'
Al>a
A^a
b.
Jacob
THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA
of Sbab|>a
of Solomon's Temple, he relates tlint when Kiiij; Solomon constructed the Siicred eilitice lie placeil in it all kinds of trees made of u;old: and whenever any kind of tree Ulossonied outside, the corresponding one inside hlossonicd also. In proof of this,
Aha
(piotes the Biblical imssjijie (Isji. xxxv. 2). "It shall blossom aliunilaiilly, ami rejoice even with joy and singing: the glnry of Jjcbanon shall be given
unto it, the excellency of Carinel and Sharon, " Lebanon was the svnibolic name of the Temple (Yer.
Yoma.
iv. -Wil).'
S.
JI.
A'ffA B. JACOB: A Babylonian amnra. senior contcmpoiary of Abaye and Uaba (1$. K. 40/1). and a disciple of lluna, head of the academy at Sura. So inc(S.sant was his application to study that it undermined his health, and brouglit on a serious illness, from which, however, he recovered. Seeing some of his former schoolmates, who had contracted similar ailments and Ii.'kI become chronic sulTerers, he applied to liimself the Scriptural Siiying (Eccl. " vii. li). " Wisdom giveth life to them that have it (Yell. aVt). Nor did he long remember the warning of his early exiierience. He devoted all his days to the study of the Law and when worldly avocations compelled him to "borrow" part of the day. he would "repay" it by studying at night CEr. 0.")i/).
After his ordination as teacher he estahlislied himself at l'aphuuia(Epiphania; supjiosed to be on the Euphrates), where lie became an authority on ritual matters, as well as a distinguished haggadist. By degrees he earned the reputation of being one of the foremost men of his age (Er. G'ia). lie is also reported to have been a skilful writer of Torah scrolls (B. B. 14((; Kid. 3.>(; B. K. 54/<; Xiddah, G7/»: Sanh. Fragments of his homiletic sayings are jirc464). served in Sliab. >ir>it: 'Er. 54/7 Pes. 'Sn; Yoma. 194. 754 Hag. 13'/ Kid. 40rt. In halakic discu.ssion he isquotedin Yer. Sheb. vi. 364;Pes. 1164, 1174;Yoma, 76r(; Kid, 35rt; Sanh. 364; Hor. 54. 64; Ker. .54. In addition to his diligent pursuit of halakic and haggadic studies Aha appears to have apjilied himself to philosophy and mysticism (Ber. ti{)a, Sliab. 664. B. B. 75<(). and legend represents him as an adejit in the occult sciences. It relates that a demon had established himself in the neighborhood of Abaye's academy, and greatly hanissed the frequenters of the school, even when they walked together in daylight. No one seemed able to dislodge him. When Abaye was informed that Aha bar .lacob was on his way to Pumbedita, he arranged with the inhabitants of the city to refuse to accommodate him. so that he should be compelled to lodge in the academy. Aha arrived, and no sooner had 1»' comjileted his arrangements for his night's rest than llie demon appeared to him in the shape of a seven-headed hydra. Aha immediately betook himself to prayer; and at each genuflection one of the heads of the hydra dropped off. In the morning Aha reproachfully .said to Abaye. "Had not heaven .seen fit to work a miracle, my life would have been endangered " (Kid. 294; see Bacher, " Ag. Bab. Amor." pp.
A?A
137-139).
AHA
M.
S.
B.
JOSEPH
A
Babylonian amora
who
flourished in the fourth anil fifth centuries. His life was an luuisually long one; for in his youth he attended Hisda's lectures (306). an<l in his old age discussed halakic matters with Ashi II. (died 427f. It is stated that he was afflicted with asthma, for which Mar Ukba jirescribed three onncesof asafetida to be taken in the course of three days. During another severe attack, he was treated niedicallv bv Kahana (Shab. 1104. 140«; B. M. Hoi. 1094 Men, "354 'Er, 296; Yeb, 314; B. M, 1094; Hul. lOofl), S. M,
(AgAI)
amoni of
MINTOMI: A
B.
