Rami bar Hama (

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

: רמי בר חמא; ''Rami'' = ''R. Ami'') was a Babylonian amora of the third generation.

Biography

He was a pupil of

Rav Chisda Rav Ḥisda ( he, רב חסדא) was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Kafri, Asoristan in Lower Mesopotamia near what is now the city of Najaf, Iraq. He was an amora of the third generation (died c. 320 CE at the age of ninety-twoMoed Kattan 28a) ...

, and a fellow student of Rava, who was somewhat his junior. He frequently addressed questions to Rav Chisda. Rav Chisda once asked him a question to which Rami found an answer in a

mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

; R. Chisda thereupon rewarded him by rendering him a personal service. He was also associated with R. Naḥman, whom he often attempted to refute. Rami married the daughter of his teacher Chisda; when he died, at an early age, his colleague Rava married his widow. Rava declared that his premature death was a punishment for having affronted Manasseh b. Taḥlifa, a student of the Law, by treating him as an ignoramus. Rami bar Hama was possessed of rare mental acuteness, but Rava asserted that his unusual acumen led him to reach his conclusions too hastily. He attempted to decide questions independently, and would not always search for a

baraita ''Baraita'' ( Aramaic: "external" or "outside"; pl. ''Barayata'' or ''Baraitot''; also Baraitha, Beraita; Ashkenazi: Beraisa) designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. ''Baraita'' thus refers to teachings ...

to support an opinion. His pupil Isaac b. Judah left him, therefore, to study under R. Sheshet, saying that although a decision might apparently be based on correct reasoning, it must be ignored if a mishnah or a baraita could be found that contradicted it; but a decision rendered in agreement with a mishnah or a baraita does not become invalid, even where another mishnah or baraita can be cited in opposition to it. Rami bar Hama's daughter may have married

Rav Ashi Rav Ashi ( he, רב אשי) ("Rabbi Ashi") (352–427) was a Babylonian Jewish rabbi, of the sixth generation of amoraim. He reestablished the Academy at Sura and was the first editor of the Babylonian Talmud. Biography According to a trad ...

. His daughter's son was

Amemar Amemar ( he, אמימר) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fifth and sixth generation of amoraim. His name is a compound word, formed of the personal name "Ami" and the title "Mar" ("master"). Biography Amemar was one of the leading sages of his g ...

.Ketuvot 21b

References

It has the following bibliography: *

Heilprin, Seder ha-Dorot Jehiel ben Solomon Heilprin ( he, יחיאל היילפרין; c. 1660 – c. 1746) was a Lithuanian rabbi, kabalist, and chronicler. Biography He was a descendant of Solomon Luria, and traced his genealogy back through Rashi to the tanna Johan ...

, ii. 343. {{DEFAULTSORT:Rami Bar Hama Talmud rabbis Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown