Hama bar Hanina was a
rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
who lived in the
Land of Israel in the 3rd century (second generation of
amoraim).
Biography
Like his father,
Hanina bar Hama
Hanina bar Hama (died c. 250) ( he, חנינא בר חמא) was a Jewish Talmudist, halakhist and aggadist frequently quoted in the Babylonian and the Jerusalem Talmud, and in the Midrashim.
He is generally cited by the name R. Hanina, but some ...
, he directed a school at
Sepphoris
Sepphoris (; grc, Σέπφωρις, Séphōris), called Tzipori in Hebrew ( he, צִפּוֹרִי, Tzipori),Palmer (1881), p115/ref> and known in Arabic as Saffuriya ( ar, صفورية, Ṣaffūriya) since the 7th century, is an archaeolog ...
, and was well known in the circles of the halakhists. He was a contemporary of
Rabbi Yochanan
:''See Johanan (name) for more rabbis by this name''.
Johanan bar Nappaha ( he, יוחנן בר נפחא Yoḥanan bar Nafḥa; alt. sp. Napaḥa) (also known simply as Rabbi Yochanan, or as Johanan bar Nafcha) (lived 180-279 CE) was a leading r ...
.
Who his teachers were is nowhere stated. Possibly R.
Hiyya the Great
Hiyya, or Hiyya the Great, (ca. 180–230 CE) (Hebrew: רבי חייא, or רבי חייא הגדול) was a Jewish sage in the Land of Israel during the transitional generation between the Tannaic and Amoraic eras (1st Amora generation). Activ ...
was one of them.
Hama's ancestors were wealthy, and built many synagogues. On one occasion, while visiting the synagogues of
Lod with his colleague
Hoshaiah II, he proudly exclaimed, "What vast treasures have my ancestors sunk in these walls!" To this Hoshaiah responded, "How many lives have your ancestors sunk here! Were there no needy scholars whom that treasure would have enabled to devote themselves entirely to the study of the Law?"
Teachings
He was distinguished as an aggadist, in which field he occupied a high position, aggadists like Levi frequently quoting him.
In his homilies, Hama sought to convey practical lessons. Thus, commenting on the Scriptural command, "Ye shall walk after the Lord your God", he asks, "How can man walk after God, of whom it is written, 'The Lord thy God is a consuming fire'?" But, he explains, the Bible means to teach that man should follow in God's ways. "As He clothes the naked, so do you clothe the naked."
According to Hama, death was inflicted upon Adam not so much because of his sin as to prevent wicked men in the future from proclaiming themselves immortal gods.
[Genesis Rabbah 9:5]
References
It has the following bibliography:
* Bacher, Ag. Pal. Amor. i. 447 et seq.;
* Frankel, Mebo, 85b;
* Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot, ed. Maskileison, ii. 138b;
* Weiss, Dor, iii. 91.
Talmud rabbis of the Land of Israel
{{MEast-rabbi-stub