Here’s a quick quiz to determine which quote is a true quote from Seder.

 In the original quote, the writer (who is Jewish) says: “We must guard against being taken in by the pleasures of the flesh and lead a quiet, moral life.

But we must not let ourselves be led astray by a passion for power and fame.” 

(The Hebrew text of the quote is כלוםון יודעתו בדריך האחריו מאסותים, למנותה ולא מקנים).

 Which of these two quotes is a “true quote”?

 The first, “The world is not a garden, but a storehouse for life, full of every kind of good and evil, the fruit of every tree, every tree of every height, and every tree that grows on the stalk of every plant.” 

 The second, “We must not be lured by the charms of celebrity.

We must instead be drawn by the goodness and holiness of our fellow men.”

 (This second quote is from the Seder commentary, ילמות ואלנה בישם ברגעותן, וקבים השמור בשיחתם,  which is not quoted in the original). 

 Which is the “correct” version?

 That’s not easy to answer.

The Seder discussion subreddit is filled with people who agree with each other that both of the quotes are true, but disagree about which one is the true quote.

In a thread on the subreddit, a user named kamal said:  I disagree with your answer.

I think that it is correct that both “good” and “evil” are mentioned in the Serenus passage.

“Good” in this passage refers to the kind of human activity that is acceptable, while “evil”.

“I disagree” is the position of Rabbi Menachem Zvi Cohen, who says that both passages are true.

This discussion is a great source of context for reading the passage, and it is interesting to see how people have interpreted it over the years.

But what is your take? 

Are there any other true quotes in the Torah that are attributed to Seder?

We’d love to hear your opinions on the matter in the comments section below.