(To his 24,000 pairs of students) My (Torah knowledge) and yours are hers (his wife)

Source: Wikiquote: "Akiba ben Joseph" (Quotes: Jesting and levity accustom a man to lewdness. The tradition is a fence around the Law (Torah); Tithes are a fence around riches; vows are a fence around abstinence; a fence around wisdom is silence.editors, editors (1978), Six Orders of the Mishnah – Seder Nezīqīn (Pirḳe Avot 3:14) place: Jerusalem, publisher: Eshkol All things are foreseen [by God], yet the choice is given [unto man], and the world is judged on [its] merits; yet, all is according to the preponderance of works, rather than the deed.editors, editors (1978), Six Orders of the Mishnah – Seder Nezīqīn (Pirḳe Avot 3:15) place: Jerusalem, publisher: Eshkol A plebeian cannot be pious, neither can a bashful man learn, nor a stern man teach!Yerushalmi, Shemuel (n.d.), Avot de-Rabbi Nathan (26:3) place: Jerusalem, publisher: Masoret Poverty is comely unto Jacob's daughter as a red lace on the head of a white horse.editors, editors (1987), Midrash Rabba (Leviticus Rabba 35:5) place: New York, publisher: Gross Bros. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Leviticus 19:18) - This is the all-embracing principle of the divine law.Mielziner, Moses (1925), Introduction to the Talmud (3rd edition); Sifra (on Leviticus 19:18) page: 279, place: New York Good humor is a safeguard to one's honor.Yerushalmi, Shemuel (n.d.), Avot de-Rabbi Nathan (26:1) place: Jerusalem, publisher: Masoret More than what a discipleLit. "calf" desires to learn,Lit. "suck" his mentorLit. "the cow" desires to teach.Lit. "give suck"editors, editors (1980), The Babylonian Talmud (Pesachim 112a) place: Jerusalem, publisher: Menaqed Modesty is a favorite theme with Rabbi Akiva, and he reverts to it again and again: Take your place a few seats below your rank until you are bidden to take a higher place; for it is better that they should say to you 'Come up higher' than that they should bid you 'Go down lower'.Avot of Rabbi Natan, ed. Solomon Schechter, xi. 46 He who esteems himself highly on account of his knowledge is like a corpse lying on the wayside: the traveler turns his head away in disgust, and walks quickly by.Leviticus Rabbah i. 5. The same saying is quoted also in the name of Simeon ben Azzai. A further example of Rabbi Akiva's oratory skills is in his funeral address over his son Simon. To the large assembly gathered on the occasion, he said:, Other quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app