to a more detailed study of their philosophy of life, and that its
appearance may help us to lead in a revival of that most ancient and
praiseworthy custom of reading the _Pirke Abot_ in the house of
worship on the Sabbath, during the summer months. Let him into whose
hands these sayings fall "meditate upon them day and night," for "he
who would be saintly must fulfil the dicta of the Fathers."

JOSEPH I GORFINKLE.

Mt. Vernon, N. Y.
February, 1913.







INTRODUCTION

NAME

_The Tractate Abot_ (_Massechet Abot_) is the ninth treatise of _The
Order_ or _Series on Damages_ (_Seder Nezikin_), which is the fourth
section of the _Mishnah_ (1). It is commonly known in Hebrew as
_Pirke Abot_, _The Chapters of the Fathers_, and has also been termed
_Mishnat ha-Chasidim_, _Instruction for the Pious_, because of the
Rabbinic saying, "He who wishes to be pious, let him practise the
teachings of _Abot_" (2). On account of the nature of its contents,
it is generally designated in English as the _Ethics of the Fathers_.