(Pirkei Avot 1:14)Now Rashi’s midrash takes on a different meaning, for it hints that Moses’ blessing of the tribes was prompted by a whole philosophy of life, not just the urgency of imminent death. (Michigan now has this tax and it’s over 4%.) After all, his blessing for the tribe of Reuben — that they “live and not die” — is rather lukewarm, probably recalling earlier prophecies concerning their forefather Reuben in Genesis 49.On the other hand, Moses is quite willing to mention his own role in the people’s history, claiming in verse 3 that the Torah was “commanded by Moses,” although it came from God. Hillel (Hebrew: הלל; variously called Hillel HaGadol, Hillel HaZaken, Hillel HaBavli or HaBavli, was born according to tradition in Babylon c. 110 BCE, died 10 CE in Jerusalem) was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim.. He is popularly known as the author of two sayings: (1) "If I am not for myself, who will be for me? Thus, Hillel provided a riding horse to a man of good family who became poor, in order that he not be deprived of his customary physical exercise; he also gave him a slave, that he might be served.The many anecdotes according to which Hillel made proselytes, correspond to the third part of his maxim: "Bring men to the Law." We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and bring you ads that might interest you. “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? Moses could put off no longer any words which he longed to speak, for this opportunity was fleeting.Yet Rashi hints at something else, as well. --The Talmud It's so easy to put things off. And being for myself, what am 'I'? The same fellow came before Hillel, and Hillel converted him, saying: That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow, this is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary, go and learn it." The phrase “If not now, when?” was almost certainly known to him as part of a larger statement in the name of Rabbi Hillel, from the section of the called Pirkei Avot [“Ethics of the Ancestors”]: If I am not for myself, who is for me? The most famous of his enactments was the Some of Hillel the Elder's teachings remain commonly known. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history.Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses.Five books of story, law, and poetry divided into 54 weekly portions.This section of the Mishnah is one of the best-known and most cited of Jewish texts.An overview of the Jewish state and its many accomplishments and challenges.Relations between African Americans and Jews have evolved through periods of indifference, partnership and estrangement. If not now, when? Rashi understands Moses' final words to the people as an expression of Hillel's philosophy of self-examination.My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help“And this is blessing by which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death.” (Deuteronomy 33:1)The final chapter of the Torah contains a very condensed history of the Israelites since Sinai, and a specific blessing for each of the 12 tribes.I want to focus on the subtle observations of the greatest In his usual terse manner, Rashi hints at the urgency of Moses’ blessing, imagining that Moses felt that his death was imminent and this was his last chance to impart any final words of wisdom to the people he had shepherded for 40 years. "Whatever Hillel's position, his authority was sufficient to introduce those decrees handed down in his name. --The Talmud July 9, 2014 - 9:55am — Goldie 1 Vote up! Again, think of our saying from Pirkei Avot: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?” Even though he was called a very humble man, he had every right to remind the people of what he actually did. A single sharp pepper is better than a basketful of gourds.5 No matter how many gourds a person may acquire, he will not be able to extract anywhere near the amount of flavor of a single pepper, rich in flavor. Perhaps this gave his blessings more legitimacy and his words greater power.By linking Moses blessing to Hillel’s mini-philosophy of self-examination, Rashi seems to be offering an interpretation of the entire chapter, not only of this one verse. And if not now, when?
However, at least two other notable The saying of Hillel that introduces the collection of his maxims in the Mishnaic treatise The comparative response to the challenge of a prospective convert who asked that the Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot, illustrates the character differences between The exhortation to love peace emanated from Hillel's most characteristic traits—from that proverbial meekness and mildness—as in the saying: "Let a man be always humble and patient like Hillel, and not passionate like Shammai".From the doctrine of man's likeness to God, Hillel deduced man's duty to care for his own body. And if not now, when? Sometimes we're like Scarlet O'Hara, who hoped and dreamed for a better life by saying, "There's always tomorrow." All Rights Reserved According to In Avot, Hillel stated "If I am not for myself, who is for me? A later source (This narrative has the same points as the epigrammatic group of Hillel's sayings (Avot 2:7) commencing: "The more flesh, the more worms," and closing with the words: "Whoever has acquired the words of the Law has acquired the life of the world to come." In an Hillel's disciples are generally called the "House of Hillel", in contrast to Hillel was never referred to as "Rabbi Hillel" in classical times or among early rabbinic sources.Hillel's reputation is such that his influence extends beyond Judaism and has entered into popular culture. Moses could have said nice things to everybody and died basking in the adoration of the people — but “what am I” if I don’t speak the truth, even if it’s not pleasant? And being for my own self, what am ‘I’? - Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a If Not Now, When?