(42) Knowledge and moral excellence alone are not sufficient.

16. R. Ishmael (43) said, "Be submissive to a superior (44), affable
to the young (45), and receive all men with cheerfulness" (46).

(43) Lived about 120 C.E. See Bacher, _ibid._, pp. 240-271.

(44) Or "be pliant of disposition."

(45) [l'tishchoret] is variously rendered as the "young"
(Maimonides, Bartenora, Geiger, Jastrow), "impressment"
(Rashbam, Taylor), "sovereign authority" (Levy, Chald.
Worterbuch, _sub_ [shachar (shin-chet-resh)], Fiebig), and "a
suppliant" (Singer).

(46) Cf. chapter I, 15.

17. R. Akiba (47) said, "Jesting and levity lead a man on to lewdness.
The _Massorah_ (48) is a rampart around the _Torah_; tithes are a
safeguard to riches (49); good resolves are a fence to abstinence
(50); a hedge around wisdom is silence" (51). 18. He used to say,
"Beloved is man, for he was created in the image (of God); but it was
by a special love that it was made known to him that he was created in
the image of God, as it is said, 'For in the image of God made he man'
(52). Beloved are Israel, or they were called children of the
All-present, but it was by a special love that it was made known to
them that they were called children of the All-present, as it is said,
'Ye are children unto the Lord your God' (53). Beloved are Israel,
for unto them was given the desirable instrument (54); but it was by a
special love that it was made known to them that that desirable