Questions tagged [amoroim]
The sages of the Talmud and various Midrashim. Roughly 200 - 500 CE. Singular amora.
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Is there any reason to suppose that "Reish Lakish" means something like "chief of the bandits"?
I feel like I've heard this many times over the years. In the last couple of days I've shopped the question around, and everyone seems to have heard the theory that because of his colorful past, Reish ...
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List of Tannaim and Amoraim with overall summary of their approach to Torah
Has anyone put together a list of Tannaim and Amoraim with analysis from their opinions in each place that they are cited to try to build an overall picture of what their approach to Torah is/what ...
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Whence Rabbi Yosei Manda'ah?
Shmuel Safrai in his book בימי הבית ובימי המשנה, p. 204, notes:
"בכפר זה חי גם אמורא בשם רבי יוסי מנדאה"
"In this village (Kfar Mandi) lived another amora by the name of Rabbi Yosei ...
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Were there Yarchei Kallah in Judea during the Amoraim era?
Did the Yarchei Kallah only happen in Babylonia during the Amoraim and Geonim era, or did Judea (Israel) also have them during the Amoraim era?
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When did The Talmud first become available to the readers as a written document?
What was the probable earliest time, when some Jewish readers could get a hold of a document that contains any material that belong to the material that is found in Talmud Sanhedrin?
What was the ...
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Why didn't the Tana'im or Amoa'im write a commentary on Tanach?
To the best of my knowledge the first time we have a verse by verse pshat (ie simple or basic authorial intent meaning) commentary on Tanach is from the Geonic period (even if the commentary is not on ...
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What is the implication of the question “לימא כתנאי"?
The Gemoro often asks about an argument amongst Amoraim, “לימא כתנאי" Shall we say this is an argument of Tannaim?
I see two ways of understanding this statement:
1] These Amoraim are arguing on ...
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Who was R Abba Shaul's mother, Imma Miriam?
Asking about the mother of אַבָּא שָׁאוּל בֶּן אִימָּא מִרְיָם, who is mentioned in Kesuvos 87a and other places in the gemara.
Is there any information about "Imma Miriam": who she was, why ...
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Source for Rava's first name
According to Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com, Rava's real first name was Abba and "Rava" is a portmanteau of R' Abba. However, both claims are sourceless (Encyclopedia.com refers to Eruvin ...
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Seeming contradiction if Rabbi Yochanan had kids
There's a well-known gemarra in Berachos 5b that says that Rabbi Yochanan buried ten of his sons.
There's also another story with Rabbi Yochanan in Yevamos 96b. He was upset that his student didn't ...
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What's the story behind the Sages killing Rav Acha Bar Yaakov?
Bava Kamma 40a:
Rav Acha Bar Yaakov is a great man.
Bava Basra 14a:
"רַב הוּנָא כְּתַב שִׁבְעִין סִפְרֵי דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא וְלָא אִיתְרְמִי לֵיהּ אֶלָּא חַד
רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב כְּתַב חַד ...
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Who was Channah? [duplicate]
Throughout the Gemara we find grandchildren of Channah. There's Rabbah bar bar Channah, and R Yitzchak bar bar Channah, both quoted extensively, and maybe others that I don't know about because I don'...
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Is Shmuel (Amora) considered a Tanna by the Jerusalem Talmud?
The Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot.9a (similarly Yevamot 9a or Sotah 16a) says it in the name of Tannayim:
"תני
יצאת בת קול ואמרה אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים
אבל הלכה כדברי בית הלל.
איכן יצאה בת קול רבי ...
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Jewish historical novels
Do you know any Jewish historical novels that center around the lives and times of the rabbis of the Talmud? I know As a Driven Leaf but very few others.
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Who was the father of Rav Aha Bar Rav?
Rav Aha Bar Rav was a talmid-haver of Ravina (6th generation of amoraïm), and also a contenporary of Ravina II (7th) (source).
So it's seems that Rav Aha is not the son of Rav (ie Rabbi Abba bar Aybo, ...
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What are the specifics of the fake Yerushalmi story?
I heard, long ago, about a mesechta (or entire seder, I can't recall which) of Yerushalmi that was fabricated. It was finally proven to be a fake when a rabbi realized that every mesechta (or seder) ...
