Well, we’re almost through chapter one, as we’ve got to the last of the pairs. This pair is Hillel and Shammai, the most famous of the pairs, as Hillel is the most famous of the men whose wisdom we’re reading. As befits a Hillel, where other men get a verse of three ideas, Hillel gets three whole verses. Here’s the first, in the translation of R. Travers Herford.
Hillel and Shammai received from them. Hillel said: Be of the disciples of Aaron, one that loves peace, that loves mankind and brings them nigh to Torah.
May I try a trick of interpretation that is well-loved by the tradition? Let’s try to draw connections between Hillel’s first triple here and the triples of the other sages.
What did the Men of the Great Assembly say? They said three things: Be not hasty in judgment; Bring up many disciples; and, Make a hedge for the Torah. They said Be not hasty in judgment and Hillel said to be one that loves peace; from this we see that it is haste in judgment that opposes peace. The impulse to conflict is a hasty impulse, the love for peace abides. They said bring up many disciples and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we see that we are to bring up disciples in love, and not solely out of a sense of duty. Furthermore, we see that part of love is raising up, not keeping down; we don’t fulfill our obligations or our love by keeping people in ignorance, even if we think of it as for their own prortection. They said Make a hedge for the Torah and Hillel said to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we see that the hedge must not be an impenetrable wall, nor a fortress for repelling outsiders. The hedge is not to divide people from people, but to protect the Torah and thus to protect everyone, through the fulfillment of the Divine.
What did Simeon the Righteous say? He used to say: Upon three things the world standeth; upon Torah, upon Worship and upon the showing of kindness. He said upon Torah and Hillel said to be as one that brings … nigh to Torah; he said upon Worship and Hillel said be as [the High Priest] Aaron, one that loves peace; he said upon the showing of kindess and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind. From this we see that the avodah of worship, as the avodah of Aaron, is the avodah of peace. That worship should not be a cause for contention, or an excuse for avoiding the world, but an active love of peace.
What did Antigonus of Socho say? He used to say, Be not like servants who minister to their master upon the condition of receiving a reward; but be like servants who minister to their master without the condition of receiving a reward; and let the fear of Heaven be upon you. Antigonus said not to hold the Lord to a condition and Hillel said to be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace; from this we see that Aaron did not seek the priesthood to exercise power, nor did he place conditions on his service, but served from the love of peace. Antigonus said to serve without condition and Hillel said to love mankind; from this we see that love is unconditional. Antigonus said to let the fear of Heaven be upon you and Hillel said to be as one that brings them [mankind] nigh to Torah; from this we learn that the Law provides security from moral anxiety and ethical consternation.
What did Yose ben Yoezer say? Let your house be a gathering place for sages, And wallow in the dust of their feet, And drink in their words with gusto. Yose says Let your house be a gathering place for sages and Hillel says to be as one who loves peace, from this we learn that a love for peace must not be a hermit’s life, avoiding conflict by avoiding disagreement, but a love for peace must take into account disturbance and disagreement and people being different, one to another. Yose says wallow in the dust of their feet and Hillel says to be as one that loves mankind; from this we see that a love for mankind is humble and does not seek mastery, but service. Yose says drink in their words with gusto and Hillel says to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we learn that to bring someone nigh to Torah it is insufficient to lecture, necessary to listen.
What did Jose ben Johanan of Jerusalem say? He said Let thy house be opened wide, and let the poor be thy household, and talk not overmuch with a woman. He said Let thy house be opened wide and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace; from this we see that an expansive love for peace must be larger than one’s own household. He said let the poor be thy household and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we someone who does not love the poor and treat them as equals does not love mankind. He said talk not overmuch with a woman and Hillel said to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah, from which we see that (a) Jose was wrong, and (2) talk of Torah cannot be overmuch talk, with a woman or a man.
