Is it true that Jesus was a follower of the Jewish Teacher 'Helal'? Does anyone here know?

Question

Helal (i'm looking how to say his name, pronounced 'Helal' on the DVD).. PBS Special... Kingdom of David...Helal was a Jewish Teacher, that used to Teach a moral code...eg.. a version of "Treat others, as you would want yourself treated", and it is believed that Jesus was a student of His. The reference I have is a PBS special on Israel, and there is no website for it...so I'm basically looking for the correct spelling of 'Helal', and if anyone scholars here know more about Him or a link. Thanks.

Answer 1

The Rabbi you are speaking about was named Hillel. And no- Jesus would not have been a student of his since he died when Jesus was 4 years old! However, contrary to what others have posted- Hillel was a [harisee and the Nasi (head) of the Sanhedrin. His academy WAS the LEADING academy, and it his rulings that were considered authoritative- both then and now. In fact, in the hundreds of disagreements recorded in the Talmud between Bet Hillel (The Academy of Hillel) vs Bet Shammai (The Academy of Shammai)- the Talmud only rules in favour of Bet Shammai four times. Also, throughout that period the Saduccees were seen as heretics and NOT allowed to be part of the temple hierarchy- in fcat, specific rules were promulgated by the Sanhedrin of the time (by both Hillel and Shammai) to prevent the Saduccees heresies gaining hold (its probably the one area they had NO disagreements on- after all, the Sanhedrin relied heavily on the Mishnah- oral law, which the Sadduccees denied.)

Answer 2

nearly all of Levi's gospel, first revealed in 1911, specializes in the coaching and travels of Jesus. After interpreting with Rabbi Hillel (a Jewish pupil), Jesus allegedly traveled to India the place he spent years interpreting between the Brahmins and Buddhists. it extremely is New Age coaching and should no longer be depended on IMHO. God observe is the depended on source. God considered extra wholesome to grant us sixty six books and in those we extremely have what we desire.

Answer 3

Hillel and Shammai were two great Jewish scholars born a generation or two before the beginning of the Common Era. They are usually discussed together and contrasted with each other, because they were contemporaries and the leaders of two opposing schools of thought (known as "houses").

Rabbi Hillel was born to a wealthy family in Babylonia, but came to Jerusalem without the financial support of his family and supported himself as a woodcutter. It is said that he lived in such great poverty that he was sometimes unable to pay the admission fee to study Torah (Jewish scripture), and because of him that fee was abolished. He was known for his kindness, his gentleness, and his concern for humanity.

Famous sayings from Hillel:

"If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"

"That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it."

Hillel had a major opponent within the ranks of the Pharisees Rabbi Shammai. They disagreed on almost every aspect of Jewish law. The Shammaites controlled the Sanhedrin after the death of Hillel until the destruction of the Temple. It is the Shammaites who disputed Jesus on the law and who with the priestly aristocracy – the Sadducees handed him over to the Romans. 3 After the Temple’s destruction, the Sanhedrin was reorganized under Yohanan ben Zakai one of Hillel’s disciples. That movement over a long period of time became Rabbinic Judaism.


Hillel taught "love peace, seek peace, love mankind and thus lead them to the law." Hillel believed in reaching out to Gentiles. The Talmud writes ‘always be as gentle as Hillel and not as impatient as Shammai’ (BT Shab. 30b).


Hillel and Jesus had a great deal in common. Both attempted to humanize the Halakha of Judaism. Both believed that love of humanity was the key to Jewish life. In that sense both were leaders of renewal movements compared to the isolationists of the Qumran community, the political zealot movement and the legally stricter Shamaite movement. All were seeking to impact people to different definitions of holiness. 4


Hillel lived before Jesus and according to David Flusser influenced strongly ‘many facets of Jesus’ theological and ethical teachings. 5 This does not imply that Jesus was a student or disciple of Hillel; Hillel’s views were well known and one of the more acceptable Jewish views of Halakha particularly among the populace.

Pressing history's "fast forward" button:

Gamaliel I, a grandson of Hillel through Hillel's son Simon, occupied a leading position in the highest court, the great council of Jerusalem. Like his grandfather, Hillel, he was the originator of many legal ordinances with a view to the "tiḳḳun ha-'olam" ("improvement of the world").


Gamaliel I held a reputation of one of the greatest teachers in the annals of Judaism. Mish. Sotah ix.15 pays tribute to this quality, "Since Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died there has been no more reverence for the law, and purity and abstinence died out at the same time." While believing the law to be wholly inspired by God, he ruled that the sabbath laws should be less rigorous and more realistic. He also argued that the law should protect women during divorce and urged Jews to be kind towards Gentiles.

Gamaliel appears also as a prominent member of the Sanhedrin in the account given in Acts where he is called a "Pharisee" and a "doctor of the law "much honored by the people. He is there made to speak in favor of the disciples of Jesus, who were threatened with death (v. 38-39): "For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught: but if it be of God, ye can not overthrow it."

Answer 4

Did you try asking this in the Religion & Spirituality Category?

Answer 5

Hilel was a Jewish philosopher and rabbi. One of his quotations is the basis for Jewish philantrophy: "If I am not for someone else, who am I? If I am only for myself, what am I?".