Rabbi Abba, in the name of Shemuel, says, The schools of Shammai and Hillel were at variance three years, the one party contending and saying, (The Halacha is according to us; and the other, ( The Halacha is according to us. Then came a voice from the Lord and said, ( Both these and those are the words of the living God, but yet the Halacha is according to the school of Hillel. } What was the merit of the school of Hillel that the Halacha should be pronounced to be according to it?
Its disciples were gentle and forbearing, for while they stood by their own decisions, they also stated those maintained by the school of Shammai, and often even mentioned the tenets of the school of Shammai first and their own afterward. This teaches us that him who humbles himself, God will exalt; and him who exalts himself, God will abase. Whoso pursueth greatness, greatness will flee from him; and whoso fleeth from greatness, greatness will pursue him."