28. R. Eleazar ha-Kappar said, "Envy, cupidity, and ambition take a
man from the world." 29. He used to say, "They that are born are
doomed to die; and the dead to be brought to life again; and the
living to be judged, to know, to make known, and to be made conscious
that He is God, He the Maker, He the Creator, He the Discerner, He the
Judge, He the Witness, He the Accuser; He it is that will in future
judge, blessed be He, with Whom there is no unrighteousness, nor
forgetfulness, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes; and know
also that everything is according to the reckoning; and let not thy
imagination give thee hope that the grave will be a place of refuge
for thee; for perforce thou wast formed, and perforce thou wast born,
and thou livest perforce, and perforce thou wilt die, and perforce
thou wilt in the future have to give account and reckoning before the
Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He."

Rabbi Chanania, the son of Akashia, said, "The Holy One, blessed be
He, was pleased to make Israel worthy; wherefore He gave them a
copious _Torah_ and many commandments, as it is said, 'It pleased the
Lord, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify the _Torah_ and make it
honorable'".







CHAPTER V

All Israel have a portion in the world to come, and it is said, "And