If I am not for myself, who is for me? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

This saying is attributed to Hillel the Elder (late 1st century BCE–early 1st century CE), a leading Jewish sage associated with the Pharisaic tradition and remembered in rabbinic literature for ethical teachings. The line appears in Pirkei Avot (“Ethics of the Fathers”), a tractate of the Mishnah that compiles maxims of early rabbis for moral and communal formation. In that setting, Hillel’s aphorism functions as practical guidance for daily conduct: balancing self-responsibility with obligations to others, and urging timely action rather than procrastination. It reflects the rabbinic concern with character, duty, and the disciplined use of time.

Hillel frames ethical life as a three-part tension. First, one must take responsibility for one’s own welfare and moral agency—no one else can fully live your life for you. Second, self-concern becomes morally empty if it is exclusive: a life “for myself” alone lacks purpose and diminishes one’s humanity. Third, the call “if not now, when?” insists that ethical intentions require prompt enactment; delay is itself a choice that can forfeit opportunities for good. The saying thus joins self-care, altruism, and urgency into a single program: cultivate the self, serve others, and act in the present.

He used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?

1) “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?”
2) “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And being for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
3) “If I am not for myself, who will be? And if I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, when?”