The Order of
Amora Sages
(in alphabetic order)
א
ALEF
In the Ch.
One, Kiddushin,
his amorei said: Thus did R. Ashi say. Thus, Amora
is an interpreter who interprets and explicates the Mishna. Also
in PT, Rabbi ordered Abdan his amorei, meaning ‘his
interpreter’, as mentioned in the Pesakim
Berachoth, Ch. Tefilath Hashachar.
Also, R. Huna and R. Hisda placed an amorei etc.
R. Abba.
When R. Abba came up [to Palestine] he met R. Abin. Or variant
reading, R. Johanan, at the end of Yom Tov.
And he met R. Hanina and R. Hanina b. Papi and R. Zera, and some
say R. Abbahu, R. Simeon b. Pazi and R. Isaac Nappaha. In Ch.
Ein Maamidin,
a ship carrying fish brine arrived at the port of Acre. R. Abba
of Acre placed guards.
R. Jeremiah said to R. Zera: ‘Perhaps the ship has come from
Tyre with its abundant wine?’ He told him: ‘There are narrow
waterways and pishurei’, which means the water of melted
snow.
R. Abba
said to R. Abba of Acre: ‘Who guarded it until now?’ etc. In Ch.
Elu Treifoth,
R. Abba was in Babylonia at the time of Raba, Abaye’s opponent.
He and R. Zera came up to Palestine, however R. Zera came first.
R. Abba was in Babylonia with R. Huna and R. Jeremiah b. Abba.
When R. Abba came from the school of Rab. R. Ela, R. Johanan b.
Eliakim and R. Eleazar all lived at the same time. It seems, he
is the R. Abba of Babylonia stam.
However, I am in great doubt who is the R. Abba stam in
the Gemara. Is it R. Abba b. Memel or somebody else? For the
sake of this issue, at the proper time, I shall write about it
at length. R. Abba raised an objection to Ulla. The case of R.
Abba’s bar. A certain man snatched a nasecha, which means
a bar of silver. He came before R. Ammi. Apparently, judging by
Gemara versions in the Talmud, it refers to R. Abba b. Memel.
When the Talmud speaks of the [silver] bar of R. Abba in Ch.
Shevuath Haeduth
it refers to R. Abba b. Memel. In Ch. Hagozel,
R. Abba sent R. Safra to collect money from R. Joseph b. Hama,
Raba’s father. At that time, R. Abba was very old. Raba gave
advice to his father how to pay.
In Ch. Elu Metziyoth,
the Tosafoth infer from [the case of] R. Abba’s bar that R. Abba
was a disciple of R. Ammi. To me, it seems the contrary, because
R. Ammi said: ‘our Palestinian Masters’ stam refers to R.
Abba.’ R. Ammi was the Academy Head in Palestine in place of his
Master R. Johanan at that time. It states there: R. Abba sat
before him, in Ch. Kol Hanishbain.
In Ch. Hamafkid:
R. Ammi sat and related a teaching. R. Abba b. Memel challenged
R. Ammi. Because of that, sometimes he relates a law in the name
of R. Ammi.
At the end of Ch. Kol Hakelim,
R. Abba said in the name of R. Ammi who said in the name of R.
Johanan. Though he was not his master, [he still said it in R.
Ammi’s name] because [R. Ammi] had said in the name of R.
Johanan. Also at the end of Ch. Hezkath Habatim,
R. Ammi sent to R. Abba b. Memel. R. Abba b. Zabda – who was a
disciple of R. Huna - asked of R. Abba although, R. Huna was
greater than him. In Ch. Hasholeach Get:
R. Abba said to R. Huna: Our Master, you have taught us. At the
end of MK,
he eulogised [R. Huna]: Our Master was worthy of having the
Divine Presence abide with him etc. R. Abba said in the name of
R. Huna who said in the name of Rab. In Ch. Elu Treifoth,
when R. Abba came to Palestine, he met R. Zera. [R. Abba] said
to him: Since you had left Babylonia, we had an opportunity of
asking R. Huna etc. and once I found R. Jeremiah b. Abba etc.
Rashi commented: R. Zera and R. Abba were both from Babylonia.
R. Zera came over [to Palestine] first; consequently R. Abba
said to him: ‘Since you have left Babylonia etc.’ In the Ch.
