Rabbi Helbo (רבי חלבו) was an amora who flourished about the end of the 3rd century, and who is frequently mentioned in both
Talmuds
The Talmud (; ) 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 centerpiece of Jewi ...
.
It seems that Helbo lived at first in
Babylonia
Babylonia (; , ) was an Ancient history, ancient Akkadian language, Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Kuwait, Syria and Iran). It emerged as a ...
, where he studied under
Rav Huna
Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 CE (212 CE according to Gratz) and died in 296–297 ...
, the head of the Academy of
Sura
A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' ( al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while the ...
, and that, like the other Babylonian amoraim, he was called "Rav". Later he settled in the
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine. The definition ...
, where he was ordained rabbi.
Teachings
He is mentioned as having spoken in the names of
Avdimi of Haifa
Avdimi of Haifa (, translit: ''Avdimi d'min Haifa''; in the Jerusalem Talmud: , translit: ''Avduma d'Haifa''; hebraized form of , ''Eudēmos'') was among the greatest of the ''amoraim'' of Eretz IsraelHama bar Ukva. In Palestine he consulted on
halakhic
''Halakha'' ( ; , ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws that are derived from the Written and Oral Torah. ''Halakha'' is based on biblical commandments (''mitzv ...
matters R.
Isaac Nappaha
Rabbi Isaac Nappaha (), or Isaac the smith, was a rabbi of the 3rd–4th centuries (second generation of Amoraim) who lived in Galilee.
Name
He is found under the name "Nappaha" only in the Babylonian Talmud, not in the Talmud Yerushalmi. In the l ...
aggadic
Aggadah (, or ; ; 'tales', 'legend', 'lore') is the non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly the Talmud and Midrash. In general, Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporat ...
sayings of Shmuel bar Nahmani. He is mentioned in the Talmud as a teacher of ethics, his sayings being delivered in the name of
Rav Huna
Rav Huna (Hebrew: רב הונא) was a Jewish Talmudist and Exilarch who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; he was born about 216 CE (212 CE according to Gratz) and died in 296–297 ...
. Among them may be quoted:
* "He who goes out of the synagogue must not take long steps"Berachot 6b
* "One should pay great attention to the Minhah prayer"
* "He who enjoys the banquet of a bridegroom without gladdening the latter commits a five-fold sin"
* "He who sees a torn scroll of the Pentateuch must rend his garment in two places"
Helbo also said, in the name of
Ulla
Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula (given name), Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular ...
, that one who sees the ruined cities of Judah must recite In
Genesis Rabbah
Genesis Rabbah (, also known as Bereshit Rabbah and abbreviated as GenR) is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is an expository midrash comprising a collection of ...
, in the name of
R. Eleazar
Eleazar ben Azariah () was a 1st-century CE Jewish Tannaim, tanna, i.e. Mishnaic sage. He was of the second generation and a junior contemporary of Gamaliel II, Eliezer b. Hyrcanus, Joshua b. Hananiah, and Rabbi Akiva, Akiva.
Biography
He was a ...
, Helbo is mentioned as a traditionist with R. Berechiah and R. Ammi.
Rabbi Helbo held a discouraging view of converts to Judaism: "Converts are more difficult for Israel than a sore."
Other rabbis named Helbo
A Helbo b. Hilfa b. Samkai is also mentioned, who may be identical with the Helbo in this article. There is also reference to a R. Helbo b. Hanan.Yerushalmi Berachot 7:1
References
It has the following bibliography:
*
Abraham Zacuto
Abraham Zacuto (, ; 12 August 1452 – ) was a Sephardic Jewish astronomer, astrologer, mathematician, rabbi and historian. Born in Castile, he served as Royal Astronomer to King John II of Portugal before fleeing to Tunis.
His astrolabe of cop ...