1:15 - Shammai says, "Make your Torah fixed..."
Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura (Italy, Jerusalem, 1445-1510) gives two explanations of this mishnah. His first explanation understands Shammai to be saying that one should make the study of Torah one's primary interest in life. All other activities should be secondary, even if they take up more of one's time. A second understanding which the Bartenura says that he heard is that a person should be consistent and maintain the same (i.e. "fixed") halakhic standards for himself as he sets for others. He should not be more strict with himself than he is with others nor more strict with others than he is with himself.
Tosefot Yom Tov (Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Heller, 1579-1654) points out that in regard to having the same halakhic standard for everyone, Shammai disagrees with the household of Rabban Gamliel. In the Mishnah in Beitzah 2:6 and Eduyot 3:10, Rabban Gamliel, who was a descendant of Hillel, rules stringently in three matters in accordance with the opinion of Beit Shammai (Rabbi Akiva Eiger notes that these three cases are only those relating to Festivals, but there are other cases. See, for example, Peah 2:4; Shabbat 1:9). One of these cases involves a dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. Beit Shammai holds that on a festival, one may not bake big loaves of bread because unnecessary toil is involved in baking such loaves. Beit Hillel, while concerned with the validity of this apprehension, holds that if people bake only the bare minimum necessary for the holiday, it would result in the diminution of the enjoyment of Yom Tov. While Rabban Gamliel's father rules according to Beit Hillel, Rabban Gamliel reports that in his house they only baked thin wafers on a festival, in accordance with Beit Shammai. The Sages of that time, exasperated, said, "Then which position should we follow?" As a result, they were strict on themselves and baked only small loaves, but were lenient with the rest of the Jewish People and permitted them to bake big loaves.
Thus we see that while Shammai insists on the same standard for everyone, the household of Rabban Gamliel allows one to be strict with himself and lenient with others. The latter opinion is the accepted one. It represents a commendable way to view your own spiritual growth, and a correct the perspective for viewing others.
Rabbi
Mordechai Friedfertig
Congregation B'nai Shalom
Williamsville,
New York
Email: mordechai at utj.org
Copyright 2001-2003 by Mordechai Friedfertig