The Talmud:
One who wishes to be a Chossid (“one who goes beyond the letter of the law, and who strives to conduct himself in the best possible way out of love for Hashem”), should fulfill the words of [Pirkei] Avos!
Commentaries explain (and the Rebbe constantly emphasizes) that the entire collection of teachings found in Pirkei Avos represent “milsah d’chassidusah” – matters of pious conduct.
The Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur, “It is customary to say Pirkei Avos, one chapter on each Shabbos between Pesach and Shavuos, at Mincha ... And some have the custom to do so through all Shabbosim of the summer”.
Midrash Shmuel: One of the reasons for this practice is because the Torah is given on Shavuos, and one who studies Torah must first know the approach to its study and how he should conduct himself subsequent to its study. It was therefore established to study Pirkei Avos in order that the heart of every Jew will be prepared to accept the Torah wholeheartedly, and to conduct himself with the Torah in a lawful and proper manner.
Additionally, since nature gains strength so-to-speak during the summer season, all people engage in matters that concern bodily health and fitness in the summertime. Now, that may be appropriate for those who conduct themselves according to nature alone; the Jewish nation however, conducts itself according to the Torah. We therefore spend this time involved in the health and fitness of the soul (via studying Pirkei Avos and implementing its directives). This has the natural effect of ensuring a healthy body too (in the manner of preventative medicine).
The Rebbe adds: Since we are concerned with bodily health during the summer, we must make certain that it does not lead to “Yishurun grew fat and kicked [i.e., the Jewish people grew prosperous and rebelled]”. We therefore study Pirkei Avos, which deals with character refinement and arouses the Jewish people to pursue goodly qualities and to step beyond the call of duty.
Moreover, the effect of saying Pirkei Avos throughout the summer months is also continued into the all the Shabbosim (and thereby into all of the weekdays) of the winter season too!
STUDY, DON’T SAY
x Since the teachings of Pirkei Avos are part of the Oral Torah they must be completely understood by the person who studies them. Therefore, it is not sufficient to merely recite Pirkei Avos – albeit correctly, taking care to fully pronounce each word – but we should rather study the teachings in depth as is the law governing the study of the Oral Torah.
“Nonetheless, the custom as it has been practiced for generations has been to merely recite Pirkei Avos without any comprehension! The reason for this conduct is (no doubt) due to our being heavily involved with other matters; perhaps we have gone someplace to review words of Chassidus there, as is customary, even to the extent of deriving novel Torah thoughts from the Torah’s inner and revealed dimensions...”
“We could suggest a reason for this conduct (which is commonplace despite the requirement that the Oral Torah be studied with comprehension), namely, that it directly follows a prayer service (Mincha). And the concept of prayer does not involve study – on the contrary, the more uncomplicated and straightforwardly sincere the better... This then rubs off on the reading of Pirkei Avos, with the result that it too is not much of a study – as we plainly witness in the conduct of the majority of people...”
AT LEAST ONE MISHNAH IN DEPTH
- It is not demanded of each one of us that we study all the teachings of the entire chapter in depth, each and every Shabbos... Such a requirement would be rather difficult to implement! However, we should at least study one teaching from each chapter in depth, as befits the study of the Oral Torah. (And the students of the Tomchei Temimim Yeshivah certainly ought to do so...)
ALTER REBBE’S NUSACH
- We should read Pirkei Avos from the version edited by the Alter Rebbe (and printed in standard Siddur Tehillas Hashem, p.211-234).
MISHNAH WITH MEFARSHIM
- While reading, we should have a copy of Mishnah at hand, which includes the explanations of the classic commentaries on the Mishnah – at least the two foremost commentators: Ikar Tosefos Yom Tov and the Bartenura. We should use these texts to study at least one teaching with the classic commentaries.
SPREAD THIS CUSTOM
x Those of us who visit other congregations each Shabbos to impart Torah teachings should promote the customary reading of Pirkei Avos by those congregations, along with the directive to study at least one teaching in depth.
THROUGHOUT THE WEEK
x If we failed to read Pirkei Avos following Mincha, we could still do so until Havdalah. In fact, we should continue this study throughout the week that follows, like the common tradition of taking along a book of Mishnah when embarking on a journey, and studying Mishna’os while traveling (so as to “study the Torah’s laws each day”) [Pikei Avos is itself a book of Mishnah -Ed].
MAKE IT YOUR CUSTOM
x Those who have not followed the custom to study Pirkei Avos each Shabbos during the summer months – or at least have not been overly particular about implementing it – in the past, should now accept this custom upon themselves for this current year. And do not suffice with merely reading the teachings, but rather study at least one teaching from each chapter in depth...
COMPENSATE BY BOOSTING
x There is a way for those of us who have not followed or were not scrupulous about observing this custom until now to made amends (a “tikun”): Influence at least one other Jew who was unaware of this custom to begin studying Pirkei Avos!
FOR ALL JEWS
x We should publicize this practice to those who pray from a different nusach (version of Siddur) than ours and therefore until now only studied Pirkei Avos during the period between Pesach and Shavuos. They too should increase their study from now on, to include every Shabbos throughout the summer months.
CONTINUE TEACHING MA’AMORIM
x Even during a Shabbos when we ‘actually and openly’ [i.e., officially] study Pirkei Avos, we should nevertheless continue the weekly practice of publicly reviewing Chassidic discourses. (In fact, particularly during the weeks of the counting of the Omer ... which is a preparation for receiving the Torah on Shavuos, we should strongly emphasize all areas of Torah and especially its inner teachings...)
WHEN THERE ARE TWO CHAPTERS
x During those weeks (prior to Rosh Hashanah) when we recite two chapters of Pirkei Avos each week, we recite the Mishnah “Kol Yisrael – All Israel have a portion...” as an introduction to both chapters.
