(ה) וְלָמָּה מַזְכִּירִין דִּבְרֵי הַיָּחִיד בֵּין הַמְרֻבִּין, הוֹאִיל וְאֵין הֲלָכָה אֶלָּא כְדִבְרֵי הַמְרֻבִּין. שֶׁאִם יִרְאֶה בֵית דִּין אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַיָּחִיד וְיִסְמֹךְ עָלָיו, שֶׁאֵין בֵּית דִּין יָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל דִּבְרֵי בֵית דִּין חֲבֵרוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן. הָיָה גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה אֲבָל לֹא בְמִנְיָן, בְּמִנְיָן אֲבָל לֹא בְחָכְמָה, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל דְּבָרָיו, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה גָדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן:
(5) And why do they record the opinion of a single person among the many, given that the halakhah is only be according to the words of the many? So that if a court sees the words of the single person depends on them. For no court may set aside the decision its fellow court unless it is greater than it in wisdom and in number. If it was greater than it in wisdom but not in number, in number but not in wisdom, it may not set aside its decision, unless it is greater than it in wisdom and in number.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים נֶחְלְקוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ. יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים הֵן, וַהֲלָכָה כְּבֵית הִלֵּל.
Rabbi Abba said that Shmuel said: For three years Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel disagreed. These said: The halakhah is in accordance with our opinion, and these said: The halakhah is in accordance with our opinion. Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of the living God. However, the halakhah is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel.
וְכִי מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים, מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכוּ בֵּית הִלֵּל לִקְבּוֹעַ הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתָן? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנּוֹחִין וַעֲלוּבִין הָיוּ, וְשׁוֹנִין דִּבְרֵיהֶן וְדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּקְדִּימִין דִּבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי לְדִבְרֵיהֶן.
And since these and those are the words of the living God, why did Bet Hillel merit for the halakhah to be established like them? Because they were agreeable and forbearing, and teach their statements and the statements of Bet Shammai. And not only that, but they put the statements of Bet Shammai before their own statements.
כְּאוֹתָהּ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ: מִי שֶׁהָיָה רֹאשׁוֹ וְרוּבּוֹ בַּסּוּכָּה וְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי פּוֹסְלִין וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַכְשִׁירִין. אָמְרוּ בֵּית הִלֵּל לְבֵית שַׁמַּאי: לֹא כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהָלְכוּ זִקְנֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וְזִקְנֵי בֵּית הִלֵּל לְבַקֵּר אֶת רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן הַחוֹרָנִית וּמְצָאוּהוּ יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁוֹ וְרוּבּוֹ בַּסּוּכָּה וְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי: אִי מִשָּׁם רְאָיָה?! אַף הֵן אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אִם כָּךְ הָיִיתָ נוֹהֵג, לֹא קִיַּימְתָּ מִצְוַת סוּכָּה מִיָּמֶיךָ.
As in that which we taught: Someone whose head and most of his body were in the sukkah and his table was in the house, Bet Shammai deem it invalid and Bet Hillel deem it valid. Bet Hillel said to Bet Shammai: Was there not an incident in which the Elders of Bet Shammai and the Elders of Bet Hillel went to visit Rabbi Yoḥanan ben HaḤoranit, and they found him sitting with his head and most of his body in the sukkah and his table in the house? Bet Shammai said to them: A proof from there?! They also said to him: If that is how you were accustomed, you have never fulfilled the mitzvah of sukkah in all your days.
לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכׇּל הַמַּשְׁפִּיל עַצְמוֹ — הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַגְבִּיהוֹ, וְכׇל הַמַּגְבִּיהַּ עַצְמוֹ — הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁפִּילוֹ. כׇּל הַמְחַזֵּר עַל הַגְּדוּלָּה — גְּדוּלָּה בּוֹרַחַת מִמֶּנּוּ, וְכׇל הַבּוֹרֵחַ מִן הַגְּדוּלָּה — גְּדוּלָּה מְחַזֶּרֶת אַחֲרָיו, וְכׇל הַדּוֹחֵק אֶת הַשָּׁעָה — שָׁעָה דּוֹחַקְתּוֹ, וְכׇל הַנִּדְחֶה מִפְּנֵי שָׁעָה — שָׁעָה עוֹמֶדֶת לוֹ.
To teach you that anyone who humbles himself, the Holy Blessed One exalts him. And anyone who exalts himself, the Holy Blessed One humbles him. Anyone who chases greatness, greatness flees from him. And anyone who flees from greatness, greatness chases him. And anyone who presses the moment, the moment presses him. And anyone who yields to the moment, the moment stands for him.
ואף הוא פתח ודרש (קהלת יב, יא) דברי חכמים כדרבונות וכמסמרות נטועים בעלי אסופות נתנו מרועה אחד למה נמשלו דברי תורה לדרבן לומר לך מה דרבן זה מכוין את הפרה לתלמיה להוציא חיים לעולם אף דברי תורה מכוונין את לומדיהן מדרכי מיתה לדרכי חיים אי מה דרבן זה מטלטל אף דברי תורה מטלטלין ת"ל מסמרות
And [Rabbi El'azar ben 'Azarya] also opened and expounded: “The words of the wise are like goads, like fixed nails are members of assemblies (or: possessors of collections) -- they were given by one Shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11). Why are words of Torah compared to a goad? To tell you just as this goad directs the cow to her furrows to bring forth life to the world, so too the words of Torah direct those who study them from the paths of death to the paths of life. Or: Just as this goad is movable, so too matters of Torah are movable. The teaching tells: “Nails.”
אי מה מסמר זה חסר ולא יתר אף דברי תורה חסירין ולא יתירין ת"ל נטועים מה נטיעה זו פרה ורבה אף דברי תורה פרין ורבין בעלי אסופות אלו תלמידי חכמים שיושבין אסופות אסופות ועוסקין בתורה הללו מטמאין והללו מטהרין הללו אוסרין והללו מתירין הללו פוסלין והללו מכשירין
Or: Just as this nail diminishes and does not expand, so too matters of Torah diminish and do not expand. The teaching tells: “Fixed [netu'im].” Just as this plant [neti’ah] flourishes and multiplies, so too matters of Torah flourish and multiply. “Those that are composed in collections [ba’alei asufot]”: These are Torah scholars who sit in groups groups [asupot] and engage in Torah. These render ritually impure and these render pure; these prohibit and these permit; these render invalid and these render valid.
Lest a person say: How can I study Torah?! Now the teaching tells “they were all given from one Shepherd.” One God gave them, one leader said them from the mouth of the Master of all creation, Blessed be He, as it is written: “And God spoke all these words” (Exodus 20:1).
So too you make your ears like a funnel and acquire for yourself an understanding heart to hear the statements of those who render ritually impure and the statements of those who render pure; the statements of those who prohibit and the statements of those who permit; the statements of those who render invalid and the statements of those who render valid. He [Rabbi Yehoshua'] said to them: No generation is orphaned, if Rabbi El'azar ben 'Azarya dwells among it.
(ו) א"ר ינאי תורה שנתן הקב"ה למשה נתנה לו בארבעים ותשע פנים טמא ומ"ט פנים טהור שנאמר (שם) ודגל"ו בגימטריא מ"ט הוא:
(6) R. Jannai said: The Torah which the Holy Blessed One gave to Moses was delivered to him in forty-nine aspects of uncleanness and forty-nine aspects of cleanness, as it is stated, "And his banner" (Song of Songs 2:4) - the numerical value of its letters being forty-nine.