Rabbi Shimon says: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of the priests, and the crown of kingship - and the crown of a good name surpasses them all. (Avot 4:17)

Rabbi Akiva says: Joking around and lightheadedness make a person accustomed to immorality. The passed down law is a fence guarding the Torah; tithing your income is a fence that guards wealth; vows made are a fence that guards absitenence; a guarding fence for wisdom is silence. (Avot 3:17)

Rabbi Meir says: One should lessen their business activities and engage in learning Torah; One should be humble before every person; If you negleted Torah, you will have many excuses for neglecting it; And if you are diligent in Torah, He (G-d) has much reward to give you. (Avot 4:12)

Our Rabbis have taught: Hillel HaZaken had eighty disciples, thirty of whom were worthy of the Divine Spirit resting upon them, as [it did upon] Moshe our Master, thirty of whom were worthy that the sun should stand still for them [as it did for] Yehoshua Ben Nun, [and the remaining] twenty were ordinary. The greatest of them was Yonatan Ben Uziel,10 the smallest of them was Yochanan Ben Zakkai. They said of Rabbi Yochanan b. Zakkai that he did not leave [unstudied] Scripture, Mishnah, Gemara, Halachah, Aggada, details of the Torah, details of the Scribes, inferences a minori ad majus, analogies, calendrical computations gematrias, the speech of the Ministering Angels, the speech of spirits, and the speech of palm-trees, fullers’ parables and fox fables, great matters or small matters; ‘Great matters’ mean the Ma'aseh merkabah, ‘small matters’ the discussions of Abaye and Raba; in order to fulfill what is said, That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and that I may fill their treasuries.And if the smallest of them was so great, how much more so was the greatest? They said of Yonatan Ben Uziel that when he used to sit and occupy himself with the study of the Torah, every bird that flew above him was immediately burnt. (Sukka 28a)

Hillel says: Be like the students of Aharon who love peace and pursue peace, love people and bring them close to Torah. (Avot 1:12)

Shammai says: Make Torah learning a fixed pratice; Say a little and do a lot; Greet each person with a cheerful face. (Avot 1:15)

Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar says: Every group that does things for the sake of Heaven, will surely survive; Those which are not for the sake of Heaven, will not survive. (Avot 4:14)

Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma said: Once i was walking on the road, when a certain man met me. He greeted me and I returned his greeting. He said to me, "Rabbi, where are you from?" I said to him, "I am from a great city of scholars and sages." He said to me, "Rabbi would you be willing to live with us in our place? I would give you thousands of thousands of golden dinars, precious stones and pearls." I replied, "Even if you were to give me all the silver and gold, precious stones and pearls in the world, I would dwell nowhere but in a place of Torah." As it is written in Tehillim by Kind David: "I prefer the Torah of Your mouth above thousands in gold and silver." (Avot 6:10)

Shmaya and Avtalyon received from them. Shmaya says: Love the work (of G-d); And, hate the lordiness; And, do not become to familiar with the government.
Avtalyon says: Sages - be careful with your words lest they cause you the punishment of exile and you may be exiled to a place of bad waters, and the future students will drink and die, and then the name of Heaven is desecrated. (Avot 1:10-11)

A prozbul is writen only for (a debt secured by) immovable property; and if (the debtor) has none, then (the creditor) can give him title to a share, however small, of his own field. If he had land in pledge in a city, a prozbul can be writen on (the security thereof). Rabbi Chutzpit says: a prozbul may be writen for a man on the security of his wife's property, of for an orphan on the security of property belonging to his guardian. (Mishnah Shevi'it 10:6)

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai received from Hillel and Shammai. He used to say: If you learned a lot of Torah, do not take credit because for this you were created. Five students he, Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai, had. They are: Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrkenus, Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Chananiah, Rabbi Yossi HaCohen, Rabbi Shimon Ben Netanel, and Rabbi Elazar Ben Arach. He used to count their praises: Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrkenus is like a cemented pit which does not lose a drop. Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Chananiah - praised is the one who bore him. Rabbi Yossi HaCohen - Chassid (pious person). Rabbi Shimon Ben Netanel - fearer of sin. And Rabbi Elazar Ben Arach is like a fountain the gets stronger (as it flows). (Avot 2:9-11)

Rabbi Chananyah ben Akshia says: Hashem wanted to give Israel merits and therefore gave them much Torah and Mitzvot (commandments), as it says "Hashem wanted for the sake of (Israel's) righteousness that the Torah be made great and glorious." (Makot 20b)

Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: Beauty, strenght, wealth, honor, wisdom, old age, hoary age, and children - these befit the righteous and befit the world, as it said: 'Ripe old age is a crown of splendor, it can be found in the path of righteousness.' ..And it says: 'The splendor of young men is their strenght and the glory of old men is hoary age.' Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: These seven qualities that the sages attributed to the righteous were all realized in Rabbi and his sons. (Avot 6:8)

Rabbi Yishmael questioned Rabbi Akiba when they were going on a journey together, saying to him: Thou who hast waited twenty-two years upon Nachum of Gamzu, who used to explain the [particle] Eth throughout the Torah, [tell me] what exposition did he give of [Eth] the heaven and [Eth] the earth? Said [Rabbi Akiba] to him: If it had said, ‘heaven and earth’, I could have said that Heaven and Earth were names of the Holy One, blessed be He. But now that it says: ‘[Eth] the heaven and [Eth] the earth’, heaven [means] the actual heaven, and earth [means] the actual earth. (Chagigah 12a)

Thereupon Rabbi Yossi ben Abin asked him: Why does not the Master add, ‘and between the fins’? He replied : Are you not aware that Rabbi Yossi ben Abin had [already] stated this? [The former] retorted: I am Rabbi Yossi ben Abin. Thereupon Rav Ashi inquired: Did you not frequent the discourses of Rabbi Yossi of Yokeret? He replied: Yes. Rav Ashi then asked him: Why did you leave him, Sir, and come here? He replied: How could the man who showed no mercy to his son and daughter show mercy to me? (Ta'anit 24a)

Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Yossi ben Zimra: If a man makes his petition depend on his own merit, Heaven makes it depend on the merit of others; and if he makes it depend on the merit of others, Heaven makes it depend on his own merit. Moshe made his petition depend on the merit of others, as it says, "Remember Avraham, Yitzchak and Yisrael, your servants" and Scripture made it depend on his own merit, as it says, "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moshe His chosen stood before Him in the breach to turn back His wrath, lest He should destroy them". Chezekiah made his petition depend on his own merit, as it is written:"Remember now, Hashem, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee" and G made it depend on the merit of others, as it says, For I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake and for My servant David's sake. (Brachot 10b)

One time I was in the place that Rav Cruspedai lived, me and my friend, and Rav Cruspedai's mother set up a Menorah for us with seven candles. Then, she took out the book of Rav Cruspedai and when we read from the book, angels began to surround us like the people who surround the Chupah and Hashem came down with his army to hear what we were reading from the book. Hashem was on the side and Rav Cruspedai's father on the other side and they came to hear the words. This same night was the night of Shavuout and Hashem was happy with these words like the happiness from Har Sinai. (Tikuney Zohar 136)

Yehudah ben Teima says: Be bold as a leopard, and light as an eagle, and running (with the quickness) of a deer, and courageous as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven. He used to say: the brazen one goes to Gehinom, and the shamed faced goes to Gan Eden. May it be your will Hashem, our G-d, that you build your city quickly in our day and give us a share in your Torah. (Avot 5:23-24)

Rabbi Chaninah ben Dosa says: All those whose fear of sin takes priority over his wisdom, his wisdom endures; And all those who prioritize wisdom over fear of sin, their wisdom does not endure.
He (further) used to say: One with which the spirit of his fellows is pleased with, the spirit of Hashem is (also) pleased with him. (Avot 3:11-12)

Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: One who fulfills (even) one Mitzvah, attains for himself one advocate. And one who commits (even) one sin, attains for himself one accuser. Repentance and good deeds are like a shield in the face of retribution. (Avot 4:13)

Rabbi Shimon said: "If the simpletons of Bavel know the secret wisdom of on what the world stands and the foundation of what makes the world shake, then they will know the praise of Rav Himnunah when he is amongst them", and they didn't know his praise. And, we found his words - that they are connected with the words of King Shlomo (Solomon) in the upper secrets of wisdom, and they didn't know his praise. And now, we are searching for these words of wisdom, and there is no one who attains them, and there is no one calling. Nevertheless, there are those who are knowledgable in calculations of the calendar, although it wasn't taught to them. (Zohar 8)

Rebbe says: Which is the straight (correct) path for a man to walk? Whatever is a credit to himself and earns him the respect of fellow men. And one should be cautious when carrying out an 'easy' Mitzvah as with a 'hard' one as you don't know the reward for the Mitzvot. And, calculate the loss of a Mitzvah against its reward and calculate the 'reward' of a sin against its loss. Pay attention to these three things and you will not come to sin: Know what is above you - an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are recorded. (Avot 2:1)

