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Poster Commentary
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?"Rabbi Hillel (Pirke Avot 1:14)
Poster design:Daniel Bennett Schwartz
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by Joseph Telushkin

This teaching from the Ethics of the Fathers is one of seven teachings by Hillel in this, the most famous volume of the Mishnah. No other rabbi is quoted more than four times, a testament to both his wisdom and his popularity.

Here, Hillel captures our attention by posing two questions, each intended to articulate a paradox. The first challenges those of us who believe that piety and goodness demand an attitude of absolute altruism pursued at the expense of our own interests. In other words, to be a good person, don’t think about your own interests. But, as Hillel suggests, if a person is not concerned with his own needs and well-being, why should he expect others to be? For example, if a sick person makes no effort to treat his illness, is it reasonable to expect others to devote themselves to treating it?

Such a level of self-sacrifice seems pointless. After all, the biblical verse that explicitly commands “love your neighbor as yourself” implicitly commands us to love ourselves as well.

But don’t be only for yourself. If you are only for yourself, you cease to be a real human being, and you become no longer a who, but a what. Don’t be a what, Hillel reminds us, be a who!

Finally, think about how the challenge offered in these words, “If not now, when?” applies in your life. What is something that you know in your heart you have been postponing but should do now?

Whatever the issue, think about it now, even if for only half a minute. Think about it tomorrow, again for just half a minute. Even if you don’t undertake to make the change, at least you will know what changes you need to make when you are ready.

And if you do start to make the change now, who knows where it will lead? So much wisdom in four words!

Author
Rabbi Hillel (Pirke Avot 1:14)
1st century B.C.E.
Lived in Palestine
Scholar of Mishnah period

Hillel (also known as Hillel the Elder) was a Tanna, a scholar of the period of the Mishnah, and is considered one of the most influential Jewish teachers and legalists. 

His ethical voice is heard throughout the Talmud, beginning with the famous story of a Gentile who asks to be taught the essence of Judaism while he stands on one leg. Hillel’s response was: “What is hateful to you, do not do to others. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Now go and learn.”

One of his noted legal rulings involved a modification of the law of Shmita, in which debts were waived in the seventh (Sabbatical) year. Hillel proposed a model for repayment of loans, addressing both creditors’ fear of loss as the Shmita year approached and borrowers’ ongoing financial needs. He justified his ruling in the name of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world), establishing this precept as a foundation for Jewish lawmaking.

Hillel’s inclusive approach to Jewish law is contrasted in the Talmud with the School of Shammai, whose rulings tended toward “strict constructionism.” Hillel lived in Israel during the reign of Herod and the early years of Jesus, and his teachings can be seen to have shaped both Judaism and Christianity.

 

Artist
Daniel Bennett Schwartz
New York
Painter
Sculptor

New York artist Daniel Bennett Schwartz has been painting for half a century, influencing many of his peers. His work in oils, watercolor and sculpture can be found in public and private collections. He has had 15 solo exhibitions, has shown nationally in museums and galleries, and has many honors and awards to his credit. In 1998 he was elected to the National Academy as a full academician.

In the late 1950s, Schwartz’s gallery paintings attracted the attention of editors and art directors. He soon saw his time divided into dual careers. Believing that illustration could be both a source of needed income and an extension of his serious preoccupations, Schwartz became a pioneer in the wider use of quality art in magazines. His work was cited for its high degree of human involvement and emotional impact.

Schwartz excelled as an artist-reporter. In Paris he met and drew the personalities of the “New Wave” for Esquire; he lived with and chronicled the lives of Mississippi River pilots; and he witnessed and documented the My Lai massacre trial for Life. He also created cover portraits of presidents and world leaders for Time and Fortune. Meanwhile, he painted and sculpted our emerging teen culture. Schwartz also created a bronze sculpture for the National Football League that has been awarded annually for 30 years. He joined a cast of actors to document the making of a TV drama for a CBS Television diary, and in 1980 he was commissioned to create original artwork for an Academy Award–winning multimedia film documentary. Over the next few years he produced a bronze bust of Ronald Reagan and a memorable series of bus-stop posters for Masterpiece Theater.

For the last four decades, Schwartz has privately taught drawing and painting.

Quote
"If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?"Rabbi Hillel (Pirke Avot 1:14)

Hillel says: Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them closer to the Torah. He used to say: He who seeks renown loses renown; he who does not increase [his Torah learning] decreases it; he who refuses to teach [Torah] deserves death; and he who exploits the crown [of Torah] will fade away. He used to say: If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?