Civility and Public Discourse

(17)You shall not hate your kinfolk in your heart. Reprove you kinsman but incur not guilt because of him. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Lord.

Chapter 4, Halacha 2

R. Nehuniah b. Haqanah used to recite a short Prayer when he entered the study hall and when he exited. They said to him, “What is the nature of this prayer?” He said to them, “When I enter, I pray that I will cause no offense. And when I exit, I give thanks for my portion.”

When he enters [the study hall] what does he say? “May it be Your will, Lord my God, God of my ancestors that I shall not be angry with my associates, and that my associates shall not be angry with me; that we not declare the clean to be unclean, that we not declare the unclean to be clean; that we not declare the permissible to be forbidden, that we not declare the forbidden to be permissible; lest I find myself put to shame in this world and in the world to come [for rendering a wrong decision].”

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R. Pedat in the name of R. Jacob bar Idi, “R. Eleazar used to recite three prayers after his recitation of the Prayer [of Eighteen]. What did he say? ‘May it be thy will, Lord my God, and God of my fathers, that no person come to hate us, nor that we come to hate any person, and that no person come to envy us, not that we come to envy any person. And let [the study of] your Torah be our occupation all the days of our lives. And let our words be supplications before you.’"

But why was the Second Temple destroyed, seeing that in its time they were occupying themselves with Torah, mitzvot, and acts of loving kindness? Because there was baseless hatred during that time. This teaches that baseless hatred is equivalent to three transgressions: idolatry, sexual immorality, and bloodshed together. ...

Was there no baseless hatred during the First Temple? Surely it is written (Ezekiel 21:17): "They shall be cast before the sword together with My people; oh, strike the thigh [in grief]," and R. Eleazar said: This refers to people who eat and drink together and then stab each other through with with verbal daggers!

Rabbi Abba said in the name of Shmuel: For three years, the House of Hillel and the House of Shammai argued. One said, 'The halakha is in accordance with our opinion,' and the other said, 'The halakha is in accordance with our opinion.'

A heavenly voice spoke: "These and these are the words of the living God, but the halakha is in accordance with Beit 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 in accordance with 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 Beit Shammai. Not only for this reason, but they went so far as to teach Shammai's opinions first.

Mishnah: THOUGH THESE FORBADE WHAT THE OTHERS PERMITTED . . . BETH SHAMMAI, NEVERTHELESS, DID NOT REFRAIN FROM MARRYING WOMEN FROM THE FAMILIES OF BETH HILLEL, NOR DID BETH HILLEL [REFRAIN FROM MARRY ING WOMEN] FROM THE FAMILIES OF BETH SHAMMAI

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Come and hear: Although Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel are in disagreement on the questions of rivals, sisters, an old bill of divorce, a doubtfully married woman, a woman whom her husband had divorced and who stayed with him over the night in an inn, money, valuables, a perutah and the value of a perutah, Beth Shammai did not, nevertheless, abstain from marrying women of the families of Beth Hillel, nor did Beth Hillel refrain from marrying those of Beth Shammai. This is to teach you that they showed love and friendship towards one another, thus putting into practice the Scriptural text, Love ye truth and peace.

(5) He (Hillel) was accustomed to say: A boor cannot fear sin. An ignorant person cannot be pious. A person prone to being ashamed cannot learn. An impatient person cannot teach. Not all who engage in a lot of business become wise. In a place where there is no man, strive to be a man.