Hillel Refuses to Sell Shevna a Share in His Torah

The circumstances with Shevna and Hillel, though, are different. Hillel was forced to learn Torah in abject poverty. The measures he undertook to learn Torah are indeed well known and serve as a lesson for the ages. When he was already a venerated scholar, his wealthy brother, Shevna, offered him funds in exchange for a share in his Torah scholarship. Whereupon, a Heavenly voice proclaimed, “Were a man to offer all the treasures of his home for love, they would surely scorn him.”