[Avodah] pirkei avos v. chochma yevanit; see mekoros......

[Harvey Benton]

I have 2 questions:
1. are pirkei avos considered by us to be halachot, or just good advice?  (and what were they considered to be in previous generations??) 
2. when it says in pirkei avos to "da ma she tashuv l'apikorus" how do we rank it in importance when it comes into conflict with the ban on learning chochma yevanit????
If someone is learned in chochma yevanit, aren't we mechuyav (by pirkei avos) to investigate the matter and answer him/her if we can on his/her own terms??
hb
see:www.atid.org/journal/journal98/einhorn.doc for many mekoros.......
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