One, Hulin:
R. Abba sat behind R. Kahana and R. Kahana sat before R. Judah.
R. Abba went and said in the presence of R. Eleazar and [then]
R. Eleazar went and said in the presence of R. Johanan. At the
end of Yoma,
R. Jeremiah asked pardon because he had annoyed R. Abba. ‘Our
Palestinian Masters’ referred to in the Ch. One, Sanhedrin
- this is R. Abba. The reason for nasecha of R. Abba is
stated in Ch. Kol Hanishbain.
It seems that it refers to R. Abba b. Memel. R. Hiyya b. Abba
said to R. Abba and to R. Jeremiah. Also, R. Abba said to R.
Jeremiah b. Abba. R. Abba asked of R. Huna. It seems that he was
rich, because every Sabbath eve, he would pay 13 Astiris
to 13 butchers and he would say: ‘Prepare these quickly’ which
Rashi interpreted in two ways. R. Abba, the colleague of R. Zera,
or R. Zera, the colleague of R. Abba. There is a version at the
end of Hulin:
R. Abba b. Memel asked, and some say…Come and hear etc. R. Abba
spoke before R. Ammi. This does not undermine my interpretation,
because R. Ammi was an Academy head. Similar to this, in Ch.
Elu Metziyoth: ‘R. Ammi came before R. Assi’, to
which Tosafoth commented: Even though he was greater than him,
the fact that he came before him to consult him poses no
problem, since he was his colleague. However, if the correct
version is that [R. Ammi] came before R. Abba, it is
problematical, because R. Abba was a disciple of R. Ammi as
proven in the case of ‘nasecha of R. Abba’, so why would
he come before him? End quote. According to the way I explained
it above, the version ‘before R. Abba’ is fine, as I have said
above. R. Ammi sent him to R. Abba since he was like a colleague
to him, and he studied in Babylonia with Rab and R. Huna. Also
in Ch. Haholetz, in the Pesakim:
‘The Raabad wrote that the law follows the opinion of R. Abba
because he was the Palestinian judge, as it states in
Shevu'oth
and a judge delves into depths of the law.’ R. Joseph [sat]
behind R. Abba and before R. Huna. R. Abba challenged R. Assi
and R. Abbahu. It seems that he lived a long life since he lived
from the time of Rab until the time of Raba. He imposed upon
Raba to pay the price of an ox, because he declared it ritually
unfit for eating. It also seems that he returned to Babylonia,
as we shall explain in the entry Ketina who is R. Zera.
In Ch. Haomer in Kiddushin,
he would go on his pilgrimage before R. Isaac Nappaha and that
he bought a field and he was not aware that R. Gidal had
expressed his intention of purchasing it first. He [R. Abba]
forfeited his ownership and the land was called ‘Rabbinic Land’.
R. Abba:
R. Abba said to R. Ashi, in Shabbath in Ch. Shoel,
in Nidah, in Ch. Haisha,
in the Ch. One, Ta’anith,
in Ch. Hakometz,
and in Ch. Hasholeach Get.
Tosafoth at the beginning of Me’ilah use the version ‘R.
Assi to R. Abba’ because R. Ashi never saw R. Abba.
Abba,
the father of R. Ammi. R. Ammi b. Abba said in the name of R.
Huna.
Perhaps, he is the R. Abba stam.
Abba,
the father of R. Hiyya b. Abba. His son was a disciple par
excellence of R. Johanan, that is R. Hiyya, his son was.
Abba,
the father of R. Jeremiah b. Abba. In Ch. Techeleth:
The father of R. Jeremiah b. Abba had taught. Rab said about him
that he was the penitent in his generation like Josiah the King.
There are those who say, that this refers to R. Aha, the brother
of this R. Abba, the father of R. Jeremiah, for Mar said: Abba
and Aha were brothers. This was during the time of Rab, in Ch.
Bame Behema.
Abba,
the father of R. Simlai. He said to Samuel: Does the Master know
[the meaning] of this remark which occurs in [the Baraitha known
as] Sod ha-Ibbur
[the secret of the Calendar]: ‘If the new moon is born before
midday or after midday’? in the Ch. One, RH.
R. Abba
b. Zabda the brother of R. Judah b. Zibda.
