Pirkei Avot Chapter 3 and Tifferet

Chapter 3 brings us three very important things which will guard us from sin:

Akavya ben Mahall'el1, in the time of Hillel, gave us three points to remember and have in mind so that we will be constantly guarded against sin. If one will pay attention to these three factors, we will not fall in the trap or obstacle of sin. “Know where you come from, where you are heading towards, and to Whom you will have to give an account of all our actions, to Hashem, the King of Kings.”

 These three factors are based on a verse in Kohelet (Ecclesiastes). Rebbe Akiva explained: “remember your Creator” can be spelled three different ways and also sound the same: Your well – where you come from, your pit – where you will die, and your Creator.

Where you came from: Thinking of this will help guard you from being haughty.

Where you go to:  Contemplation on this will help guard you against yielding to any desires and lusts towards monies or material desires.

Whom you will give an account:  Even if one is standing in front of a human king, they will extremely careful of every move to be made and, all the more so, when giving an account to Hashem. With Hashem there is no forgetfulness and no bribe (Berachos 28:2). If one will remember these three factors, (guarding from haughtiness, thirst for money and/or possessions, and acknowledging Hashem's Presence) then the main link to sin will not be near you.

Some explain that the word 'where you are going' is in the present tense, when one is constantly going toward this point. From the day one is born, he is continuously going towards death (Midrash Shmuel) דין וחשבון – Din is an account of the sins we did and cheshbon is an account of all the mitzvahs we could have done instead of the sins.

The Alter Rebbe explains this Mishna as follows:

This Mishna has several questions: a) Why the lengthy wording in this Mishna; b) why isn't it enough to look into two factors to prevent myself from sinning, (myself (1) who is interested in doing what Hashem (2) wants), c) what does the word לידי  mean, those things which bring me closer to sin, near a sin, d) why does the Tanna emphasize the negative aspects of one's life. Perhaps to avoid sin, I would rather just highlight the positive aspects.

Three factors: The three parts of the Mishna, is really three separate instructions. Question “b” above, the “three factors” is directed to the tzaddik and the three pillars on which the world stands: Torah, avoda/prayer and gemilas chesed/acts of kindness. The Tanna does not enumerate them because it is one unit – the solid foundation of the world. A tzaddik is told to contemplate on three things that are the one factor to guarantee the existence of creation.

Know where you are heading and you will give an account is directed towards the benoni. This is a person who controls his desires and lusts. They are guided by the light of the neshama/soul, sending flashing red light warnings against sin. Their main thrust in life is “assay tov” – doing good and to light the world with the light of the neshama which was given to them by Hashem.

Where are you from: The Alter Rebbe explains in Tanya that “from” corresponds to the 'ayin' and the source of the neshama which is rooted in spiritual lofty spheres, incomprehensible to the human mind. Here we begin to grasp the greatness of the neshama. It comes from 'ayin'.

Where are you going to: after our physical earthly life there is the greatest revelation in the times of techiyas hamaysim, the resurrection of the dead.

Who you will give an account to – מי – is the aspect of atika kadisha, the inner aspect of keter.

The rasha, the wicked person must also be told in detail how to stay away from sin. They too, should put the accent on their daily life in doing good things for the benefit of their neshama. But if one would tell him that, they probably would not pay attention to it. The rasha will be able to benefit if spoken to on their level and with terminology and teaching examples from things that they are exposed to in their personal life.

Zlata Ehrenstein, 2024