What did Joshua ben Perahyah say? He said provide thyself with a teacher, get thee a comrade, and judge everyone with the scale weighted in his favor. He said provide thyself with a teacher and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace; from this we learn that we should avoid taking sides and creating conflict between teacher and teacher, but to find agreement or dialogue. He said get thee a comrade and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we can infer that we cannot love mankind in general without the experience of loving a comrade as an individual, nor can we love a comrade fully without loving all mankind in him. He said to judge everyone with the scale weighted in his favor and Hillel said to be as one who brings them to Torah; from this we learn that we should not begrudge learning to someone, wondering if they are worthy of it, but to be openhanded with opportunities to learn, making the gates of learning wide for everyone.
What did Nittai the Arbelite say? He said Keep far from the evil neighbor, and consort not with the wicked, and be not doubtful of retribution. He said Keep far from the evil neighbor and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace; from this we learn that if someone is intent on conflict with you, rather than join in that conflict, you should keep far from it. He said consort not with the wicked and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we learn that even when we find we must avoid the company of someone who cannot be persuaded from wickedness, we must make that decision reluctantly and with love, and maintain the love even as we do avoid the problems. He said be not doubtful of retribution and Hillel said be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we can infer that retribution can still be avoided, even after wickedness and evildoing and bad habits, if the person can be brought to Torah, to the Divine.
What did Jehudah b. Tobai say? He said Make not thyself as those that predispose the judges, and while the litigants stand before thee let them be in thine eyes as guilty; and when dismissed from before thee let them be in thine eyes as righteous, because that they have received the verdict upon them. He said not to predispose the judges and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace; from this we learn that the judges must work not only to be impartial observers of fact but human disciples of Aaron, loving peace and taking into account the human effects and causes of crime and of punishment. He said to let litigants be in thine eyes as guilty and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we can infer that we love the guilty as well as the innocent, and that even those we love can be guilty as well as innocent. He said to treat convicts as righteous after the trial because that they have received the verdict upon them and Hillel said to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we learn that continuing social stigma can push them convicts away from the law and society rather than bringing them to it.
What did Simeon, the son of Shatach say? He said: Be very searching in the examination of witnesses, and be heedful of thy words, lest through them they learn to falsify. He said be very searching and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace; from this we can learn that the love for peace is not easy, but that it requires searching effort. He said be heedful and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; from this we can learn that love for mankind is thoughtful not to say cautious, and takes into account the possibility of harm to others before acting. He said lest … they learn to falsify and Hillel said to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we infer that those who do not actively bring people to Torah, that is, to the Divine, actively drive people away from it, that is, teach them falseness and error.
What did Shemayah say? He said Love work; hate lordship; and seek no intimacy with the ruling power. He said love work and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace, from this we see that peace is not idleness, but labor. He said hate lordship and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind, from this we see that authority separates a person from another, and from the love that we desire. He said seek no intimacy with the ruling power and Hillel said to be as one that brings nigh to Torah; from this we learn that we should not use the apparatus of the state to bring people to Torah, but to do so as private citizens.
What did Avtalyon say? He said Sages, watch what you say, Lest you become liable to the punishment of exile, and go into exile to a place of bad water, and disciples who follow you drink bad water and die, and the name of Heaven be thereby profaned. He said Sages, watch what you say and Hillel said to be as one that loves peace, from this we learn that one who loves peace must be careful not to spark conflict with words. He said lest you become liable… and disciples who follow you drink bad water and die and Hillel said to be as one that loves mankind; thus we learn that we should take responsibility for the welfare of our fellow men, not just our disciples but all mankind. He said lest… the name of Heaven be thereby profaned and Hillel said to be as one that brings them nigh to Torah; from this we see that you should bring people to Torah that the name of Heaven be glorified and not profaned, that the fulfillment of Creation be furthered, and that the wisdom of the avot be maintained and taught.
We learn, then that the wisdom of ten generations of the Wise is encompassed in the person of Hillel. And that this sort of thing is easier than it looks.
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.