Pirke Aboth, i. e. capita pat rum (p"?S, a chap- ter), or sayings of the fathers, is the name of a tract of the Mishna (q. v.), and consists of five chapters of chrono- logically regulated gnomes from the teachers of Israel who flourished within 450 years. They were in all ages highly esteemed for their moral character, but in modern times, when a greater interest in Jewish history awoke, they also experienced greater attention on ac- count of their historical value. The Pirke Aboth was especially used by Frankel for solving some historical problems, and several after him found in them sources for chronological suggestions. A very ingenious spec- ulation about the first chapter of the Pirke Aboth is brought forward by rabbi Bloch. He asserts that its sentences and rules of life were pronounced on the oc- casion of the solemn dispensing of the Semicka, "the ordination and authorization to the office of rabbi and judge," given to the disciples as rules of life in office. With such sentence the teacher discharged his disciple, who was prepared to enter an independent calling. The first chapter gives us the chain of tradition, how the law was delivered from generation to generation. When the men of the great synagogue said, "Be deliberate in judgment, train up many disciples, and make a fence for the law," they could not have intended for every man and for every opportunity, but just for such disci- ples to whom they dispensed Semicha. When Judah ibn-Tabia taught (ver. 8), " Consider not thyself like a chief-justice, and when parties are before thee in judg- ment, consider both as guilty; but when they are de- parted from thee, consider them both as innocent, if they acquiesced in the sentence;" or if Abtalyon im- pressed the sages to be cautious of their words (ver. 11), etc., it appears clearly that they merely addressed per- sons who have charge of judgments and of the chair. Verse 13, which is taught in the name of Hillei, ex- presses genuine Shamaic rigor, and only the supposi- tions that these precepts are directed to disciples will somewhat explain their rigidness. Especially verse 3 gains clearness, which reports the sentence of Antigonos of Socho : " Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of receiving reward, but be like servants who serve without, the condition to receive reward, and let the fear of heaven be upon you." According to the common conception, the last sentence could not be brought into close connection with the foregoing. Clearly Antigonos intended to say something else than what ids expounders impute to him. By D~iS he de- cidedly understood earthly reward, and addressed his disciples to exercise their offices as teacher and judge not with a view to reward, but for the office' sake, and " The fear of heaven be upon you" completes the ad- vice. The chapters following contain rules of life for "every man" (Disn "lb TD^IS).
When the extemporaneous discourses were suspended in the synagogue by the reading of the Haggadah (q. v.), etc., it became the custom to read in the Sabbath after- noon service a chapter of the Aboth (Zunz, Gottesdienstl. Vortrage der Juden, p. 4-24), and this still continues the practice in many countries (Bodenschatz, Kirchl. Ver- fassung der Juden, ii, 151 sq.j. The Spanish Jews read
PIRKIIELMKI.'
22G
PIRXEXSIAXS
the Ahoth only on the six Sabbaths between Passover and Pentecost The Prayer-books bave the Ahoth al- ways as an appendix. A separate critical edition, with German translation, was prepared by rabbi Caro, under the title Minchath Schabbath (Krotoshin, 1847). See Talmud. (J.H.W.)
Pirkheimer, Wilibauj, a celebrated German hu- manist, was born at Eichstadt, Dec. ■>. I I7»>, of an old patrician Nuremberg family. He enjoyed a mosl re- fined education; be was at the age of eighteen intro- duce.1 to the courl of the bishop of Eichstadt, where he soon became proficient in every kind of knightly pursuit, and carefully cultivated his fine native talenl for music. Though interrupted by several military expeditions, his literary studies, in which lie was guided bj < reorges vnii Tegen and the canon Adelmann, were not neglected. In L490 he went to the University of Padua, where he studied jurisprudence, and got familiar with the Greek language, in which he was taught by Muslims. Three years afterwards he completed his study of jurispru- dence at Pavia, under Main... Lancelot, and Philip De- ems. At hi- return to Nuremberg, L497, he married Crescenlia Rietter, whose influential family soon opened to him the doors of the senate. This assembly soon ac- knowledged his merit, and. in spite of his youth, in- trusted him with several important negotiations. In 1 199 he obtained the command of the contingent -em by the city to the emperor Maximilian I against the Swiss cantons, when his brilliant conduct during this campaign, ofwhich he afterwards published an account, won him the favor of the sovereign, who made him his counsellor. Disgusted by the envious attacks ofwhich the imperial favor was fruitful, he resigned in 1601 his functions as senator, hut resumed them three years af- terwards, when he was again intrusted with the most delicate negotiations, his amiable disposition and per- Buasive eloquence fitting him (specially for this kind of affairs. In 1511 or 1512 he was sent as deputy to the diets of Treves and Cologne. In 1522 Pirkheimer re- tired into private life, devoting himself to study, and encouraging with all his power throughout Germany the cultivation of literature and science. His library, rich in rare manuscripts, was at the disposition of the public; his opulent mansion became the favorite resort • u phalanx of literati, artists, and other per- sons of merit, lie helped many a poor savant with his purse ami his influence. He entertained friendly rela- tions with Erasmus, ( 'onrad Cettes, Reuchlin, Tritheme, Albert Dlirer, Pico de la Mirandola, etc Unfortunately the greater part of his correspondence is lost ; but what remains of it proves the truth of the words of ( 'ochfeus in a letter to Pirkheimer, " Ko enim hactenus in erudi- tes fuisti animo. tit communi studiosorum judicio habitus in. ris ' I i'ii i .iiiiiii decus et eruditionis variae atque adeo omnigenae princeps." A Her -really impnH ing the con- dition of I he SChOOlS of Nuremberg, he made that city