Dear Readers,

Hillel and I are disappearing for a couple of weeks – “The 400 Zuz Bet” below this entry is the last one until late August. 

We decided to time-travel a few years into the "future,” and finally accept the offer of King Herod who wishes to meet with Hillel, who is now a figure of authority. I am timing the visit so it’s in the future, but before Herod loses his health and his mind. Herod has already built a magnificent palace in Caesarea, a beautiful resort town by the blue Mediterranean, and this is where we will stay.

Just because Hillel is now in his middle years, does not mean he is out of shape. Not at all, he has kept in excellent shape and good health, and he is secretly longing to swim in the gigantic swimming pool Herod placed in his tree-filled atrium. Don’t worry – since Herod considers himself Jewish, the food is within the Law, so we can enjoy the excellent, if somewhat excessive, cuisine. Hillel will not attend the repulsive shows in the amphitheater, he put this as a condition to the visit, and Herod proved quite understanding about it. The High Priest is livid with anger and envy about Hillel’s visit, but he can’t do a thing about it. Herod does what he wishes.

I cannot send you a postcard, time travel does not allow it, but when we come back, I will tell you all about the white marble palace, the expensive furniture made of costly wood, the incredible dining style, and the breathtaking views of the sea. I hope to have some gossip about Herod’s trendy friends as well. In 2012 we think we know luxury, but I can honesty tell you that  even the most revolting reality TV millionaires would be intimidated by the level of excess displayed by Herod and some of his Roman friends…  

See you soon and have a great summer!

Shabbat,  31a
 
It once happened that two men  made a wager with each other, saying, He who goes and makes Hillel angry shall  receive four hundred zuz.[i] 
 
Said one, “I will go and incense  him.” That day was the Sabbath Eve, and Hillel was washing his head.[ii] He went, passed by the door of his house, and  called out, “Is Hillel here, is Hillel here?”[iii] 
 
Thereupon Hillel  robed and went out to him, saying, “My son, what do you  require?”

 “I  have a question to ask,” said the man. 

“Ask, my son,” Hillel prompted.  Thereupon the man asked, “Why are the heads of the Babylonians round?[iv] 
 
“My son, you have  asked a great question,” replied Hillel. “Because they have no skillful midwives.” The man departed, tarried a while, returned, and called out, “Is  Hillel here; is Hillel here?” 

Hillel robed and  went out to him, saying, “My son, what do you require?” 
 
“I  have a question to ask,” said the man. “Ask, my son,” Hillel prompted. Thereupon  the man asked: “Why are the eyes of the Palmyreans  bleared?”

 “My  son, you have asked a great question,”replied Hillel: “because they live in  sandy places.” The man departed, tarried a while, returned, and called out, “Is  Hillel here; is Hillel here?”

Hillel robed and  went out to him, saying, “My son, what do you require?” 
 
“I have a question  to ask,” said the man. 

“Ask, my son,” Hillel  prompted. The man asked, “Why are the feet of the Africans  wide?”

 “My son, you have  asked a great question,” said Hillel. “Because they live in watery marshes.” 
 
“I have many  questions to ask,” said the man, “but I fear that you may become angry.”  Thereupon Hillel robed, sat before the man and said, “Ask all the questions you  have to ask.” 

“Are you the Hillel  who is called the Nasi of Israel?” 

“Yes,” Hillel  replied.

“If that is you,”  the man retorted, may there not be many like you in Israel.” 
 
“Why, my son?”  queried Hillel. 

“Because I have lost  four hundred zuz on a bet through you,” complained the man. 
 
“Be careful of your  moods,” Hillel answered. “Hillel is worth it that you should lose four hundred  zuz and yet another four hundred zuz through him, because Hillel shall not lose  his temper.”

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What  is evident from this anecdote is that even during Hillel’s lifetime, his ability  to keep his temper was already well known. These two men knew him well, since the one who was trying to make Hillel angry admitted to knowing he was a Nasi (literally, prince, but in this case, a man who holds a high position). This legendary ability to keep calm  under almost all circumstances makes the few times Hillel did show anger or  frustration all the more interesting. The scholars who recorded his affairs must  have been surprised on those rare occasions, because they carefully preserved  them for future generations. Rabbis are certainly not hagiographers… Even those who wrote and/or edited the Old Testament wanted the readers to know the truth about all their subjects, telling good and bad with equal care. One wonders if Hillel guessed that a joke was being played upon him; I suspect he did, since it cannot be the only time such bets were made, and Hillel was undoubtedly intelligent and had a sense of humor.

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[i] A zuz was another name for a dinar. The average  laborer earned between one and two dinars/zuz a day. The considerable sum the  two men agreed upon shows that they were quite wealthy.
 
[ii] Hillel put great importance on cleanliness,  which was known to everyone since he often discussed the need to treat the body  with respect. The timing was chosen to annoy him.
 
[iii] It is clear that the man deliberately enhanced  his bet by behaving with bad manners. 
 
[iv] One must remember that Hillel himself was a  Babylonian – another attempt to bait him to anger.

