These are the things to which thou must give heed, if thou wouldst depart from the snares of death, and bask in the light of life! Be not prone to enter into quarrels; beware of oppressing fellow-men whether in money or word. Never feel envy or hate. Keep far from oaths and the iniquity of vows, from laughter and anger which confuse alike the spirit and the mind. Use not the name of God for vain purposes or in foul places. Rely not on the broken reed of human support, make not gold thy hope, for therein lies the first step to idolatry. Rather distribute thy money where the Lord so wills, He can make good thy deficit! 'Tis a fine and right course to think little of thy virtues and much of thy vices; to magnify the mercies of Him who made thee and provideth thy sustenance in due season. Act not aright from hope of reward, nor avoid the wrong from fear of punishment; but serve from love. Esteem the utterance of thy money as of less import than the utterance of thy words; issue no base coin from thy lips, weigh thy words in the balance of thy judgment. Hide behind the walls of thy heart what is said in thy presence, even though thou be not pledged to confidence. If thou hearest the same report from another, say not: "I have heard it already!" Habituate thyself to wake at dawn, and to leave thy couch at the song of the birds. Rise not as a sluggard, but with eagerness to serve thy Maker! Be not a drunkard or a glutton, lest thou forget thy Creator and fall into sin. Look not at him who is above thee in riches but at him who is below; turn thine eyes to thy superior, not to thy inferior, in the service and fear of God. Rejoice when thou sufferest reproof, hear counsel and receive instruction. Exhault not thyself over thy fellow creatures, but be humble of spirit, and like the dust on which all tread. Speak not insolence with a haughty neck, lifting high thy forehead, thereby rejecting the fear of Heaven. Never do in private what thou wouldst be ashamed to do in public, and say not: "Who will see me?"

Raise not thine hand against thy neighbor. Circulate no false reports; slander no man. When men address thee in unseemly fashion, be not too apt with insolent retort. Let no man hear thee in the street, bellow not like a beast, but let thy voice be soft. Put not thy fellow man to the blush in public. The first of all fences against wronging thy fellow man is the avoidance of covetousness. Never be weary of making friends, consider a single enemy as one too many. If thou hast a faithful friend, hold fast to him; let him not to go, for he is a precious possession. But entice not friendship by adulation and hypocrisy, and speak not with a double heart! Retain not thine anger against a fellow-man for a single day, but humble thyself and ask forgiveness. Let not thy heart be high, saying: "I am the injured party, let him make the first overtures." …