Self-Sufficiency

בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַ

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בן זומא אומר איזהו חכם הלומד מכל אדם שנא׳ (תהילים קי״ט:צ״ט) מכל מלמדי השכלתי איזו עלוב שבעלובים זה שהוא עלוב כמשה רבינו שנאמר (במדבר י״ב:ג׳) והאיש משה עניו מאד. איזו עשיר שבעשירים זה ששמח בחלקו שנאמר

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בן זומא אומר חכם הלמד מכל אדם שנאמר מכל מלמדי השכלתי (תהלים קי"ט צ"ט). איזהו מכובד המכבד את הבריות שנאמר כי מכבדי אכבד ובוזי יקלו (שמואל א' ב' ל'). איזהו גבור הכובש את יצרו שנאמר טוב ארך אפים מגבור (מ

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The same conclusion also appears to follow from a consideration of the self-sufficiency of happiness—for it is felt that the final good must be a thing sufficient in itself. The term self-sufficient,

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Also the activity of contemplation will be found to possess in the highest degree the quality that is termed self-sufficiency; for while it is true that the wise man equally with the just man and the

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Another debated question is whether friends are necessary or not for happiness. People say that the supremely happy are self-sufficing, and so have no need of friends: for they have the good things of

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We must also consider self-sufficiency and friendship, and the interrelationship of their potentialities. For one may raise the question whether if a person be self-sufficing in every respect he will

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This is most manifest in the case of God; for it is clear that as he needs nothing more he will not need a friend, and that supposing he has no need of one he will not have one. Consequently the happi

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Now it is remarkable if that which is primary and eternal and supremely self-sufficient does not possess this very quality, viz. self-sufficiency and immunity, in a primary degree and as something goo

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