What is Pirkei Avot?

It may seem strange to ask what Pirkei Avot is, after all every child knows the answer to that
question. But let’s ask the question differently: Why is it called Avot? What is the connotation of
this title, and what does it tell us about the essence of the work? It is obvious that this is a unique
massechtah, but how do we quantify its distinctiveness?
These questions can only be answered properly through a deep and comprehensive study of the
entire massechtah. Nonetheless, it is possible to allude to the essence of an approach here.
The Rashbam [quoted in Midrash Shemuel (1:12)] notes that all of the statements of the Tanaim
in Avot reflect who they were personally, their character and personal history, and are not merely
Torah that they are transmitting. The more one studies Avot in depth, and in the context of the
rest of shas and midrash, the more one realizes how true this is. The mishnayot of Avot teach
personal lessons drawn from the lives, character and qualities of the Tanaim. As we study the
individual mishnayot and chapters of Avot, we will see this clearly, b”h.
A quick example: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is quoted twice at the end of the first chapter of
Avot. In the first of these mishnayot, he says “all my life I’ve grown up amongst the chachamim,
and I’ve not found anything better for oneself than silence…”. In the following mishanh, he is
quoted as explaining the three pillars of existence.
The first mishnah clear speaks of the personal experiences and lessons of his youth, growing up as
Rabban Gamliel’s son. His experience was that sometimes speaking out can cause one to lose
their position, even there life, as happened to his father [see Berachot (27b) and Baba Metziah
(59b)]. The latter mishnah describes a view of society, apparently from the vantage point of his
leadership as the nassi.
In light of this, there is a fascinating diyyuk in the mishnah. In the former mishnah, he is referred to
as “Shimon, his [i.e. Rabban Gamliel’s] son”. In the latter, he is called “Rabban Shimon ben
Gamliel”! It is almost as if two different tanaim are being cited. The relationship between who is
speaking and what is being said is so powerful in Avot, that even the precise way he is referred to
reflects the phase of his life that his statement reflects!
Similarly, all of the mishnayot of Avot deal with what we can learn from the people quoted in it-
that is what their lives and personalities have to teach us. This is in stark contrast to virtually all the
rest of shas. In any other massechtah, the author of a statement is of only tangential interest. Their
personal histories, experiences and character are by no means of concern in other mishnayot. This
is the unique nature of Avot.
Torah consists of parallel two halves: Torah shebichtav and shebaal Peh. Torah shebichtav can be
divided into two halves: halachah and narrative. In the narrative sections, we learn from people’s
lives. We study their lives and character for inspiration and to derive lessons from their mistakes.
In halachic sections we deal with norms and standards, mandates and prohibitions.
Most of the books of the Chumash are devoted primarily to halachah- except for Bereshit.
Bereshit is almost entirely narrative. In shas, most massechtot are almost exclusively halachah-
with the exception of Avot. It is narrative.
The equivalent of Bereshit in Torah Shebaal peh is Avot. One way that Bereshit is described is as
the book of the Avot [see e.g. Haamek Davar of the Netziv, introduction to Sefer Bereshit]. It is
no wonder that the massechtah that parallels Bereshit is called Avot!