Hillel (also known as Hillel the Elder) is one of the best-known and beloved sages of the Talmud. He lived during the last century BCE and served as head of the Sanhedrin, the ancient rabbinic tribunal. He was the founder of Beit Hillel (the House of Hillel).

Hillel is always paired with his contemporary Shammai. They are famous for their disputes in Jewish Law, always feverously debating for the “Sake of Heaven” – a term used when a debate is out of a desire to discover the truth and find the best way to live a Torah-driven life.

Hillel’s outlook was usually favored as it was more lenient.  The Talmud also describes the disciples of Hillel as gentle and modest who studied both their opinions and that of their opponents, and humbly mentioning the words of the other school before theirs.

Hillel’s Sayings

Perhaps the most well-known of Hillel’s statements is this:

 “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?”

He also stated: “Do not judge your fellow until you come to his place.”

‘What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor- that is the whole Torah”

A well-known and practiced commandment in the Torah is that of loving your fellow as yourself. It teaches a moral stance of considering your fellow the way you would yourself.

Leviticus 19:18

 ‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the L-RD.

A beautiful and famous story in the Talmud expands on Hille’s view on this:

Shabbat 31a

On another occasion, it happened that a certain non-Jew came before Shammai and said to him, ‘Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.’ Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder’s cubit (ruler) which was in his hand. When he went [to enquire the same question] before Hillel, he said to him, ‘What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow – that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.’