Hanan bar Rava

Ḥanan b. Rava
Relief of a Babylonian Amora at the Sura Academy (20th century)
TitleRav
Personal
Born
Died
ReligionJudaism
PositionSecond-generation Babylonian Amora

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.