Hanan bar Rava

Rav
Ḥanan b. Rava
Relief of a Babylonian Amora at the Sura Academy (20th century)
TitleRav
Personal
Born
Israel
Died
Babylonia
ReligionJudaism
PositionSecond-generation Babylonian Amora
For the similarly named Amora of the second generation, see Rabbah bar bar Hana
For the similarly named Amora of the third generation, see Rami bar Hama
For the fourth generation Amora, see Rava (amora)
Rabbinical eras

Ḥanan bar Rava[a] (חנן/חנא/חנין בר רב/א) or Ḥanan bar Abba (חנן בר א/בא)[1] was a Talmudic sage and second-generation Babylonian Amora. He lived in Israel, moved to Babylonia with Abba b. Aybo, and died there ca. 290 CE.[2][3][4][5] He is distinct from the late-generation Babylonian Amora of the same name who apparently conversed with Ashi (352-427 CE[6]).[7]

Ḥanan b. Rava's father was not Abba b. Joseph b. Ḥama (called Rava in the Talmud), who lived a century later. Ḥanan b. Rava was the son-in-law of Abba b. Aybo (Rav),[8] tutored Rav's son Hiyya b. Rav,[2] and is often quoted relaying Rav's teachings or describing his customs. He was the father-in-law of Ḥisda,[9] by whom he had at least seven grandsons,[b] two granddaughters,[c] two great-granddaughters,[d] and four great-great-grandchildren, including Amemar b. Yenuqa.[e][10][3]

Bizna, Z'era, Kahana b. Taḥlifa, Nachman b. Yaakov, G'neva, Ḥisda, Abin, and others relay his teachings in the Talmud.[3]

In 1997, the Supreme Court of Israel cited Ḥanan b. Rava's dictum, "All know for what purpose a bride enters the bridal canopy. Yet against whomsoever speaks obscenely thereof, even if a sentence of seventy years happiness has been sealed for him, it is reversed for evil," in establishing guidelines for legal censorship of pornography.[11]


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  1. ^ Tamud Yerushalami. Walter de Gruyter. 1931. ISBN 978-3-11-016591-3.
  2. ^ a b Hyman, Aaron (1910). Sefer Igeret de-Rabenu Sherira gaʼon: ke-fi ha-nusaḥ ha-nidpas be-yuḥasin defus Kustandina bi-shenat 326, be-hashvaʼah ʻim yeter ha-nusḥaʼot asher nidpesu ʻad ha-yomʻa. p. kitve yad shonim (in Hebrew). bi-defus "Hekspress".
  3. ^ a b c Frieman, Shulamis (2000-04-01). Who's Who in the Talmud. Jason Aronson, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4616-3254-2.
  4. ^ Eisenberg, Ronald L. (2013). Essential Figures in the Talmud. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7657-0941-7.
  5. ^ "Rav Hanan b. Rabbah | Sefaria". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
  6. ^ Dubnow, Simon (1967). History of the Jews: From the Roman Empire to the early medieval period. Associated University Presse.
  7. ^ b. Beitzah 30a in printings. However, all MSS read "רבא בר רב חנן לאביי" instead; the two are often confused. https://archive.org/details/20210303_20210303_1229
  8. ^ b. Ḥullin 95b ff.: "רב הוה אזיל לבי רב חנן בר רבא חתניה"
  9. ^ b. Avodah Zarah 11b
  10. ^ "Ketubot 21b:1". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2021-03-05.
  11. ^ "Administrative Law | Cardozo Israeli Supreme Court Project". versa.cardozo.yu.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-03.