures."

For kingship is obtained with thirty levels: The ones that are written in the section about Shmuel when Israel requested a king and he said, "know that so and so is the law of a king." And when you investigate, they are thirty things, including those taught in Sandhedrin, "A king does not judge and is not judged, etc." And the twenty four presents of the priesthood are the ten in the Temple, four in Jerusalem and ten in the borders [of the whole land of Israel].

reverence, awe: [One] whose heart is not [too] high, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:10), "The day that you stood in front of the Lord, your God, at Chorev." And hence those that are impure from a seminal emission were forbidden, as it is because of the lightheadedness of a person and the musings of his heart that he comes to being [impure in this way].

happiness: Since the Divine presence does not rest amongst pain, but only amongst happiness.

clarification: is the textual variant that we [follow]. The explanation is clarification (clarity) of the mind.

minimization of merchandise: As the master said (Eruvin 55a, and there it is Rabbi Yochanan), "You will not find Torah [knowledge] with merchants and not with peddlers."

minimization of worldly occupation: [so] that he not frequently be with people in the marketplace.

acceptance of afflictions: He accepts afflictions with love.

judging him with the benefit of the doubt: He judges his friend favorably.

placing him with the truth: He pursues truth and peace above everything.

hearing: everything that his master tells him. and adding: but not to contradict the words of his master.

focusing one's teaching: When he gives a legal decision, he focuses it on the matter that his master told him, but he does not add something, to say, "So did his master tell him." Another textual variation: with clarification, with sitting (yeshiva): as 'much sitting, brings much wisdom.' Another [explanation] is culture.

acceptance of afflictions: as we say in Berakhot 5a, 'happy is the man who God afflicts,' - when is this, when [it does not prevent him from studying] Your Torah. As the Holy One, blessed be He, bring afflictions of love on the one that is involved in [Torah], to increase his reward in the world to come.

preparation of speech: that he not stutter in words of Torah, but rather enunciate them with the tongue and bring them out with the mouth. Since words of Torah are only preserved by their being put out with the mouth, as is written, (Proverbs 4:22) "They are life for those that find them" - do not read for those that find them (motsaeihem), but rather those that bring them out (motsieihem) with the mouth.

reverence: as we say (Berakhot 30a), "'And rejoice in trembling' (Psalms 2:11)... In a place of joy, there should there be trembling."

service of sages: that he pushes and enters every place to hear their words and to serve them.

care of friends: He studies in a group.

debate of the students: that they should debate in front of him and make him wiser, as we say (Taanit 7a, Makkot 10a), "[and I have learned] from my students more than from them all."

knowing one's place: that he is involved in Torah [study] every hour. As from this, the Torah is preserved in his hand. The reasons and proofs that he understands in the law are called "his place"; as we say in Sanhedrin when we carry over the judgement to the morrow, (Mishnah Sanhedrin 5:5) "The [judge arguing] to convict says,.. 'I convict in my place'" - [meaning] exactly the same reason and proof that I said yesterday, since I did not find another proof to render him innocent. And so [too] the one who renders him innocent.

gladness in one's portion: as if he worries about his matter, he will not be able to focus on [Torah].

a fence to one's words: as his reasoning is with him, and he brings pretexts to present the words of his teacher to people.

lack of self-aggrandizement: as he does not raise [his opinion] about himself in his heart on account of his increasing Torah [knowledge]; as behold, for this was he formed.

lack of arrogance in learning: which is that he does not get arrogant in front of the creatures.

rebuke: as is written (Proverbs 9:8), "rebuke the sage, and he will love you."

placing him with the truth: with the clarity of the law.

with peace: as he is not resolved towards judgement, but rather willingly makes a compromise.