Dear TBZ Community:
Over the past weeks, I have taught the well-known Hanukkah text from tractate Shabbat 21b in the Babylonian Talmud a few times. In these dark times, when many of us are feeling a divisiveness within the Jewish community and broader communities, when many are struggling to hold space for different opinions, I find it comforting to revisit the text.
בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים: יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן מַדְלִיק שְׁמֹנָה, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ פּוֹחֵת וְהוֹלֵךְ.
וּבֵית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים: יוֹם רִאשׁוֹן מַדְלִיק אַחַת, מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ מוֹסִיף וְהוֹלֵךְ.
Beit Shammai says: On the first day one kindles eight lights and, from there on, gradually decreases the number of lights.
And Beit Hillel says: On the first day one kindles one light, and from there on, gradually increases the number of lights.
This disagreement about how we light the Hanukkah candles is symbolic of the different traditions of these two central schools of thought – Hillel and Shammai. But what I think is even more poignant about this text is what follows these sentences, that there is disagreement even on the reasons on why Hillel and Shammai disagree (not quoted here).
In the tractate of Eruvin we find another core text of our tradition we learn:
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים נֶחְלְקוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל, הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ, וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים: הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתֵנוּ. יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים הֵן, וַהֲלָכָה כְּבֵית הִלֵּל.
For three years Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed.
These said: The halakha (law) is in accordance with our opinion,
and these said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion.
A Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: These and those are the words of the living God. However, the halakha is in accordance with Beit Hillel.
This text speaks to the diversity of opinions as part of our tradition. There is no one voice, yet a decision is made regarding which ruling will be followed. The Talmud asks that question:
וְכִי מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי אֱלֹהִים חַיִּים, מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכוּ בֵּית הִלֵּל לִקְבּוֹעַ הֲלָכָה כְּמוֹתָן? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנּוֹחִין וַעֲלוּבִין הָיוּ, וְשׁוֹנִין דִּבְרֵיהֶן וְדִבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁמַּקְדִּימִין דִּבְרֵי בֵּית שַׁמַּאי לְדִבְרֵיהֶן.
Since both these and those are the words of the living God, why were Beit Hillel privileged to have the halakha established in accordance with their opinion? The reason is that they were agreeable and forbearing, and when they taught the halakha they would teach both their own statements and the statements of Beit Shammai. Moreover, when they formulated their teachings and cited a dispute, they prioritized the statements of Beit Shammai to their own statements, in deference to Beit Shammai.
In the Mishna, tractate of Yevamot, we learn even more about the relationship between these schools of thought and their diverging opinions. In the midst of disagreement, the Mishna states:
לֹא נִמְנְעוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי מִלִּשָּׂא נָשִׁים מִבֵּית הִלֵּל, וְלֹא בֵית הִלֵּל מִבֵּית שַׁמַּאי.
Beit Shammai did not refrain from marrying women from Beit Hillel, nor did Beit Hillel refrain from marrying women from Beit Shammai.
The idea of machloket is inherent to the Jewish tradition; it’s a religious dispute or disagreement. We learn in this mode, we grow in this mode, and we aim to understand machloket respectfully, hearing each other’s views, quoting the disagreeing positions. And even though we disagree, we continue to “marry” each other, we continue to be in relationship.
We are living through very difficult times. The war in Israel and Gaza is devastating, with so much life lost. The hostages that are still held by the terrorists of Hamas continue to break our hearts. We are all hurting. I have not spoken to one person who is not hurting in one way or another. And people have different views, different opinions, and different ways to relate to the war. Sadly, though not surprisingly as Israel has always been one of the most divisive issues in Jewish community, we are witnessing great divisiveness in the Jewish community. Who is in and who is out is being decided by simple statements, lack of nuance, and without regards to the complexity of this time. Do you believe in a ceasefire or not? Do you care about the Palestinian people or not? There is an ongoing expectation of one view, of unity, as if coming together as one, as one community, means that everyone has to believe exactly the same without room for disagreement.
Yesterday at my bi-weekly class with the parents of Beit Rabban (TBZ’s after school Jewish education program), one of the parents suggested that perhaps instead of aiming for “unity” we aim for “connection.” We understand the sense of unity as the capacity for each to bring their own selves, with their perspective, their story, their hurt, and we listen to each other.
I was reminded of the text from the Mishna in Sanhedrin Chapter 4:5:
לְהַגִּיד גְּדֻלָּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאָדָם טוֹבֵעַ כַּמָּה מַטְבְּעוֹת בְּחוֹתָם אֶחָד וְכֻלָּן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה, וּמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא טָבַע כָּל אָדָם בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶן דּוֹמֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ.
And this serves to tell of the greatness of the Holy One, as when a person stamps several coins with one seal, they are all similar to each other. But the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, stamped all people with the seal of the first human being (Adam) and yet not one of them, resembles one another.
This text lifts up the intentionality of being created differently. That is what God wanted when creating humanity.
This week’s parasha (Torah portion) perhaps can give us some inspiration for this. In Miketz, we continue the saga of Joseph. By now, he has become the second to Pharaoh and is ruling Egypt. There is a famine in the land, and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to bring food. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they don’t recognize him. The text reads (Genesis 42:8):
וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶת־אֶחָיו וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻהוּ
For though Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him.
Chizkuni, a 13th Century commentator explains:
ויכר יוסף את אחיו: לפי שהיו קוראין זה את זה בשמם והיה מכיר לשונם ושמם.
Joseph recognised his brothers: because they addressed each other with their names, and he understood both their names and the language in which they spoke.
Chizkuni means that literally Joseph knew their names and the language they spoke and therefore he was able to recognize his siblings after being separated for so many years.
But there is a deeper teaching here. Perhaps Chizkuni’s words teach us that in order to recognize our fellow humans, to really see others truly, we must know their names, their stories, their traditions, their languages. There is a powerful invitation for reaching out to each other even when hurt, even when in disagreement. This probably feels difficult or challenging for some of us right now, but the alternative is one of divided communities and a divided world.
My dear friend Rabbi Igael Gurin-Malous (who spoke at TBZ a few years ago and will be back with us this spring) lights two hannukiot (Hanukkah candelabras) each year, one for Shammai and one for Hillel. Last week he wrote:
It is an old family tradition that we light every year 2 hannukiot (!!). One in the way of Beit Hillel. To publicize the miracle as it grows every day. Lighting it like all other Jews in the world connecting to our collective story and practice. The other one we light according to Beit Shamai. This one is there to remind us of the minority voice in any real debate. It’s for those whose opinion also needs to be heard and remembered. It’s also there to light the way for those who think differently. The [minority’s] voices who need to be preserved and amplified. [Losing] an argument should never mean being erased and [losing] one’s humanity and dignity.
On this last day of Hanukkah, may we strive to be like Hillel, who was able to teach not only their torah but hear and share the torah of Shammai. And may we strive to be like Joseph, that in hurt, in pain, in the loneliness of his journey, was able to remember the names and the stories of his brothers.
May this Shabbat bring blessings and consolation to all of you and your loved ones. May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity. May all those who are ill find healing.
And my most fervent prayer, each day: May all the hostages come home soon to their families and friends, and may we see peace.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy last night of Hanukkah.
Rav Claudia