There is are many side notes on this page – the normal kinds
of diversions in the Talmudic conversation. But the following is worth repeating
virtually whole.
We’ve read often about the disputes between the schools
great schools of Hillel and Shammai. We know that the rabbis follow the rulings
of Hillel yet reproduce the rulings of Shammai, even though they do not have
the force of halachah (Jewish law).
Why? Ah, there is a lesson in that – a lesson which comes from a bat kol - a disembodied heavenly voice:
R. Abba stated in the name of
Samuel: For three years there was a dispute between Beth Shammai and Beth
Hillel, the former asserting, ‘The halachah
is in agreement with our views’ and the latter contending, ‘The halachah is in agreement with our views’.
Then a bath kol issued announcing, “[The
utterances of] both are the words of the living God, but the halachah is in agreement with the
rulings of Beth Hillel”.
Aeylu v’aeylu divrey
Elohim Chayyim – both this and that are the words of the living God. Such a
profound statement that opposing sides can disagree but do so out of the best
of intentions. God spoke both!
But, of course, since we are not God, we need one answer:
Since, however, both are ‘the words
of the living God’ what was it that entitled Beth Hillel to have the halachah fixed in agreement with their
rulings?
Because they were kindly and
modest, they studied their own rulings and those of Beth Shammai, and were even
so [humble] as to mention the actions of Beth Shammai before theirs,
This teaches you that him who
humbles himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, raises up, and him who exalts
himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, humbles; from him who seeks greatness,
greatness flees, but him who flees from greatness, greatness follows; he who
forces time is forced back by time but he who yields to time finds time
standing at his side.
Re-read that last paragraph. THAT is Torah.
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