Avos 2:7 מַרְבֶּה בָשָׂר, מַרְבֶּה רִמָּה (ALL)

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.

"The more flesh, the more worms": One who engages in much eating and drinking to the point that he becomes fat and fleshy, increases the worms upon himself in the grave; and worms are as hard for the dead as a needle is for living flesh. And this teacher let us understand that all increase is difficult for a man except for the increase of Torah, wisdom and charity.

He was accustomed to say: The more flesh, etc.: A person thinks that he adds life with pleasure and pampering - as he acts according to nature. 'But there is no control over the day of death' - it will 'not be a help or a benefit, but it will be for shame' and even for vermin.

The more possessions, the more worry: Do not think that because of the honor of his wealth and the multitude of his assets, he will while away his days in bounty and his years in pleasantness. But [instead], he will worry about them the whole entire year. 'Ask him and he will tell you, your wealthy ones and they will say to you.'

The more Torah, the more life: This matter corresponds to that which he said, "The more flesh, the more vermin." As through enjoyment, he will shorten his days; but through toil in Torah [study], they will be lengthened. And it also corresponds to "The more possessions, the more worry," as the worry over possessions shortens his years. But the worry over Torah - even though it is great worry, to the one who understands, when he figures out the law to the point that he can 'say the thing in an apt fashion' - this worry cannot cause him evil. Even though the wise men of science have said that concern is sickness of the heart and worry is destruction of the heart, worry over Torah 'will increase for him length of days and years of life and peace.' And about this Shlomo, peace be upon him, said (Proverbs 10:27), "The fear of the Lord adds life; the years of the wicked will be shortened."

The more wisdom, the more sitting [and studying]: He means to say, the wisdom of reasoning and argument, as through this, he increases sitting. As students will come to hear the new [ideas] and to sharpen themselves with him and to learn the matter of the novel rationale - as this is a wisdom in of itself. And he means to say that he is given reward corresponding to all of them, since he is the catalyst. And this matter corresponds to that which he said, "The more maidservants, the more lewdness." As there [are things] that others do and it is seen as if he did it [himself], for the bad or for the good.

One who has acquired a good name has acquired for himself: As the good name for himself, he will not leave to others. It is the opposite of the one who increases possessions, since with his death, he - the one who comes from them - will leave them over and go without desire.

(15) The general principle of this matter: man was not created for his state in this world, but rather, for his state in the World to Come. Only that his state in this world is a means towards his state in the World to Come, which is his ultimate purpose.

(16) Hence, you will find many statements of our sages, of blessed memory, all along similar lines, comparing this world to a place and time of preparation while the next world is compared to a place of rest and eating what has already been prepared. For instance they said: "this world is like a corridor" (Avos 4:16), as I wrote earlier; "today for their performance and tomorrow [for receiving their reward]..." (Avodah Zara 3a); "He who toiled on Friday will eat on the Sabbath" (Kohelet Raba 1:15); "this world is like the shore and the next world like the sea", and many other statements along the same lines.

(17) Indeed, you can see that no rational person can possibly believe that the purpose of man's creation is for his existence in this world. For what is man's life in this world? Who is truly happy and content in this world? "The days of our life are 70 years, and if by strength, 80 years, yet their span is but toil and trouble" (Ps. 90:10).

(18) How many sorts of distress and sicknesses, pain and burdens, and after all that death! Not one in a thousand can be found to whom this world has granted plenty of pleasures and true contentment. And even such a person, if he reaches the age of a hundred years, already [is as one who already] passed and disappeared from the world.

(19) Furthermore, if the purpose of man's creation were for the sake of this world, it would not have been necessary to imbue him with such a lofty and exalted soul, greater even than the angels themselves.

(20) Especially so, when the soul finds no satisfaction whatsoever from all the pleasures of this world. This is what our sages teach us in Midrash Kohelet: "'but the soul will not be fulfilled' (Kohelet 6:7) - What is this analogous to? To the case of a common peasant who married the king's daughter. Even if he brought her all that the village possessed, it would be as nothing to her. For she is the king's daughter. So too with the soul, if you would bring to her all the pleasures of this world, they would be like nothing to her. For she is from higher worlds" (Kohelet Raba 6:7).

(21) Likewise our sages of blessed memory taught us: "against your will were you formed, and against your will were you born" (Avot 4:22). For the soul does not love this world at all. On the contrary, it despises it. If so, certainly, the Creator, blessed be His Name, would never have created something for a purpose which is against its nature and despised by it!

(22) Rather, man's creation was for his state in the world to come. Therefore, this soul was placed in him, for it befits the soul to serve G-d; and through it a man will be rewarded in proper time and place. Thus this world will not be something despised to his soul, but rather beloved and cherished by it. This is evident.

The Gemara explains the sides of the dilemma: Even if you say that generally we follow the moment of uprooting, and therefore she should be impure, since the urine was uprooted when she was a zava, nevertheless one can claim that this statement applies only with regard to semen, as the man cannot hold it back from emission. But with regard to the urine of a zava, which she can hold in, one does not follow the moment of uprooting. Or perhaps there is no difference in the application of this principle between urine and semen, but rather, in both cases one follows the moment of uprooting. Here too, the Gemara concludes that the dilemma shall stand unresolved.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: These are people who are considered important [yekarim] in this world and unimportant [kefuyim] in the World-to-Come. This is like the incident involving Rav Yosef, son of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who became ill and was about to expire. When he returned to good health, his father said to him: What did you see when you were about to die? He said to him: I saw an inverted world. Those above, i.e., those who are considered important in this world, were below, insignificant, while those below, i.e., those who are insignificant in this world, were above. He said to him: My son, you have seen a clear world. The world you have seen is the true world, as in that world people’s standings befit them. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked: And where are we, the Torah scholars, there? Rav Yosef responded: Just as we are regarded here, so are we regarded there.

Apropos the topic of how a man should approach his household, Rav Yehuda says: A person must always be careful about ensuring that there is grain inside his house, as discord is found in a person’s house only over matters of grain, as it is stated: “He makes your borders peace; He gives you plenty with the finest wheat” (Psalms 147:14). If there is the finest wheat in your house, there will be peace there. Rav Pappa said: This is in accordance with the adage that people say: When the barley is emptied from the jug, quarrel knocks and enters the house.