Hillel used to say: 

be thou of the disciples of Aaron, 
loving peace and  pursuing peace, 
be thou one who  loveth one's fellow creatures
and bringeth them nigh[i] to the  torah. 
Avot 1, Mishna  12 
 
This statement from the Talmud  seems simple enough – Hillel is speaking to an important leader, the High  Priest, and advising him to be as peace loving as Aaron, Moses’ brother who was  well known for his kindness and wish to maintain peace at all cost, sometimes to  his detriment.[ii] But as often happens when  listening to Hillel, the simplicity is misleading. This is an explosive political statement.

Before and during Hillel’s time,  the High Priest was always one of the Hasmonean family. Descendents of the five  Maccabee brothers, the Hasmoneans were anything but peaceful.[iii] The family carried  a legacy of violence and even madness which continued to express itself in each  new generation. The worst of them, Alexander Jannaeus, even murdered thousands  of his people. Each of the Hasmonean High Priests was extremely influential  politically, and in addition, lived a life of excessive luxury and worldly  interests which Hillel strongly objected to. They were constantly involved in  the political events of the country, rather than remain honorably detached from  worldly matters and attend to their higher calling.
 
Hillel uses his  words very carefully.  “Loving  peace” is a sentiment, a feeling anyone can have, but it is followed by  “pursuing peace,” a statement which implies a request for active behavior.  Later, Hillel’s famous disciple Yochanan ben Zakkai, interpreted the sentence  for us. He explained that Hillel meant that peace must start at home by “loving  peace” between husband and wife, family members, and neighbors. Then pursuing  peace, it would influence in turn peace between cities, nations, and  governments. Charity, kindness and peace are interconnected in the individual,  and it is the duty of the High Priest and the political authorities to see that it is extended to the wider  sphere. 
 
Why is Hillel saying “disciples” rather than the more commonly used “sons” of Aaron? Here, again, you must read  between the lines. Hillel is referring to Shemaya and Avtalion, his beloved  teachers, who were the sons of converts.[iv] Their origin, as  such, was considered much lower than that of a member of the Hasmonean family,  which was part of the Jewish aristocracy for many years. And yet, the people of  Judea loved and respected Shemaya and Avtalion to such an extent, that at one  point a scandal rocked Jerusalem. The Talmud tells about  it: 

“Our Rabbis taught: It happened  with a high priest that as he came forth from the Sanctuary, all the  people2[v] followed him, but when they saw Shemaya and  Avtalion, they forsook him and went after Shemaya and Avtalion. Eventually  Shemaya and Avtalion visited him, to take their leave of the high priest. He  said to them: May the descendants of the heathen come in peace! [vi]They answered him: May the descendants of the  heathen, who do the work of Aaron, arrive in peace, but the descendant of Aaron,  who does not do the work, he shall not come in peace.”[vii]
Yoma, 71b

There is no doubt  that Hillel himself caused this story to be told and kept in the memory of the  people. Shemaya and Avtalion are known for their view on political authorities and their aversion for political authority, and they exercised  the greatest influence on Hillel’s views of leadership. He would do much to keep  their names and thoughts alive. And this seemingly innocent statement is revolutionary,  because it is the nearest thing to the modern idea of separation of State and  Church, at a time when such a thought would seem inconceivable. 

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[i] Near in place,  time, or relationship  
[ii] As  in the story of the Golden Calf
[iii] You  can find several entries in this blog about the Hasmoneans.  
[iv]You can read about them in the 1/29/12  entry 
[v]  Literally, the Talmud said “world” 
[vi]According to tradition, they were the  descendents of Sennacherib, a king who was the enemy of the Jews. 
[vii]Aaron  pursued peace; his disciples, too, were very peaceful. So were Shemaya and  Avtalion increasing peace in the world, but this high priest, whose arrogance  caused strife, was not a worthy descendant of Aaron. 

I would like you to come to dinner on Friday night, to  celebrate the coming of the Sabbath. Since you already know what the house and  furniture look like, and what everyone will be wearing, I am sure you will feel  right at home. We are going to be a relatively large party – the modest house  will simply have to stretch to accommodate so many people! You will be joining  Hillel, Penina, little Simeon who is now considering himself a big boy, his  young sister Ruth, and happily, brother Shebna from Babylonia is visiting! It’s  the second year after he bought the house for Hillel and Penina and he is here  on business. In addition, Penina invited a friend, Rachel, who is a young widow,  and her daughter, Hannah; Penina secretly wants to introduce Rachel to their  good friend, Menahem. Hillel has hinted gently that the likelihood of a match  is very low, since Menahem is still leaning toward the Essenes’ life of  celibacy, but Penina hopes that Rachel’s charm and beauty will overcome such  silliness. Rachel is indeed lovely but is not getting in younger and she must  marry if she is to have more children, and Menahem is just the right age and is  so kind and good. Any day he is not a husband and father is a wasted day,  Penina feels. And yes, you are right. Penina is expecting again… but she feels  as strong as ever, and she can handle the necessary shopping and preparations  with ease, particularly since Rachel is helping her. It is a lovely autumn day,  so plenty of food is available for an especially good meal.