[Avodah] Notes on the machlokos of Shammai and Hillel

[Zvi Lampel]

On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 11:17 AM Zvi Lampel <zvilampel at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> ... just as the ''machlokes of Korach v-aidaso'' consisted of these two
> named against Moshe Rabeynu, the ''machlokes of Shamai and Hillel''
> consisted of the two named against the Chachamim. ...Apparently,  this
> should be taken into account in arriving at an explanation of the adage
> (Avos 5:17) that only one of the two is considered a machlokes l'sheim
> Shamayim that is sofo le-hiskayeim.
>

The rishonim and acharonim struggle to explain the adage,
''kol machlokess she-hi le-sheim Shamayim, sofo le-hisyyeim,'' and
personally none of the explanations satisfied me. Today I finally thought
of a novel explanation, and soon found it had been proposed and
substantially developed with examples in the 1930's by Rabbi Moshe Amiel in
Derashot El Ami (Tel  Aviv/Jerusalem 1936).

https://www.sefaria.org/search?q=%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%94%20%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D&tab=text&tpathFilters=Jewish%20Thought%2FModern%2FRav%20Amiel%2FSermons%20Unto%20My%20People&tvar=1&tsort=relevance&svar=1&ssort=relevance

"Sofo le-hiskayyem" is not the result of machlokes le-sheim Shamayim. It is
a definition of it.

When one maintains a machlokess, a stand taken against another's stand, it
is le-sheim Shamayim if the person taking it is sincere, is consistent with
it and intends to maintain it to the end. He is arguing principle. Such
were the machlokos that Hillel and Shamai had with the Chachamim and with
each other.

This is opposed to when someone is really only arguing against the person
he is against, or for the conclusion he wishes to maintain. He will be
inconsistent, will change and reverse his argument, because he is not
really basing himself on the argument, and does not sincerely maintain the
argument is compelling. Such was the machlokes presented against Moshe
Rabeynu by Korach and his followers. The argument that all the nation is
holy and therefore should not be subject to a leader would soon change once
Aharon and Moshe would be demoted. Somehow, a contradicting argument would
then be found to support leadership by the complaining party.

Zvi Lampel
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20230410/e9111c65/attachment-0003.htm>