רבה בר ירמיה

Rabbah bar Yirmiyah was an amora whose rulings are preserved across several tractates of the Talmud, most often brought by Rabbi Zeira (Rabbi Zeira), who states them in his name. A recurring pattern has Rabbi Zeira citing Rabbah bar Yirmiyah in the name of Shmuel — on rivers drawing water from marshes that may be used for irrigation on Chol HaMoed (Moed Katan 4a), on a divorced woman who is “divorced and not divorced” whose husband remains liable for her support (Gittin 74a), and on the wheat of meal-offerings that is not soaked (Pesachim 36a). He is also cited regarding the rulings of Chanan and Admon, where the law follows Chanan but not Admon in comparable cases (Ketubot 109a).

His teachings reach into matters of forbidden benefit and ritual practice as well: a view on covering blood with the dust of an “ir hanidachat” (Chullin 89a, attributed alternatively to him or to Rabbi Zeira), and a position that a large beast is like a small animal with respect to convulsive movement (pirkus), where the Talmud debates who is the true author of the teaching and concludes it in his name (Avodah Zarah 16b). He is portrayed as a traveling sage who “came to our place” bringing a baraita in hand, regarding the treatment of trees and the use of stones from a Markulis idol to pave roads and theaters (Avodah Zarah 50a–50b).