Here are their names with some of the most famous sayings attributed to them:
Jose ben Joezer—Let thy house be a meeting place for the wise. Cover thyself with the dust of their feet and quench thy thirst with their words.
Jose ben Jochanan—Let thy house be opened wide and let the needy be thy household.
Joshua ben Perachia—Procure for thyself an instructor, possess thyself of a worthy associate, and judge every man in the scale of merit.
Mattai the Arbelite—Associate not with the wicked and flatter not thyself that thou canst evade punishment.
Jehudah ben Tabbai—Constitute not thyself dictator to the Judges.
Simon ben Shetach—Be guarded in thy words; perchance from them men may learn to lie.
Shemaiah—Love labor and hate pomp and suffer thyself to remain unknown to the head of the State.
Abtalion—Ye wise be guarded in your words; or you may be exiled to a place of evil waters (false doctrine) and your disciples may drink and die.
Hillel and Shammai, the last "Pair," will be treated in a separate chapter.
Simon ben Shetach flourished in this reign. He was brother-in-law of the king, by whom he had been nevertheless imprisoned. But when the queen came to the throne he was practically placed as the religious head of affairs. Simon ben Shetach and his associate, Judah ben Tabbai, reorganized the Council and hence were called "restorers of the Law." From this time on the Pharisaic became the official interpretation of Judaism.
In all large towns Simon ben Shetach established schools for young men for the study of the Pentateuch and the laws interpreted from it. As President of the Council, he was very severe on those who infringed on the law. He has even been called the Judean Brutus, as he did not spare his own son. He reinstituted many customs that had been neglected during the Sadducean regime. Among these was the joyous "Water Celebration" during Tabernacles, a trace of which still survives in the ritual of Shemini Atzereth (the eighth day that follows and concludes the festival of Succoth). The celebrations were accompanied by illuminations and torchlight processions, religious music and dancing. The water drawing at the Spring of Siloah was heralded by blasts of the priests' trumpets. Another national custom revived was the summer "Wood Festival," on Ab 15. It had relation to the use of wood at the altar fires, and was a further opportunity for joyous unbending among the youths and maidens.
The Pharisees on the whole were the more democratic party, and decided that the maintenance of the Temple should be borne by all and not merely by voluntary offerings of the rich few. This new law brought enormous revenues to the Temple which later became its menace, attracting the covetous rather than the worshipful.
Notes and References.
Sayings of the Fathers:
Sayings of the Jewish Fathers, chapter i. Taylor. Cambridge Press. Translations and notes.
These sayings, which form one book of the Mishna, will be found in the Sabbath Afternoon Service of the Jewish Prayer Book.