“A Jew dare not live with absolute certainty, not only because certainty is the hallmark of the fanatic...but also because doubt is good for the human soul...”—Rabbi Emanuel Rackman Most Talmudically literate Jews know of the famous rivalry between those two eminent rabbis of the early 1st century CE, Hillel and Shammai. In matters ranging from ritual practice to foreign policy, the opposing opinions voiced by their respective schools have been debated for two millennia. It is intriguing to imagine a modern-day debate between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai on one of the most bitterly-contested issues facing our country today: that of “gun control”. Would these two sages be able to shed light on an issue that generates such intense heat, these days? It would be a challenge, even for such luminaries. Indeed, the term “gun control”...

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