Rav Chisda
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Rav Ḥisda ( he, רב חסדא) was a Jewish
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
ist who lived in
Kafri Kafri ( fa, كفري, also Romanized as Kafrī) is a village in Qarah Bagh Rural District, in the Central District of Shiraz County, Fars Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a ...
,
Asoristan Asoristan ( pal, 𐭠𐭮𐭥𐭥𐭮𐭲𐭭 ''Asōristān'', ''Āsūristān'') was the name of the Sasanian province of Assyria and Babylonia from 226 to 637. Name The Parthian name ''Asōristān'' (; also spelled ''Asoristan'', ''Asuristan ...
in
Lower Mesopotamia Lower Mesopotamia is a historical region of Mesopotamia. It's located in the alluvial plain of Iraq from the Hamrin Mountains to the Faw Peninsula near the Persian Gulf. In the Middle Ages it was also known as the ''Sawad'' and al-Jazira al-sfli ...
near what is now the city of
Najaf Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
, Iraq. He was an amora of the third generation (died c. 320 CE at the age of ninety-twoMoed Kattan 28a), and is mentioned frequently in the
Talmud The Talmud (; he, , Talmūḏ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cente ...
.


Biography

Rav Ḥisda descended from a priestly family. He studied under
Abba Arikha Abba Arikha (175–247 CE; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: ; born: ''Rav Abba bar Aybo'', ), commonly known as Rav (), was a Jewish amora of the 3rd century. He was born and lived in Kafri, Asoristan, in the Sasanian Empire. Abba Arikha establis ...
"the Rav", who was his principal teacher and after the latter's death he attended the lectures of
Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmud, Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amoraim, amora of the second generation and head of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 ...
, a companion of the same age. The pair were called "the Hasidim of Babylon". Rav Ḥisda was also among those called
tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...
im, those who could bring down rain by their prayers. At first, he was so poor that he abstained from vegetables because they increased his appetite, and when he walked in thorny places he raised his garments, saying: "The breaches in my legs will heal of themselves but the breaches in my garments will not". At the age of sixteen he married the daughter of
Hanan bar Rava Ḥanan bar Rava (חנן/חנא/חנין בר רב/א) or Ḥanan bar Abba (חנן בר א/בא) was a Talmudic sage and second-generation Babylonian Amora. He lived in Israel, moved to Babylonia with Abba b. Aybo, and died there ca. 290 CE. He ...
and together they had seven or more sons and two daughters. Later, as a
brewer Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, ...
, he became very wealthy. One of his pupils, Rava, became his son-in-law. Rav Ḥisda was a great
casuist In ethics, casuistry ( ) is a process of reasoning that seeks to resolve moral problems by extracting or extending theoretical rules from a particular case, and reapplying those rules to new instances. This method occurs in applied ethics and ju ...
, his acute mind greatly enhanced the fame of Rav Huna's academy in
Sura A ''surah'' (; ar, سورة, sūrah, , ), is the equivalent of "chapter" in the Qur'an. There are 114 ''surahs'' in the Quran, each divided into '' ayats'' (verses). The chapters or ''surahs'' are of unequal length; the shortest surah ('' Al-K ...
, but his very acuteness indirectly caused a rupture between himself and Rav Huna. The separation was brought about by a question from Rav Ḥisda as to the obligations of a disciple toward a master to whom he is indispensable. Rav Huna saw the point and said, "Ḥisda, I do not need you; it is you that needs me!". Forty years passed before they became reconciled. Rav Ḥisda nevertheless held
Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmud, Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amoraim, amora of the second generation and head of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 ...
in great esteem, and although he had established a school built at his own expense in
Mata Mehasya Mata Mehasya ( arc, מתא מחסיא) was a town in southern Babylonia near Sura, home to Sura Academy in classical antiquity. Location Sherira Gaon regarded Sura and Mata Mehasya as identical, for in his accounts of the geonim of Sura he uses the ...
four years before Rav Huna's death, he never published any decision during
Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmud, Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amoraim, amora of the second generation and head of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 ...
's lifetime. Rav Huna came to recognize Rav Ḥisda's merit later and recommended his son,
Rabbah bar Rav Huna Rabbah bar Rav Huna was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation (died 322). He was the son of Rav Huna, the head of the Academy of Sura. In the Talmudic Academy He was a man of true pietyShabbat 31a,b ...
, to attend his lectures. Rav Ḥisda also presided over Sura for ten years following the death of
Judah bar Ezekiel Judah bar Ezekiel (220–299 CE) (Hebrew: יהודה בן יחזקאל); often known as Rav Yehudah, was a Babylonian amora of the 2nd generation. Biography Judah was the most prominent disciple of Rav, in whose house he often stayed, and whose ...
, or following the death of
Rav Huna Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmud, Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amoraim, amora of the second generation and head of the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 (212 ...
, according to
Abraham ibn Daud Abraham ibn Daud ( he, אַבְרָהָם בֵּן דָּוִד הַלֵּוִי אִבְּן דָּאוּד; ar, ابراهيم بن داود) was a Spanish-Jewish astronomer, historian, and philosopher; born at Córdoba, Spain about 1110; di ...
. He always preserved great respect for the memory of Abba Arikha, whom he referred to as "our great teacher, may God aid him". Once, holding up the gifts which are given to the
kohen Kohen ( he, , ''kōhēn'', , "priest", pl. , ''kōhănīm'', , "priests") is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. Levitical priests or ''kohanim'' are traditionally b ...
im, he declared that he would give them to the man who could cite a previously unknown
halakha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...
in the name of Abba Arikha. After Rav Ḥisda's death, no one succeeded him as the
rosh mesivta The title ''rosh mesivta'' (alt. ''rosh metivta''; he, ראש מתיבתא; from the Aramaic ''reish metivta''), abbreviated as Ram, is a term in Jewish education for a leading figure in an educational institution. The term has a long history, go ...
of Sura and the central Talmudic authority passed to Rabbah in
Pumbedita Pumbedita (sometimes Pumbeditha, Pumpedita, or Pumbedisa; arc, פוּמְבְּדִיתָא ''Pūmbəḏīṯāʾ'', "The Mouth of the River,") was an ancient city located near the modern-day city of Fallujah, Iraq. It is known for having hosted t ...
.