Balndonian
geueralion (fourth century), disciple of Nahman b, Jacob, and conteniporaryof Abave. Aha b. Minvomi was probablv a broiher of Adda b. Minvomi" (Yeb. 94'( Kid. 66.( B. K. the
fourth
106.:;
B.
A^A
IISA.
I',.
l.->94;
'Ab.
Zai-ali'. 74).
PAPA
M.
S.
PAPI
or A Palestinian amora of the third genei-ation (fourth century). He was the contemporary of Abbaliu (" Die Ag. der Pal. Amor." iii. .546), Zeira I., and Abba II. He was surnamid Arika, an appellation of dis|)Uted
Sa'IN.
(A]g;AI) B,
meaning (compare Jastrow, "Diet." under and Ann.v AniK.;Shab. lll'(. WAi Yer,
Yer. Yeb. viii. 94). Keferring to repentance. Aha is (juoted as saving. "Great indeed is the power of repentance! It counteracts heavenly decrees, and even annuls heavenly oaths!" The same sentence is attrilmted to Abba b. Papa (Pesik. XXV. Ifi3((, Buber's note; see Bacher. " Ag. Pal. Amor." iii. 651). That repentance counteracts heavenly decrees, he proves from the life of Jeconiah. "Write j'e this man [Coniah] eliildlcss" (Jer. xxii. 30); yet we find (I Chron. iii. 17) that Jeconiah was the father of no less than eight sons, H.
II.
iv. 594;
among them
Shealtiel. That repentance annuls heavenly oaths he deduces from the sjime message by Jeremiah (xxii. 24). "As I live, sjiith the Ijord, though Coniah. the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah. were the signet upon my right han<l. yet would I pluck thee thence " but at a latcrdate Haggai (ii. 23) says, "In that day, sjiith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee. O Zerubbabel. my servant, the son of Shealtiel. saith the Lord, and will make thee as a
signet" (Cant. H. to
AHA
278
B.
RAB
viii. 6).
A
S.
M,
Babylonian amora of the
and fourth generations (fourth century). He a contemporary of lijibina I. and the .senior of Aha b. Jacob. His opinions were sujjported by his grandson, Mesharshcva (Sanh, 766, 77«; Hul, 33(i). third
was
S,
AHA
(AHAI)
B.
RABA
A
M.
Babylonian
amora, son of
Kali.-i li. .Joscjib, ,'ind a coiitemjiorary of Amemar II. and of Ashi; tlicil in 419. During the last live years of his life he filled the rectorate of the academv at Pumbedita (Sliab, 934; Yeb, 46«; B. B, 1246: Men. 34; "Letter of Sherira"; Grfltz,
"Gesch.
d.
Juden," 2d
ed., iv. 379).
AHA S AR HA-BIRAH
S.
M.
CASTELLAN
( ") : Palestinian anioni of the third generation (fourth century), contemporary of Taiihum b. Hiyya of KeNo original decisions or doctrines are refar Acco. corded under his name in the Talmud; but in behalf of others he reported several Halakot and precedents. If his surname did not come to him by inheritance (compare Jonatii.vn S.u ii.-BiK.in. the social position indicated by it enabled him to be helpful to his unfortunate coreligionists. On one occasion, with the assistance of Tanhuin, he ran'
'
A
somed some Jewish captives who were brought
to
Tiberias (Yeb, 45). From the fact that he is .said to have twice submitted Halakot to the sages at Usha. it seems probable that this place, a former seat of the Sanhedrin, was, even down to Aim's days, a center of attraction for learned Jews (Ket. 22'», 88rt; B. B, 146'(: 'Ar. 224). But it is more likely that the reporter fif the Halakot in Ket. 2"2'f and B. B. /.<: was a tanna of the same n,-inie. .S, M.
AHA
(AHAI) OF SHABHA: A prominent Babylonian Talmudist of the eighth century. He enjoys the distinction of being the first rabbinical author known to history after the close of the Tal-
