- How Hillel dealt with converts
The Gemara recounts a number of incidents that demonstrates Hillel’s extreme humility and gentle way of dealing with prospective converts that Shammai rejected:
- To the one who did not believe in Torah she’baal peh, he taught him the Aleph-Beis forwards one day and backwards the next day, demonstrating that just as he needs to rely on Hillel for Torah she’beksav, he should rely on him for the veracity of Torah she’baal peh.
- To the one who wanted to learn the Torah while standing on one foot (על רגל אחת) , he taught, דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד, - that which is hateful to you, do not do to your friend. The rest is commentary, זיל גמור, go and learn.
- To the one who wanted to become Kohen Gadol, he had him discover on his own that as a convert, he was ineligible to become one.
- The centrality of yiras shomayim
The Gemara focuses on the centrality of yiras shomayim (Fear of Heaven):
Rava learns from a passuk in Yeshayahu that even after a person is asked six questions by the Beis Din shel Maaleh (the Heavenly tribunal) after his death, he only gets a favorable judgment if fear of Hashem was his storehouse. He likens it to someone going through all of the pointless effort to store grain without mixing in a preservative (קב חומטון).
Rabba bar Rav Huna said that anyone who has acquired Torah knowledge but has not acquired yiras shomayim is comparable to a treasurer to whom the keys of the inner chamber have been handed but has not been given the keys to the outer chamber to gain entrance.
Rebbe Yannai proclaimed, חבל על דלית ליה דרתא – Woe unto one who does not own a courtyard, ותרעא לדרתא עביד – but he nevertheless makes for himself a gate for a courtyard.
- The three sins related to death in childbirth
The next Mishnah stated that women are susceptible to death in childbirth due to be carelessness in the observance of the niddah, challah and ner Shabbos.
A certain Galilean expounded before Rav Chisda the reasons why specifically these three mitzvos. HaKadosh Boruch Hu said: “I placed a reviis of blood in you (to sustain the soul of man), thus I have cautioned you concerning matters of blood, i.e. niddah as well.
I have called you ראשית, the first, thus I have cautioned you about matters of the first, i.e. challah.
The soul I have placed within you is called a נר, a candle, thus I have cautioned you concerning matters of the candles, i.e. Shabbos lights. If you fulfill these mitzvos, all is well. If not, I will take back your souls.”