"רבי אומר איזה דרך ישרה שיבור לו אדם". פירוש איזה דרך ישרה מאיזה מדות ימנע עצמו ממנו. שיבור לשון ריקות ע"ז אמר כל שהוא תפארת לעושיה ר"ל שעושה המצוה בסתר ואין אדם יודע ממנה. אבל אם סובר הוא במחשבתו שעובד ד' ואצלו הוא התפארות. וכ"ש שתפארת לו מן האדם ר"ל שהעושה המצוה לקבל תפארת מן האדם שיאמרו עליו זה הוא ירא אלקים. מכ"ז ימנע א"ע.
It states in the Mishnah,198Mishnah Avot 2:1 “Rebbi said: which is the straight path that a person should choose for himself? That which is honorable to himself and brings him honor from others. Be careful with a light mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the reward of the mitzvot.” The explanation is as follows: “Which is the straight path that a person should choose-שיבור” may be interpreted as, “Which is the straight path that a person should avoid,” for the term SheYavor-שיבור also means, “empty,” as in the verse,199Genesis 37:24 “And the pit-בור was empty,” which is to be avoided. It then continues and answers, “That which honorable to himself.” That is, he does the mitzvah in a hidden manner so that others should not know about it, but in his heart, he thinks to himself that he is an exemplary servant of HaShem, and is proud of it. This is certainly so regarding a person who does mitzvot openly, “to bring honor from others.” This refers to a person who fulfills the mitzvot openly to receive honor from others, that is, so that others should consider him to be God fearing. Both these characteristics must be avoided.
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ואם תעשה זה אזי הוי זהיר וכו' שאז אין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות אלא תעשה שיהי' נ"ר לבורא ית' בלי שום תשלום גמול מלקבל התפארות. שאם תרצה לקבל התפארות תדקדק במצוה אם הוא קלה. שאם הוא חמורה תקבל התפארות ואם הוא קלה לא תעשה אותה:
If you follow this advice, you will, “be as careful with a light commandment as with a major one.” For, “You do not know the reward of the mitzvot,” meaning that you will not take the reward of the mitzvot into consideration, but do them solely to give satisfaction to your Creator, HaShem, blessed is He. However, if you are looking for honor, you will examine whether it is a light mitzvah or not and you will do a major one, because you think it will give you more honor.
"רבי אומר איזה דרך ישרה שיבור לו אדם". פירוש איזה דרך ישרה מאיזה מדות ימנע עצמו ממנו. שיבור לשון ריקות ע"ז אמר כל שהוא תפארת לעושיה ר"ל שעושה המצוה בסתר ואין אדם יודע ממנה. אבל אם סובר הוא במחשבתו שעובד ד' ואצלו הוא התפארות. וכ"ש שתפארת לו מן האדם ר"ל שהעושה המצוה לקבל תפארת מן האדם שיאמרו עליו זה הוא ירא אלקים. מכ"ז ימנע א"ע.
It states in the Mishnah,198Mishnah Avot 2:1 “Rebbi said: which is the straight path that a person should choose for himself? That which is honorable to himself and brings him honor from others. Be careful with a light mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the reward of the mitzvot.” The explanation is as follows: “Which is the straight path that a person should choose-שיבור” may be interpreted as, “Which is the straight path that a person should avoid,” for the term SheYavor-שיבור also means, “empty,” as in the verse,199Genesis 37:24 “And the pit-בור was empty,” which is to be avoided. It then continues and answers, “That which honorable to himself.” That is, he does the mitzvah in a hidden manner so that others should not know about it, but in his heart, he thinks to himself that he is an exemplary servant of HaShem, and is proud of it. This is certainly so regarding a person who does mitzvot openly, “to bring honor from others.” This refers to a person who fulfills the mitzvot openly to receive honor from others, that is, so that others should consider him to be God fearing. Both these characteristics must be avoided.
ואם תעשה זה אזי הוי זהיר וכו' שאז אין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצות אלא תעשה שיהי' נ"ר לבורא ית' בלי שום תשלום גמול מלקבל התפארות. שאם תרצה לקבל התפארות תדקדק במצוה אם הוא קלה. שאם הוא חמורה תקבל התפארות ואם הוא קלה לא תעשה אותה:
If you follow this advice, you will, “be as careful with a light commandment as with a major one.” For, “You do not know the reward of the mitzvot,” meaning that you will not take the reward of the mitzvot into consideration, but do them solely to give satisfaction to your Creator, HaShem, blessed is He. However, if you are looking for honor, you will examine whether it is a light mitzvah or not and you will do a major one, because you think it will give you more honor.