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Hillel and Shammai

These two great scholars born a generation or two before the beginning of the Common Era are usually discussed together and contrasted with each other, because they were contemporaries and the leaders of two opposing schools of thought (known as "houses"). The Talmud records over 300 differences of opinion between Beit Hillel (the House of Hillel) and Beit Shammai (the House of Shammai). In almost every one of these disputes, Hillel's view prevailed.

Rabbi Hillel was born to a wealthy family in Babylonia, but came to Jerusalem without the financial support of his family and supported himself as a woodcutter. It is said that he lived in such great poverty that he was sometimes unable to pay the admission fee to study Torah, and because of him that fee was abolished. He was known for his kindness, his gentleness, and his concern for humanity. One of his most famous sayings, recorded in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, a tractate of the Mishnah), is "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?" The Hillel organization, a network of Jewish college student organizations, is named for him.

Rabbi Shammai was an engineer, known for the strictness of his views. The Talmud tells that a gentile came to Shammai saying that he would convert to Judaism if Shammai could teach him the whole Torah in the time that he could stand on one foot. Shammai drove him away with a builder's measuring stick! Hillel, on the other hand, converted the gentile by telling him, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it."

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was the youngest and most distinguished disciple of Rabbi Hillel (see above). He has been called the "father of wisdom and the father of generations (of scholars)" because he ensured the continuation of Jewish scholarship after Jerusalem fell to Rome in 70 C.E.

According to tradition, ben Zakkai was a pacifist in Jerusalem in 68 C.E. when the city was under siege by General Vespasian. Jerusalem was controlled by the Zealots, people who would rather die than surrender to Rome (these are the same people who controlled Masada). Ben Zakkai urged surrender, but the Zealots would not hear of it, so ben Zakkai faked his own death and had his disciples smuggle him out of Jerusalem in a coffin. They carried the coffin to Vespasian's tent, where ben Zakkai emerged from the coffin. He told Vespasian that he had had a vision (some would say, a shrewd political insight) that Vespasian would soon be emperor, and he asked Vespasian to set aside a place in Yavneh (near modern Rehovot) where he could move his yeshivah (school) and study Torah in peace. Vespasian promised that if the prophesy came true, he would grant ben Zakkai's request. Vespasian became Emperor and kept his word, allowing the school to be established after the war was over. The yeshiva survived and was a center of Jewish learning for centuries.

Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph (approx. 15-135 C.E.)

A poor, semi-literate shepherd, Rabbi Akiba became one of Judaism's greatest scholars. He developed the exegetical method of the Mishnah, linking each traditional practice to a basis in the biblical text, and systematized the material that later became the Mishnah. Rabbi Akiba was active in the Bar Kokhba rebellion against Rome. He believed that Bar Kokhba was the Moshiach (messiah), though some other rabbis openly ridiculed him for that belief (the Talmud records another rabbi as saying, "Akiba, grass will grow in your cheeks and still the son of David will not have come.") When the Bar Kokhba rebellion failed, Rabbi Akiba was taken by the Roman authorities and tortured to death.

Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi (approx. 135-219 C.E.)

The Patriarch of the Jewish community, Rabbi Judah Ha-Nasi was well-educated in Greek thought as well as Jewish thought. He organized and compiled the Mishnah, building upon Rabbi Akiba's work.

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) (1040-1105 C.E.)

A grape grower living in Northern France, Rashi wrote the definitive commentaries on the Babylonian Talmud and the Bible. Rashi pulled together materials from a wide variety of sources, wrote them down in the order of the Talmud and the Bible for easy reference, and wrote them in such clear, concise and plain language that it can be appreciated by beginners and experts alike. Almost every edition of the Talmud printed since the invention of the printing press has included the text of Rashi's commentary side-by-side with the Talmudic text. Many traditional Jews will not study the Bible without a Rashi commentary beside it.

Rambam (Maimonides; Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) (1135-1204 C.E.)

A physician born in Moorish Cordoba, Rambam lived in a variety of places throughout the Moorish lands of Spain, the Middle East and North Africa, often fleeing persecution. He was a leader of the Jewish community in Cairo. He was heavily influenced by Greek thought, particularly that of Aristotle.

Rambam was the author of the Mishneh Torah, one of the greatest codes of Jewish law, compiling every conceivable topic of Jewish law in subject matter order and providing a simple statement of the prevailing view in plain language. In his own time, he was widely condemned because he claimed that the Mishneh Torah was a substitute for studying the Talmud.

