Do not even think that you can best a wise Torah scholar. You will not get any cleverer for trying to do so, nor will this result in your being considered a greater scholar.
Never rely on receiving other people’s gifts, for they are only human beings9They may not be able to fulfill their promise to give you the gift and you will be left wanting.. Work for your sustenance.
Never make your money more important for yourself than your general well-being as, for example, by putting yourself in danger by cheating on your taxes or traveling clandestinely alone.
Do not be oblivious to the good that others do for you. Acknowledge even those who do something as simple as opening a door for you7Train your children to acknowledge other peoples’ kindnesses by always saying “thank you” or by making some other obvious gesture such as nodding or waving in appreciation to a driver who stopped for them at a crosswalk. The very first thing we do when we awake each morning is say the very words “Modeh Ani” thanking God for returning our souls to our quiescent bodies. Hakaras Hatov is fundamental to Torah Im Derech Eretz. - RB, which you surely could have done on your own.
קג. אַל תְּפַתֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בְּשִׂפְתֵי חֲלָקוֹת וּבַחֲנִיפוּת, וְאַל תְּדַבֵּר בְּלֵב וָלֵב:
Do not inveigle your fellow man with flattery. Never say anything you do not mean.
קד. אַל תַּכְעִיס [נ''א תונה] לְשּׁוּם נָכְרִי כִי אֵין נָכְרִי שֶּׁאֵין לוֹ שָּׁעָה וְעֶבְרָתָם שְּׁמוּרָה נֶצַח:
Never anger a Gentile, for every Gentile has his hour; his memory is long, and he keeps his anger forever.
קה. אַל תִּתְחַבֵּר לְאָדָם רָע וְחוֹטֵא וְכַעֲסָן וּכְסִיל פֶּן תָּבִיא כְּלִמּוֹת עָלֶיךָ:
Never join with an evil person or one who is sinful or one who is angry or irate or a fool. For one day you will be shamed by them.
קו. אַל תַּעֲלֶה בְּדַעְתְּךָ לְנַצֵחַ אֶת הֶחָכָם, כִּי לֹא תַּרְבֶּה עַל חָכְמָתְךָ חָכְמָה:
Do not even think that you can best a wise Torah scholar. You will not get any cleverer for trying to do so, nor will this result in your being considered a greater scholar.
קז. אַל תְּהִי קַפְּדָן לְדָבָר מוּעָט נֶגֶד שּׁוּם אָדָם, פֶּן תְּלַקֵּט שׂוֹנְאִים עַל חִנָּם:
Do not be pedantic and petty with other people about every little thing they do. Doing so will result in accruing needless enemies.
קח. אַל תְּהִי לָהוּט לָדַעַת הַסְּתָרִים שֶּׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ וְדָבָר הַמְּכֻסֶּה מִמְּךָ:
Make no effort to learn about other people’s secrets or things which have been hidden from you.
קט. אַל תַּעַשׂ בַּסֵּתֶר מַה שֶּׁתִּתְבַּיֵּשּׁ בְּגָלוּי, וְאַל תֹּאמַר מִי רוֹאֵנִי:
Do nothing in private for which you would be humiliated if done in public. Never ask, “Who sees me?”
קי. אַל תַּחְשּׁוֹב עָוֹן לְמִי שֶּׁיָּבוֹא לְהִתְנַצֵל לְפָנֶיךָ אִם אֱמֶת וְאִם שֶּׁקֶר:
Think no evil of the one who comes to apologize to you, regardless if he is telling the truth or lying.
קיא. אַל תִּסְמוֹךְ לְיַד מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, וְתַעֲבוֹד לְבַקִּשּׁ מְזוֹנוֹתֶיךָ:
Never rely on receiving other people’s gifts, for they are only human beings9They may not be able to fulfill their promise to give you the gift and you will be left wanting.. Work for your sustenance.
קיב. אַל יְהִי מָמוֹן שֶּׁלְּךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ יוֹתֵר מִגּוּפְךָ, כְּמוֹ לַעֲבוֹר עַל הַמֶּכֶס וְלָלֶכֶת יְחִידִי:
Never make your money more important for yourself than your general well-being as, for example, by putting yourself in danger by cheating on your taxes or traveling clandestinely alone.
קיג. אַל תִּתֵּן בִּלְבָבְךָ קִנְאָה שֶּׁזּוֹ הִיא חוֹלָה רָעָה שֶּׁאֵין לָהּ רְפוּאָה: במהדורת התוי''ט אין תקנה קי''ד כלל. הוספנו התקנה עפ''י כת''י:
Never be envious. This is a terrible, incurable illness.
קיד. אַל תְּהִי רָגִיל לֹא בִּשְּׁבוּעָה וְלֹא בִּנְדָרִים כִּי בַּעֲוֹן נְדָרִים בָּנִים מֵתִים:
Do not make vowing a habit, even for a true matter, for children die because of false oaths.
קטו. אַל תַּרְגִּיל לִשָּׁבַע עַל גּוּפְךָ וַאֲפִלּוּ עַל דְּבַר אֱמֶת:
Do not be accustomed to swearing by your life, even for a true matter.
קטז. אַל תְּאַחֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשּׁוּבָה שְּׁלֵמָה, וּלְבַקֵּשּׁ רְפוּאָה לְחוֹלִי נַפְשֶּׁךָ:
Never delay in making total repentance nor tarry in seeking emotional, spiritual or religious help.
קיז. אַל תַּעֲמוֹל לָרוּחַ, וְאַל תִּשְּׁמַע דְּבָרִים בְּטֵלִים:
Do not occupy yourself with useless activities. Listen not to nonsense.
