While the Hebrew word perek is commonly used to signify “chapter,” the same root (peh-resh-kuf) carries the meaning of “redemption.” Thus, using that verb root, Psalm 136 (“Hodu”) praises God: (va-yifrekeinu mi-tzareinu) – “Who redeems us from our enemies” (King James Version, verse 24).
The Aramaic of Daniel 4:24 uses the same verb (prk) to assert that we gain Divine Redemption through personal righteousness.
Kaddish D’Rabbanan invokes the blessing of “Redemption (purkana) from our Heavenly Father” on teachers and students of Torah. The Sefardi version of Kaddish asks that “God’s Redemption (purkaneih) spring forth.”
In Rabbinic Aramaic, the verb prk is used to refer to the redemption of fields (Arakhin 27a); animals (Bechorot 32b); as well as Pidyon Ha-Ben, the ritual redemption of first-born sons (Targum Yonatan and Onkelos to Exodus 13:13).
In light of this linguistic pattern, perhaps we should reconsider the title of the Mishnaic Tractate known as Pirkei Avot – generally referred to in English as “Ethics of the Fathers” or “Chapters of the Sages.” This Tractate includes the most famous moral insights and favorite spiritual teachings of the giants of the Rabbinic Age: axioms and proverbs instructing us how most effectively to serve God and relate to our fellow mortals.
Pirkei Avot… not “Chapters of the Fathers” – but “The Sages’ Guide to Redemption.”
Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser is the editor of “Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism.” The latest edition of Masorti was published online for the winter of 2025-26. A subscription is $18 per annum.
The Aramaic of Daniel 4:24 uses the same verb (prk) to assert that we gain Divine Redemption through personal righteousness.