Abba Arikha | |
|---|---|
אַבָּא אריכא | |
| Born | Rav Abba bar Aybo 175 |
| Died | 247 |
| Nationality | Jewish |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
| Known for | Scholarship (amoraim) forTalmudic academies in Babylonia |
| Rabbinical eras |
|---|
Rav Abba bar Aybo (Aramaic:רַב אַבָּא בַּר אִיבּוֹ; 175–247 CE), commonly known asAbba Arikha (אַבָּא אריכא)[1] or simply asRav (רַב), was aJewish amora of the 3rd century. He was born and lived inKafri,Asoristan, in theSasanian Empire.
InSura, Arikha established the systematic study of therabbinic traditions, which, using theMishnah as a foundational text, led to the compilation of theTalmud.[2] With him began the long period of ascendancy of the prestigiousTalmudic academies in Babylonia[3] around the year 220. In the Talmud, he is frequently associated withSamuel of Nehardea, a fellow amora with whom he debated many issues.
His surname,Arikha (English:the Tall),[4] he owed to his height, which exceeded that of his contemporaries.[5][6] Others, readingArekha, consider it an honorary title, "Lecturer".[7][6] In the traditional literature he is referred to almost exclusively asRav, "the Master", (both his contemporaries and posterity recognizing in him a master), just as his teacher,Judah ha-Nasi, was known simply asRabbi. He is called Rabbi Abba only in thetannaitic literature,[8][6] where a number of his sayings are preserved. He occupies a middle position between theTannaim and theAmoraim, and is accorded the right, rarely conceded to one who is only anamora, of disputing the opinion of atanna.[9][6]
Rav was a descendant of a distinguished Babylonian family which claimed to trace its origin toShimei, brother ofKing David.[10][6] His father, Aibo, was a brother ofHiyya the Great who lived inPalestine, and was a highly esteemed scholar in the collegiate circle of the patriarch Judah haNasi. From his associations in the house of his uncle, and later as his uncle's disciple and as a member of the academy atSepphoris, Rav acquired such knowledge of the tradition as to make him its foremost exponent in Babylonia. While Judah ha-Nasi was still living, Rav, having been ordained as teacher (with certain restrictions[11]), returned to Asoristan, referred to as "Babylonia" in Jewish writings, where he at once began a career that was destined to mark an epoch in the development of Babylonian Judaism.[6]
In the annals of the Babylonian schools, the year of his arrival is recorded as the starting-point in the chronology of the Talmudic age. It was the 530th year of theSeleucid era and the 219th year of theCommon Era. As the scene of his activity, Rav first choseNehardea, where theexilarch appointed himagoranomos, or market-master, andRabbi Shela made him lecturer (amora) of his college.[12][6] Then he moved toSura, on theEuphrates, where he established a school of his own, which soon became the intellectual center of the Babylonian Jews. As a renowned teacher of the Law and with hosts of disciples, who came from all sections of the Jewish world, Rav lived and worked in Sura until his death.Samuel of Nehardea, another disciple of Judah ha-Nasi, at the same time brought to the academy at Nehardea a high degree of prosperity; in fact, it was at the school of Rav that Jewish learning in Babylonia found its permanent home and center. Rav's activity made Babylonia independent of Palestine, and gave it that predominant position which it was destined to occupy for several centuries.[6]
Little is known of Rav's personal life. That he was rich seems probable; for he appears to have occupied himself for a time with commerce and afterward with agriculture.[13][6] He is referred to as the son of noblemen,[14] but it is not clear if this is an affectionate term or a true description of his status.Rashi does tell us that he is being described as the son of great men. He was highly respected by theGentiles as well as by the Jews of Babylonia, as shown by the friendship which existed between him and the lastParthian emperor,Artabanus IV.[15][6] He was deeply affected by the death of Artaban in 226 and the downfall of the Parthian rulers, and does not appear to have sought the friendship ofArdashir I, founder of theSasanian Empire, although Samuel of Nehardea probably did so.[6]
Rav became closely related, through the marriage of one of his daughters, to the family of the exilarch. Her sons,Mar Ukban and Nehemiah, were considered types of the highest aristocracy. Rav had many sons, several of whom are mentioned in the Talmud, the most distinguished being the eldest, Chiyya. Chiyya did not, however, succeed his father as head of the academy: this post fell to Rav's discipleRav Huna. Two of his grandsons occupied in succession the office ofexilarch.[16][6]
Rav died at an advanced age, deeply mourned by numerous disciples and the entire Babylonian Jewry, which he had raised from comparative insignificance to the leading position in Judaism.[17][6]
The method of treatment of the traditional material to which the Talmud owes its origin was established in Babylonia by Rav. That method takes theMishnah ofJudah haNasi as a text or foundation, adding to it the othertannaitic traditions, and deriving from all of them the theoretical explanations and practical applications of the religious Law. The legal and ritual opinions recorded in Rav's name and his disputes with Samuel constitute the main body of theBabylonian Talmud. His numerous disciples—some of whom were very influential and who, for the most part, were also disciples of Samuel—amplified and, in their capacity as instructors and by their discussions, continued the work of Rav. In the Babylonian schools, Rav was rightly referred to as "our great master." Rav also exercised a great influence for good upon the moral and religious conditions of his native land, not only indirectly through his disciples, but directly by reason of the strictness with which he repressed abuses in matters of marriage and divorce, and denounced ignorance and negligence in matters of ritual observance.[6]
Rav, says tradition, found an open, neglected field and fenced it in.[18][6]
He gave special attention to theliturgy of thesynagogue.[6] TheAleinu prayer first appeared in the manuscript of theRosh Hashana liturgy by Rav.[19] He included it in the Rosh Hashanamussaf service as a prologue to the Kingship portion of theAmidah. For that reason some attribute to Rav the authorship, or at least the revising, of Aleinu.[20] In this noble prayer are evinced profound religious feeling and exalted thought, as well as ability to use theHebrew language in a natural, expressive, and classical manner.[6][21] He also composed the prayer recited on Shabbat before the start of a new month,Birkat ha-Hodesh.[19]
The manyhomiletic andethical sayings recorded of him show similar ability. The greatest aggadist among BabylonianAmoraim, he is the only one of them whose aggadic utterances approach in number and contents those of the Palestinian haggadists. TheJerusalem Talmud has preserved a large number of hishalakhic andaggadic utterances; and the PalestinianMidrashim also contain many of hisaggadot. Rav delivered homiletic discourses, both in thebeit midrash and in the synagogues. He especially loved to discuss in his homilies the events and personages of Biblical history; and many beautiful and genuinely poetic embellishments of the Biblical record, which have become common possession of theaggadah, are his creations. Hisaggadah is particularly rich in thoughts concerning the moral life and the relations of human beings to one another.[6] A few of these teachings may be quoted here:
Rav loved theBook of Ecclesiasticus (Sirach), and warned his discipleHamnuna Saba against unjustifiable asceticism by quoting its advice that considering the transitoriness of human life, one should not despise the good things of this world.[34]
To the celestial joys of the future he was accustomed to refer in the following poetic words:[6]
Nothing on earth compares with the future life. In the world to come there shall be neither eating nor drinking, neither trading nor toil, neither hatred nor envy; but the righteous shall sit with crowns upon their heads, and rejoice in the radiance of the Divine Presence.[35]
Rav also devoted much attention tomystical andtranscendental speculations regardingMaaseh Bereshit, Maaseh Merkabah, and theDivine Name. Many of his important utterances testify to his tendency in this direction.[36][37]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "'Abba 'Arika".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 8.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906)."Abba Arika".The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
