[1] These two complete scholars were the leading figures of the fifth generation of the Mishnaic Sages. I have already written that they were of a community of converts. I will now share with you what I have seen in the books of the gentiles. The compilers of their civil and religious codes recorded the laws and ordinances enacted by the earliest Roman sages, citing each ruling in the name of its author — and among those named is this Avtalyon. They stated that he was a young man who arranged many laws and ordinances, and to this day there remains among them one code known as the Law of Avtalyon. They further stated that this Avtalyon abandoned the worship of idols that prevailed in Rome and went forth to seek another faith. Without doubt, he is the very one mentioned in the Mishnah — for despite being converts, these two attained such perfection in wisdom that they became the leaders of Bnei Yisrael and the foremost figures of their generation. The two of them were associated with one another, in keeping with what our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Bava Batra 92b): "The starling does not go to the raven" — only to its own kind.

[2] Now, Shemayah — having observed his teacher Yehudah ben Tabai speak at length about the warnings addressed to judges — declared that it is fitting for a person to flee from positions of rabbinic authority, for such a position is in truth a heavy burden fraught with great danger, and it is impossible for a judge not to sin, since his time is consumed by it and he will be unable to engage in Torah study for its own sake. This is the meaning of his statement: "Love labor and despise rabbinic authority" — that is to say, fortunate, truly fortunate, is one who has no need of those very warnings that Yehudah ben Tabai found necessary to issue; rather, let a person live by the toil of his own hands — this being "labor" — and let him despise rabbinic authority, meaning serving as a judge or a communal leader and administrator. Shemayah further states that from this course of action a person will derive the benefit of not becoming known to the ruling power (*rashut*). That is to say, when a person serves as a judge or communal leader, he will inevitably come to the attention of the ruling power — a term used to refer to the king or the city's governor, called *rashut* because everything falls within his authority (*reshut*) — and how great is the harm and injury that befalls a person who becomes known to one in whose hands everything lies, who does as his heart desires, with none to question his actions. Therefore, it is far better for a person to occupy himself with his trade in such a manner that he never comes to the attention of the ruling power. According to this interpretation, the phrase "and do not seek intimacy with the ruling power" is not a separate warning and command unto itself, but rather an assurance and a promise: that if one loves labor and despises rabbinic authority, he will not become known to the ruling power.

[3] The Rambam wrote that associating with the ruling authorities is among the things that cause a person to lose his Torah and his faith, since he will attend only to what pleases those in power, and will not properly observe the festivals, the appointed times, and the Shabbatot of Hashem, being occupied as he is with the service of the kingdom. These are indeed well-founded observations. I, too, will acknowledge it: all my days I grew up in the courts and citadels of kings, and woe to one who came to know them and drew near to them. Fortunate is the one who distances himself from them and from their honor, and draws near to none other than the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed is He — as the Psalmist declares (Tehillim 73:28): "But as for me, drawing near to God is my good."

[4] This sage said: "Love work" — not merely "engage in work" — to convey that it is not good for a person to do his work under compulsion and duress, burdened by it and against his will, but rather that he should love it and then perform it with joy and a glad heart. As Dovid said (Tehillim 128:2): "When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you." And our Sages expounded (Berachot 8a): "You shall be happy" — in this world; "and it shall be well with you" — in the World to Come. For this reason, many of the Sages of Israel were craftsmen: Rabbi Yehoshua, of whom it is said in the chapter Tefillat HaShachar (Berachot 28a) that he was a charcoal-maker — while in the Yerushalmi (Berachot 7:4) it is stated that he made needles. And in the chapter Arvei Pesachim (Pesachim 113b): "By the lives of the holy Rabbis who were cobblers" — that is to say, they made shoes. And Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar, whose craft was likewise shoemaking; and Rabbi Yehudah, the colleague of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, in the chapter HaNoder; and Rabbi Shimon mentioned there; and Rabbi Chananya ben Dosa; and Abba Chilkiya; and many others in the chapter of the pious ones. And Rava, in the final chapter of Moed Katan — all of them were craftsmen, so as not to receive gifts from people or to sustain themselves through words of Torah. As they said (ibid., 28a): "Flay a carcass in the marketplace… and do not say, 'I am a Kohen, I am a great man, and this thing is beneath my dignity.'" Indeed, they went so far as to say in the chapter Nochalin (Bava Batra 110a): "A person should always hire himself out" — even to labor that is foreign to his nature.

