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Abba bar Zemina

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Abba bar Zemina(Hebrew:אבא בר זמינא) orbar Zebina(Hebrew:בר זבינא) was aJewishrabbi of the fourth century (fourth generation ofamoraim).

Biography[edit]

He was a pupil ofRav Zeira,in whose name he transmitted many sayings. He was employed inRomeas a tailor in the house of aGentilewho, under the threat of death, tried to force him to break thedietary laws.Abba, however, steadfastly refused to yield to this, and showed so much courage that the Roman admiringly exclaimed: "If you had eaten, I should have killed you. If you be aJew,be a Jew; if aheathen,a heathen! "[1]

Tanhuma bar Abbarelates another anecdote concerning a pious tailor at Rome, who bought the most expensive fish;[2]this anecdote may refer to Abba bar Zemina, but elsewhere the same story is told of Joseph, "the reverer of the Sabbath".[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^Jerusalem TalmudShevi'it4:2 35a-b;Ehrman, Arnost Zvi (1978). "Shevi'it".Encyclopedia Judaica.Vol. 14 (1st ed.). Jerusalem, Israel: Keter Publishing House Ltd. p. 1391-1392.
  2. ^Genesis Rabbah11
  3. ^Shabbat 119a

This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Bacher, Wilhelm (1901)."Abba Bar Zebina (or Zemina)".InSinger, Isidore;et al. (eds.).The Jewish Encyclopedia.Vol. 1. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. pp. 35–36.