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Avos 5:10-11

Avos 5:10

There are four different types of people. An average person says, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours,” though some say that this is the characteristic of Sodom. An ignorant person says, “What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.” A pious person says, “What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is yours.” An evil person says, “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine.”

Avos 5:11

There are four different types of temperament. If one is both easily angered and easily appeased, then what he gains (by being pacified) is canceled out by what he loses (by just getting angry again, i.e., this is a net loss because he’s angry a lot). If one is difficult to anger and difficult to appease, then what he loses (by being angry longer) is canceled out by what he gains (by being calm most of the time, i.e., a net gain). If one is difficult to anger but easily appeased, he is a considered pious. If one is easily angered but difficult to appease, he is considered evil.

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz