What Judaism Is All About - Hillel and Shammai

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov: The name Moshe stands for Machloket Shammai v'Hillel - the dispute of the schools of Shammai and Hillel.

משנה אבות ה׳:י״ז

(יז) כָּל מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. וְשֶׁאֵינָהּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, אֵין סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם. אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלוֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלוֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי.

Pirkei Avot 5:17

(17) Every argument that is [for the sake of] heaven's name, it is destined to endure. But if it is not [for the sake of] heaven's name -- it is not destined to endure. What [is an example of] an argument in the name of heaven? The argument of Hillel and Shammai.

שבת כ״א ב:ה׳-ז׳

ת"ר מצות חנוכה נר איש וביתו והמהדרין נר לכל אחד ואחד והמהדרין מן המהדרין ב"ש אומרים יום ראשון מדליק שמנה מכאן ואילך פוחת והולך וב"ה אומרים יום ראשון מדליק אחת מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך אמר עולא פליגי בה תרי אמוראי במערבא ר' יוסי בר אבין ור' יוסי בר זבידא חד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד ימים הנכנסין וטעמא דב"ה כנגד ימים היוצאין וחד אמר טעמא דב"ש כנגד פרי החג וטעמא דבית הלל דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין אמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן שני זקנים היו בצידן אחד עשה כב"ש ואחד עשה כדברי ב"ה זה נותן טעם לדבריו כנגד פרי החג וזה נותן טעם לדבריו דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין

Shabbat 21b:5-7

The Sages taught in a baraita: The basic mitzva of Hanukkah is each day to have a light kindled by a person, the head of the household, for himself and his household. And the mehadrin, i.e., those who are meticulous in the performance of mitzvot, kindle a light for each and every one in the household. And the mehadrin min hamehadrin, who are even more meticulous, adjust the number of lights daily. Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagree as to the nature of that adjustment. Beit Shammai say: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights until, on the last day of Hanukkah, he kindles one light. And Beit Hillel say: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights until, on the last day, he kindles eight lights. Ulla said: There were two amora’im in the West, Eretz Yisrael, who disagreed with regard to this dispute, Rabbi Yosei bar Avin and Rabbi Yosei bar Zevida. One said that the reason for Beit Shammai’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the incoming days, i.e., the future. On the first day, eight days remain in Hanukkah, one kindles eight lights, and on the second day seven days remain, one kindles seven, etc. The reason for Beit Hillel’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the outgoing days. Each day, the number of lights corresponds to the number of the days of Hanukkah that were already observed. And one said that the reason for Beit Shammai’s opinion is that the number of lights corresponds to the bulls of the festival of Sukkot: Thirteen were sacrificed on the first day and each succeeding day one fewer was sacrificed (Numbers 29:12–31). The reason for Beit Hillel’s opinion is that the number of lights is based on the principle: One elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade. Therefore, if the objective is to have the number of lights correspond to the number of days, there is no alternative to increasing their number with the passing of each day. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There were two Elders in Sidon, and one of them acted in accordance with the opinion of Beit Shammai, and one of them acted in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel. Each provided a reason for his actions: One gave a reason for his actions: The number of lights corresponds to the bulls of the Festival. And one gave a reason for his actions: The number of lights is based on the principle: One elevates to a higher level in matters of sanctity and one does not downgrade.

עירובין י״ג ב:י׳-י״א

שלש שנים נחלקו ב"ש וב"ה, הללו אומרים "הלכה כמותנו" והללו אומרים "הלכה כמותנו." יצאה בת קול ואמרה
"אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים הן, והלכה כב"ה
." וכי מאחר שאלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים, מפני מה זכו ב"ה לקבוע הלכה כמותן? מפני שנוחין ועלובין היו ושונין דבריהן ודברי ב"ש ולא עוד אלא שמקדימין דברי ב"ש לדבריהן

Eruvin 13b:10-11

For three years, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai argued. One said, 'The halakha (law) is according to our position,' and the other said, 'The halakha is according to our position.'A heavenly voice spoke:"These and those are the words of the living God, and the halakha is according to the House of Hillel."A question was raised: Since the heavenly voice declared: "Both these and those are the words of the Living God," why was the halacha established to follow the opinion of Hillel? It is because the students of Hillel were kind and gracious. They taught their own ideas as well as the ideas from the students of Shammai. Furthermore, they even taught Shammai's opinions first.

Marc-Alain Ouaknin, The Burnt Book, p. 84

The Talmud says of Talmudic discussions: "The words of one and the words of the other are the living words of God. This statement should be seen as conditional: If there are words of one and words of the other, then they are words of the living God, and as a result, are living words.

תוספתא יבמות א׳:ג׳

(ג) אע"פ שנחלקו ב"ש [כנגד ב"ה] בצרות [ואחיות] ובספק אשת איש ובגט ישן [והמקדש את האשה] בשוה פרוטה [והמגרש] את אשתו ולנה עמו בפונדק לא נמנעו ב"ש לישא [נשים] מב"ה ולא ב"ה מב"ש אלא נהגו האמת והשלום ביניהן שנא' (זכריה ח) האמת והשלום אהבו.

Tosefta Yevamot 1:3

Even though Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed concerning co-wives, sisters, the married woman, a supernatural write of divorce, the one who betrothes a woman with an object worth a perutah, and the one who divorces his wife and spends the night with her in an inn - Beit Shammai did not refrain from marrying women of Beit Hillel, and Beit Hillel from Beit Shammai. Rather, they behaved toward one another truthfully and there was peace between them, as it is said: "they loved truth and peace." (Zechariah 8:19)

Mikdash Melech to Zohar Parshat Bereishit 17b

In the time of the Messiah, we will follow the law according to Shammai. Hillel represents kindness and Shammai severity (hence the rulings of Beit Hillel are almost always more lenient). When the Messiah comes the advantage of the severity will be revealed and therefore the law will be in accordance with Beit Shammai. Beit Shammai comes from such a high level this present world is incapable of withstanding it, and only when the Messiah comes will we be able to follow their opinion.

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