It says of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakkai: All his days, he did not have a conversation not related to holiness. And, he did not walk four cubits without Torah or without Tefillin. No one came before him to the Beit Midrash and he did not sleep in the Beit Midrash, not scheduled sleep and not naps. אמרו עליו על רבן יוחנן בן זכאי מימיו לא שח שיחת חולין ולא הלך ארבע אמות בלא תורה ובלא תפילין ולא קדמו אדם בבית המדרש ולא ישן בבית המדרש לא שינת קבע ולא שינת עראי ולא הרהר במבואות המטונפות ולא הניח אדם בבית המדרש ויצא ולא מצאו אדם יושב ודומם אלא יושב ושונה ולא פתח אדם דלת לתלמידיו אלא הוא בעצמו ולא אמר דבר שלא שמע מפי רבו מעולם ולא אמר הגיע עת לעמוד מבית המדרש חוץ מערבי פסחים וערבי יום הכפורים... אמרו עליו על רבן יוחנן בן זכאי שלא הניח מקרא ומשנה גמרא הלכות ואגדות דקדוקי תורה ודקדוקי סופרים קלים וחמורים וגזרות שוות תקופות וגימטריאות שיחת מלאכי השרת ושיחת שדים ושיחת דקלים משלות כובסין משלות שועלים דבר גדול ודבר קטן דבר גדול מעשה מרכבה דבר קטן הויות דאביי ורבא לקיים מה שנאמר להנחיל אהבי יש ואצרתיהם אמלא. (סוכה כח)

Rabbi Meir ruled:Oil is always unclean in the first grade. And, the sages ruled: Honey as well. Rabbi Shimon of Shezor ruled: Also wine. If a cluster of olives fell into an over that was heated, the latter remains clean if the bulk of the olives was exactly (the size of) an egg. But if it was larger than (the size of) an egg, the oven becomes unclean. For, as soon as the first drop came forth, it became unclean by contact with (the size of an) egg's bulk. If the olives were separated, then the oven remains clean even if there was a se'ah of them. (Taharot ch. 3)

Rabbi Tarfon says: The day is short, and the work (load) is great, and the workers are lazy, and the merit is great, and the Master of the house is insistent. (Avot 2:20)

For the Government had once issued a decree that [Jews] might not keep the Sabbath, circumcise their children, and that they should have intercourse with menstruant women. Thereupon Rabbi Reuven son of Istroboli cut his hair in the Roman fashion, and went and sat among them.23 He said to them: If a man has an enemy, what does he wish him, to be poor or rich? They said: That he be poor. He said to them: If so, let them24 do no work on the Sabbath so that they grow poor. They said: ‘He speaketh rightly’,25 let this decree be annulled. It was indeed annulled. Then he continued: If one has an enemy, what does he wish him, to be weak or healthy? They answered: Weak. He said to them: Then let their children be circumcised at the age of eight days and they will be weak. They said: ‘He speaketh rightly’,25 and it was annulled. Finally he said to them: If one has an enemy, what does he wish him, to multiply or to decrease? They said to him: That he decreases. If so, let them have no intercourse with menstruant women. They said: ‘He speaketh rightly’, and it was annulled. Later they came to know that he was a Jew, and [the decrees] were re-instituted. [The Jews] then conferred as to who should go [to Rome] to work for the annulment of the decrees. Let Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai go for he is experienced in miracles. (Meila 17a-b)

Rabbi Yehudah says: Be careful in your study (of Torah), as one mistake is counted as a trangression. (Avot 4:16)

Reis Lakish said in the name of Rabbi Yehudah Nesiah: The world exists only for the sake of the breath of school children. (Shabbat 119b)

When troops came to the city of Levi ben Sisi, he took a Torah scroll, went onto the roof and said: "Master of the universe, if I wasted a single Mitzvah from this Torah scroll, then let the band of troops conquer the city. But, if I didn't, then make them retreat" and they retreated. (Yerushalmi Ta'anit 16a)