[5] Indeed, the hatred of rabbinic authority and leadership has already been greatly warned against — for once a person is appointed as a communal leader from below, he is called wicked from above. And in tractate Sotah (Sotah 55a): "Why did Yosef die before his brothers? Because he conducted himself with an air of authority." Similarly, it is said in tractate Pesachim (Pesachim 87b): "Woe to authority, which buries those who hold it — for there is no prophet who did not outlive four kings in his lifetime." Likewise, Dovid, while he was king of Israel — of whom the verse states, "And Dovid executed justice and righteousness for all his people" (Shmuel II 8:15) — would flee from rendering judgment between one person and another, and would pray regarding this (ibid. 22:44): "You shall deliver me from the contentions of my people." And so the Midrash relates. But the root and source of all these true moral teachings is Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him — for when Hashem said to him at the beginning of his prophecy (Shemot 3:10–11): "Come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and bring My people, the Children of Israel, out of Egypt" — he recoiled from both matters — that is to say, from associating himself with governmental power, and from assuming the leadership and authority over the people. This is expressed in his words: "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?" — by which he refused to align himself with power — "and that I should bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt?" — for he despised the authority and burden of leading them.

[6] We may already venture to say and to learn, by way of asmachta, that this entire moral teaching is alluded to in the Ten Commandments (Shemot 20–14). For the first commandment — "I am Hashem your God" — comes to make known that it is Him you shall serve and to Him you shall cleave. Following it: "You shall have no other gods before Me"; "You shall not make for yourself an idol or any image"; "You shall not bow down to them nor serve them" — these correspond to the earthly kings and rulers, who are like idols, that you should not make yourself known to them nor serve them. And when you distance yourself from them — "You shall not take the name of Hashem… in vain"; and for six days you shall perform your labor, and then the seventh day shall be "a Sabbath to Hashem," and you shall rest in it as is fitting — something you cannot do when you have made yourself known to those in power. Now, one who has ingratiated himself to authority will say to his father and mother, "I have not seen him," in order to fulfill the will of his ruler and draw near to him. But when you love your craft and have not made yourself known to those in power — you will honor your father and your mother; and when you despise the pursuit of communal leadership, you will have no cause for doubt regarding bloodshed, robbery, and other sins: "You shall not murder"; "You shall not commit adultery"; "You shall not steal"; "You shall not bear false witness"; "You shall not covet" — for all these things flow from the pursuit of authority, when a judge adjudicates capital cases or monetary cases for which he is unfit. But when a person loves his craft, despises communal leadership, and has not made himself known to those in power, he will be spared from all these sins. How beautiful are the words of Shlomo, who spoke to this very point (Mishlei 27:23–27): "Know well the face of your flocks, direct your heart to your herds" — and the verses that follow, whose meaning I take to be a praise, glorification, and beautification of the life of one who occupies himself in the field with the tending of his flock, and who flees from dominion and leadership among the people of the city. This is why he said, "Know well the face of your flocks" — meaning: do not say, "I will entrust my flocks to the shepherds while I rule in the state." You yourself must not do so; rather, "know well the face of your flocks," and by this "you will direct your heart to your herds," and all your thoughts will be with them, not with communal leadership and the authority of the state — "for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure from generation to generation." That is to say, leadership and authority are not permanent, and the crown of rulership does not endure from generation to generation; but with the tending of flocks, goodness and prosperity are lasting, and this is: "The hay is gathered, the new growth appears, and the grasses of the mountains are collected." That is to say, the hay comes and afterward the grasses of the mountains are gathered, and what remains for you from the flock is the yield of wool — as it says: "Lambs for your clothing," and you will have no need of anything from the state; for if you desire a garment to wear, you need not go to the merchant of the city to purchase it from him, since from the wool of your lambs you will make in your own home a garment for your clothing. If you need money — silver or gold — "the he-goats are the price of a field." That is to say, people will come to you to purchase the he-goats and will give you the money. If you need food — "there will be enough milk from the goats for your bread and the bread of your household," and with all this there will always be occupation for your young women. All of these are the benefits of the labor of the field.

[7] However, the rabbinate and position of communal authority in a city are not so — for they are perpetually fraught with strife. This is the meaning of (Mishlei 28:1–2): "The wicked flee though no one pursues" — referring to the one who clamors after the rabbinate; while the righteous man "is as confident as a young lion" — referring to the one who dwells in the field tending to the work of his flock. And if you sought the rabbinate in order to benefit your community, the outcome will be the very opposite, for "through the transgression of a land its princes are many" — meaning that a multitude of rulers will bring transgression and wickedness upon it, not justice. And what follows: "but through a man of understanding and knowledge, righteousness is prolonged" — meaning that the man of understanding, knowledge, and wisdom will lengthen the days of his life through his craft and the tending of his flock, and not through power and the rabbinate.

[8] Accordingly, this pious man responded to his teacher's words, and came to set a limitation and clarification regarding the matter of gemilut chasadim — specifically as it pertains to that which is between a person and his fellow, and the conduct of one's own self.