Hillelהלל

א״ר אבא אמר שמואל ג׳ שנים נחלקו ב״ש וב״ה הללו אומרים הלכה כמותנו והללו אומרים הלכה כמותנו יצתה בת קול ואמרה להם אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים הן והלכה כדברי ב״ה. וכי מאחר דאלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים מפני מה זכו ב״ה לקבוע הלכה כמותן. מפני שנוחין ועלובין היו ושונין דבריהם ודברי ב״ש, ולא עוד אלא שמקדימין דברי ב״ש לדבריהם כאותה ששנינו מי שהיה ראשו ורובו בסוכה ושלחנו בתוך הבית ב״ש פוסלין וב״ה מכשירין. אמרו ב״ה לב״ש לא כך היה מעשה שהלכו זקני ב״ש וזקני ב״ה לבקר את ר׳ יוחנן בן החורנית ומצאוהו יושב ראשו ורובו בסוכה ושלחנו בתוך הבית. אמרו להן בית שמאי משם ראיה אף הן אמרו לו אם כך היית נוהג לא קיימת מצות סוכה מימיך. ללמדך שכל המשפיל עצמו הקב״ה מגביהו וכל המגביה עצמו הקב״ה משפילו וכל המחזר אחר הגדולה גדולה בורחת ממנו וכל הבורח מן הגדולה גדולה מחזרת אחריו וכל הדוחק את השעה שעה דוחקתו וכל הנדחה מפני השעה שעה עומדת לה ת״ר שתי שנים ומחצה נחלקו בית שמאי ובית הלל הללו אומרים נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא והללו אומרים נוח לו לאדם שנברא יותר משלא נברא נמנו וגמרו נוח לו לאדם שלא נברא יותר משנברא ועכשיו שנברא יפשפש במעשיו ואמרי לה ימשמש במעשיו:

R. Abba, in the name of Samuel, said: "The schools of Shammai and Hillel were at variance for three years: the one party contending that 'the Halacha is in accordance with our views,' and the other party contending likewise, 'the Halacha is in accordance with our views.' Then came a Bath-Kol (a Heavenly voice) and said 'Both, these and those are the words of the living God, but the Halacha is according to the school of Hillel.'" Since both these and those were the words of the living God, what was the merit of the school of Hillel that the Halacha should be fixed according to their opinions? The reason was that its disciples were gentle and submissive [for while they rested upon their own decision], they also studied those opinions maintained by the school of Shammai; and moreover, they even mentioned the words of the school of Shammai before mentioning their own words. As we are taught (in a Mishnah): "When one sists with his head and the greater part of his body within the Succah but has his table within his house, the school of Shammai says 'It is wrong'; the school of Hillel says 'It is proper.' The school of Hillel said to the school of Shammai, 'Did it not happen once, that the elders of the school of Shammai and the elders of the school of Hillel visited R. Jochanan b. Hachoranith and they found him sitting with his head and the greater part of his body within the Succah, but his table in the house? Hence we have the precedent that makes it proper. To which the school of Shammai answered: You cannot use this incident as evidence because they did say to him, If thou hast always been accustomed to do so then thou hast never fulfilled the commandment of Succah.'" [During this conversation the Hillelites mentioned the name of Shammai before mentioning their own words]. This teaches us that he who humbles himself, the Holy One, praised be He! will raise; and whosoever exalts himself, the Holy One, praised be He! will abase. Whoso pursueth greatness, greatness will flee from him; and whoso fleeth from greatness, greatness will pursue him. And whoso forces time, will, in return, be forced by the time; but to him who gives way to time (yielding patiently to circumstances), time will give way. Our Rabbis taught: "For two and a half years the school of Shammai disputed with the school of Hillel. One side claimed that it would have been much better had man not been created, and the other side claimed that 'It is far better that man has been created than if he had not been created.' At the end of that period, they counted the number of opinions; it was found that the majority held that it would have been much better had man not been created, but that since he had been created it behooved him to examine his actions, and according to others, to be careful of his actions."