Rabbinical eras

Rav Hiyya bar Joseph[1] (or Rav Hiyya bar Yosef;[2] Hebrew: רבי חייא בר יוסף[3]) was a Babylonian rabbi of the 3rd century (second generation of amoraim).

Biography

In Babylonia, he lived in a place called Sikara on the shore of the Tigris river, near Mahuza,[4] and had served as the city sage instituting measures.

He mainly studied under Rav and frequently quotes his teachings.[5] He would sometimes go to Samuel's school and submit secondhand reports of Rav, and get Samuel's response.[6] He was also a student of Samuel (probably after the death of Rav, like some other of Rav's students), and addressed him with questions,[7] and would sometimes dispute him.[8]

Later on he made Aliyah to the Land of Israel. Here he made his livelihood from salt trading.[9] Little is known about his family, except that after immigrating to the Land of Israel alone, he sent someone to bring his wife.[10]

Upon arrival to the Land of Israel he studied with R. Yochanan bar Nafcha and Shimon ben Lakish,[11] and submitted to them rulings by Rav.[12] Even with Yochanan bar Nafcha he disputed on various matters.[13] He also studied under R. Hiyya bar Abba.[14] The Talmud also mentions that Hiyya bar Joseph is addressing Yochanan bar Nafcha with questions, however, he was probably not considered Yochanan's pupil: in a dispute among them, Hiyya bar Joseph is mentioned first, and various doubts on halachic matters were brought before both of them as one.[15] At times, Hiyya bar Joseph also delivers statements in the name of Hoshaiah Rabbah.[16]

Pupils

Rav Giddel studied under him when he was still in Babylonia, and delivers statements in his name that are secondhand statements made by Rav.[17] The rabbis of Caesarea, the students of Caesarean academy, also cite laws in his name.[18]

References

  1. ^ Jewish Encyclopedia, TANNAIM AND AMORAIM, "Ḥiyya b. Joseph (B and P; 2)"
  2. ^ Rav Hiyya b. Yosef | רב הייא בר יוסף, sages of the Talmud | חכמי התלמוד
  3. ^ In texts from the Land of Israel he is often called "חייה" instead of "חייא", and where his father is sometimes called "יוסי" ("Jose"). Aside from carrying the title "Rabbi", he is known as "Rav", as is customary among scholars of Babylon
  4. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Hullin 94b
  5. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 7a; Yebamot 92b; Ketuvot 50b, and more.
  6. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 53a; Hullin 45b; In both cases, Samuel responded harshly, "If he said so - then we do not know anything about the laws of Shabbat Trefah", an expression that is unmatched in the Talmud, and he may have thought that R. Hiyya misunderstood the second hand reports ('יבוא הלוי', Hullin, p. 187)
  7. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot 58a
  8. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 95a; Jerusalem Talmud, Ma'aser Sheni 1:3. In the Babylonian Talmud (Beitzah 32b) it is said: "R. Hiyya bar Joseph recited in the presence of Rav Nachman", which is inconsistent with the order of time. hence, in "Halakhot Gedolot" ("Halakhot Yom-Tov") and in Asher ben Jehiel (on Beitzah 4:8) the version is: "in the presence of R. Yochanan".
  9. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 48b; according to an equivalent story in the Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzia 4:2, Hiyya bar Joseph was the buyer not the seller.
  10. ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 1:3; Commentators of the Jerusalem Talmud interpreted, in that context, that he was a Kohen and his wife fell in captivity, though Aaron Hyman in Toldot Tanaʾim ṿe-ʾAmoraʾim opines that this is not true and interpreted the context of the story differently.
  11. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Hullin 54a; Temurah 7a
  12. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 39a
  13. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Zevachim 20b; Menachot 90a; Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzia 4:2
  14. ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Kil'ayim 4:4
  15. ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Metzia 4:2, Bava Batra 9:6
  16. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 16b; Avodah Zarah 51b
  17. ^ Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, 7a; Yebamot, 92b; Avodah Zarah, 50a
  18. ^ Jerusalem Talmud, Yoma 1:1
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