Study Yevamot folio 14A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מי סברת עשו בית שמאי כדבריהם? לא עשו בית שמאי כדבריהם. ורבי יוחנן אמר: עשו ועשו. ובפלוגתא [דרב ושמואל]. דרב אומר: לא עשו בית שמאי כדבריהם, ושמואל אמר: עשו ועשו.
Reish Lakish said to him: Do you hold that Beit Shammai actually acted in accordance with their own statement? Beit Shammai did not in fact act in accordance with their own statement, as the dispute was merely theoretical. And R' Yoḥanan said: Beit Shammai certainly did act in accordance with their opinion. The Talmud comments: And this is also reflected in the dispute between Rav and Shmuel, as Rav says: Beit Shammai did not act in accordance with their own statement, and Shmuel said: They certainly did act in that manner.
אימת? אילימא קודם בת קול — מאי טעמא דמאן דאמר לא עשו? ואלא לאחר בת קול — מאי טעמא דמאן דאמר עשו?
The Talmud inquires: When does this question apply? If we say that it is referring to the period prior to the bat kol that declared that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel, then what is the rationale of the one who said that Beit Shammai did not act in accordance with their opinion? But rather, if one would say it is referring to after the bat kol, what is the reason for the one who said that they did act in accordance with their opinion? After all, the bat kol established that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel.
אי בעית אימא קודם בת קול, ואי בעית אימא לאחר בת קול. אי בעית אימא קודם בת קול, וכגון דבית הלל רובא, למאן דאמר לא עשו — דהא בית הלל רובא.
The Talmud answers: Neither of these options poses a difficulty. If you wish, say that it is referring to the period prior to the bat kol, and if you wish, say instead that it is after the bat kol. The Talmud elaborates: If you wish, say it is prior to the bat kol, and it is referring to the period when Beit Hillel formed the majority of the rabbis. Therefore, according to the one who said that Beit Shammai did not act in accordance with their opinion, the reason is that Beit Hillel was the majority, and the halakha is in accordance with the majority.