“I punished him”: Anecdotes About the Life and Death of Rav Adda bar Abba (Bava Batra 22a)
Rav Dimi of Neharde’a and Rav Yosef; “I punished him” - Five Sages Each say it was due to them; Rav Nahman bar Yizhak, Rav Pappa, and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua
This story takes place in the 4th/5th generation of Babylonian amoraim. Meaning, circa early 4th century CE, in Babylonia (modern-day Iraq).
The passage
Pt. 1 - Rav Dimi of Neharde’a and Rav Yosef
The Talmudic story involves a series of events beginning with Rav Dimi of Neharde’a (רב דימי מנהרדעא), who brought dried figs to sell. The Exilarch tasked Rava with determining if Rav Dimi deserved a reserved market based on his status as a Torah scholar. Rava delegated this assessment to his student, Rav Adda bar Abba (רב אדא בר אבא), instructing him to figuratively "smell" Rav Dimi's scholarship by posing a challenging question about the ritual purity of a wicker basket excreted by an elephant.
Rav Dimi was unable to answer the question, leading to a derogatory response from Rav Adda bar Abba, who lightly struck Rav Dimi’s shoe in a disparaging manner. Based on this interaction, Rav Adda concluded that Rav Dimi was not a notable Torah scholar and thus did not deserve a reserved market. Consequently, Rav Dimi’s dried figs rotted, leading him to complain to Rav Yosef about the treatment he received. Rav Yosef responded by invoking divine justice for those who humiliated Rav Dimi. Rav Adda bar Abba then dies.
רב דימי מנהרדעא אייתי גרוגרות בספינה.
אמר ליה ריש גלותא לרבא: פוק חזי, אי צורבא מרבנן הוא – נקיט ליה שוקא.
אמר ליה רבא לרב אדא בר אבא: פוק תהי ליה בקנקניה.
נפק, [אזל], בעא מיניה: פיל שבלע כפיפה מצרית, והקיאה דרך בית הרעי, מהו?
לא הוה בידיה.
אמר ליה: מר ניהו רבא?!
טפח ליה בסנדליה, אמר ליה: בין דידי לרבא איכא טובא, מיהו על כרחך אנא רבך, ורבא רבה דרבך.
לא נקטו ליה שוקא, פסוד גרוגרות דידיה.
אתא לקמיה דרב יוסף, אמר ליה: חזי מר מאי עבדו לי!
אמר ליה: מאן דלא שהייה לאוניתא דמלכא דאדום, לא נשהייה לאוניתיך. דכתיב: ״כה אמר ה׳: על שלשה פשעי מואב ועל ארבעה לא אשיבנו, על שרפו עצמות מלך אדום לסיד״.
נח נפשיה דרב אדא בר אבא.
The Gemara relates: Rav Dimi of Neharde’a brought dried figs on a ship to sell them.
The Exilarch said to Rava: Go and see; if he is a Torah scholar, reserve the market for him, i.e., declare that he has the exclusive right to sell dried figs.
Rava said to his student Rav Adda bar Abba: Go and smell his jar, i.e., determine whether or not Rav Dimi is a Torah scholar.
Rav Adda bar Abba went and asked Rav Dimi a question: With regard to an elephant that swallowed a wicker basket and excreted it intact along with its waste, what is the halakha? Is the vessel still susceptible to ritual impurity or is it considered digested and not susceptible to impurity?
An answer was not available to Rav Dimi.
Rav Dimi said to Rav Adda bar Abba: Is the Master Rava, i.e., are you Rava, as you have asked me such a difficult question?
Rav Adda bar Abba struck him on his shoe in a disparaging way and said to him: There is a great difference between me and Rava; but I am perforce your teacher, and Rava is your teacher’s teacher.
Based on this exchange, Rav Adda bar Abba decided that Rav Dimi was not a great Torah scholar, and therefore he did not reserve the market for him, and Rav Dimi lost his dried figs, as they rotted.
Rav Dimi came before Rav Yosef to complain, and said to him: The Master should see what they did to me.
