Rav Giddel
Encyclopedia
Rav Giddel was a second generation Amora sage of Babylon
and the Land of Israel
. Abba Arika
("Rav") was his Teacher par excellence . Dozens of times he delivers Abba Arika's work in the Talmud
- which many of them he heard indirectly from his teacher Hiyya b. Joseph
, and in rare occasions he also delivers the work of R. Ze'iri .
After the death of Abba Arika, Rav Giddel went to study under Rav Huna
. Rav Huna was prolonging his lessons and teachings of the Talmud, and many of his students, among them Rav Giddel, restrained themselves from going to their needs during the lessons, and became infertile
, and could not have more children .
Later on he moved to live in the Land of Israel, in the Beth midrash
of Yochanan bar Nafcha
in Tiberias. In that conjunction, it is storied that Amora R. Abba was a head of Rav Giddel in buying a field that Rav Giddel was already engaged in the process of buying it. The case came to the attention of R. Isaac Nappaha, who asked R. abbba: "If a poor man is examining a cake and another comes and takes it away from
him, what then?", and R. Abba replied: "He is called a wicked man". R. Abba explained to R. Isaac Nappaha that he did not know that Rav Giddel was already eying the field, and now that he knows the background of all of it he is ready to give it to him as a gift but not to sell it to him, since selling your first field is not a good omen. Rav Giddel refused to accept it as a gift, in accordance with the verse in the Book of Proverbs
: "he that hateth gifts shall live" . Because both refused to use the field, it remained a No Man's Land, and was then named "The Rabbis’ field"
Rav Giddal was accustomed to go and sit at the gates of the bathing-place (were women would were), in order to teach the laws of tevilah, and when was asked by the Rabbis: "Is not the Master afraid lest his passion get the better of him?", he replied that he was not affaraid since his passion does not control him .
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
and the Land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
. Abba Arika
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
("Rav") was his Teacher par excellence . Dozens of times he delivers Abba Arika's work in the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
- which many of them he heard indirectly from his teacher Hiyya b. Joseph
Hiyya b. Joseph
R. Hiyya b. Joseph was an Amora sage of Babylon of the second generation of the Amoraic era. He studied under the most prominent sages of the Amoraim, R. Abba Arika , and Samuel of Nehardea, and later made Aliyah to the Land of Israel and studied under R...
, and in rare occasions he also delivers the work of R. Ze'iri .
After the death of Abba Arika, Rav Giddel went to study under Rav Huna
Rav Huna
Rav Huna , a Kohen, was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the second generation and head of the Academy of Sura; He was born about 216, died in 296-297 ).-Youth:...
. Rav Huna was prolonging his lessons and teachings of the Talmud, and many of his students, among them Rav Giddel, restrained themselves from going to their needs during the lessons, and became infertile
Infertility
Infertility primarily refers to the biological inability of a person to contribute to conception. Infertility may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy to full term...
, and could not have more children .
Later on he moved to live in the Land of Israel, in the Beth midrash
Beth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
of Yochanan bar Nafcha
Yochanan bar Nafcha
Rabbi Yochanan ;...
in Tiberias. In that conjunction, it is storied that Amora R. Abba was a head of Rav Giddel in buying a field that Rav Giddel was already engaged in the process of buying it. The case came to the attention of R. Isaac Nappaha, who asked R. abbba: "If a poor man is examining a cake and another comes and takes it away from
him, what then?", and R. Abba replied: "He is called a wicked man". R. Abba explained to R. Isaac Nappaha that he did not know that Rav Giddel was already eying the field, and now that he knows the background of all of it he is ready to give it to him as a gift but not to sell it to him, since selling your first field is not a good omen. Rav Giddel refused to accept it as a gift, in accordance with the verse in the Book of Proverbs
Book of Proverbs
The Book of Proverbs , commonly referred to simply as Proverbs, is a book of the Hebrew Bible.The original Hebrew title of the book of Proverbs is "Míshlê Shlomoh" . When translated into Greek and Latin, the title took on different forms. In the Greek Septuagint the title became "paroimai paroimiae"...
: "he that hateth gifts shall live" . Because both refused to use the field, it remained a No Man's Land, and was then named "The Rabbis’ field"
Rav Giddal was accustomed to go and sit at the gates of the bathing-place (were women would were), in order to teach the laws of tevilah, and when was asked by the Rabbis: "Is not the Master afraid lest his passion get the better of him?", he replied that he was not affaraid since his passion does not control him .