Did not Rab Yehudah say in Rav's name: 'May this man indeed be remembered for blessing — his name is Rabbi Yehuda ben Baba; were it not for him, the laws of kenas would have been forgotten in Israel.' Forgotten? Then they could have been learned. But these laws might have been abolished; because once the wicked Government, [as an act of religious persecution], decreed that whoever performed a Rabbinic ordination should be put to death, and whoever received ordination should he put to death, the city in which the ordination took place demolished, and the boundaries wherein it had been performed, uprooted. What did Rabbi Yehuda ben Baba do? He went and sat between two great mountains, [that lay] between two large cities; between the Shabbat boundaries of the cities of Usha and Shefaram and there ordained five elders: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Eliezer ben Shamua. Rabbi Avia adds also Rabbi Nechemia in the list. As soon as their enemies discovered them he [Rabbi Yehuda ben Baba] urged them: 'My children, flee.' They said to him, 'What will become of you, Rabbi?' 'I lie before them like a stone which none [is concerned to] overturn,' he replied. It was said that the enemy did not stir from the spot until they had driven three hundred iron spear-heads into his body, making it like a sieve. (Sanhedrin 13b & 14a)

Abba Chalafta, of Kfar Chananiah, said on Rabbi Meir's authority: If the condition [is stated] before the act, it is valid; if the reverse, it is not. (Bava Metziah 94a)

Rabbi Chalafta ben Dosa of Kfar Chananiah says: If ten people sit together and engage in Torah study, the Divine Presence rests among them, as it is said: 'G-d stands in the assembly of G-d.' How do we know this even of five? For it is said: 'He has established His bundle upon earth.' How do we know this even of three? For it is said: 'In the midst of judges He shall judge.' How do we know this even of two? For it is said: 'Then those who fear Hashem spoke to one another, and Hashem listened and heard.' How do we know this even of one? For it is said: 'In every place where I cause My Name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you.' (Avot 3:7)

Rabbi Matya ben Charash says: Be first to greet each person. And, it is better to be the tail of the lions than the head of the foxes. (Avot 4:20)

Rabbi Elazar HaModa'i said: One who desecrates sacred things, who disgraces the festivals, who humiliates his fellow in public, who nullifies the covenant of our father, Avraham, or who perverts the Torah contrary to the Halacha - though he may have Torah and good deeds, he has no share in the world to come. (Avot 3:15)

For three and a half years, Adrianous had a siege around Beitar. Rabbi Elazar Ha'Moda'i dressed in sackcloth and would fast. Everyday he would pray and say "Master of the Universe, don't sit today in strict justice." Finally, Andrianous decided to come back and a person from Kutai came and said to him: "Sir, as long as this chicken continues to be in the dust, you can't conquer the city." (Aicha Rabba)

Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria says: In the merit of Avraham Avinu Hashem took us out of Egypt, as it says "Because He remembered His holy word and Avraham his servant and he took out his nation with joy. (Yalkut Shimoni 13)

This is illustrated by Mar Zutra, who, when he climbed into his bed said, I forgive all who have wronged me. (Megillah 28a)

Rabbi Cruspedai said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Three books are opened [in heaven] on New Year, one for the thoroughly wicked, one for the thoroughly righteous, and one for the intermediate. The thoroughly righteous are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of life; the thoroughly wicked are forthwith inscribed definitively in the book of death; the doom of the intermediate is suspended from New Year till the Day of Atonement; if they deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of life; if they do not deserve well, they are inscribed in the book of death. (Rosh Hashana 16b)

Rav Ammi and Rav Assi, though they had thirteen Synagogues in Tiberias, prayed only between the pillars where they used to study. (Brachot 8a)

When you come close to the city (Devarim 26). Said Rabbi Yossi HaGelili': "Great is the peace; for, even in times of war, before a war begins, you first ask for peace."

Our Rabbis taught: if one falls sick and his life is in danger, he is told, make confession, for all who are sentenced to death make confession. When a man goes out into the street, let him imagine that he is given in charge of an officer; when he has a headache, let him imagine that he is put in irons; when he takes to bed, let him imagine that he ascended the scaffold to be punished. For whoever ascends the scaffold to be punished, if he has great advocates he is saved, but if not he is not saved. And these are man's advocates: repentance and good deeds. And even if nine hundred and ninety-nine argue for his guilt, while one argues in his favour, he is saved, for it is said, If there be with him an angel, an advocate, one among a thousand, To shew unto man what is right for him; Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, etc. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yossi H'Galili said: Even if nine hundred and ninety-nine parts of that angel are in his disfavour and one part is in his favour, be is saved, for it is said, ‘an advocate, one part in a thousand’. (Shabbat 32a)

On the day that Rabbi Abin died, Abba Hoshaya, of Tariah was born, and about him it is said "and the sun shone and the sun came" (Kohelet Rabbah 11)

When Abba Oshaya died, they say his deathbed fly in the air and they said about him "if a person gives all his posessions out of love for Hashem" to Rabbi Hoshaya, "he will be mocked".

