Rabbi Judah bar Ezekiel

Second generation Amora. The unqualified "Rabbi Judah" mentioned in the Gemara without his father's name refers to Rabbi Judah bar Ezekiel. He was born on the day Rabbi Judah the Prince departed to his eternal rest.

A preeminent student of Rav and Samuel, and after Rav's passing, he studied under Samuel. He was appointed head of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita, Babylonia, after his teacher Samuel.

His Praises and Sayings

Samuel called him Shinana, meaning sharp, from the word for a sharp arrow [ברכות לו.].

His virtues: He would not interrupt his Torah study for prayer, like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, until he had completed all his studies within thirty days, and only then would he pray [ראש השנה לה.]. He would not walk four cubits with an upright posture [תענית כד:].

His Greatness

Rabba decreed a fast and prayed, but no rain fell. They said to Rabba: But Rabbi Judah, when he decreed a fast, rain would fall immediately!

Rabba told them: If you think it is due to the level of Torah study, in Rabbi Judah's generation, they only studied Seder Nezikin! While we study all six orders of the Mishnah, and although we are superior to them in Torah study, when Rabbi Judah would remove one shoe, rain would fall immediately!

And we cry out all day in prayer, and no one hears us! But what can the great ones of the generation do when their generation is not worthy [תענית כד. כד:].

Concern for Others

Rabbi Judah said: If a deceased person has no relatives to mourn for them and receive condolences for them, ten people go and sit in the place of the deceased and receive condolences for them.

And so it is related: In Rabbi Judah's neighborhood, a certain man passed away and had no comforters. Each day of the seven days of mourning, Rabbi Judah would send ten men to sit in his place and receive condolences for him. After seven days, the deceased appeared in a dream to Rabbi Judah and said to him: May your mind rest, because you set my mind at ease! [שבת קנ"ב:].

A Miraculous Event

Rabbi Judah went out to the market and saw two people throwing bread at each other for amusement and play! Rabbi Judah said: From this, we see that there is satiety in the world. He cast his eyes, meaning he took offense at this act, and a famine came upon the world.

The Sages wanted to cause Rabbi Judah to go out to the market again to see the famine, hoping his prayer would help end it! They told his attendant, Rabbi Kahana ben Rabbi Neḥunia: Cause Rabbi Judah to go out so that he sees the terrible situation of the famine! And his attendant did so.

Rabbi Judah went out and saw people gathered in one place! He asked why the commotion? They told him, there is a vessel full of dates and everyone is waiting to buy from them!

Rabbi Judah said: This implies there is a famine in the world! He told his attendant to remove his shoes, and he prepared to fast so that rain would fall. His attendant removed one shoe, and rain already began to fall. When he came to remove the second shoe, Elijah the Prophet appeared and said to Rabbi Judah, if you remove it, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will destroy the world!

Rav Mari, the son of Samuel's daughter, said: On that day, I was standing on the bank of the river called "Pappa" and I saw angels who appeared as sailors, and they brought a ship full of sand. By a miracle, the sand turned into fine flour, and they came to sell it to the residents to end the famine.

All the city came to buy. Rabbi Judah told them: Do not buy! Because the more one can distance oneself from acts of miracles, the better.

They listened to Rabbi Judah and did not buy. The next day, a ship arrived carrying wheat from a place called Parzina. The residents bought from them, and thus the famine ended.