ABOTH (Pirqē 'Abāth, "chapters of the Fathers"). - Treatise IX of the IV order of the Mishnah (v.), not followed by the commentary or gēmarā. It has no logical connection with the treatises among which it is inserted, but contains moral maxims, proverbs, family advice on the lips of the "Fathers" (v. AB), that is, of the principal teachers who elaborated the legal material of the Mishnah (1st-2nd century).

The usual title is sometimes changed to Messêheth 'A. (Text of the Fathers) or Mihnâh hasidim (Teaching of the Pious). To the original five chapters a sixth was later added: the "Chapter of Rabbi Meir," also called "The Acquisition of the Law."

The first two chapters, besides the practical purpose of moral instruction, have that of showing that the oral tradition contained in the Mishnah goes back, through an uninterrupted series of authorities, to the primitive revelation made by God to Moses: "Moses received the Law on Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the Elders, the Elders to the Prophets, the Prophets to the men of the Great Synagogue. They said three things: be circumspect in judgment, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Law" (Aboth, I, 1). From this period (4th-3rd century B.C.), beginning with Simeon the Just, "one of the last survivors of the Great Synagogue," the heads of the schools are enumerated, a maxim being assigned to each. Many other names of famous teachers appear in the other chapters, with a principle of arrangement that is not clear.

Besides inculcating veneration for the Torâh, these maxims concern the method of teaching, the conduct of teachers, the duties of disciples and of teachers toward the people; many, concerning moral duties, justice, love of neighbor, are of high ethical content. For this reason the Pirgê 'A. have remained held in great honor in Judaism. It is the part of the Mishnah that most interests the masses, and it was translated into Latin several times already in the 16th century and into many modern languages.

'A. de-Rabbi-Nathân is a treatise similar in content, so entitled because the first saying reported is that of the tanna Rabbi Nathan.

Bibliography7 works

BIBL.: Text and translation: H. L. Strack, Pirgê 'A., "Spräche der Fäter," 4th ed., Leipzig 1915; Italian translation by V. Castiglioni, ed. E. Schreiber, La Misina (part IV, IX), 1927; J. Colombo, Pagine di morale ebraica, Lanciano 1931. - Studies: R. Travers Herford, commentary in The Apocrypha and Pseudopigrabs of the Old Test, by R. H. Charles, II, Oxford 1913; ed., Pirke Abot, New York 1923; id., Pirke Abot, its Purpose and Significance, in Occident and Orient (Gaster Anniv. Vol., 1937), pp. 244-52; F. Massa, Formgeschichte der Mischma. mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Traktats Abot, Berlin 1937; L. Finkelstein, Introduction Study to Pirke Abot, in Journal of Biblical Literature, 57 (1938), pp. 13-30.

Enrico Galbiati

@incollection{ec1_aboth_pirqe_abath_capitoli_dei, author = {Galbiati, Enrico}, title = {'Aboth (PirqĒ 'AbĀTh, «capitoli dei padri»)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {112--113}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/aboth-pirqe-abath-capitoli-dei-padri} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

'Aboth (Pirqē 'Abāth, "Chapters of the Fathers")

About this entry