There once was a holy, pious man Rabbi Pinchas and he had a pious wife, Rachel and she was barren. He prayed to G-d and G-d answered their prayers and she became pregnant and that same year gave birth to a boy, Nachman. After be was born, he began speaking of miracles and wonders and the ways of the chariot and the world called him Nachman נחמן קטופא דבן כרעם and he died at age 12:

Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon says: If we say like my father says, then why are there times that he says "sky" before "earth" and sometimes "earth" before "skies"? Rather it teaches that they are equal to each other. In every place in Torah, it says Avraham before Yitzchak and Yaakov and in Vayikrah 22 it says "and I remembered the covenant of Yaakov". This teaches that they are measured equally. In every place it says "Moshe" before "Aharon" and in one it says "Aharon and Moshe". From here we learn that they are equal. In every place it says "Yehoshua" before "Calev", and in one place it says "Calev" before "Yehoshua", this teaches that Calev and Yehoshua are measured equally. (Bereshit Rabbah)

Rabbi Chiya says: Avraham is Avraham. Yaakov is Yaakov. Moshe is Moshe. Shmuel is Shmuel. This is a language of affection and quickness. Rabbi Eliezer says: there is no generation without Avraham, Yaakov, Moshe, and Shmuel. (Midrash Shmuel 9)

Eliyahu HaNavi said: Hashem, Creator of the world, You are one and onmiscent. You are above all the heights. Hashem, You are the least understandable; there is no way to grasp Hashem. You are the one who revealed ten rectifications, and we call them ten Sefirot, to rule with them the worlds, the hidden and revealed worlds. And with which You hide yourself from human beings. And You are the one who binds them to single them out. Because You are on the inside, everyone who separates one from each other of those ten is considered like he is dividing you. (Tikuney Zohar, Introduction)

"The G-d of Israel has said - the Rock of Israel has spoken to me - become a rule over men, a righteous one who rules through the fear of G-d." (Shmuel II 23:3) This is Yosef the Tzaddik whom the wife of Potifar tempted and he didn't succumb. Hashem said to Yosef, "You didn't listen to her - praised are you. I will make you a king in Egypt and everyone will obey you." As it says: "And Pharoah said to Yosef: 'I am Pharoah'." (Yalkut Shimoni Shmuel II 23:3)

The fundamental basic of all the elements and the column of the wisdom is to know that there is Hashem and He's the first reality and He is the Creator of all creations. And, all that has been created from sky to earth, and in between, do not have the essence if not from G-d's existence. (Yad Chazakah, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1)

"The wicked" transgress the Torah, therefore they are living in peace with wealth and power. "And the tranquil in the world", this is a language of tranquility, which the wicked ones live in. They are the tranquil ones in the world and live in surplus. Menachem explained on the phrase "Therefore His people return here and the bitter waters of the full cup are sucked out by them" (Psalms 73:10), that the evil do-ers will come to strike the nation of Hashem. This is the first thing I learned from Rabbi Meir bar Yitzchak.

The first commandment of the ten commandments is to believe that Hashem is G-d and that He created everything from absolute nothingness. And, He watches over everyone and rules them. Like it says "I am Hashem your G-d that took you out of Egypt". This is one of the six positive commandments that Rav Aharon wrote in Sefe HaChinuch, that it is a Mitzvah which can be done always. One shouldn't stop doing this Mitzvah even for a single moment of his life. And, one who doesn't believe this is called "kofer" and he has no place in the world. (Sefer Charedim 29)

To be triumphant like a lion, to serve Hashem early in the morning. (Orach Chaim 1:1)

"And Hashem remembered Noach and the animals and the beasts which were with him in the ark. And Hashem passed a wind over the land and the waters calmed." He says that Midat HaDin (the attribute of strict justice) remembered Noach for the good. Furthermore, that "Elokim" did - which is the name of justice. He brought the holy wind upon the land - which is a wind of judgement and which should have caused an earthquake. Yet, despite all this, the waters calmed. (Torah Moshe: Bereshit)

And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and her heart was not complete with the conversion when she was with Rut when she said "with you we will return to your nation". Like we explained there, she kissed her before they parted. (Shoresh Yishai, Rut 1:13)

