The Oral Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson Episode 131

The Sages taught: There was once an incident with a certain gentile who came before Shammai. He said to him: How many Torahs do you have? He said to him: Two -- the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. He said to him: The Written Torah -- I believe you about that. But about the Oral Torah -- I don't believe you. Convert me on the condition that you will teach me the Written Torah alone. He screamed at him and cast him out with a reprimand. He came before Hillel. He converted him. On the first day, he said to him: Alef, bet, gimmel, dalet. The next day he reversed them on him. He said to him: But yesterday you did not tell me like this! He said to him: On me alone did you not trust!? So, about the Oral Torah, too, trust me.

Another incident happened with a certain gentile who came before Shammai. He said to him: Convert me on the condition that you teach me all the Torah in its entirety while I stand on one foot. He pushed him away with the builder’s cubit that was in his hand. He came before Hillel. He converted him. He said to him: That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; that is the entire Torah, all of it. And the rest? It's commentary. Go. Learn.

Another incident happened with a certain gentile who was passing behind the study hall and heard the voice of a teacher who was saying: “And these are the garments which they shall make: A breastplate, and an efod, and a robe, and a tunic of checkered work, a mitre, and a girdle” (Exodus 28:4). The gentile said: These garments -- for whom are they? They said to him: For the High Priest. That same gentile said to himself: I will go and convert so that they will install me as High Priest. He came before Shammai. He said to him: Convert me on the condition that you install me as High Priest. He pushed him away with the builder’s cubit that was in his hand. He came before Hillel. He converted him. He said to him: No person is appointed king other than one who knows the protocols of royalty. Go. Study the protocols of royalty. He went and read. When he reached: “And the common man that draws near shall be put to death” (Numbers 1:51), he said to him: With regard to whom is the verse speaking? He said to him: Even with regard to David, king of Israel. That same convert reasoned an a fortiori inference by/to himself: If the Jewish people are called God’s children, and due to the love that God loved them, He called them: “Israel, My firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22), and nevertheless it is written about them: “And the common man that draws near shall be put to death,” the lightweight convert who came with just his staff and traveling bag -- all the more so would he be worthy of being put to death. He came before Shammai. He said to him: Am I at all worthy to be High Priest? Is it not written in the Torah: “And the common man that draws near shall be put to death”? He came before Hillel. He said to him: Hillel the Humble, may blessings rest upon your head, for you have brought me under the wings of the Divine Presence.

The Sages taught: A person should always be patient like Hillel and not impatient like Shammai. There was a case involving two people

who wagered with each other and said: Anyone who will go and upset Hillel, will take four-hundred zuz.

One of them said: I will upset him. That day was Shabbat eve, and Hillel was washing his head. He went and crossed over the entrance to his house and said: Who here is Hillel, who here is Hillel? He wrapped himself and went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? He said to him: I have a question to ask. He said to him: Ask, my son. He asked: Why are the heads of Babylonians oval? He said to him: My son, you have asked a significant question. Because they do not have clever midwives.

He went and waited one hour, then returned and said: Who here is Hillel, who here is Hillel? He wrapped himself and went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? He said to him: I have a question to ask. He said to him: Ask, my son. He asked: Why are the eyes of the residents of Tadmor bleary? He said to him: My son, you have asked a significant question. Because they live among the sand.

He went and waited one hour, then returned, and said: Who here is Hillel, who here is Hillel? He wrapped himself and went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? He said to him: I have a question to ask. He said to him: Ask, my son. He asked: Why do Africans have wide feet? He said to him: You have asked a significant question. Because they live in marshlands.

He said to him: I have many questions to ask, but I am afraid lest you get angry. He wrapped himself and sat before him, and he said to him: All questions that you have to ask -- ask.

He said to him: Are you Hillel whom they call Nasi of Israel? He said to him: Yes. He said to him: If you are he, may there not be many like you in Israel. He said to him: My son, for what reason do you say this? He said to him: Because on account of you I lost four hundred zuz. He said to him: Watch your temper -- Hillel is worthy enough that you would lose four hundred zuz and another four hundred zuz, and Hillel will not get upset.

After some days, the three gathered together in one place, and they said: Shammai’s strictness sought to drive us from the world; Hillel’s humility brought us close beneath the wings of the Divine Presence.

Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And the faith of your times shall be a strength of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge, the fear of the Lord is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6)?

Faith; that is the order of Zera’im, Seeds, in the Mishna, because a person has faith in God and plants his seeds (Jerusalem Talmud). Your times; that is the order of Moed, Festival, which deals with the various occasions and Festivals that occur throughout the year. Strength; that is the order of Nashim, Women. Salvations; that is the order of Nezikin, Damages, as one who is being pursued is rescued from the hands of his pursuer. Wisdom; that is the order of Kodashim, Consecrated Items. And knowledge; that is the order of Teharot, Purity, which is particularly difficult to master. And even if a person studies and masters all of these, “the fear of the Lord is his treasure,” it is preeminent.

With regard to the same verse, Rava said: At the time that they bring a person in for judgment, they say to him (in the order of that verse): Were you honest [faithful] in your business dealings? Did you fix times for Torah? Did you engage in being fruitful and multiplying? Did you remain hopeful for salvation? Did you debate with wisdom? Did you understand a thing from within a thing? And even if so, if the fear of God is his treasure, yes; if not, no.

There is a parable that illustrates this. A person who said to his emissary: Bring a kor of wheat up to the attic for me. He went and brought it up for him. He said to the emissary: Did you mix a kav of ḥomton, a preservative to keep away worms, into it for me? He said to him: No. He said to him: If so, it would have been preferable had you not brought it up. It was taught in the school of Rabbi Yishmael: A person may mix a kav of ḥomton into a kor of grain and need not be concerned that he will be guilty of theft.