Hanina

Rav Hanina^[1] (or Hananiah,^[1] sometimes spelled: Hananyah; Hebrew: רב חנינא or חנניא‎) was second and third generation Amora Sage of the Land of Israel.

Biography

He was a student of

He was the scion of a family of great sages, and the brother of R. Hoshaiah Rabbah. Hoshaiah is once referred to as "Rabbi Hoshaiah bar Rabbi Hama",^[4] which suggests that Hanina is the same as Hanina bar Hama, though other opinions suggest they were different individuals.

Hanina was a bachelor all his life, and together with his brother Hoshaiah sold shoes for prostitutes, and yet they did not raise their eyes to see them. Rava stated that it was with respect to these two brothers that it is said that if a bachelor lives in a city and does not sin, God proclaims his praise every day.^[5]

Several stories indicate that he had extensive medical knowledge.^[6]

R.

• No man can hurt his finger in this terrestrial world, unless it were first decreed upon him in the celestial world.[9]
• Never let the blessing of a commoner be esteemed a light thing in thy sight.^[10]

References

This biographical article about a rabbi from the Middle East is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

• v
• t
• e