Rabbah bar Nahmani

Rabbah bar Nachmani (Hebrew: רבה בר נחמני) (c. 270-c. 330) was a Jewish Talmudist known as an amora, who lived in Babylonia, known throughout the Talmud simply as Rabbah.

Rabbah was born into a priestly family, and studied at both the academies in Sura and Pumbedita. He was a great scholar, renowned for his abilities to argue texts, resolve contradictions, and find applications, which gave him the nickname of "oker harim" or 'uprooter of mountains', as the Talmud says that when he was in argument, he got so worked up that he appeared to pick up mountains and grind them against each other. His specialty was the laws of ritual purity, and he was also an exceptional teacher. He used to start every lecture with a joke or funny anecdote to get his students in a good mood.

Rabbah succeeded Judah ben Ezekiel as head of the academy of Pumbedita and held the post until his death. The academy achieved its height under his leadership and he attracted many new students to the academy. During the kallah months he is said to have attracted as many as 12,000 students.

He is also said to have lived in poverty, but little else is known about his private life. He died when the Persian king sent bailiffs to seize him for his failure to pay taxes. He fled from city to city and finally into a forest where his body was found in a thicket.

Rabbah was hated by the scholars of Pumbedita for his outspokenness, but loved by his students. The Talmud records that after his death, he was eulogized for seven days. His nephew was the great scholar Abaye, who was raised by Rabbah as Abaye was an orphan. He was succeeded by his son as well, also called Rabbah.

References

* "Encyclopaedia Judaica", 1972, Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, Israel.
* "Sefer Ha-Aggadah" ("Book of Legends"), 1992, Schocken, New York.