Rambam is also responsible for several important theological works. He developed the 13 Principles of Faith, the most widely accepted list of Jewish beliefs. He also wrote the Guide for the Perplexed, a discussion of difficult theological concepts written from the perspective of an Aristotelian philosopher.

Ramban (Nachmanides; Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) (1194-1270 C.E.)

Ramban was the foremost halakhist of his age. Like Rambam before him, Ramban was a Spaniard who was both a physician and a great Torah scholar. However, unlike the rationalist Rambam, Ramban had a strong mystical bent. His biblical commentaries are the first ones to incorporate the mystical teachings of kabbalah.

He was well-known for his aggressive refutations of Christianity, most notably, his debate with Pablo Christiani, a converted Jew, before King Jaime I of Spain in 1263.

Ramban could be described as one of history's first Zionists, because he declared that it is a mitzvah to take possession of Israel and to live in it (relying on Num. 33:53). He said, "So long as Israel occupies [the Holy Land], the earth is regarded as subject to Him." Ramban fulfilled this commandment, moving to the Holy Land during the Crusades after he was expelled from Spain for his polemics. He found devastation in the Holy Land, "but even in this destruction," he said, "it is a blessed land." He died there in 1270 C.E.

Do not confuse Ramban with Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (see below).

Baal Shem Tov (the Besht, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer) (1700-1760 C.E.)

The founder of Chasidic Judaism. Although many books of his teachings exist, the Besht himself wrote no books, perhaps because his teachings emphasized the fact that even a simple, uneducated peasant could approach G-d (a radical idea in its time, when Judaism emphasized that the way to approach G-d was through study). He emphasized prayer, the observance of commandments, and ecstatic, personal mystical experiences.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810 C.E.)

The great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov (see above), Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (sometimes called Bratzlav, Breslau or Bratislava) was the founder of the Breslover Chasidic sect. Breslov is a town in the Ukraine where Rabbi Nachman spent the end of his life, but some say the name Breslov comes from the Hebrew bris lev, meaning "covenant of the heart." He emphasized living life with joy and happiness. One of his best-known sayings is, "It is a great mitzvah to be happy." Collections of his Chasidic tales (or tales attributed to him) are widely available in print. Do not confuse Rabbi Nachman with Ramban (see above).

Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt”l (1908-2001)

I include Avigdor Miller because I spent many a Thursday night listening to his lectures and gaining new insights into what Jewish learning is. Avigdor Miller was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on August 28, 1908. His thirst for learning was evident at an early age. He later learned Tanach with his grandfather, Rav Dov, to the extent that he knew most of it by heart. At the age of 14 he went to study in Yeshivas Rabbenu Yitzchok Elchonon that was then on the Lower East Side. Upon meeting HaRav Aizik Sher, the rosh yeshiva of Slobodke, who came to the United States to raise funds, Avigdor followed him back to Europe to study in the Slobdke Yeshiva.

HaRav Miller used to tell of the poverty that prevailed then. He would be the first to come in every morning and the last to leave at night, because he was ashamed of his clothes that had so many patches. In 1935 he married and right before the outbreak of World War II the couple returned to America.

He become the mashgiach in Yeshivas Chaim Berlin, a position that he held for nineteen years. Later HaRav Miller became the Rav of the Young Israel of Rugby in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, and began his program of educating laymen to become great in Torah. In 1975 he moved to Flatbush (Ocean Parkway near Avenue R) to continue his teaching; many in the community moving with him. The rest is history and he became one of the leading rabbis in America, leading thousands to appreciate the teachings of the orthodox sages and scholars.

In addition to his numerous tapes, he also merited to publish many seforim which gained fame throughout the United States and Europe. These books were mainly in English and were geared for the American public, their purpose being to instill American Jews with emunah and clear and correct Torah outlook. Among his books are: Oz Nidberu, Sing You Righteous, Awake My Glory, Praise My Soul on Prayer and Rejoice O' Youth, as well as works on the entire Chumash, and Behold a Nation on the history of Am Yisroel from Creation until the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. A number of books still haven't been published, among them three volumes on the Holocaust and three volumes on the Aggados of the Shas which are ready for print.

"Rejoice Oh Youth ... His First Book

The Rov's first sefer (book), Rejoice O' Youth, unmasked the falsity of spurious theories that were accepted blindly by the public at large, and guided the reader to seek the truth in Yiddishkeit and not be misled on the way. The lessons Rav Miller had given his yeshiva students in Chaim Berlin and the energetic efforts he had invested to imbue his own congregation with Torah attitudes had been percolating in his mind. The idea began to take shape to write a book explaining the proper Torah attitude to today's Orthodox Jew.

