Chapter 2, Section 1 (פֶּרֶק ב׳ אוֹת א׳)

1. Greater than all (א גְּדוֹלָה מִכֻּלָּם): that all creatures before him are like silver before a refiner (שֶׁכָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת לְפָנָיו כְּכֶסֶף לִפְנֵי צוֹרֵף): which is impure silver and which is pure silver? (אֵי זֶהוּ כֶּסֶף פָּסוּל וְאֵי זֶהוּ כֶּסֶף טָהוֹר). And he gazes into the family line (וְאַף הוּא צוֹפֶה בַּמִּשְׁפָּחָה): how many are converts (כַּמָּה גֵּרִים יֵשׁ), how many are p’tzu‘ei daka (כַּמָּה פְּצוּעֵי דַכָּא יֵשׁ), how many are kerutei shafkhah (כַּמָּה כְּרוּתֵי שָׁפְכָה יֵשׁ), how many are benei niddah (כַּמָּה בְּנֵי נִדָּה), how many are slaves (כַּמָּה עֲבָדִים), how many are uncircumcised (כַּמָּה עֲרֵלִים).