Virtue And  Morality 

תוקף ומוסר

Hillel the Elder was renowned for his patience. Even at times that were exceedingly stressful for him, people were unsuccessful in causing him to lose his temper.  

There was an incident involving two people who wagered with each other, saying: Whoever will go and aggravate Hillel will receive four hundred dinars from the other. One of them said: I will aggravate him. That day was the day before Shabbat, and Hillel was washing his hair. The man went and passed the entrance to Hillel’s house and impertinently said: Who here is Hillel; who here is Hillel? Hillel wrapped himself in a garment and went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? The man said to him: I have a question to ask. Hillel said to him: Ask, my son, ask. The man asked: Why are the heads of Babylonians oval? He said to him: My son, you asked an outstanding question. It is because they do not have capable midwives.<footnote data-num="47"/>  

The man went and waited a short while, and he returned and said: Who here is Hillel; who here is Hillel? Hillel wrapped himself in a garment, went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? He said to him: I have a question to ask. Hillel said to him: Ask, my son, ask. He asked: Why are the eyes of the residents of Tadmor bleary? Hillel said to him: My son, you asked an outstanding question. It is because they live among the sands.<footnote data-num="48"/> 

He went and waited a short while, and he returned, and said: Who here is Hillel; who here is Hillel? Hillel wrapped himself in a garment and went out to greet him. He said to him: My son, what do you seek? He said to him: I have a question to ask. He said to him: Ask, my son, ask. He asked: Why do Africans have wide feet? Hillel said to him: You asked an outstanding question. It is because they live in marshlands.<footnote data-num="49"/> 

The man said to him: I have many questions to ask, but I am afraid to ask them lest you get angry. Hillel wrapped himself and sat before him. He said to him: Ask all of the questions that you have to ask. The man said to him: Are you Hillel whom they call the <i>Nasi</i> of Israel? Hillel said to him: Yes. He said to him: If you are he, then may there not be many like you in Israel. Hillel said to him: My son, for what reason do you say this? The man said to him: It is because I lost four hundred dinars on your account. Hillel said to him: Be vigilant of your spirit [avoid wagers of this sort]; Hillel is worthy of having you lose four hundred dinars and four hundred dinars more on his account, as long as Hillel will not get angry.<footnote data-num="50"/>  <source>(<i>Shabbat</i> 30b–31a) </source>