רב חיננא בר שלמיא

Rav Chinena bar Shalmia was an amora of the second generation in Bavel, in the third century, and among the foremost talmidim of Rav. His name appears also as Chanina, Chanania and Chananya, and the Talmud Yerushalmi spells his father’s name Shalmiah. Everything brought in his name in the two Talmuds he says in the name of Rav, whom he would also ask his questions, and his teachings are found in the Yerushalmi as well as in the Bavli. He taught mishnayot to Rav’s son Chiya, and after Rav was niftar he sent his questions to Shmuel.

His rulings carried great weight amongst his fellow amoraim. Rav Nachman says Rabbi Tavla decided a certain matter as Rav Chinena bar Shalmia held, Rav Nachman told him to retract — “and if not, I will take Rav Chinena bar Shalmia out of your ear.”

Among his own teachings: a talmid chacham must be at home in the practical side of things as well — the knot of the tefillin, birkat chatanim and tzitzit. He also taught that once a man’s teeth have gone, his sustenance grows scant, understood as the difficulty of earning a living in old age.