רבי יעקב בר אידי

Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi, an amora of the second generation in Eretz Yisrael and among the great men of his generation, was the leading talmid of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and lived in the region of Tzor. He brings many teachings in his rebbe’s name, and cites rulings of Rabbi Yochanan as well. Rav Nachman and Rabbi Zeira held him in unusual regard: when a hard doubt arose in their learning they would send a messenger specially to put it to him, and Rabbi Zeira would address him as “Rabbi.” He is often mentioned together with Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani. English works call him Jacob bar Idi.

Rabbi Yochanan valued him greatly, and one episode in particular fixed his name. Rabbi Yochanan was angry at his foremost talmid Rabbi Elazar, who had said over a halachah in the beit midrash that he had heard from him without saying it in his name. Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi came before Rabbi Yochanan and said: the Torah writes that as Hashem commanded Moshe, so Yehoshua bin Nun did. Did Yehoshua preface every word he taught with “so said Moshe”? He sat and taught, and everyone knew the Torah was Moshe’s. So here too — Elazar sits and teaches, and everyone knows the Torah is yours. Rabbi Yochanan answered: why do you not know how to appease as ben Idi our colleague does?

His father was an amora in his own right, and because the son was the better known he is called in the Gemara Rav Idi, the father of Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi. Masechet Chagigah tells of him that he would walk three months to reach his rebbe, learn a single day, and walk three months home — six months on the road for one day of Torah. When others made light of him, Rabbi Yochanan was troubled lest his own displeasure bring punishment upon the talmidei chachamim who had mocked him. In psak, Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi holds that although havdalah may still be made through Wednesday, the berachah over the flame belongs to Motzaei Shabbat alone, since the light was created at the start of the week.