11. Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Jacob, said, “he who performs but one precept gains for himself an advocate; and he who commits a single sin, gains for himself an accuser; repentance and good deeds are a shield before the divine punishment.” Rabbi Johannan Hasandelar said, “every congregation formed for God will be permanent, but that which is not for God will not be permanent.”
12. Rabbi Eliezer, son of Shamua, said, “let the honor of thy disciple be as dear to thee as thine own, and the honor of thy companion as the fear of thy master, and the fear of thy master as the fear of God.”
13. Rabbi Judah said, “be careful in doctrine, for an error in doctrine is presumptuous sin.” Rabbi Simon said, “there are three crowns—the crown of the law, the crown of the priesthood, and the crown of monarchy, but the crown of a good name is better than all of them.”
14. Rabbi Nehorai said, “flee to a place where the law is studied, and do not say that it will follow thee, for thy companions will establish it for thee, and lean not to thine own understanding.”
15. Rabbi Janai said, “the prosperity of the wicked and the chastisements of the righteous are not in our hands.” Rabbi Mathia, son of Charash, said, “be forward to greet all men, and be rather as the tail of the lion, than as the head of the foxes.”
16. Rabbi Jacob said, “this world may be likened to a courtyard before the world to come, therefore prepare thyself in the hall, to enter into the dining-room.”
17. He used to say, “one hour employed in repentance and good deeds in this world is better than the whole life in the world to come; and one hour’s refreshment of spirit in the world to come is better than the whole life in this world.”
18. Rabbi Simon, son of Eleazar, said, “try not to pacify your neighbor in the moment of his anger, and do not console him while his dead lies before him; inquire not of him in the moment of his vowing, nor desire to see him in the time of his calamity.”
19. The younger Samuel used to say, “rejoice not when thine enemy falls, and let not thy heart be glad when he stumbles, lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His sight, and He turn His wrath from him.”
20. Elisha, son of Abuya, said, “he who teaches a child, is like to one who writes on clean paper; but he who teaches old people, is like to one who writes on blotted paper.” Rabbi José, the son of Judah, of a village near Babylon, said, “to what may he who learns the law from little children be likened? To one who eats unripe grapes and drinks new wine. And to what may he who learns the law from old men be likened? To one who eats ripe grapes and drinks old wine.” Rabbi Meier said, “look not at the flask, but that which is therein, for there are new flasks full of old wine, and old flasks which have not even new wine in them.”