Abba
Omna (a blood letter). He would
receive greetings from Heaven daily while Abaye received prior
to Sabbath and Raba prior to the Day of Atonement. Raba was
upset because of Abaye, and Abaye was upset because of Abba
Omna. They said to him: ‘You can’t do what he does etc.’ as it
states in Ta’anith.
Abaye sent a pair of scholars to inspect him and he was kind to
them.
Abba
Arika is Rab. His disciples would
call him Rab out of respect, but his actual name was Abba. R.
Johanan or R. Nahman would say: ‘Abba comes from the healthy
family’, in Ch. Kisui.
Also, that is how the Aruch explained it and also Samuel
would call him that [name]. There are those who say that his
actual name was Rab, but out of respect they would call him
Abba. This is how Rashi obm explained it in Ch. Hashochet
and also Tosafoth settled on Rashi’s explanation and this also
seems to be so at the end of Berachoth
and in Ch. One, Hagiga
because his disciple R. Kahana called him Abba. He was also
[called] Arika [Tall] because he was the tallest in his
generation, and R. Judah [the Prince] would reach his shoulder.
This is the way Rashi and the author of the Aruch
explained it referring to Ch. Hamapeleth.
We have already explained this in [the section of the] Tanna
Sages in the entry Abba Saul. There is an esoteric
meaning in this issue. R. Hisda called him ‘Our great Master’,
in Ch. Lulav Hagazul.
He composed the Sifra which is the Law of the Priests,
that is to say [the commentary on] the book of Leviticus. He
also composed the Sifre Rabah which encompasses
the book of Numbers and Deuteronomy. From these [books] you can
discern his immense wisdom and dialectics just like Our Saintly
Master [R. Judah the Prince]. When the Rabbis would depart from
the school of Rab, there would still remain 1200 Rabbis. At the
end of Ch. Elu Treifoth,
it seems from Rashi’s commentary, that his book was called
Sifra of the school of Rab because it was fluent in the
mouths of all the scholars. If so, in my opinion it was not
named after Rab. Rambam wrote at the beginning of the Mada,
that Rab composed the Sifra and the Sifre.
According to Rashi at the end of Hulin, it seems that R.
Hiyya and R. Oshaia composed all the Baraitha. Also, in Ch.
Mi Shemeto in Berachoth,
13 teachings, such as the Mishna of Rabbi [Judah the Prince], R.
Hiyya, R. Oshaia, Raba, Levi and Samuel. However, he did not
mention Rab. In the Ch. One, Berachoth, R. Hiyya b. Ashi
said: ‘Many times I stood before Rab and we would read the
Sifra of the school of Rab and he would wash his
hands first and recite the blessing.’ [Rab] was the son of the
brother and the sister
of R. Hiyya as we have said. Rab’s son was also named Hiyya,
like Rab’s uncle. Rab’s father was Aibu, as Rashi obm explained
in the Ch. One, Pesachim and the Ch. One, Sanhedrin.
Rab had a son named Aibu, like his father as mentioned in Ch.
Arvei Pesachim.
‘The Babylonian Masters’ stam refer to Rab and Samuel. In
the PT, Samuel said to Rab: ‘Eat the oil of a goy, otherwise I
shall inscribe you as a rebellious elder’, and he ate. In Ch.
Ein Maamidin;
‘Rab, Samuel and R. Johanan are Krai, which means their
words are like Scripture [Mikra].’ ‘Rab is [like] a Tanna
and may disagree’, i.e. he was a colleague of Levi and Bar
Kappara and the sons of Rabbi [Judah the Prince], R. Gamaliel
and R. Simeon, the Tanna Sages. R. Hai Gaon commented that Rab’s
status of Tanna is confirmed in three places. The first is in
Ch. Shelosha Sheachlu; R. Abba said: He must say
grace at the beginning and at the end. The other is in Ch.
Haisha Shenaflu. R. Abba said: ‘I have asked
Symmachus.’ The other is in Shabbath, Ch. R.
Eliezer, R. Abba said: ‘If she was immersed and then she
gave birth’. ‘Abba’ is Rab. What the Gaon said he found in
Shabbath I found in the Gemara, as well, however I did not
[find] ‘Abba’ in Rashi or in Tosafoth, but rather R. Hama. But I
found in the Tosefta, in Ch. seven of Hulin: R. Abba
said: this is one of the questions R. Hiyya used to say of:
‘there is no answer’. And R. Eliezer answered. Also, in the Ch.