Teachings

Rav Ḥisda's halakhot are frequent throughout the Babylonian Talmud, some being given on the authority of his pupils. His principal opponent was
Sheshet Rav Sheshet ( he, רב ששת) was a amora of the third generation of the Talmudic academies in Babylonia (then Asoristan, now Lower Mesopotamia, Iraq). His name is sometimes read Shishat or Bar Shishat. Biography He was a colleague of Rav Nach ...
. Besides deducing his halakhot in a casuistic way, Rav Ḥisda was peculiar in that he derived his halakhot less from the
Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the s ...
than from other parts of the Bible. Rav Ḥisda was also an authority in
aggadah Aggadah ( he, ''ʾAggāḏā'' or ''Haggāḏā''; Jewish Babylonian Aramaic: אַגָּדְתָא ''ʾAggāḏəṯāʾ''; "tales, fairytale, lore") is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, ...
, and employed special assistants to lecture in that department. Many ethical teachings by him have been preserved for students, such as: "
Forbearance Forbearance, in the context of a mortgage process, is a special agreement between the lender and the borrower to delay a foreclosure. The literal meaning of forbearance is "holding back". This is also referred to as mortgage moratorium. Applica ...
on the part of a father toward his child may be permitted, but not forbearance on the part of a master toward his disciple" and "He who opposes his master is as though he opposed the
Shekhinah Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a pla ...
". It was said that the Angel of Death, not being able to approach Rav Ḥisda because he never ceased from studying, cleft the trunk of a cedar-tree. Terrified by the noise, Rav Ḥisda interrupted his studies, whereupon the angel took his soul. Rav Chisda's remains are said to have been brought to Jamnia in
Upper Galilee The Upper Galilee ( he, הגליל העליון, ''HaGalil Ha'Elyon''; ar, الجليل الأعلى, ''Al Jaleel Al A'alaa'') is a geographical-political term in use since the end of the Second Temple period. It originally referred to a mountai ...
for burial.


See also

* Beer in Israel


References

It has the following bibliography: *Bacher, Ag. Bab. Amor. pp. 61 et seq.; *Heilprin, ''Seder Ha'Dorot''
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 ...
, ii.; *Weiss, Dor, iii. 184.S. M. Sel. {{authority control Businesspeople in brewing Chisda Talmud rabbis of Babylonia