RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot
Chapter 1:12-13
By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr
“12. Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron--a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah.”
There is a Jewish Tradition that says because Aaron was a peace maker and saved many marriages on the rocks, during the wilderness era by the time of Aaron’s death there were myriads named after him on account of all the marriages he saved.
13. He would also say: One who advances his name, destroys his name. One who does not increase, diminishes. One who does not learn is deserving of death. And one who make personal use of the crown of Torah shall perish.”
“One who does not learn is deserving of death.” One translation of this verse says, “He who refuses to teach Torah deserves death.”
What does 1st John 3:4 say?
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law (Torah): for sin is the transgression of the law.
What else does the
Brit Chadasha say?
Rom. 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
In other words the
price (wages) of sin (Torahlessness) is death.
And what did
Yeshua Ha Moshiach Himself say?
Matt.
5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and
shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven:
but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven.
Now let’s bring it
back around. As the texts says:
“He who refuses to teach Torah
deserves death.”
Shalom,
-- Yehudah ben Shomeyr