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Question about Reish Lakish
Why is Reish Lakish sometimes called in the Gemara "Reish Lakish" and sometimes "Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish"? Why not just use one title?
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Lashon Hara in the Gemara
The Gemara sometimes relates anecdotes of Amoraim and presents them in a negative light by including details which would seemingly classify as Lashon Hara in any other context. For instance,
"רַב ...
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Is there a connection between Rav Yehuda loving Israel and forbidding the ascent from Babylon to Israel?
The Talmud in Barachot 43a states the following:
אמר ליה רב חסדא לרב יצחק האי משחא דאפרסמון מאי מברכין עלויה א"ל הכי אמר רב יהודה בורא שמן ארצנו א"ל בר מיניה דר' יהודה דחביבא ליה ארץ ישראל ...
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Source that Amorayim are not required to know Beraitot/Toseftot
I was told that some Rishonim on Sha"s comment that Amorayim were not required to know Beraitot or Toseftot, they only were required to know the Mishna.
Where's that source?
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Source for electricity in the times of the Talmud?
Many years ago I was told a story about an Amorah (Talmudic sage) who had an electric lamp, and when discovered said something along the lines of, the world isn't ready for this yet.
I'm looking for ...
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Who is Rabbi Shimeon who discusses with Rabbi Yochanan in Gemara
Gemara Kiddushin 66b:
אמר ליה רבי שמעון לרבי יוחנן כללא הוא דכל מקום שיש קידושין ואין עבירה הולד הולך אחר הזכר
Rabbi Shimeon said to Rabbi Yochanan, it is a general principle!?
I assume that it's ...
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Does Amorayim read berayta in Gemara rather than recite it
I noticed a very atypical expression on Yevamot 40a:
יתיב ר' חנינא קרא קמיה דר' ינאי ויתיב וקאמר הלכה כר' יהודה א"ל פוק קרי קרייך לברא אין הלכה כר' יהודה תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן אין הלכה כר' יהודה ...
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Which enemies was Rav Huna running away from?
Yerushalmi, Pesachim 1.1:
דאמר רב הונא כד הוינן ערקין באילין בוטיתא דסדרא רבה היו מדליקין עלינו
נרות בשעה שהיו כיהים היינו יודעין שהוא יום ובשעה שהיו מבהיקין היינו
יודעין שהוא לילה
The Talmud ...
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How old were the Sages in Megillah 27b-28a?
The Gemara, starting in Megillah 27b, starts describing various situations where different sages were asked how they merited to reach a long life. Presumably, this was because, at the time they were ...
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Is there a specific reason/ common theme why we ONLY rule like Abaye in the "יע"ל קג"ם" (Yaal Kigam)? [duplicate]
We pasken like Abaye in 6 places in Shas:
1) "יאוש שלא מדעת" (Bava Metzia 21b) whether despair of recovering a lost item that one didn't know about is considered a conscious feeling
אביי אמר לא ...
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How was it decided when the period of Tannaim ended and the period of Amoraim began? [duplicate]
The era of the Tannaim was from 10-220 CE
The era of the Amoraim was from 200 to 500 CE
A couple questions:
1) Who or what flipped the switch to determine that one era was ending and another was ...
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Rav or Rebbi Acha Sar HaBirah?
R' Acha Sar HaBirah is mentioned in a few places in shas. Rashi tells us that 'Sar HaBirah' was his nickname. However, in some places his title is רב, while in other places he is mentioned as רבי. ...
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Seeking works by tanaim or amoraim
To the best of my knowledge there is only 1 full work that was authored by a rabbi from the period of the tanaim or amoraim is the work seder olam by r' yose ben chalafta. I would like to know if ...
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Should we be acting like the Amoraim in the Gemara? [duplicate]
Babylonian Talmud, as well as Yerushalmi Shas, are the source to all the Halachos and many Minhagim. Although I have a question, there are some times throughout Shas that we find one Amora saying to ...
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Second person exposition of "toevah"
The Talmud in Nedarim 51a cites in the name of Bar Kappara a (playful? - see previous and subsequent passages for context) derashic interpretation of the word "toevah" (literally translated &...
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The application of the dispute about the borders of Babylon
The Talmud (Kiddushin 71b) discusses the differences in the lineage of people from different places in the vicinity of Bavel (Babylon) by analogy of health. Bavel is healthy (has a good lineage), ...
