Rabbi Nahman

Second generation of Amoraim, the anonymous Rabbi Nahman mentioned in the Gemara without his father's name is Rabbi Nahman bar Yaakov. He was a prominent student of Shmuel, a disputant of Rabbi Sheshet, and the teacher of Rabbi Yosef. He was the head of the yeshiva in Nehardea. His students include: Abaye, Rabbi Zeira, and Rabbi Bibi. His colleagues include: Rabbi Assi, Rav Huna, Rabbi Hisda, Rabbi Safra, and Rabbi Sheshet. Abba, and Yalta his wife, who was the daughter of Rabban Gamliel the Nasi - she called Rava.

His Praises and Sayings

When Rabbi died, humility and fear of sin ceased. Rabbi Yosef said to the Tanna: Do not teach that humility ceased, for I exist and I am humble. Rabbi Nahman said to the Tanna: Do not teach that fear of sin ceased, for I exist, as he was among the pious of Babylonia. [סוטה מט:]

It is written: “And that which comes into your minds shall not be at all, that you say: We will be as the nations, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone” [יחזקאל כ, לב] “As I live, says the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you.” Meaning: The Holy One, blessed be He, says to Israel: All that you desire or think to do contrary to My ways, with a mighty hand I will rule over you. Rabbi Nahman said: Would that this anger would come to us, “with fury poured out, will I rule over you,” the main thing is that He redeems us against our will and rules over us. That is to say: it does not matter by what means the Holy One, blessed be He, decides to bring us back to repentance; the main thing is that we should be redeemed already! [סנהדרין קה.]

Cup of Blessing

Ulla happened to visit Rabbi Nahman's house, ate a meal, and recited the Grace After Meals over a cup of wine, then gave the cup of blessing to Rabbi Nahman to drink from. Rabbi Nahman said to Ulla: Please send a cup of blessing to my wife Yalta as well! Ulla replied: There is no need; your wife is blessed through you! Yalta, Rabbi Nahman's wife, heard that he did not want to send her a cup of blessing. She rose in anger, went up to the wine cellar, and broke 400 barrels of wine.

A Miraculous Event

There was a case involving laborers digging in Rabbi Nahman’s field. They began to dig in a place where Rabbi Acha bar Yoshiya was buried. Rabbi Acha gave them a sign not to dig! The diggers came and told Rabbi Nahman. Rabbi Nahman came to the place and asked the deceased, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am Rabbi Acha bar Yoshiya.” Rabbi Nahman asked him, “And how did your body remain intact and not decay? Did not Rabbi Mari say: In the future, the righteous will turn to dust?” Rabbi Acha said to Rabbi Nahman, “Who is Rabbi Mari! I do not heed his words!” Rabbi Nahman said to him, “But Rabbi Mari has proof from the verse: ‘And the dust returns to the earth as it was!’ [קהלת יב, ז]” Rabbi Acha said to Rabbi Nahman: “He who taught you the Book of Ecclesiastes did not teach you the Book of Proverbs, for it is written in Proverbs: ‘And envy is rottenness of the bones,’ [משלי יד, ל] and from this, we learn that whoever has envy for his fellow, his bones rot in the grave, and concerning him it is said: ‘And the dust returns to the earth as it was’! But whoever has no envy in his heart for his fellow, his bones do not rot even after his death!” Rabbi Nahman touched him and felt that he was truly alive, and said to him: “Come, let’s enter my house!” Rabbi Acha said to him: “With this request, you have shown that you have not even read a prophet, for it is written: ‘And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves’ [יחזקאל לז, יג] – until the Holy One, blessed be He, raises us from our graves, we have no permission to ascend from there.” Rabbi Nahman asked again in wonder: “How did your body not decay? And yet it is written: ‘For dust you are, and to dust you shall return’? [בראשית ג, יט]” Rabbi Acha replied to Rabbi Nahman: “This verse will be fulfilled one hour before the resurrection of the dead, when all will return to dust and then rise again to life in the World to Come.”