קיח. אַל תְּכַנֶּה שֵּׁם רָע [נ''א לחברך] כִּי הַמְכַנֶּה שֵּׁם [נ''א רע] לַחֲבֵרוֹ אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
Never call anyone by a derogatory or offensive nickname; and don’t invent one for someone. For the one who does so has no place in the World to Come.
קיט. אַל תִּבְטַח בְּעָשְּׁרְךָ, כִּי הַבּוֹטֵחַ בְּעָשְּׁרוֹ מְלַקִּט שׂוֹנְאִים, וְיִכָּשֵּׁל תַּחַת שׂוֹנְאָיו:
Do not trust in your own wealth, for anyone who trusts in his money accumulates enemies, and will falter and collapse because of them.
קכ. אַל תְּהִי סַרְבָּן אֶל אַנְשֵּׁי עִירְךָ, לְבַטֵּל רְצוֹנְךָ מִפְּנֵי רְצוֹן אֲחֵרִים:
Do not make it a habit to oppose your neighbors or fellow citizens and communal leaders. Sublimate your will to theirs.
קכא. אַל תַּרְגִּיל עַצְמְךָ לֶאֱכוֹל חוּץ מִבֵּיתְךָ, עִם קִבּוּץ הַרְבֵּה שֶּׁלֹּא לִסְעוּדַת מִצְוָה:
Do not make it a habit to eat out of your home with large groups of people other than for purposes of a Mitzvah.
קכב. אַל תְּשַּׁבֵּר [נ''א תשכר] גּוּפְךָ לְהִשְּׁתַּכֵּר מִיַּיִן, פֶּן תִּהְיֶה מְגֻנֶּה וּתְנַבֵּל אֶת פִּיךָ וְתִתְחָרֵט:
Do not become accustomed to getting drunk. You might act foolishly or speak foul-mouthed, and then regret what you have done.
קכג. אַל תִּכְעֹס בְּאִשְּׁתְּךָ, וְאִם רִחַקְתָּ אוֹתָהּ בִּשְׂמאֹל קָרֵב אוֹתָהּ בְּיָמִין בְּלֹא אִיחוּר:
Never be angry with your wife. If you pushed her away with your left hand, draw her near energetically with your right, and without delay.
קכד. אַל תְּבַזֶּה אֶת אִשְּׁתְּךָ וְכַבֵּד אוֹתָהּ, וּתְסִירֶנָּה מִן הַחֵטְא:
Never humiliate your wife. Rather, honor her and, by so doing, she will avoid sin.
קכה. אַל תְּהִי רָגִיל לֵישֵּׁב עִם הַלֵּצִים פְּחוּתֵי הַנֶּפֶשּׁ פֶּן יַחֲטִיאוּךָ:
Do not make it your habit to hang around with mockers and lowlifes lest they draw you into sin.
קכו. אַל תִּתְעַצֵל לְבַקֵּשּׁ חָכְמָה, וּלְיַסֵּר אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ בְּסֵתֶר וְדֶרֶךְ כָּבוֹד:
Do not be lazy in pursuing wisdom nor slow in respectfully rebuking your friend in private.
קכז. אַל תְּדַבֵּר בְּלֹא עִתּוֹ וּבְדָבָר שֶּׁאֵין בּוֹ תּוֹעֶלֶת, וּשְּׁמוֹר פִּתְחֵי פִיךָ:
Speak only when the time is right and never say anything which has no benefit. Simply, scrupulously watch what you say.
קכח. אַל תְּדַבֵּר עִם מְהוֹלָל וּמְשֻּׁגָּע, שֶּׁלֹּא יְקַבֵּל דְּבָרֶיךָ וִיבַזֶּה אוֹתָם:
Never join with an evil person or one who is sinful or one who is angry or irate or a fool. For one day you will be shamed by them.
קכט. אַל תְּהִי כְּפוּי טוֹבָה, וְכַבֵּד כָּל מִי שֶּׁפָּתַח לְךָ פֶּתַח לְבַקִּשּׁ דֵּי סִפּוּקְךָ:
Do not be oblivious to the good that others do for you. Acknowledge even those who do something as simple as opening a door for you7Train your children to acknowledge other peoples’ kindnesses by always saying “thank you” or by making some other obvious gesture such as nodding or waving in appreciation to a driver who stopped for them at a crosswalk. The very first thing we do when we awake each morning is say the very words “Modeh Ani” thanking God for returning our souls to our quiescent bodies. Hakaras Hatov is fundamental to Torah Im Derech Eretz. - RB, which you surely could have done on your own.
קל. אַל תּוֹצִיא מִפִּיךָ דְּבַר שֶּׁקֶר וְכָזָב, וְנֶאֱמָן לְכָל אָדָם וַאֲפִלּוּ לְנָכְרִי:
Never utter a lie or speak deceitfully. Be trustworthy with everyone, Jew and Gentile alike.
קלא. אַל תִּתְעַצֵל לְהַקְדִּים שָּׁלוֹם לְכָל אָדָם, וַאֲפִלּוּ לְנָכְרִי מִפְּנֵי דַרְכֵי שָּׁלוֹם:
Make an effort to be first in the saying of Shalom to everyone, Jew and Gentile alike, because of peace.
קלב. אַל תַּרְגִּיל עַצְמְךָ לַעֲמוֹד, כִּי אִם אֵצֶל חָכָם, וּשְּׁמַע וְהַאֲזִין דְּבָרָיו: