The Great Debate: Is Life Worth Living? Ecclesiastes/Koheles # 9

The Lion and the Ox: Two Modes of Jewish Leadership

Is Life worth living? Are there unique moments that make life more meaningful? What about the rest of life? Shammai and Hillel debated for three years and concluded that "it would be better for man had he not been created." (Eruvin 13b) Ben Ish Chai explains: Hillel focused on the view from our world, where a majority of life is spent on mundane and often frustrating pursuits. Shammai sees it in the world-to-come perspective, there everything will be shown to have been worthwhile. Today we rule like Hillel, but in the world-to-come we will follow Shammai.