daf bit intermission: Pirkei Avot 4

[cellio]

The Daf Yomi calendar says that today's daf is Meilah 25. Its absence from my English translation (Soncino) and other online copies I found was a complete mystery to me. (Had I been looking more carefully, I might have noticed the discrepancy in the header of this supposed Meilah 25.) So I prepared something else for this morning and then asked on Mi Yodeya, where I learned that the overseers of the Daf Yomi cycle decided to combine this tractate with some shorter items -- a couple pages of Kinim and then tractate Tamid, whose first page is 25b -- without necessarily changing the name. How odd.

So this week I offer a teaching from Pirkei Avot, which we read during the omer, the period from Pesach to Shavuot. Next week I expect to get back to the regular routine. This is one of my favorites:

Ben Zoma said: who is wise? He who learns from every person, as it is said: "from all who taught me have I gained understanding". Who is mighty? He who subdues his evil inclination, as it is said: "he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city". Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: "when you eat of the labor of your hands happy shall you be". Who is honored? He who honors his fellow, as it is said: "for them that honor me I will honor". (Avot 4:1)