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Did Amoraim in Bavel study or know of the Talmud Yerushalmi?
The Talmud Yerushalmi was completed while the Amoraim in Bavel were still debating and discussing halachos that would be recorded later on the Talmud Bavli. I'd like to know if we can know or assume ...
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Examples of the sages in the Talmud going above and beyond in kindness
What are some examples in the Talmud where it tells a story of one of the sages from the time of the Mishna or Gemara showing exceptional kindness that could be a good example to other people?
For ...
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How could Rav be disproved?
Frequently, when the Gemara tries to disprove Rav from a Mishna, it answers that he's considered a Tanna and can argue on a Mishna.
But there's this case in Berachos 37a, where Rav and Shmuel both ...
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Source for zugos arguments
Is there any sefer that collects the various arguments of each zug (study pair)? Such as all the arguments of R yochanan and reish lukish, or abye and rava. It would be nice if it also proposed some ...
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Is Rabbeinu Tam correct about unique phraseology for specific amoraim?
In Kesubos 2b there is a discussion in which an answer is introduced with the phrase פשיט רב אחאי – R. Achai answered.
There is a discussion in Tosafos as to the identity of R. Achai. Rashbam claims ...
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Numbers of Tannaim and Amoraim
How many names of Tannaim do we know?
How many names of Ammoraim do we know?
(I am asking about the names and not simply asking "how many were there" because I don't know if there were people that ...
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RABA (רבה) Bar Rav Shila or RAVA (רבא) Bar Rav Shila?
On the Talmud (Brachot- ברכות דף ב ע"א) there are a two versions:
RaVa bar Rav Shila (רבא בר רב שילא)
RaBa Bar Rav Shila (רבה בר רב שילא)
What is the right version?
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Which Amoraim can argue on Tannaim?
I'v heard various opinions about which Amoraim can argue with Tannaim, ranging from any, to only Rav (Rabbi Abba). Which Amoras can argue with Tannas?
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The Tannaim and Amoraim's Intelligence
1- Do we know if any of the Tannaim or Amoraim had below average intelligence?
2- Were all of the Tannaim/Amoraim highly intelligent?
My question has to do with something I'm trying to figure out. ...
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Is the name Rami mentioned in the gemarah the full version?
I am trying to ascertain if the name "Rami" is a Jewish one.
If rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud are named Rami then that would be a good indication.
There are at least 3 Ramis found in the gemarah:
...
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Rava and Rabbah? Differentiating between two (?) amoraim
Inspired by this question, I have often heard people pronounce the name רבא as Rava and the name רבה as Rabbah. Is there a basis for this differentiation? Does anybody know where it comes from?
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How to pronounce the name שימי
There's an amora (or at least one) in the Bavli named שימי. I think I've always heard this pronounced with an initial letter sin. However, I saw recently that the Koren-Steinsaltz edition has a ...
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Mekor for R' Haim on Tannaim vs Amoraim
I've heard that R' Haim Soloveitchik said that although there is no law stating that Amoraim may not argue with Tannaim, nevertheless it isn't customary for an Amora to contradict a Tanna. Does ...
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Tannaim vs Amoiraim
Can an Amora argue with a Tanna?
From the Talmud it would seem that an Amora cannot argue with a Tanna and that is why it tries to fit in all Amoraic statements into the words of the Tannaim.
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Why do we reject Rabbi Chiya's opinion?
The Gemara says (in Yevamos 42b-43a as well as other places) that "וכי רבי לא שנאה ר' חייא מנין לו". In context of Yevamos, it means that if there is an argument in a Mishna and a Stam in a Braisa, we ...
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When ended Beth Shammai?
I am looking for a way to recognize members of the Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel when I learn the gemara and mishna. I need to know when the Beth Shammai ended (as well as the Beth Hillel) to find out ...
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How can the Gemara bring a proof supporting רבינו from רבי אבא?
In Brachot 49a, it talks about what people must say in birkat hamazon.
The top of the page is part of a braita, which quotes רבי אבא as saying that to fulfill their obligation, one must mention, ...
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Were Shmouel and Rav members of the Beth Hillel or the Beth Shammai?
Do we know which Academy Rav and Shmuel belonged to? Maybe they weren't members of any House.
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