Good moed to all!
Right before Pesach I posted an essay regarding the debate of Beit Hillel and Beit Shamai as to tzitzit in a linen garment, and how their debate here can be seen in light of their deeper, philosophical/religious differences [and how this also ties into one of the themes of Pesach].
For those interested in further reading on the differences between the two schools, I have posted two new articles to our Resources section:
- Rabbi Shlomo Zevin’s piece on Hanukkah from his LiTorah u’Lomadim on “Fire or Light?” explaining the debate of Beit Hillel and Beit Shamai regarding going up or going down in number of lights each night of Chanukah. This essay explains their debate along the lines of our earlier post.
- R. Shlomo Zevin’s longer essay “On the Philosophies of Beit Shamai and Beit Hillel,” in his L’or HaHalakha. Here he moves away for the classic understanding to their differing approaches, and makes their debate much more philosophical than religious.
