Ben Bag Bag

In the wonderful text of Pirke Avot, the Chapters of the Fathers in the Mishnah, the following statement is said by a mysterious figure named ‘Ben Bag Bag’,

 בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר: הֲפֺךְ בָּהּ וָהֲפֺךְ בָּהּ, דְּכֺלָּה בַּה; וּבַהּ תֶּחֱזֵי, וְסִיב וּבְלֵה בַּהּ, וּמִנַּהּ לָא תְּזוּעַ, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִדָּה טוֹבָה הֵימֶנָּה

Ben Bag Bag omeir: Hafohk boh v’hafohk boh d’cholah boh, u’voh techezei, v’siv uv’lei boh, u’minnah lah t’zuah, she’ein l’kha middah tovah heimenah!

“Ben Bag Bag says: Turn it over, and turn it over again for everything is in it. Reflect on it, and grow old and gray with it. Do not turn from it, for nothing is better than it.”
Pirke Avot 5:21

 For Further Reading

1. About Ben Bag Bag –  http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2860-ben-bag-bag
2. Pirke Avot in English –  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/680274/jewish/Ethics-of-the-Fathers-Pirkei-Avot.htm
3. Know the Words – http://knowthewords.blogspot.com/2008/03/ben-bag-bag-omer.html
4. Yaakov Shwekey – http://shwekey.com/