Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important
figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the
Mishnah and the Talmud. Renowned within Judaism as a sage and scholar, he was
the founder of the House of Hillel school for Tannaïm and the founder of a
dynasty of Sages who stood at the head of the Jews living in the Land of Israel
until roughly the fifth century of the Common Era.
He is popularly known as the author of two sayings: "If I am not for myself who
is for me? And being for my own self, what am 'I'? And if not now, when?" and
the expression of the ethic of reciprocity, or "Golden Rule": "That
which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah;
the rest is the explanation; go and learn."
"As Hillel the Elder had stated, whosoever destroys a soul, it is
considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whosoever that saves a life,
it is considered as if he saved an entire world."
Hillel lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod and the Roman emperor
Augustus. In the Midrash compilation Sifre, the periods of Hillel's life are
made parallel to those in the life of Moses. Both lived 120 years, and at the
age of forty Hillel went to the Land of Israel; forty years he spent in study;
and the last third of his life he was the spiritual head of the Jewish people.
A biographical sketch can be constructed; that Hillel went to
Jerusalem in the prime of his life and attained a great age. His activity of
forty years likely covered the period of 30 BCE to 10 CE.
Life Hillel was born in Babylon and,
according to the Iggeret of Rav Sherira Gaon, Hillel descended from the Tribe of
Benjamin on his father's side, and from the family of David on his mother's
side. When Josephus speaks of Hillel's
great-grandson, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel I, as belonging to a very
celebrated family, he probably refers to the glory the family owed to the
activity of Hillel and Rabban Gamliel Hazaken. Only Hillel's brother Shebna is
mentioned; he was a merchant, whereas Hillel devoted himself to studying the
Torah whilst also working as a woodcutter.
His position According to the Mishnah Hillel went to
Jerusalem with the intention of studying biblical exposition and tradition at the
age of 40 in 70 BCE. The difficulties Hillel had to overcome to gain
admittance to the school of Sh'maya and Abtalion, and the hardships he suffered
while pursuing his aim, are told in a touching passage, the ultimate purpose
of which is to show that poverty cannot be considered an obstacle to the study
of Torah. Some time later, Hillel succeeded in settling a question
concerning the sacrificial ritual in a manner that showed his superiority over
the Benei Betheira, who were at that time the heads of the Sanhedrin. On that
occasion, it is narrated, they voluntarily resigned their position as
Nasi in favor of Hillel. After the resignation of the Benei Betheira,
Hillel was recognized as the highest authority among the Pharisees. Hillel
was the head of the great school, at first associated with Menahem the
Essene, who might be the same Menahem the Essene as the one mentioned by
Flavius Josephus in relation to king Herod, afterward with Shammai, Hillel's
peer in the teaching of Jewish Law. Whatever Hillel's position, his
authority was sufficient to introduce those decrees handed down in his name.
The most famous of his enactments was the Pruzbul,, an institution that, in
spite of the law concerning cancellation of debts in the Sabbatical year ensured
the repayment of loans. The motive for this institution was the "repair of the
world", i.e., of the social order, because this legal innovation protected
both the creditor against the loss of his property, and the needy against
being refused the loan of money for fear of loss. A likewise tendency is found in
another of Hillel's institutions, having reference to the sale of houses. These
two are the only institutions handed down in Hillel's name, although the
words that introduce the pruzbul show that there were others. Hillel's
judicial activity may be inferred from the decision by which he confirmed the
legitimacy of some Alexandrians whose origin was disputed, by interpreting the
marriage document of their mother in her favor. Of other official acts no mention
is found in the sources. The Golden Rule
The saying of Hillel that introduces the collection of his maxims in the Mishnaic
treatise Pirkei Avoth mentions Aaron HaKohen as the great model to be
imitated in his love of peace, in his love of man, and in his leading mankind
to a knowledge of the Law. In mentioning these characteristics,
which the Haggadah attributes to Moses' brother, Hillel stated his own prominent
virtues. He considered "love of man" the kernel of Jewish teaching.
The comparative response to the challenge of a Gentile who asked that
the Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot, illustrates the
character differences between Shammai and Hillel. Shammai dismissed the man.
Hillel accepted the question but gently chastised the man:
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah;
the rest is the explanation; go and learn"
Hillel recognized brotherly love as the fundamental principle of Jewish moral
law.. From the doctrine of man's likeness to
God, Hillel deduced man's duty to care for his own body. According to Midrash
Leviticus rabbah he said "As in a theater and circus the statues of the
king must be kept clean by him to whom they have been entrusted, so the bathing
of the body is a duty of man, who was created in the image of the almighty
King of the world." In this work, Hillel calls his soul a guest upon earth,
toward which he must fulfill the duties of charity.
