We were assigned a project after finishing all of the 2nd chapter of Pirkei Avot. The project that we were assigned was a Pirkei avot playlist. This is my Project:

I chose “Karma” by Taylor Swift because it fit perfectly with the message that verse 6, chapter 2 of Pirkei Avot talks about. The verse says: He also saw a skull floating upon the water. Said he to it: Because you drowned others, you were drowned; and those who drowned you, will themselves be drowned. This means that if you do something wrong, that same thing that you did will happen to you, in other words, the definition of Karma.

Taylor Swift has the same concept in her song. In her song she sings about someone who betrayed her and that she knows that Karma will come back to that person while she knows that she is in the good by saying lines like: “Cause karma is my boyfriend” and “karma’s a relaxing thought”. She also says the definition of karma in lines like “‘Cause karma is the thunder Rattling you ground Karma’s on your scent like a bounty hunter Karma’s gonna track you down. 

I chose society by Eddie Vedder because it shows one of the many ways and possibilities that consequences from actions could finish and shows it in the way that verse 7, chapter 2 shows. The verse says: He would also say: One who increases flesh, increases worms; one who increases possessions, increases worry; one who increases wives, increases witchcraft; one who increases maidservants, increases promiscuity; one who increases man-servants, increases thievery; one who increases Torah, increases life; one who increases study, increases wisdom; one who increases counsel, increases understanding; one who increases charity, increases peace. One who acquires a good name, acquired it for himself; one who acquires the words of Torah, has acquired life in the World to Come. This means that everything that happens in the world leads to another thing happening and it continues like that for eternity.

Eddie Vedder has the same concept in his song. In his song he sings about how if we want more we will start to think that we need it which will end in there being not enough left to get which will start to make people steal from others and end in chaos. He shows that in lines like: “When you want more than you have You think you need And when you think more than you want Your thoughts begin to bleed I think I need to find a bigger place ‘Cause when you have more than you think You need more space”.

I chose Respect by Stevie Wonder because it has the same concept as the message in verse 12, chapter 2. The verse says: Rabbi Yossei would say: The property of your fellow should be as precious to you as your own. Perfect yourself for the study of Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you. And all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven. This means that people and their belongings are as precious and important as you and yours, pretty much it means to respect people.

Stevie Wonder has the same concept in his song. In his song he sings to his girlfriend/wife to respect him and if she does so he will give her respect, gifts, and love back to her. He shows that in lines like: “Oh yeah, well… What you want, baby, I got it What you need, you know I got it All I’m asking for Is just a little respect when I get home” and “I’m about to give you all of my money But all I’m asking in return, honey Is to give me my respect when I get home Oh yeah, got to have respect”.