One, Beitzah, in the Tosefta and in Ch. Kisui
Hadam
in the Gemara. In the letter Resh, with God’s help, we shall
write at length in the entry Rab. Rab said about R.
Hinena Bar Shila, that his love for him was like that of a
father to son, in Ch. Sorer.
And in the PT and in Ch. Bame Isha,
R. Samuel said to R. Hinena Bar Shila: ‘No Rabbi of the house of
the Exilarch may go out on Sabbath in shawl with the seal except
for you because the Exilarch is not strict with you’. Rashi
commented that they used to make seals for their shawls to show
that they are subservient to the Exilarch like his servants.
They would become anxious that the seal would come off, and they
would fold [the shawls]. [However, with you] he is not strict if
you go without a seal. The Aruch explained (in the entry
sarbal) that it was out of fear of the tax collector. If
they would not find the seal, they would say that he
short-changed the tax. R. Hinena, a proud and prominent man, was
not afraid. Rashi’s commentary seems to be the most suitable
one. R. Ada b. Ahba, a Rab’s disciple, was present at the burial
of Rab, in Ch. Ketzad Mevarchin.
Rab attended to Rabbi [Judah the Prince] and R. Hiyya while
sitting and R. Johanan while standing. He was a Master of the
entire Torah and great in piety.
The ten qualities of piety were all found in Rab as we shall
explain in the entry Rab. In Ch. Elu Treifoth,
Resh Lakish said about him: ‘This man is to be remembered for
good’. In Ch. Reshith Hagez,
R. Johanan said to Issi b. Hini, ‘Who is the head of the Academy
in Babylonia?’ He replied, ‘Abba Arika.’ He told him: You called
him Abba Arika? I remember (nahirna, in Aramaic.
Nahirna is of the word ‘memory’; thus [a child born under]
that star [Mercury] shall be nahir ve-hakim’
which means one of retentive memory and wise as the Aruch
interpreted) when I was sitting seventeen rows behind Rab in the
presence of Rabbi, seeing sparks of fire leaping from the mouth
of Rabbi into the mouth of Rab and from the mouth of Rab into
the mouth of Rabbi, and I could not understand what they were
saying; and you simply call him Abba Arika!’
In the Ch.
One, Beitzah,
Rashi commented on the controversy that one reference to Rab
contradicts another reference to Rab:
Even though Rab was an Amora, he could challenge a Tanna opinion
because he was the Master of all Exile in that generation,
besides Samuel.
R. Abba:
R. Abba son of R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan;
‘One may pass water in public, however one may not drink water
in public.’ A man wished to urinate but didn’t and his belly
burst, in Ch. Mumin in Bechoroth.
Perhaps there is a mistake and it should be R. Hiyya b. Abba.
[Samuel Shullam has said: Perhaps he is Samuel’s father, for (in
Bechoroth) once Samuel was preaching and needed to
urinate and he demanded that they bring a cloth to serve as a
partition, and he urinated. His father was angry at him and
demanded: get out [from behind the partition] and tell people
that even without a partition it is permitted. He went out and
expounded: One may pass water in public etc. See text.]
Abba Bar Abba the Priest,
the father of Samuel, the colleague of Rab. In Ch. Elu
Metziyoth,
he [returned the find] beyond the requirements of the law,
because he was a very pious man. In Ch. Kol Habasar,
Rab said: [Heaven] forbid that the issue of Abba b. Abba etc. To
which Rashi commented: ‘Abba b. Abba, the father of Samuel, was
a very pious man’. Also in Ch. Hamekadesh,
[Heaven] forbid that the issue of Abba. The father of Samuel and
Levi were colleagues. Why was he called the ‘father of Samuel’?
He was told on the night that Samuel’s mother became pregnant
that he will have a wise son. He was miraculously transported to
his wife on that night, and afterwards he immediately returned
to his distant place. People thought that his wife was pregnant
from somebody else. His father came and declared that he is his
son. This is what I have heard. I have also found in Ch.
Asara Yohassin,
that the Rosh obm wrote ‘As in the case of Samuel’s father who
came [to his wife] by the use of the Name as it states in the
PT’.
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