Introduction Mishnah seven contains the teaching of Nitai who was from Arbel, a settlement in the lower Galilee.
Nittai the Arbelite used to say: keep a distance from an evil neighbor, do not become attached to the wicked, and do not abandon faith in [divine] retribution. In the previous mishnah Joshua ben Perahiah taught that one should judge others with the scale weighted in their favor. Nittai the Arbelite balances this advice by adding that there may nevertheless be objective differences between different people. The fact that one should judge everyone favorably does not mean that one should not stay away from the wicked. In many places the rabbis teach that one who associates with evil people, even if he himself is not wicked, will have some of their ways rub off on him. Forming a just and righteous society means that each individual must be careful with whom he/she associates. The third statement of Nittai the Arbelite, although seemingly unconnected, is connected to the previous statements. If one sees many wicked people, he should not abandon his faith that someday these people will be punished by God, be it in this world or in the world to come. Abandoning faith in retribution could lead to a person losing faith in any objective difference between good and evil, at least in God’s eyes. In other words, belief in a God that cares about human actions and takes them into account is a basic tenet of a just society, especially a just society that cannot always enforce its ideals. Another interpretation of this last line is that a person, no matter how rich, should not feel totally secure in his wealth, for if he does not act in a righteous manner, divine retribution will eventually come. The flip side of this is also true. One who is poor and struggles in life, but acts in a righteous manner, should not despair of better days, for just as divine retribution is promised, so too is divine reward.