A person should emulate his Creator and then he himself will be the secret of the Upper Form, shadow and image. If he resembles Hashem in his body and not his actions, then he disappoints the form because the main point of the Upper Image are his actions and what good will it be for a person to be like the Upper Image in organs and in his actions he will not be like his Creator. This is why he should resemble "Keter", actions which are the 13 attributes of mercy. The attributes are hinted at in the phrase: "Who is a G-d like You, who pardons inquity and overlooks transgression for the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His wrath forever, for He desires kindness. He will once again show us mercy, He will suppress our inquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Grant truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham, as you swore to our forefathers in days of old. "(Micha 6:18-20) This is why one should posses the 13 characteristics. (Tomer Devorah 1)

And now we can ask the Braita of Rabbi Meir (Avot 6:1): All those who toil in Torah for holy purposes merits great things. Why? Because whoever toils in Torah with this intention - to learn for Heavenly purposes - it is like he fulfilled all 613 commandments, because he is learning in order to fulfill the commandments. Therefore, Hashem considers it like he fulfilled them (because he is not lacking from this point). Hashem knows a good thought and He knows that when a commandment comes to him, he will do it. Like it's writen about Rabbi Akiva who used to say that he was sad he couldn't fulfill the Mitzvah of "(loving G-d) with all your soul" - even giving my life. (Reishit Chochmah, Introduction)

One who stayed up the whole night learning Torah - when Chatzot comes, he should say the bedtime Shema and then Birchat HaShachar (morning blessings), not including Birchat HaTorah (Torah blessings) which he should say in the morning. If he slept, and woke up at Chatzot, then he should say Birchat HaSachar and Torah and later say Tikun Chatzot. (Minhagim)

A person needs to act with much humbly while learning Torah so that he doesn't become haughty through his learning. He should be humble and be truthful. He should also not be embarassed to learn from others and to accept truth from whoever speaks it. And he shouldn't be ashamed to ask someone on a lower level for help, how much more so someone on a higher level. A wise person who asks a question - that question is half the wisdom. (Shelah, Sha'ar Otiot Anavut)

"Come to my maidservant and maybe from her you will have children". Whoever studies Torah and serves Hashem not with Heavenly, pure intentions, is considered a maidservant. And this is "come to my maidservant", meaning one should learn and toil in Torah even if he is not doing it with pure intentions. "Maybe you will have children from her." The Shechina says that maybe from upholding the Torah not for G-dly intentions, maybe you will come to do it for G-dly intentions. (Degel Machane Ephraim, Rabbi Nachman Horodenker)

At the same hour when Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz passed away, his student the holy Rabbi Yaakov Shimshon of Shpitovkah was in Eretz Yisrael. He dreamt that the sechina (divine spirit) was in the form of a woman crying and mourning over the death of her husband whom she had been married to since their youth. She had a husband, and he died. He woke up and told his friend "there is no one in the world that can be the husband of the Queen aside from the holy Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, and certainly he passed away last night". He tore his shirt in mourning and he blessed and cried a lot, because he had been his Rabbi. After a while (when the news reached Israel), he realized that these things happened on the same night. (Netiv Mitzvotecha: Sha'ar HaYichud 4)

He is considered to be one of the greatest amongst the group, the student of and those who are close to the Ba'al HaTanya restrained from appointing him to be Rebbe because the Ba'al HaTanya said of him that he is intangible. (Ohr HaGalil)

He used to say: On three things the world stands: On the truth, judgement and peace. It seems to me Emet (truth) is a part of the positive commandments, and judgement is part of the negative commandments, and peace is a part of commandments established by the Rabbis by which Hashem will find favor in Israel and put peace amongst them. Like the sages said, הוא היה אומר על שלשה דברים העולם עומד, על האמת, ועל הדין, ועל השלום, נראה לי בסייעתא דשמיא, אמת הוא חלק מצות עשה, ודין הוא חלק מצות לא תעשה, ושלום הוא חלק מצות דרבנן, שעל ידם ישא ה' פניו לישראל, וישם להם שלום, כמו שאמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, איך לא אשא פנים לישראל שאני אמרתי ואכלת ושבעת וברכת, והם דקדקו עד כזית ועד כביצה, כי מאחר דחכמים החמירו בגדרים וסייגים, בזה נעשה שלום לישראל מן המקטרגים, שאין יכולים לקטרג ולומר מדוע תשא פנים להם לקבלם בתשובה, ולהאריך להם עד שישובו בתשובה, וכמו שכתבתי במקום אחר בזה: (בן איש חי שנה ראשונה פ' שמיני)