Ávot / Ál titvádá lárásut

Shemaiah and Abtalion received [the oral tradition] from them. Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority.

"and do not become familiar with the government": in order to receive lordship through it. And also (another possibility is) “do not become familiar with the government” so that they will not make you transgress the doctrine of your Maker, as happened with Doeg the Edomite. "with the government" (rishut which literally means permission): Dominion is called permission, as the government has permission in its hand to do according to its will.

AND DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THE AUTHORITIES. Rav: in order to use them to get a powerful position. Rashi adds: because they only bring a person close for their own purposes. If so, this is the same as the mishna in 3:1 later.

Shemaiah and Abtalion received [the oral tradition] from them. Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority. In many places we see that the rabbis considered work to be important to proper moral behavior. This is learned from Exodus 20:9, “six days shall you work… and on the seventh day you shall rest.” Just as on the seventh day it is a commandment not to work, so too on the first six days it is a commandment to work. Even the wealthy should work, for idleness may lead a person into depression and perhaps even into licentiousness. A person should not seek positions of superiority over others. Although society does need leaders, such leadership can take its toll on a person. It is also dangerous to the person’s own proper behavior, for often times people in leadership abuse their positions. This statement also connects to the previous statement. No person should consider himself so important as not to engage in work. Shemaiah certainly lived at a time when avoiding close contact with the government was good advice. Although one may be able to gain some benefit from having good contacts with powerful people, in the end rulers do only what is good for themselves. Furthermore, when the tides turn, those who were too close to the ruling parties are often the first to suffer. This is has been demonstrated throughout history in dictatorships and other tyrannical forms of government. A person who is closely identified with one ruler, is often killed or jailed when the next ruler takes power.

The Gemara answers: The members of the house of Rabban Gamliel are different, as they were close to the monarchy, and therefore had to learn Greek wisdom in order to converse with people of authority. As it is taught in a baraita (Tosefta, Shabbat 7:1): One who cuts his hair in the komi style, which was the gentile fashion of cutting and wearing the hair, is considered to be acting in the ways of the Amorites, and it is prohibited to act in their way. However, they permitted Avtolos ben Reuven to cut his hair in the komi style, as he is close to the monarchy, and similarly they permitted the house of Rabban Gamliel to study Greek wisdom, because they are close to the monarchy.

The Sages say in response: The household of Rabban Gamliel is different, as they held close ties with the government. Since knowledge of Greek wisdom was crucial for the members of this family, the Sages exempted them from the general decree, as it is taught in a baraita: With regard to one who cuts his hair in the fashion of komi, a certain haircut favored by the Romans, this is considered one of the ways of the Amorites, i.e., a gentile practice prohibited by the Torah (Leviticus 18:3). Despite this, the Sages permitted Avtolmos bar Reuven to cut his hair in the fashion of komi, because he had close ties with the government. Likewise, they permitted the members of the household of Rabban Gamliel to discuss matters of Greek wisdom, because they had close ties with the government.

...

A Jew who has an important position in a gentile kingdom and must sit before their kings, and would be embarrassed if he did not resemble them, is granted permission to wear clothes which resemble theirs and shave the hair on his face as they do.

...