''For other

Amoraic ''Amoraim'' ( , singular ''Amora'' ; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah. They were pr ...

sages of

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 ...

with the name "Rav Kahana", see Rav Kahana.'' Rav Kahana (III) (, read as ''Rav Kahana Me-Pum-Nahara'', lit. "Rabbi Kahana of Pum-Nahara"; appearing in the

Talmud 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 Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

merely as Rav Kahana) was a

n rabbi, of the third and fourth generation of

amoraim ''Amoraim'' ( , singular ''Amora'' ; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen") refers to Jewish scholars of the period from about 200 to 500 CE, who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah. They were p ...

, who headed the Yeshiva of Pum-Nahara.

Biography

During his youth he studied under

Judah ben Ezekiel Judah bar Ezekiel (220–299 CE) () 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 son Hiyya b. Rav was his pupil. Af ...

, and after his death, he served at

Rabbah bar Nahmani Rabbah bar Naḥmani () (died c. 320 CE) was a Jewish Talmudist known throughout the Talmud simply as Rabbah. He was a third-generation amora of the talmudic academies in Babylonia, which were in Asoristan, the Lower Mesopotamian part of the ...

as well, and learned under him

tractate Sanhedrin ''Sanhedrin'' () is one of ten tractates of Seder Nezikin (a section of the Talmud that deals with damages, i.e. civil and criminal proceedings). It originally formed one tractate with Makkot, which also deals with criminal law. The Gemara of t ...

along with his great friend Rav Safra. He made

Aliyah ''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today chiefly represented by the Israel ...

to 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 ...

along with Safra, and studied under Rabbi

Zeira Rabbi Zeira (), known before his '' semikhah'' as Rav Zeira () and known in the Jerusalem Talmud as Rabbi Ze'era (), was a Jewish Talmudist of the third generation of '' Amoraim'' who lived in the Land of Israel. Biography He was born in Babylo ...

and Rabbi

Abbahu Rabbi Abbahu () was a Jew and Talmudist of the Talmudic Academies in Syria Palaestina from about 279 to 320 CE and is counted a member of the third generation of Amoraim. He is sometimes cited as Rabbi Abbahu of Kisrin (Caesarea Maritima). Biog ...

. He also studied under Rabbi

Hiyya bar Abba Ḥiyya bar Abba (), Ḥiyya bar Ba (), or Ḥiyya bar Wa () was a third-generation amoraic sage of the Land of Israel, of priestly descent, who flourished at the end of the third century. Biography In both Talmuds he is frequently called me ...

, who also prayed for his longevity, and indeed his blessing materialized. After a while he returned to Babylonia, and then fixed his residence at Pum-Nahara, where he studied with

Rav Ashi Rav Ashi () ("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. The original pronunciation of his name may h ...

, who became his leading student. Ashi honored Kahana greatly, but considered

Amemar Amemar () was a Babylonian rabbi of the fifth and sixth generation of amoraim. His name is a compound word formed from the personal name ''Ammi'' and the title ''Mar'' "master". Biography Amemar was one of the leading sages of his generation. ...

to be his principal Rabbi as well. Ashi would use the honorary title 'Mar' ("Sir") towards Amemar, but only when Kahana was not present. He was a colleague of

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak :''You might be looking for Nachman bar Huna or Nachman bar Yaakov.'' Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak (Hebrew: רב נחמן בר יצחק; died 356 CE) was a Babylonian rabbi, of the fourth and fifth generations of amoraim. It is generally accepted t ...

, and together they rebuked the rich individuals who interfered with the appointment of religious judges and community leaders. He was a

Kohen Kohen (, ; , ، Arabic كاهن , Kahen) is the Hebrew word for "priest", used in reference to the Aaronic Priest#Judaism, priesthood, also called Aaronites or Aaronides. They are traditionally believed, and halakha, halakhically required, to ...

, from Eli ha-Kohen's family. Kahana's Yeshiva in Pum-Nahara was subordinated to the yeshiva in

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 ...

, but from the times of Rava's death and onward, the heads of the

Yeshiva A yeshiva (; ; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are studied in parallel. The stu ...

Nehardea Nehardea or Nehardeah ( "river of knowledge") was a city from the area called by ancient Jewish sources Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka (the Royal Canal), one of the earliest and most prominent ce ...

would frequently visit Rav Kahana III in Pum-Nahara, most likely for the purpose of reinforcing their yeshiva's influence over the yeshiva in Pum-Nahara. This reinforcement of ties, between Nehardea and Pum-Nahara, is attested by the fact that Kahana III gave his funeral oration to Rav Zevid of Nehardea at Pum-Nahara.

Babylonian Talmud 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 ...

Mo'ed Katan Mo'ed Katan or Mo'ed Qatan (Hebrew: מועד קטן, lit. "little festival") is the eleventh tractate of ''Seder Moed'' of the Mishnah and the Talmud. It is concerned with the laws of the days between the first and last days of Passover and Sukk ...

27a

References

{{authority control Talmud rabbis of Babylonia