Once upon a time a heathen came to Shammai and said to him, "How many Laws (Torot) have you, Jews?"

And Shammai replied, "We have only two. One which has been given to us in writing and another which has been given to us by word of mouth."

The heathen replied, "I believe in the written law and in what is recorded therein, but I do not believe in that which has been handed down as oral, nor in what is contained therein. Now accept me as a proselyte on condition that you teach me the written law."

Then Shammai shouted at him and told him angrily to go away. The heathen went from Shammai to Hillel and asked him the same question as he had asked Shammai.

Hillel accepted him as a proselyte and began to teach him. The first day he taught him alef, bet, gimmel, dalet. And the heathen repeated after Hillel exactly as he had told him. The next day Hillel taught him again and turned the names around and said, dalet, gimmel, bet, alef.

Then the heathen said tor Hillel, "Dear Rabbi, yesterday you taught me differently."

Then Hillel said to him, "Just as you rely upon my word, so you must rely on the Law, which is also handed down by word of mouth, and on everything that is contained therein."