House of Hillel
Encyclopedia
The House of Hillel also known as the Academy of Hillel, founded by the famed Hillel the Elder
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...

, is a school of Jewish law and thought that thrived in 1st century B.C.E.Jerusalem. The House of Hillel is most widely known for its hundreds of disputes with the Beit Shammai, founded by Shammai
Shammai
Shammai was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah....

, a contemporary of Hillel's. Most of the disputes between the two schools involve Halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...

 (Jewish law); however, some involve arguments of Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy , includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or, in relation to the religion of Judaism. Jewish philosophy, until modern Enlightenment and Emancipation, was pre-occupied with attempts to reconcile coherent new ideas into the tradition of Rabbinic Judaism; thus organizing...

. The final law almost always coincides with Beit Hillel because they constituted the majority, also because the House of Hillel studied the view of their opponents; indeed, sometimes it is considered improper, according to Jewish law, to follow the views of Beit Shammai.

Although Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel have hundreds of disputes in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

, Hillel and Shammai themselves only have three recorded disputes. Indeed, the Talmud notes that, with the advent of Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, "ne'estah hatorah kishtei torot" -- the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 (Jewish law) became like two Torahs. It is the ninth most frequently mentioned in the Mishnah.

Although the schools fought bitterly over matters of Jewish law, they got along pretty well. The Talmud even records that the constituents of the two schools intermarried—despite the fact that they argued over specific cases relating to the laws of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...

.
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