רבי שמעון לומד מהנמלים Rabbi Shimon learns from the ants

אִישׁ אֶחָד, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן חֲלַפְתָא שְׁמוֹ, One man, his name is Rabbi Shimon ben Halfta,

כָּל מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ, הָלַךְ וּבָדַק בְּעַצְמוֹ. Everything they told him, he went and checked for himself.

לֹא קִבֵּל דָּבָר בְּתוֹר מוּבָן מֵאֵלָיו, Did not receive anything in a self-evident turn,

כָּל עִנְיָן הֶעֱדִיף לִרְאוֹת בְּמוֹ עֵינָיו. Everything is better to see with his own eyes.

אָמַר לוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ, אִישׁ חָבִיב וְתָם: His friend, a kind and gentle man, said to him:

"לֵךְ אֶל נְמָלָה, עָצֵל, רְאֵה דְּרָכֶיהָ וַחֲכָם. "Go to an ant, lazy one, see her ways and be wise.

אַף שֶׁאֵין לָהּ מֶלֶךְ, שַׁלִּיט אוֹ פִּקּוּד הָעֹרֶף, Although it has no king, ruler or command of the rear,

כָּל הַקַּיִץ הִיא אוֹסֶפֶת מָזוֹן וְאוֹגֶרֶת לַחֹרֶף. All summer she collects food and piles up for the winter.

אֵינָהּ זְקוּקָה לְשׁוּם פְּקֻדּוֹת וּמְשִׂימוֹת, Does not need any commands or tasks,

הִיא כְּבָר יוֹדַעַת מָה עָלֶיהָ לַעֲשׂוֹת." She already knows what she has to do."

"כָּכָה?" "So?" חָשַׁב בְּלִבּוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, "נִשְׁמָע מְעַנְיֵן. Rabbi Shimon thought in his heart, "Sounds interesting.

אֵלֵךְ בְּעַצְמִי לִבְדֹּק אִם אֵין אַף מֶלֶךְ בַּקֵּן." I will go myself to check if there is no king in the nest."

הָלַךְ בְּאֶמְצַע הַקַּיִץ, הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ קוֹפַחַת, הָאֲוִיר לוֹהֵט, I walked in the middle of the summer, the sun is scorching, the air is hot,

וַחֲבוּרַת הַנְּמָלִים מֵחֹם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ נֶחְבֵּאת. And the bunch of ants from the heat of the sun are hidden.

הִנִּיחַ טַלִּית - חֲתִיכַת בַּד - שֶׁהֵטִילָה עַל הַקֵּן צֵל נָעִים, Lay a tallit - a piece of cloth - that casts a pleasant shade on the nest,

וְהִמְתִּין לִרְאוֹת אֵיךְ יִתְגַּלְגְּלוּ הָעִנְיָנִים. And waited to see how things would turn out.

כַּעֲבֹר רֶגַע אוֹ שְׁנַיִם יָצְאָה נְמָלָה מֵהַפֶּתַח הַצַּר, A moment or two later an ant came out of the narrow opening,

"אֶזְכֹּר אוֹתָהּ," אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, "יֵשׁ לָהּ מָחוֹשׁ אֶחָד קָצָר." "I will remember her," said Rabbi Shimon, "she has one short tentacle."

חָזְרָה הַנְּמָלָה לַקֵּן וְאָמְרָה לְחַבְרוֹתֶיהָ, נִמְלוֹת הַקָּצִיר: The ant came back to the nest and said to her friends, The ants of the harvest:

"צְאוּ הַחוּצָה, חֲבֵרוֹת, בַּחוּץ כְּבָר מוּצָל וְקָרִיר!" "Get out, guys, it's already shady and cool outside!"

יָצְאוּ הַנְּמָלִים, וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֵרִים אֶת הַבַּד מֵעַל קִנָּן, The ants came out, and Rabbi Shimon lifted up the cloth over the nest.

וְשׁוּב קָפְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הַיּוֹקֶדֶת עַל רֹאשָׁן. And again the sun shining brightly on their heads.

הִבִּיטוּ הַנְּמָלִים בַּנְּמָלָה וְהֵבִינוּ אֶת הַטָּעוּת, The ants looked at the ant and understood the mistake,

הִתְנַפְּלוּ עָלֶיהָ בְּכַעַס וַהֲרָגוּהָ לְלֹא שְׁהוּת. They attacked her in anger and killed her without stopping.

"אָכֵן," אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, "אֵין כָּאן מֶלֶךְ וְכָעֵת זֶה מוּכָח. "Indeed," said Rabbi Shimon, "there is no king here and now it is proven.

לוּ הָיָה לָהֶן שַׁלִּיט, לֹא הָיוּ הוֹרְגוֹת סְתָם כָּךְ. Had they had a ruler, they would not have been killed just like that.

וַדַּאי הָיוּ שׁוֹאֲלוֹת, בּוֹדְקוֹת, מְבַקְּשׁוֹת אֶת רְשׁוּתוֹ, Surely there would be inquirers, examiners, asking for his permission,

כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מֶלֶךְ, לֹא כָּל אֶחָד עוֹשֶׂה כְּכָל הָעוֹלֶה בְּדַעְתּוֹ." When there is a king, not everyone does what comes to mind. "

מַסְקְנָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מֵחַיֵּי הַנְּמָלִים Rabbi Shimon's conclusion from the life of the ants

מְלַמֶּדֶת גַּם אוֹתָנוּ עַל חֲשִׁיבוּת הַמַּנְהִיגִים. You also teach us about the importance of leaders.

אִם אֵין מַנְהִיג, אֵין סֵדֶר, וְזֶה גַּם קְצָת מַפְחִיד, If there is no leader, there is no order, and that is also a bit scary,

כְּפִי שֶׁהַסִּפּוּר עַל רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מֵעִיד. As the story of Rabbi Shimon testifies.

וְחָשׁוּב לִזְכֹּר שִׁעוּר חָשׁוּב לָנוּ, בְּנֵי הָאָדָם, And it is important for us to remember a lesson that is important to us, the people,

גַּם יְצוּר קְטַנְטַן מְלַמְּדֵנוּ עַל סִדְרֵי עוֹלָם. A tiny creature also taught us about world orders.