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HILLEL, 5HAMMAI AND CONVERTS: VIRTUES AND THEOLOGICAL BASICS (BAVLI 5HABBAT 31 a)

Rabbinic storytellers used the early rabbinic hero Hillel and his counterpart Shammai to model values. This narrative, appear­ ing only in the Bavli, teaches the importance of anvetanut, meaning gentleness, humility, modesty and patience. Such a disposition was crucial not only for rabbinic interactions with outsiders, but also within the rabbinic academy. Passionate arguments and the heat of legal debate often provoked anger, insults and recriminations (see Part III). When sages conducted themselves with humility, they created a healthy and productive environment for discussion. The storytellers probably combined several sources to create the text below. A tightly crafted structure is particularly clear. The opening and ending mention gentleness and impatience, associat­ ing the former with Hillel and the latter with Shammai (A, H). This frame brackets two main units, each introduced by "Our sages taught" (1, 2). The first establishes the patience of Hillel; the sec­ ond contrasts Hillel's gentleness with Shammai's impatience. Three times a man approaches Hillel with annoying questions in the first unit (Cl-C3); three times prospective converts approach Shammai and Hillel in the second (El-E2, Fl-F2, Gl-G2). Rabbinic attitudes to converts are diverse. The Bavli, for example, contains traditions such as "God dispersed among the nations solely in order that converts join them" (Pesahim 87b), at the same time lamenting that "converts are as difficult to Israel as

181 RABBINIC STORIES a scab" purpose of the three dialogues placed in He said, have a question to the mouths converts may be more to answer basic questions said to him, rabbinic theology than to teach a specific attitude to conver­ said to him, son. the value of patience). The first grapples with the dwell among the Oral . How do we know that Moses received it on Sinai and that the sages passed it down from genera­ [C3] He went here is here is tion to generation? 1 i\nswer: we rely on the sages to know that the Written Torah too came from God, to know how to read it, and to out to greet him. He said to him, certain that scribes copied it accurately over the centuries. The He said, "I have a ~· ~~~~"'~ same authority in fact grounds both . The second addresses He to him, are h. "M the core value of the Torah. one fundamental principle must be Im, 1 y son. an important question. Because singled out, it is the proper treatment of fellow human beings. The dwell among ponds of water." rest of the Torah, however, is also important and must be studied [DJ He said to him, have many questions to ask, but I am ("Go and learn it"). The third teaches that God loves all afraid lest you get mad at me." [Hillel] covered himself equally, notwithstanding the higher lineage of priests and the (now sat before him. He said to him, "Ask all the questions that you defunct) privileges of the high priest. Even the convert enters want to ask." He said to him, "Are is called the beneath the Divine Presence and essentially possesses the same sta­ patriarch oflsrael?" to him, 2 tus as David, King oflsraeL "If it is you, may there not be many like in [1] [A] Our sages taught: One should always be a gentle man him, "VVhy, my son?" He said, "Because I lost 400 zuz on [anvetan} like Hillel and never be an impatient man like Shammai. account." He said to him, "Be careful about your disposition. It is worth your losing four hundred zuz on Hillel's account [BJ Once two men made a wager between them. They said, another 400 zuz, not become angry." ' "Whoever goes and angers Hillel will get 400 zuz." One of them said, "I will anger him." [2][El] Our sages taught: Once a came before Shammai. He said to him, "How many Torahs do you have?" He said to [Cl] That day was