The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18

tbov ,vero mead M stepping stones to the
scbemes of the ambitious He who wishesto
raise his name. lowers II. He who does not seek
tho law, does not deserve to live. lie WHO u'oo
not progress in learning. retroGrades no VIZ
uses the crown OF the law Tor MS own enu''
pershcs." In after years lliiiei pcc't'i'o t"o
ideal OF his co-rellgionsts. The impetus giNen
nv him to the development OF doctrinal Juua-
ism marks an epoch In tho history oil that iai'r.
He greatly enriched the mass OF tradltioha'
law that he had imbibed from the Synheuris's.
Most important was his logical deriNn'ioh -
the statutes OF the law observed IN MS t,i'o' ne
traced them back to their first principles, nnu
raised them out OF the narrow circle OF traoi.,1n
and mere custom to the height oil reason ny
tradition OF tho law, according to hilei' carries
within itself it's justification and binding power
1t does not depend on authority atone in"''
10 n certain extent, ho paved tho way toa
reconciliation between Pharisccs and sad
dueecs by placing before them the principlcs
common to both, from which neither OF them
could withhold assent. On tho one manu.
Hillcl agreed with tho Saddncchh plin
ciplo that q law can DO VAIN ohis II
founded upon scriptural authority put on
the other hand he declared Tint TINS n"-
tbority did not merely lie In the dead letter,
Int VIVA also to be derived from the general
shirt OF the scriptnral writing. Inc ie,lcr
killeth but the spirit gireth lifc.' one OF tho
statutes which iillel introduced was OF wide
snre.d interest. and bore witness to his In
s,rht into the affairs Of life. In tho Sabbatichl
venr nil debts wcre by law cancelled. AT the
time when tho State was republic, based
upon moral laws. this was n wise measure lot
eouaiizing property: but. Mt n later rerion'
when capital became n power In ITSELF the TIC"
were not willing TO relieve their less wealthy
neirhbors from their difficulties by making
loans which tho debtors might be exempted
from paying. On this account, hillel. wthout
entirely abrogating the existing law move"
that tho creditor should give over tho dcpt III
writing to the Court. so that the Court mlGht
collect II. and the creditor DO relieved from '"e
necessity OF violating tho law
In Iliilels time the second place OF honor IN
the Synhedrion was held by Shammai whose
characteristics while ostensibly opposed. In
reality sunni EN- ented those OF his Bnbylonian
colleagues Shammai himself seems to nave
b,en IL native OF Palestine. and was deeply In
terested in the political and religious con-
troversies OF his country. His religious Vows
were strict to an extreme. yet no was ho' vi
gloomy or misanthropical disposition: or the
contrary. he encouraged friendlincss in de-
mennor toward every one. This If lnoi'a'eu
by his maxim: Let your work IN inc III" pe
your nrincipal occupation: speak little but do
m
countenance The two Synhedrlsts. Hl'iei
md Sbammni. founded two separate schools,
differing from each other as to many religious
moral. and legal questions. and eNerting
nowerful although divergent influence during
the subscquent unsettled times upon eVeh's
OF historical importance.
IIillel md Shammni did not live to see the
catastrophe which "a. d. 6l made Judea
province OF Rome. The formers death caused
| widespread mourning. and we are tod that
the GRAFTON at his grave began with the sau
cry: "Oh plous. oh gentle. oh worthy loiow
ar Of Ezra" The people from their great AZ
lection for him continued to DISTINGUISH MS
descendants with their favor. and the pres
idancv Of the Sanhedrim became hereditary
in his family for more than four centuries.
All the lustre which illumined his name was
henueathed to the school which he formed. and
which inherited and faithfully preserved the
shirt OF its founder. In all their public deal
| ings the disciples OF this school evinced the
peace.ulness and gertleness. the conciliatory
! temner which had distinguished their master.
| They were guided and supported by these
qualities during the political storms
which long convulsed their country In
the same way rs the school OF Hlllel
! strove to transmit the characteristic gen.
tleness OF their teacher. the followers
|
stern severity OF tho founder OF their school.
| II seemed impossible to the school OF sham
| mai to be sufficiently stringent in religious
, prohibitions; the decisions which they arrived
| Mt in their interpretations OF the law were
generally so burdensome that those which
were milderin character were treasured up as
rare exceptions. Thus. according to theil
teachings. no work should be attempted
which, II begun before the Sabbath. would
even without the aid OF n Judean need to be
completed on the Sabbath. 1t was by then
prohibited on the Sabbath day to give sums o.
money for charitable purposes. to make ar
rangements for marriage contracts. TO In
struct children. to visit the sick. or even tc
bring comfort to the Borrowing. In thei
regulations concerning the purity OF tn,
Leyite in their person and apparel. theil
CONGREGATIONS brought them very nea
the excesscs Of the Essences. They were equally
severe concerning matrimonial law. and onl!
allowed divorce to be granted in the ease OF th'
unchastity Of the wife In u word, in tho schoo
OF Sharma. the pharisaic principles were car
| ried to the very cxtrcmc. II WIS only due It
the yielding disposition or the followers OF Ililr
that peace was not disturbed and that n friendl!
relationship existed between two schools %
such apparently opposite views. The school o
shammai were not only rigorous in their cXpla
|
ions on nearly ali subjects. They were partic
uarly harsh and rcpeilant toward pros
clytcs to Iu ,aism. Any heather who cam
To tho school of Shammai requesting T.
| DO received into the community nigh
expect hut very cold and rcrellant re
ception. The school Of Shammai cared no
TO mako proselytcs. How dangerous to Judn
ism lukcwarm proselytes might be. they ha
too often seen in the case Of the converte
Herodians In spite. however. OF their ow
rigid obedience to the law. they did not eNac
the same obedience from the Judean troop
who were fighting against national enem,
Originally there had been some hesitato
about making war on tho sabbath. But tn
school OF Shammai were unresrrvcdly In iavo
of II. The siege OF hostile city begun befor
the Sabbath WAS not to DO raised in spite c
the transgressng OF tho sabbath lnws unit
the fortress surrendered. These ordinance
were Instituted BY Shammai himself. in whor
hatred OF the henthen was passion even m or
intense than his religious devotion. Tn
| Schnol NJ hn N, nj n a N In IN m, her NJ nd