Once upon a time a heathen, passing behind the bet ha-midrash (school), heard the children being taught the verse of the Bible, "And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod..." (Ex. 28.4), which the high priest is to put on when performing services in the temple, and so on with the other vestments required for the high priest.

The heathen went into the bet ha-midrash and asked the rabbi, "Who is to wear those garments concerning which you have just taught your children?"

The rabbi replied, "This refers to the high priest of the Israelites when he is performing the service before our God in the temple."

Then the heathen bethought himself and said, "I will also become a Jew, perchance I shall also be able to serve in the temple and be dressed in such glorious vestments as those worn by the priest among the Jews."

So he went to Shammai and said, "Make me a Jew so that I may also become a high priest and be clothed in such glorious garments as the high priest wears."

Shammai drove him away with the measuring rod which he kept in his hand.

Thereupon the heathen left Shammai, went to Hillel, and spoke to him as he had spoken to Shammai.

Hillel accepted him and said, "My son, you know without doubt that no man is appointed a king unless he has first been taught how to conduct himself in his office. Now you desire to become a high priest, but how can I make you one unless you know first how a priest must conduct himself? Go and learn all the rules of the priesthood and then come back to me, and I will make you a high priest."

So he went and studied the laws pertaining to the high priest. When he came to the verse in the Bible, "And the stranger that draweth nigh shall be put to death" (Num. 1.51), he asked his teacher, "To whom does this verse refer?"

Hillel replied: "It refers to anyone who is not born of the seed of Aaron. If such a one draws near to the temple, he must die; and even if he had been King David himself, peace be upon him, he would have been put to death if he had drawn near to the temple."

When the proselyte heard this, he thought: "Israel is called a holy nation; God called them, 'My son, My first born' (Ex. 4.22), yet no Israelite dare draw near to the sanctuary, how much less an ordinary heathen who has come only with his knapsack and his staff! He surely cannot become a priest."

Then he went to Shammai again and said, "Why did you not tell me that the Bible forbids me to become a priest? I should then have known it myself and would not have desired it."

Then he went to Hillel and said, "O Hillel, most modest of men, may the blessings of the Lord, blessed be He, rest upon your head because you have accepted me as a proselyte and have brought me under the wings of the Shekinah."

Not long afterwards these three proselytes met and said, "The hot anger of Shammai nearly caused us to lose the bliss of the world to come, whilst the meekness of Hillel has caused us to win the glory of the other world."