Honest Real Life Wisdom from Jewish Sages!

Are you familiar with the expression never  judge someone until you've walked in their   shoes. Or “no pain no gain” well guess what, these   universal lessons originate from Pirkei Avot. Hi, my name is Rabbi Mendel Winner and today we   are going to be exploring Pirkei Avot, or  otherwise known as Ethics of Our Fathers.  This tractate is different than all the other  tractates of the Mishnah. You see, the other   ones focus on the dos and donts in Jewish life.  How to celebrate Shabbat and how to keep kosher,   how put on tefillin and how to pray. Pirkei Avot  on the other hand talks to the person behind the   action. To a persons character Pirkei Avot is  the manual on how to be the best version of   your self or how to be a mensch. This collection  of ethics and sayings inspire the reader to aspire   to a higher level of morality and pioty. Not to  be complacent with the minimum requirement of   Torah observance, but rather to go beyond the  letter of the law. For example it’s obviously   forbidden to insult or curse someone, yet Pirkei  Avot comes forth and says that’s not enough.   Rather you should proactively greet them with a  smile and receive them with a pleasant demeanor.   Or how about don’t just do the mitzvah,but  rather be excited about it, go ahead and run,   even to do the most basic mitzvah. It’s called  Pirkei Avot or Ethics of Our Fathers, because,   of course there is a lot that we learn in school,  but it's our parents who teach us how to be a   mentsch. A loving parent teaches their child what  it means to be a good person. It is customary to   study Pirkei Avot between Pesach and Shavuos. Just  like the Jewish people prepared themselves before   receiving the Torah so to we prepare ourselves  every year. Studying Pirkei Avot helps us develop   humility, respect for Hashem, and strong values  that we need to be able to receive the Torah. Some   communities including Chabad continue studying  Pirkei Avot throughout the summer months. You see,   with the sun shining and the good weather out  there it's easy to get distracted from what's   important and holy and to over indulge in the  materialistic world. So it's a great time to study   Pirkei Avot to redirect our focus on higher ideals  and values. Hundreds of commentaries have been   written on Pirkei Avot. Each one of the different  additions that we are going to be reviewing today   have their own style and uniqueness. The first one that we are going to be   reviewing today is the Kehos Pirkei Avot. This  beautiful Pirkei Avot has the Hebrew texts on   the right side of the page, and the English on the  left. On the bottom of the page you have extensive   commentary drawn from a wide range of sources  with an emphasis on Chabad philosophy and the   teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. In addition  to the general commentary you have different   departments at the bottom of the page focusing  on different themes. There is a biography section   on the sages who said these statements. Since  knowing their background can help us understand   the depths of their teachings. You then have the  historical perspectives giving more context to   various things. Kabbalistic perspectives delve  into the esoteric parts and the stories bring   the teachings to life. Finally you have the  language section which explores the anemology   and nuance of certain teachings of the Mishnah. We now have the Steinzaltz Pirkei Avot; this   scholarly work by Rabbi Adin Steinzaltz is concise  yet very comprehensive. You have the bolded   literal translation and then you have elaborations  in lighter font at the bottom of the page. In the   note section you have expanded commentary from  a wealth of sources including philosophical and   scientific perspectives. The background section  offers historical context of the Mishnah and the   personality section provides a brief biography of  the sage of the Mishnah and his life story. Maps   and historical pictures such as an ancient sponge  and a roman funnel enrich the learning experience.  We now have the Pirkei Avot Treasury by  Artscroll. This Pirkei Avot is probably   the most comprehensive. With over 400 pages  with a wealth of commentary. You got the   literal translation on the top followed  by the extensive commentary from a wide   range of sources then emphasis on musser. In  the box section you have beautiful stories,   parables, and anecdotes providing  inspiration from life lessons.  Not exactly a commentary on Pirkei Avot but  rather a collection of 60 bite sized meaningful   essays dissecting the Mishnah. These essays  are based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher   Rebbe and share the Rebbe's perspective on  deep fundamental ideas like freedom of choice,   divine providence, marriage, business etc. Each  essay can be read independently of the other,   so you can open it up at random or browse through  the index in the back for a topic that catches   your attention. For easy reference they include  the entire text of the Pirkei Avot in English.  We now have Starting With Sinai by Rabbi  Yossi Shanowitz. In this beautiful easy   read a selective quote from Pirkei Avot  is explored in a meaningful and inspiring,   relatable way. It’s then illustrated by a short  story or parable and concluded with a practical   bottom line take away. This is not a commentary  but rather a book based on Pirkei Avot with   transformative ideas towards a better self. Lastly we have a Pirkei Avot for youngsters by   Living Lessons. It's fully colored and creatively  engaging for young minds. Every Mishnah appears in   Hebrew with a simple English translation followed  by explanation of the concepts in simple terms   with related stories, examples, biography of  each sage and insightful tidbits of information.  To summarize we have the Kehos one with a focus  on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. As   well as extensive commentary in different  departments that you can choose from. We   have the Steinzatz Pirkei Avot geared toward the  academic individual. We have the Artscroll one,   very extensive with a focus on Musser. We have 60  essays on different themes of Pirkei Avot, not a   translation. We have Starting With Sinai,  short inspiring thoughts based on Pirkei   Avot they're very practical, relatable way. And  we finally have, over here, the Pirkei Avot for   children in a colorful, engaging manner. Thank you so much for watching   share your comment and insights below. And  we want to hear your favorite Pirkei Avot  This episode is brought to you by My  Judaic Journey, your journey to learning   and growing. Whether you're reconnecting with  your roots or starting fresh My Judaic Journey   offers online one-on-one tailored learning for  you. Learn at your pace on your schedule with   tutors who care. Visit Judaicjourney.net  today to start your learning experience.