At first he thought of writing a sefer in Hebrew, but was advised that since there is nothing in English, he should write his book in English. Until then, Rav Miller had only written sporadic articles, although he was an accomplished and experienced speaker with an excellent vocabulary and a powerful delivery.

He began writing Rejoice O Youth in 1963. In 1964, when Yeshivas Chaim Berlin moved to Far Rockaway, Rav Miller decided to resign and devote himself full time to his congregation and his writing.

When he finished writing the book in 1965, he didn't have the $2,000 required to publish it. He contacted a well known Jewish publisher in New York and showed him the book.

The publisher offered to print and distribute the book if Rav Miller would take out a few passages objectionable to most modern Orthodox Jews, such as the critical passages about Zionism. Rav Miller rejected his offer and instead borrowed $200 from ten different people. He published his book privately, making 2,000 copies of the first edition.

This book was the first book ever published in the U.S. that attempted to explain the Torah true world view to the searching and intelligent young Jew. His book made an immediate impact and sold out within a short time. Rav Miller was able to repay his loans within 8 weeks.

The book brought a flood of letters and telephone calls from searching Jews all over the world.

Rejoice O Youth dealt with all the issues that religious Jews were struggling with in those days. Religious Jews mumbled about how they believed that G-d created the world, but some were reluctant to openly deny the "truth" of evolution, which was a "sacred" belief to educated people. At most, Orthodox Jews weakly tried to devise theories to "bridge" the two ideas.

Rav Miller hacked at the theory of evolution in his book at length, arguing that its stupidity was only outdone by the blind, biased trust of the science community in it. Then he took apart the Bible critics. He demonstrated the dark side and intellectual paucity of the eastern religions, psychology, Islam, Catholic and Protestant Christianity, Zionism, and Communism. He explained the phenomenon of antisemitism, the Holocaust, and the self-hating of assimilated Jews.

He spoke scathingly about emptiness of western society, with its emphasis on romance, libertarianism, feminism, culture. He spoke about the futility of technology.

His explanations were compelling and sarcastic. As you progressed through the book, you couldn't help but burst out in laughter sometimes at the silliness of many common beliefs.

He was a master at finding the appropriate way to dismiss those who possessed wrong views and show through the veneer of respectability from them. Evolutionists were "theorists"; inventors of other religions, Bible critics, Reform, Maskilim, and Zionists were "falsifiers" "substituters" "imitators" "idolaters" and "usurpers." He explained simply and easily the falseness underlying all these ideologies.

After showing how contemporary dogmas were baloney, he then described numerous beautiful phenomena in the world while stressing how G-d had created all this to give us a beautiful life. He imbued you with positive feelings towards Hashem and challenged you to build a personal relationship with Him. He told you that you are capable of greatness, happiness and a life of deep meaning.

His writings were sprinkled with new terms which you never had heard of before: True Knowledge, real Awareness of Hashem, thinking about Hashem, the "truly great."

He spoke about the past and present greatness of the Jewish nation and the great potential that every Jew has in him. He emphasized the importance of isolating ourselves from the negative influences all around, striving to fulfill our national mission, the love that Hashem possesses for faithful Jews, the importance of serving Hashem with enthusiasm and of obtaining character perfection, trusting in Hashem, how a Jewish home should run, the role of a Jewish mother, and preparing for the Afterlife.

After reading his book, you not only felt you had gained a unique Torah hashkofoh, but generally felt reinforced in your belief in Torah, Hashem, and the wisdom of Judaism. Rejoice O Youth was just the beginning of his prolific writing. He continued over the following 35 years, writing another 13 books each of which was an inspiring masterpiece.

The series of history seforim showed how the sages looked at the occurrences throughout time and refuted the theories of the "enlightened" historians. His seforim on Chumash show the treasures of the sages, what they teach us from the Torah, and how the Torah should be correctly understood.

He died on April 19, 2001 in Brooklyn, NY, at the age of niney-two. It is said "He utilized every moment of his life for Torah. All of the concepts of the Torah were firmly established in him, and he bequeathed them to others."

His special field of learning was Mussar, which is typically defined as ethical teachings. That field of mussar is devoted to character and behavioral improvement. This includes a very broad range of strategies and approaches to such improvement. There are various "schools" of mussar (each with its special history and great personalities) which are characterized by particular emphases, each of which are rooted in traditional Torah thought. Rabbi Miller will always be remembered as one of those great personalities.