Question
Is there a connection between Hillel the elder and the Talmud? Because I noticed that the two titles for the Talmud Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud mark the birthplace and death place of Hillel. He was born in Babylon in 110 BCE and died in Jerusalem in 10 CE.
Answer
ื"ื
Shalom
Hillel the Elder was one of the pillars of the Talmud, since he was one of the first scholars of the Mishna known as the Tana'im and the Talmud is the book which expounds the Mishna.
He was also know as Hillel the Babylonian since he immigrated to Israel from Babylonia (Talmud B. Pesachim 66) He was appointed the Nassi = the leader of the Jewry in Israel and as a great scholar he reestablished the study of Jewish law in Eretz Yisrael. (Sukka 20a)
He was one of the only scholars of the Talmud for which we have much biographical information. The Rabbis (Sifrei Devarim 357, Shabbat 15) tell us that he lived 120 years, he immigrated to Israel at the age of 40,and that he served as Nassi for 40 years. He died approximately 60 years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple. With this information scholars were able to deduce that he was born between 110-112 BCE and died between 8-10 CE.
All the best
