רבי זריקא

Rav Zerika — Rabbi Zerikan in the Talmud Yerushalmi — was an amora of Eretz Yisrael in the fourth generation. He learned before Rabbi Abbahu together with his fellow Rabbi Yirmiyah, and was a talmid of Reish Lakish, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat and Rav Yehuda; his principal rebbi was Rabbi Ami. He would copy out baraitot and set them in order, and he brings teachings in the name of Rav Huna. Rabbi Zeira was his colleague, and with Abba he settled the machloket of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and Rabbi Natan as to whether the night is divided into three watches or four. A tanna of the same name appears in the Tosefta and the Mechilta.

Among his rulings: in the presence of a meit one speaks only of matters that concern him. In the machloket of Rav and Rabbi Chanina over whether Rosh Chodesh is mentioned in Birkat HaMazon in Yaaleh V’yavo, he decided the halachah like Rav, on the strength of a baraita brought by Rabbi Oshaya. In Bavel they told how he pointed out to Rav Safra the difference between the reserve of Eretz Yisrael and the boldness of Bavel in the matter of the prayer for rain.