רבה בר אבוה

Rabbah bar Avuha was a Babylonian amora of the second generation, a talmid of Rav and the rebbi muvhak of Rav Nachman, who brings nearly all of his teachings in the Gemara. He lived in Nehardea, and when the city was destroyed by Papa bar Netzer in 4019/259 he moved to Shechantziv, then to Shilhi, and finally to Mechoza, one of the important Jewish cities of Bavel, where he was appointed dayan and rav of the city. In his yeshiva were found collections of baraitot that the other Amoraim did not possess.

He was connected to the house of the Reish Galuta, and some hold that he served in that exalted office himself; Rav Sherira Gaon writes that he was of the family of the nasi, and counts himself among his descendants, of the line of David. The Gemara relates that he merited gilui Eliyahu, and that Eliyahu gave him leaves from Gan Eden through which he became wealthy. In his humility he said of himself that he was not fully expert even in the four sedarim of the Mishnah that were learned in the yeshivot — yet his statements in halachah are scattered across the entire Talmud, almost all of them brought in his name by his talmid Rav Nachman.

Among his teachings: on the pasuk "Dirshu Hashem behimatzo" he taught that these are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur; and in Masechet Sanhedrin, in the laws of the dinei nefashot, the Gemara brings in his name: "‘Ve’ahavta lerei’acha kamocha’ — choose for him a good death," that even one condemned by beit din is granted the easiest death possible, for the honor of every man must be guarded even then.