[Avodah] Notes on the machlokos of Shammai and Hillel

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Apr 10, 2023 at 05:54:35PM -0400, Zvi Lampel via Avodah wrote:
> "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.

In Widen Your Tent, I suggest there is a difference between the two idioms
"yir'as Hashem" and "yir'as shamayim", significance in the latter not
explicitly naming G-d.

According to the Ramchal, stam "yir'ah" means yir'as hacheit. Not yir'as
ha'onesh -- fear of punishment, but fear of the sin itself. An aspect of
yir'as haRomemus. My own mashal: Doing what a wife wants because of fear
of what she would do if crossed is yir'as ha'onesh. Doing it because of
fear of making her upset because the husband doesn't want to upset her
in-and-of-itself is yir'as hacheit.

So in the book, I suggest that
- Yir'as Shamayim is fear of violating one's higher calling. Something
  like Idealism, but phrased in the negative.
- Yir'as Hashem is fear of doing what Hashem doesn't want done. By
  focusing on the Giver of that calling, is more about yir'ah as the "sur
  meira" facet of ahavas Hashem.

I think a similar chiluq could apply here. The machloqes is described
as lesheim shamayim without overt mention of HQBH. The focus isn't one
whether they are debating for the sake of avodas Hashem. It's on whether
one is debating for petty reasons or for the sake of shamayim -- that
higher calling.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                     Life is complex.
http://www.aishdas.org/asp           Decisions are complex.
Author: Widen Your Tent                  The Torah is complex.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                              - R' Binyamin Hecht