Begin Again

Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it over and turn it over, for everything is in it. And look into it; And become gray and old therein; And do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it.

Ben Hei Hei said: According to the labor (tzaara) is the reward.

Pirkei Avot culminates with these two powerful Mishnayot, leaving us with two encouraging and inspiring ideas as the journey through our beloved text reaches its peak.

First, Ben Bag Bag tells us to “Turn it over and turn it over, for everything is in it.” The puzzling aspect of his statement is that he does not identify what the “it” is that we are supposed to be turning over. Most commentaries assume the “it” is Torah, and the Mishna is advocating continued learning of Torah. Even though the previous Mishna spoke about learning Scripture at five, Mishna at ten, and Talmud at fifteen, this one clarifies that the actual process of learning is life long – we should “become gray and old therein.” The repetition of “turn it over and turn it over” literarily highlights the necessity to review, and through the redundancy opens several layers of interpretation. Rabbi Samuel de Uceda writes that we should review our learning to understand ideas from different angles and perspectives. Additionally, the repetition intimates the need to search and inquire, engaging in the cherished quest to solve questions and spiritual conundrums.

What precisely does Ben Bag Bag mean when he says that “everything is in it”? Some understand this to be arguing that true concepts within wisdom, philosophy, and science can all be found in Torah and therefore there is no need to study any external disciplines. Rabbi Menachem Meiri, however, limits the parameters of this broad claim, arguing that within Torah we can find all the answers we need regarding Torah itself, not necessarily regarding other disciplines. Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm who analyzed the relationship between Torah and secular thought in depth in his book Torah Umadda: The Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in the Jewish Tradition, follows the Meiri’s position and writes:

This much more modest interpretation is certainly more palatable for those living, as we do, in an age that has witnessed the explosion of information and knowledge and the incredible advances of science and technology. The view… that there is no autonomous wisdom outside of Torah, because all is contained in Torah, would leave committed contemporary Jews profoundly perplexed. No amount of intellectual legerdemain or Midrashic pyrotechnics - or even sophisticated but capricious computer analyses of sacred texts - can convince us that the Torah somehow possesses within itself the secrets of quantum mechanics, the synthesis of DNA, and the like. No such problems arise if we adopt the interpretation of the Meiri. And the latter is perfectly compatible with the outlook of Torah Umadda...

In an alternative reading of “for everything is in it” Rabbi Marc Angel quotes Rabbi Reuven Eliyahu Israel of Rhodes who argues that it is referring “to the amazing literary diversity within the Bible. The biblical works contain stories, laws, poetry, philosophy, maxims, prayers, and other literary features.” This allows each learner, “regardless of age or intellectual background,” to “find biblical texts that are appealing and enlightening.” Within Torah, everyone can find some form, genre, or idea that speaks to their soul.

In a fascinating article, Professor Aaron Koller makes a strong argument that the “it” is not referring to the Torah as a whole, but rather to Pirkei Avot in particular. He points to a common writing technique in ancient times characterized by scholars as a “self-referential coda,” where a text speaks to the reader about itself. As Pirkei Avot comes to a close, Ben Bag Bag is telling us that we should turn it and turn it again, reread and reanalyze Pirkei Avot from the beginning. The messages, meaning, and growth that the text encourages needs constant study, meditation, and reflection to have its purported effects.  

The general impression of “And do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it” is that following the Torah, and particularly following the values and virtues advocated in Pirkei Avot will lead to a flourishing and successful life. We have encountered this notion explicitly in previous Mishnayot, and more importantly, this concept constitutes the foundation of our elucidation of Pirkei Avot. Yet, in the closing Mishna, Ben Hei Hei counterbalances this idea by noting that this journey and process can, and often does, entail struggle, pain, and toil – “According to the labor (tzaara) is the reward.”

The great results that emerge from Torah learning and pursuing virtue require us to work hard and persevere through difficulty. Self-growth requires courage. It can entail painful introspection and require difficult interventions. Torah study can also be physically, intellectually, and emotionally demanding. Maimonides writes that it is precisely the learning through toil that is effective: “only that which you study with exertion, labor, and fear from the teacher, will endure; but reading of enjoyment and leisure has no endurance to it and will not yield results.”

Persevering towards our long-term goals and values, as Dr. Angel Duckworth writes in her book Grit: The Power or Passion and Perseverance often entails enduring pain and withstanding failures. Yet, it is those that work diligently and tirelessly to push forward, who achieve and succeed over time. The flourishing life is not about pleasure or ease, but the meaning and satisfaction that comes through hard work.

This is the closing message of Pirkei Avot, writes Rabbi Yaakov Culi in his Me’am Lo’ez, precisely to encourage those of us who have been toiling through this learning. We should not be despondent or dejected if the process has been difficult. Ben Hei Hei is validating the struggle, highlighting the reward, both in the next world, but just as importantly, in this world as well. The meaningful, flourishing, and spiritual life we are striving for can be attained if we persevere on this aspirational road towards virtue.

Now it is time to return to the first Mishna and begin again.