In Avot, Hillel stated "If I am not for myself, who is for me? And when I am for
myself, what am "I"? And if not now, when?" The third part contains the
admonition to postpone no duty, the same admonition he gave with reference to
study: "Say not, 'When I have free time I shall study'; for you may perhaps
never have any free time." The precept that one should not separate
oneself from the community, Hillel paraphrases, with reference to Eccl.
iii. 4, in the following saying: "Appear neither naked nor clothed, neither
sitting nor standing, neither laughing nor weeping." Man should not appear
different from others in his outward deportment; he should always regard
himself as a part of the whole, thereby showing that love of man Hillel taught.
The feeling of love for one's neighbor shows itself also in his exhortation.
Hillel’s awareness of his own insufficiency is expressed in the
following maxim: "Don't trust yourself until the day you die." How far his love
of man went may be seen from an example that shows that benevolence must be
given with regard to the needs of the poor. Thus, Hillel provided to a man of
good family who became poor, a riding horse, in order that he not be deprived
of his customary physical exercise, and a slave, that he might be served.
Love of peace The exhortation to love peace emanated
from Hillel's most characteristic traits—from that proverbial meekness and
mildness—as in the saying: "Let a man be always humble and patient like Hillel,
and not passionate like Shammai". Hillel's gentleness and patience are
illustrated in an anecdote that describes how two men made a wager on
the question of whether Hillel could be made angry. Though they questioned him
and made insulting allusions to his Babylonian origin, they were
unsuccessful. The study of Torah
The many anecdotes according to which Hillel made proselytes, correspond to
the third part of his maxim: "Bring men to the Law." A later source gives the
following explanation of the sentence: Hillel stood in the gate of Jerusalem
one day and saw the people on their way to work. "How much," he asked, "will you
earn to-day?" One said: "A denarius"; the second: "Two denarii." "What will
you do with the money?" he inquired. "We will provide for the necessities of
life." Then said he to them: "Would you not rather come and make the Torah your
possession, that you may possess both this and the future world?"
This narrative has the same points as the epigrammatic group of Hillel's
sayings commencing: "The more flesh, the more worms," and closing with the words:
"Whoever has acquired the words of the Law has acquired the life of the world
to come." In an Aramaic saying Hillel sounds a warning against neglect of
study or its abuse for selfish purposes: "Whoever would make a name loses the
name; he who increases not [his knowledge] decreases; whoever learns not
[in Ab. R. N. xii.: "who does not serve the wise and learn"] is worthy of death;
whoever exploits for his own use the crown perishes".
Hillel's influence: "House of Hillel" vs. "House of Shammai"
Hillel's disciples are generally called the "House of Hillel", in contrast to
Shammai's disciples, the "House of Shammai". Their controversies concern
all branches of the Jewish law. Only a few decisions have been handed down
under Hillel's name; but there can be no doubt that much of the oldest anonymous
traditional literature was due directly to him or to the teachings of his
masters. The fixation of the norms of the Midrash and of halakhic Scripture
exposition was first made by Hillel, in the "seven rules of Hillel," which, as
is told in one source, he applied on the day on which he overcame the Benei
Betheira. On these seven rules rest the thirteen of R. Ishmael; they were
epoch-making for the systematic development of the ancient Scripture
exposition. Other Hillels
At least two other notable Hillels are known. Some scholars have suggested that
some sayings attributed to "Hillel" in some texts may be from other Hillels.
Hillel's sandwich During the Passover Seder, one re-enacts
ancient customs in the Haggadah. In the section of Korech, or 'sandwich',
participants are instructed to place bitter herbs between two pieces of matzo
and eat them after saying in Hebrew: This is a remembrance of Hillel in
Temple times—This is what Hillel did when the Temple existed: He enwrapped
the Paschal lamb, the matzo and the bitter herbs to eat them as one, in
fulfillment of the verse, "with matzot and maror they shall eat it."(Numbers
9:11) This sandwich apparently refers to traditional soft matzot rather than
modern crisp matzot, and so would have borne a striking resemblance to a modern
shawarma. In modern times, when there is no paschal lamb, Ashkenazi practice is
to emulate this by making a matzo, maror, sandwich. Philo has called this
sandwich a "moral migration from wickedness to virtue. Repentant sinners
at first brood bitterly over their past misdeeds. Then matzah, the healing food,
brings them to humility and contentment."
See also Pharisees
Prozbul Simeon ben Hillel
References Sources
Hertz, J. H.. The Pentateuch and Haftoras. Deuteronomy. London: Oxford
University Press. This article incorporates text from a
publication now in the public domain: Schechter, Solomon; Bacher, Wilhelm.
"Hillel". Jewish Encyclopedia. External links
"Hillel: Foundations of Rabbinic Culture," Video Lecture by Dr. Henry
Abramson Jewish Encyclopedia: Hillel
Jewish Encyclopedia: Bet Hillel and Bet Shammai
Texts on Wikisource: "Hillel". New International
Encyclopedia. 1905. "Hillel". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911.
"Hillel". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. 1913.
"Hillel". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. "Hillel the Elder". Collier's New
Encyclopedia. 1921. Mishnah