רבי חנניא בן עקביא

Rabbi Chananya ben Akavya was a tanna whose rulings appear in tractate Eruvin in connection with the city of Teveria (Israel – Tiberias). The Gemara records three matters in which he permitted leniencies for the people of Teveria: drawing water from a balcony on Shabbat, insulating food in chaff, and drying oneself with a towel.

His allowance regarding drawing water is discussed and qualified in the Gemara. As Rabbi Yochanan brings in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra, Rabbi Chananya ben Akavya permitted this only with respect to the sea of Teveria, since it has rims and is surrounded by towns and enclosures, but not concerning other bodies of water. His position is weighed and analyzed in the give-and-take of the sugya.