(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתַי:
(14) He [Rabbi Hillel] used to say: If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, then when?
(יב) הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁלְאַהֲרֹן, אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם וְרוֹדֵף שָׁלוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמְקָרְבָן לַתּוֹרָה:
(12) Hillel and Shammai received from {Abtalyon and Shamryahu}. Hillel says, "Be of the disciples of Aharon, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving the creatures and bringing them closer to Torah."
One time the 14th of Nissan occurred on Shabbat and they did not know if the Korban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice) overrides Shabbat or not. They said: Is there anyone here that knows if the Korban Pesach overrides Shabbat or not? They said to them: There is one person who just made aliyah from Bavel (Babylonia) and Hillel the Babylonian is his name and he served two giant scholars of the generation Shemaya and Avtalion and he knows if Pesach overrides Shabbat or not.
(ד) ולמה מזכירין את דברי שמאי והלל לבטלה, ללמד לדורות הבאים שלא יהא אדם עומד על דבריו, שהרי אבות העולם לא עמדו על דבריהם.
(4) Why are the opinions of Hillel and Shammai recorded [only] to be nullified? To teach the generations that one should not be insistent in his/her opinions, for the fathers of the world were not insistent in their opinions.
Our Rabbis taught: The poor, the rich, the sensual come before the [heavenly] court — They say to the poor: Why have you not occupied yourself with the Torah? If he says: I was poor and worried about my sustenance, they would say to him: Were you poorer than Hillel? It was reported about Hillel the Elder that every day he used to work and earn one tropaik, half of which he would give to the guard at the House of Learning, the other half being spent for his food and for that of his family. One day he found nothing to earn and the guard at the House of Learning would not permit him to enter. He climbed up and sat upon the window, to hear the words of the living God from the mouth
of Shemayah and Abtalion — They say, that day was the eve of Sabbath in the winter solstice and snow fell down upon him from heaven. When the dawn rose, Shemayah said to Abtalion: Brother Abtalion, on every day this house is light and to-day it is dark, is it perhaps a cloudy day. They looked up and saw the figure of a man in the window. They went up and found him covered by three cubits of snow. They removed him, bathed and anointed him and placed him opposite the fire and they said: This man deserves that the Sabbath be profaned on his behalf.
Hillel the Elder used to interpret common speech. For it has been taught: The men of Alexandria used to betroth their wives, and when they were about to take them for the huppah ceremony, strangers would come and tear them away. Thereupon the Sages wished to declare their children bastards. Said Hillel the Elder to them, 'Bring me your mother's kethubahs.' When they brought them, he found written therein, 'When thou art taken for the huppah, be thou my wife.' And on the strength of this they did not declare their children bastards.
(ג) אין אלמנה נפרעת מנכסי יתומים אלא בשבועה. נמנעו מלהשביעה, התקין רבן גמליאל הזקן שתהא נודרת ליתומים כל מה שירצו, וגובה כתבתה. העדים חותמים על הגט, מפני תקון העולם. הלל התקין פרוזבול מפני תקון העולם.
(3) A widow may only collect [the debt owed from her ketubah, monetary settlement payable to a married woman upon divorce or the death of her husband] from the property of orphans by [taking] an oath. They stopped imposing an oath; Rabban Gamliel the Elder enacted that she may make a vow with regard to whatever they desire, and collects her ketubah. Witnesses sign on a bill of divorce, due to Tikkun HaOlam. Hillel instituted the pruzbul [a court-issued exemption from the Sabbatical year cancellation of a personal loan] due to Tikkun HaOlam.