Pirkei Avot

Be careful [in your dealings] with the ruling authorities for they do not befriend a person except for their own needs; they seem like friends when it is to their own interest, but they do not stand by a man in the hour of his distress (Avot 2:3).

Shiloh Dynasty & beats mode – Trust Nobody (Lyrics) – YouTube

This paragraph means that you can’t trust anyone that is wealthy/powerful because they are only befriending you for their future gain. We can learn not to trust wealthy/powerful people and if you are wealthy/powerful you should try to be more trustworthy. “You see I say when I bleed, but you don’t care ’bout my health, oh no”(Dynasty, “Trust Nobody”).These relate because the song is about how people turn their back on them and the verse from Pirkei Avot is not to trust rich people. 

 

Rabbi Joshua said: an evil eye, the evil inclination, and hatred for humankind put a person out of the world (Avot 2:11).

The Fray – How to Save a Life (Official Video) – YouTube

What Rabbi Joshua is saying is that if you think that everything sucks, and that everyone is evil, you will hate the world and become depressed. A lesson we can learn from this verse is that you should appreciate everything anyone does for you and think positively. This relates to the song How to Save a Life by The Fray because the song is sung in a sad way, however the tone indicates that there is still a bit of hope. “Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend, Somewhere along in the bitterness”(The Fray “How to Save a Life”).  These relate because they are both depressed and need a therapist to help them feel better.

 

Moreover he saw a skull floating on the face of the water. He said to it: because you drowned others, they drowned you. And in the end, they that drowned you will be drowned (Avot 2:6).

Drown in My Own Tears – YouTube

This verse is saying that if you drown someone you will get drowned implying that whatever wrong you do will happen to you. What we can learn is to do nice things to people and G-d will make us have a better life that we can enjoy. This song is about someone who is so sad he is drowning in his own tears. “I know it’s true, mm hmm, into each life, oh, some rain, rain must pour, I’m so blue here without you, It keeps a-raining more and more”(Charles “Drown in My Own Tears”). This quote is saying that he never stops crying and he is always so sad because his loved one is gone. The song is related to the verse because if you are being mean to people or drowning them you must be really depressed and cry a lot. They are also both sad and both about people drowning.

 

He used to say: The more flesh, the more worms; The more property, the more anxiety; The more wives, the more witchcraft; The more female slaves, the more lewdness; The more slaves, the more robbery; [But] the more Torah, the more life; The more sitting [in the company of scholars], the more wisdom; The more counsel, the more understanding; The more charity, the more peace. If one acquires a good name, he has acquired something for himself; If one acquires for himself knowledge of Torah, he has acquired life in the world to come (Avot 2:7).

Coldplay – Viva La Vida (Official Video) – YouTube

This verse is saying that the more someone possesses the more bad will happen to them and they will become a worse person. From this we can learn to not take more than we need. “For some reason, I can’t explain, I know Saint Peter won’t call my name” (Coldplay “Viva La Vida”). This song’s about someone who used to be a king and then lost it all and now thinks he will go to hell because Saint Peter is the guardian of heaven and if he calls your name you are let in. The song and the Pirkei Avot verse relate because they are both agreeing that the more you have the more bad you have.

 

Rabbi Tarfon said: the day is short, and the work is plentiful, and the laborers are indolent, and the reward is great, and the master of the house is insistent (Avot 2:15). 

DISNEY SING-ALONGS | Heigh Ho – Snow White Lyric Video! | Official Disney UK – YouTube

Rabbi Tarfon is saying that when you work hard for something, you will get a reward. A lesson we can learn is that work is not always a bad thing and will often reward you in the future. “It aint no trick to get rich quick If ya dig dig dig with a shovel or a stick” (7 Dwarfs “Heigh Ho”). This song is about dwarves who work hard every day but get rewards from it. The verse from the song is saying that you have to work hard to get rich. The verse connects to the song because they both say that if you work hard you get a reward.