Introduction This mishnah contains interactions between Rabban Yohanan and his five students. One interesting thing is that it shows one way in which rabbinic masters taught there students. Rabban Yohanan sends them out on assignments and then evaluates their work when they return.
He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the right way to which a man should cleave? Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye; Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion; Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, foresight. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. The first question that Rabban Yohanan asks his students is what is the best quality that a person can acquire to lead himself to righteousness. Rabbi Eliezer said, a good eye: this refers to a person who does not begrudge his fellow his good fortune. He is satisfied with what he has and he is not constantly “eyeing” what others have. Rabbi Joshua said, a good companion: the ability to befriend a fellow human being teaches a person to be compassion and caring for all of humanity. Rabbi Yose said, a good neighbor: Rabbi Yose says that a person must make himself a good neighbor. Although he can be a neighbor to only a small number of people, if everyone would strive to be a good neighbor, the world would be a much-improved place. A person does not have to set out to fix the whole world on his own. He begins by improving his own backyard, with the hope that others will follow his example and improve their “neighborhoods”. Alternatively there are those who explain that Rabbi Joshua says that a person should acquire for himself a good companion, who will aid him in acts of righteousness. Rabbi Yose says that a person should seek good neighbors, who will positively influence his own actions. Rabbi Shimon said, foresight: a person should always think ahead and contemplate what will be the results of his actions. Rabbi Elazar said, a good heart: a good heart, which according to ancient thought was the seat of one’s thoughts (and not feelings as it is thought of today) is interpreted in several different ways. Maimonides explained it to mean that a person’s conduct should follow the golden mean. Since this is the ideal behavior, Rabban Yohanah said that it was inclusive of all of the others’ words. Rabbi Jonah said that it means one who doesn’t easily lose his temper. Rabban Yohanan prefers the words of Rabbi Elazar “a good heart” because one who has a good heart will be all of the other things mentioned by the other students. He will be a good friend, a good neighbor, generous to his fellow human beings and he will think his actions through to the end.
He [Rabban Yohanan] said unto them: go forth and observe which is the evil way which a man should shun? Rabbi Eliezer said, an evil eye; Rabbi Joshua said, an evil companion; Rabbi Yose said, an evil neighbor; Rabbi Shimon said, one who borrows and does not repay for he that borrows from man is as one who borrows from God, blessed be He, as it is said, “the wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous deal graciously and give” (Psalms 37:21). Rabbi Elazar said, an evil heart. He [Rabban Yohanan] said to them: I prefer the words of Elazar ben Arach, for in his words your words are included. Most of this section is merely the opposite to the first part of the previous section. I will comment only on Rabbi Shimon. The worst evil according to Rabbi Shimon is a debtor who does not pay back his debts. In some ways this negative quality is the opposite of the positive quality he mentioned in section one, foresight. A person who does not pay back his debts does not realize that in the future no one will trust him. Rabbi Shimon does not say that the “evil way” is “one who lacks foresight” because the lack of foresight in and of itself is not evil. One might lack foresight and still strive to do the right thing. There is a midrash added to Rabbi Shimon’s statement here. Not paying back one’s debts is not only a sin against one’s fellow man, but it is a sin against God as well.