The Response of Hillel and Shammai to Gentiles

The Talmud records three encounters of Hillel with a Gentile, although there were probably many more. In each of the encounters, the Gentile first seeks out Shammai to become a convert to the Hebrew faith. Each Gentile presents Shammai with a seemingly impossible task. The first Gentile asks to be taught the entire Torah while the teacher stands on one foot. The second Gentile asks to be taught only the Written Law, but not the Oral Law. The third Gentile asks to be converted on the condition that they he be made High Priest, an office only reserved for the sons of Aaron. In each case, Shammai responses to the request by chasing the Gentile away with the measuring stick he uses in his daytime occupation as a builder.

Hillel’s responses are much different and have become the substance of legion. In the first encounter, Hillel responses by saying, “Whatever is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. This is the whole Torah, all the rest is commentary. Now, go and study.” In the second encounter, Hillel converts the Gentile and begins to teach him the Hebrew alphabet. On the second day, Hillel reverses the order of the letters. When the Gentile protests, Hillel responses, “If you rely upon me to recognize the letters of the alphabet, then rely on me also about the truth of the Oral Law.”

Hillel also converts the Gentile who wishes to become High Priest and then instructs him saying, “Can we appoint anyone as king unless he is familiar with the ceremonies of royalty? Go and learn about the ceremonies of the priesthood.” The man soon discovers and accepts the fact that only Aaron’s descendants can be High Priest. He praises Hillel for his training saying, “Let blessings come to rest upon your head, for through your guidance you brought me under the wings of the Divine Presence.”

In all three examples, Hillel’s responses demonstrate a willingness to accept converts with minimum prequalification in the belief that these converts would grow to become faithful followers after they had received proper instruction. Different explanations have been offered for Hillel’s compassionate attitude toward Gentiles. Chief among the explanations, the two primary rabbis that taught Hillel both descended from Gentile converts to the Hebrew faith. This may have opened the eyes of Hillel to the potential of some proselytes or Hillel may have just been more compassionate toward Gentiles, having witnessed some of the reported prejudice by some Hebrews against his teachers.

It appears to me that the attitude of Hillel, which bends toward the side of allowing Gentiles access to the teaching of Hebrew scholars, is reflected in the ruling of the apostles at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. The Apostle James and other members of the council thought it appropriate to apply only the minimum standards required to allow Gentiles into the faith. It was understood that these Gentiles would grow to become faithful followers as they became properly instructed. After all, “Moses…is read in the synagogues every Sabbath,” (Acts 15:21).

Although Hillel and Shammai are seen in history as contemporaries, Shammai was born sixty years later and lived twenty years longer than Hillel. Shammai died close to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. As a consequence, the influence of Shammai was rising in the days preceding the ministry of Jesus. The majority of Pharisees Jesus encountered were probably prone to the less compassionate position of Shammai invoking the statement of Jesus, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves,” (Matt 23:15).

Scott