Shmuel

The end of the Tannaic period and the beginning of the Amoraic period. His name: Shmuel ha-Kohen, son of Abba bar Abba. Shmuel and Rav were students of Rabbi. He also studied Torah from his father and from Levi bar Sisi. Rav and Shmuel went down to Babylonia at the end of Rabbi's days. Shmuel was in Nehardea, and Rav was in Sura. Shmuel was called "Yarḥina'i" (Man of the Moon), meaning "the pathways of the heavens are illuminated for him." [בבא בתרא ז:] He was proficient in the secret of intercalating months and was a great physician, the healer of Rabbi. Shmuel was called "Shaqod" (diligent), meaning: he was diligent in articulating his words precisely according to halakha. Some say: he was diligent in matters of Torah. [כתובות מג:] Rav said about Shmuel: "No secret is concealed from him." Rav cursed him, believing Shmuel was causing him distress, and Shmuel had no sons as long as Rav was alive. After Rav departed to his eternal home, sons were born to Shmuel. Rav treated him with respect because he had cursed him unintentionally, and after Rav's passing, his academy moved to Shmuel, and it became one academy.

His Sayings

When Rabbi Yochanan would come to this verse, he would weep: "For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every hidden thing." [קהלת יב, יד] "A servant whose master weighs his inadvertent errors as intentional ones, what recourse does he have!" That is to say: even for inadvertent errors, a person will be judged! What is meant by: "with every hidden thing"? Rav said: This refers to one who kills a louse in the presence of his friend and is disgusted by it. And Shmuel said: This refers to one who spits at his friend's hand, and his friend is repulsed by it. [חגיגה ה.]

Master Physician

When Rabbi suffered from an eye ailment, Shmuel said to Rabbi: "Do you wish for me to apply a remedy, that is, medicine, inside your eye?" Rabbi replied: "I cannot, because of the pain!" Shmuel said: "Perhaps I should apply it on top of your eye?" Rabbi replied: "Even that I cannot!" What did Shmuel do? He placed the drug inside a hollow reed and positioned it under Rabbi's pillow, so that the drug would penetrate the skull bone and the brain, reach Rabbi's eyes, and he would be healed! The drug helped, and Rabbi was thereby healed. Rabbi greatly desired to ordain Shmuel with rabbinic ordination so that Shmuel would be called "Rabbi," because he was a great sage, but he was unsuccessful! This was due to various obstacles, or because the sages did not gather. Shmuel said to Rabbi: "Do not be distressed by this! For I saw the book of Adam the First Man, and there the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him every generation, and its expounders, sages, and scribes. And there it was written about me: 'Shmuel Yarḥina'ah will be called a sage, but not 'Rabbi,' and he will heal Rabbi from his illness.'" It was also written there: 'Rabbi and Rabbi Natan are the end of the Mishnah,' meaning the sealers of the Mishnah. 'Rabbi Ashi and Ravina are the end of instruction,' meaning the sealers of the Gemara. [בבא מציעא פה:]