RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot
Chapter 5:1-8
By Yehudah ben Shomeyr
The REAL Power of 10!
Drew Carey and David Letterman ain’t got nothing on these 10!
Ethics of the Fathers: Chapter Five
“The world was created with ten
utterances. What does this come to teach us? Certainly, it could have been
created with a single utterance. However, this is in order to make the wicked
accountable for destroying a world that was created with ten utterances, and to
reward the righteous for sustaining a world that was created with ten
utterances.
There were ten generations from
Adam to Noah. This is to teach us the extent of God's tolerance; for all these
generations angered Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood. There
were ten generations from Noah to Abraham. This is to teach us the extent of God's
tolerance; for all these generations angered Him, until Abraham came and reaped
the reward for them all. With ten tests our father Abraham was tested and he
withstood them all--in order to make known how great was our father Abraham's
love [for God]. Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in Egypt, and
another ten at the sea. Ten afflictions were wrought by God upon the Egyptians
in Egypt, and another ten at the sea. With ten tests our forefathers tested God
in the desert, as is stated (Numbers 14:22), "They tested Me these ten
times, and did not hearken to My voice." Ten miracles were performed for
our forefathers in the Holy
Temple: No woman ever
miscarried because of the smell of the holy meat. The holy meat never spoiled.
Never was a fly seen in the slaughterhouse. Never did the High Priest have an
accidental seminal discharge on Yom Kippur. The rains did not extinguish the
wood-fire burning upon the altar. The wind did not prevail over the column of
smoke [rising from the altar]. No disqualifying problem was ever discovered in
the Omer offering, the Two Loaves or the Showbread. They stood crowded but had
ample space in which to prostate themselves. Never did a snake or scorpion
cause injury in Jerusalem.
And no man ever said to his fellow "My lodging in Jerusalem is too cramped for me." Ten
things were created at twilight of Shabbat eve. These are: the mouth of the
earth [that swallowed Korach]; the mouth of [Miriam's] well; the mouth of
[Balaam's] ass; the rainbow; the manna; [Moses'] staff; the shamir; the
writing, the inscription and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments]. Some say
also the burial place of Moses and the ram of our father Abraham. And some say
also the spirits of destruction as well as the original tongs, for tongs are
made with tongs.”
Shalom,
-- Yehudah ben
Shomeyr
