The last section of Pirkei Avos 1:6 finishes with "judge every person favorably." The first section of the next verse - Pirkei Avos 1:7 - reads, "distance yourself from a bad neighbor." What a striking contrast of seemingly opposite approaches!
However, more consistency is yielded by interpreting "bad neighbor" as an ongoing person, institution or principle of "badness," or ra. This section is placed here because someone may justify approaching such ra by saying, "I'm only here because I am open-minded and judging every person favorably." There are clearly times that our motives are suspect.
The next section of verse 1:7 reads "do not join with a bad person." Here a more fruitful interpretation involves focusing on the activity rather than the person. Unlike the prior section which describes a place of ongoing activity, this section describes joining an activity in the planning stage.
The final section of 1:7 reads, "do not abandon bad happenings" with the key word poranut, literally meaning "bad happenings." This section gives clarification to the earlier two sections. In the earlier sections, we are to avoid a place of bad activity and planning a bad activity, but now we are told not to abandon a "bad happening" by simply labeling it a bad activity. Growth in life requires embracing not abandoning challenges.
The focus of this verse, then, seems to be to help us determine what the classic country song advises when it plays, "know when to run."
