Pirke Avot-Rabbi Akiba

[Captain_Amazing]

Ok, this is probably the most mundane and pointless post here up to this point, but…

There’s a book in Judaism called the Pirke Avot…it means “Ethics of the Fathers”. It’s a collection of sayings by notable Jewish rabbis up to the time period the Talmud was written down. There’s a saying in there by Rabbi Akiba that’s always made me a little sad without knowing why…maybe more a little wistful.

Rabbi Akiba used to say: All is given against a pledge, and the net is cast over all living; the shopstands open and the shopkeeper gives credit and the account book lies open and the hand writes. Every one that wishes to borrow let him come and borrow; but the collectors go their daily rounds and exact payment from man with or without his consent; for the collectors have that on which they can rely; and the judgement is a judgement of truth; and all is made ready for a feast.

[SUPERKARLENE]

Are you using the Sephardic or the Ashkenazaic Hebrew? I thought that it was Pirke Avos and Rabbi Akiva. (But that was in a book I read a loooooong time ago.)

SUPERKARLENE

[SUPERKARLENE]

EEEP! A criticism without a thought as to what it means!

I really suck.

To me, the passage says that ultimately, no matter what, you cannot escape judgement.

But I don’t get the “feast” part. Feast from the food bought on credit?

SUPERKARLENE