Chizkiya

The last generation of Tannaim and the first of Amoraim. Chizkiya, son of Rabbi Chiya the Great, he and his twin brother Yehuda, were born in Babylonia and arranged the Baraitot. Chizkiya was Rabbi Yochanan's teacher, and Rabbi Yochanan called him Rabbi [שבת קיב:]. As long as Chizkiya was alive, Rabbi Yochanan did not become Rosh Yeshiva. His permanent residence was in Tiberias, and he was buried there in his father's cave, to his father's left, with Yehuda to his father's right [מועד קטן כה.]. Rav Huna was also buried next to him [מגילה ה:].

Twins from the House of Yehuda

Yehuda and Chizkiya, sons of Rabbi Chiya the Great, were born in Babylonia and later ascended to the Land of Israel to the holy yeshiva of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Yehuda and Chizkiya were twins; one completed his development at the end of nine months of pregnancy, and the other completed his development at the beginning of seven months.

Rabbi Chiya's Wife

Yehudit, Rabbi Chiya's wife, experienced great pain in childbirth. What did she do? She changed her clothes so that her husband, Rabbi Chiya, would not recognize her, and came before him and asked: Is a woman commanded concerning the mitzvah of procreation? Rabbi Chiya replied, a woman is not commanded concerning procreation; rather, the man is commanded concerning procreation. Yehudit, Rabbi Chiya's wife, went and drank a potion that caused infertility so that she would not give birth again and would not have to endure the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. Ultimately, Rabbi Chiya learned of the matter and said to his wife: May the potion not be effective for you, and may you bear me two more in one womb, meaning, more twins! Since she was accustomed to bearing twins, she also bore Pazi and Tavi for Rabbi Chiya, and they were twin girls [יבמות סה:].

Their Holiness

When Rav Huna was brought for burial in the Land of Israel, they debated where to bury him, and eventually, it was decided to bury him in the cave of Rabbi Chiya and his sons. This was because he propagated Torah as Rabbi Chiya did. Since not everyone could be buried there, and generally, one could not even enter the cave due to fear for one's life because of the immense holiness of Rabbi Chiya and his sons, Rav Chagi, Rav Huna's disciple, said, "I will bring him into the cave." In the cave, Yehuda was to his father's right and Chizkiya to his left. Yehuda saw Rav Huna's coffin arriving and said to Chizkiya, "Get up from your place; it is not proper etiquette for Rav Huna to stand and wait." When Yehuda stood up, suddenly there was a pillar of fire! Rabbi Chagi was startled by the pillar of fire and placed Rav Huna's coffin to create a barrier between himself and the pillar of fire so he would not be harmed, and then he left. What saved him? The coffin of his master, Rav Huna. From this, we learn that Yehuda, who was to his father's right, was the elder, followed by Chizkiya [מועד קטן כה.].

Their Greatness

Resh Lakish said: May the sufferings that come upon me be an atonement for Rabbi Chiya and his sons. For initially, when Torah was forgotten from Israel, Ezra ascended from Babylonia and restored the crown to its former glory. It was forgotten again, Hillel the Babylonian ascended and restored the crown to its former glory. It was forgotten again, Rabbi Chiya and his sons ascended and restored the crown to its former glory [חולין פו.].

He Restored the Crown to its Former Glory

Rabbi Chiya said: I took care and made sure that Torah would not be forgotten from Israel. How? I would sow flax seeds, and after they grew, I would weave nets and fishing traps from them and catch deer. I would feed their meat to orphans and prepare parchment from their hides to write the Five Books of the Torah and the Six Orders of the Mishna upon. I would travel from city to city to places where there were no teachers for children and teach each child one of the books, and I would tell them: Go now and teach each other the book you have learned. Until all were proficient in the Five Books of the Torah and the Six Orders of the Mishna. This is how I ensured that Torah would not be forgotten from Israel [בבא מציעא פה:].

Their Merit Stands for All

A great wonder: Is it possible that Rabbi Chiya's flax suffered a plague? For Ravin bar Abba said, and some say Rabbi Avin bar Shabba said: From the time the exiles, the Sages of Babylonia, ascended to the Land of Israel in the generations of the Talmudic Sages, the shooting stars ceased (which is a star that passes across the sky like an arrow from place to place, and is a sign of curse, probably a comet), and the tremors, which are earthquakes. And the strong winds like hurricanes, and the thunder. And their wine did not sour, and the flax of the people of the Land of Israel did not suffer, which before then had suffered all these due to their sins?! And the Sages fixed their eyes on Rabbi Chiya and his sons who ascended from the Babylonian exile, and through their merit, the calamities ceased. If so, how is it possible that Rabbi Chiya's flax suffered? They answered: The merit of Rabbi Chiya and his sons benefits the whole world, but it does not benefit them, because their reward is reserved for the World to Come [סוכה כ.].

With Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi

Yehuda and Chizkiya, sons of Rabbi Chiya, were sitting at a meal before Rabbi and said nothing. Rabbi said to his servants, "Bring a lot of wine before them so they will drink and begin to speak!" Once they became mellowed, they began to speak and said: The Son of David will not come until the two patriarchal houses cease from Israel, meaning: before the Messiah comes, all worldly authority will be abolished, and then the kingdom of the House of David will be renewed [מהר"ל]. And these are the patriarchal houses: the Exilarch in Babylonia and the Nasi in the Land of Israel, as it is stated: "And He shall be for a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to the two houses of Israel" [Isaiah 8:14]. Rabbi, who was the Nasi in Israel, said to them: My sons, you cast thorns into my eyes! Rabbi Chiya said to him, "Rabbi, let it not displease you." And a secret is given in seventy letters, therefore, 'wine' entered, 'seventy' came out (the gematria of 'yayin' (wine) is 70, which is also the gematria of 'sod' (secret)). From this, we see Rabbi's great love for Rabbi Chiya and his sons [סנהדרין לח.].

His Sayings

Chizkiya says: A person's prayer is not heard unless he makes his heart soft like flesh and not hard like stone. As it is stated: "And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship" [Isaiah 66:23]. From this, we learn: only one whose heart is soft like flesh will come before the Lord [סוטה ה:].