Rav Yosef said to him: He Who did not delay retribution for the humiliation of the King of Edom should not delay His response to your humiliation, but should punish whoever distressed you, as it is written: “So says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab, indeed for four I will not reverse for him, because he burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime” (Amos 2:1).
The Gemara reports that Rav Adda bar Abba died.
Pt. 2 - “I punished him” - Five Sages Each say it was due to them
This segment of the Talmudic passage discusses various prominent figures reflecting on their perceived role in the demise of Rav Adda bar Abba, each saying “I punished him!” (אנא ענישתיה), believing that their actions or curses had led to his death.
Rav Yosef believes he is to blame because he cursed Rav Adda bar Abba, as just described at the end of pt. 1.
Rav Dimi from Neharde’a attributes Rav Adda bar Abba's death to his own sense of justice, believing that Rav Adda's actions, which caused Rav Dimi's loss of dried figs, warranted divine retribution.
Abaye feels responsible because he was disrespected by Rav Adda bar Abba. Rav Adda had unfavorably compared Abaye's teaching to that of Rava, suggesting that studying under Rava was more beneficial, akin to eating fatty meat versus gnawing bones under Abaye.
Rava sees himself as the cause of punishment, recalling how Rav Adda bar Abba boasted of his own status by demanding service before Rava's servant at the butcher's, indicating his perceived superiority.
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak believes he is implicated, based on a story told over in pt. 3.
רב יוסף אמר: אנא ענישתיה – דאנא לטייתיה.
רב דימי מנהרדעא אמר: אנא ענישתיה – דאפסיד גרוגרות דידי.
אביי אמר: אנא ענישתיה – דאמר להו לרבנן: אדמגרמיתו גרמי בי אביי, תו אכלו בישרא [שמינא] בי רבא.
ורבא אמר: אנא ענישתיה – [דכי הוה אזיל לבי טבחא למשקל אומצא,] אמר להו לטבחי: אנא שקילנא בישרא מיקמי שמעיה דרבא, דאנא עדיפנא מיניה.
רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר: אנא ענישתיה –
Rav Yosef said: I punished him, i.e., I am to blame for his death! as I cursed him.
Rav Dimi from Neharde’a said: I punished him! as he caused my loss of dried figs.
Abaye said: I punished him! because he did not exhibit the proper respect for me. As Rav Adda bar Abba said to the Sages: Instead of gnawing the bones in the school of Abaye, you would do better to eat fatty meat in the school of Rava, i.e., it is preferable to study with Rava than with Abaye.
And Rava said: I punished him! as when he would go to the butcher to buy a piece of meat, he would say to the butchers: I will take meat before Rava’s servant, as I am greater than he is.
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: I punished him!
Pt. 3 - Rav Nahman bar Yizhak, Rav Pappa, and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua
Pt. 3 of the Talmudic story revolves around Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak, who was responsible for leading the kalla lectures—special Torah study sessions during the months of Elul and Adar. Typically, Rav Naḥman would prepare for these lectures by reviewing them with Rav Adda bar Abba just before teaching.
On the day in question, Rav Adda bar Abba was detained by Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, who missed the end of a previous lecture by Rava and sought to catch up on Rava’s teachings on the animal tithe. As a result of this delay, Rav Adda bar Abba was late to meet Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak, causing a significant delay in the scheduled kalla lecture.
Impatient and concerned about the time, the other sages urged Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak to start the lecture without Rav Adda bar Abba. However, Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak ominously stated that he was waiting for the "bier of Rav Adda bar Abba," suggesting he sensed Rav Adda's impending death. Shortly after, rumors confirmed that Rav Adda bar Abba had indeed died.
דרב נחמן בר יצחק ריש כלה הוה.
כל יומא מיקמי דניעול לכלה, מרהיט בהדיה רב אדא בר אבא לשמעתיה, והדר עייל לכלה.
ההוא יומא, נקטוה רב פפא ורב הונא בריה דרב יהושע לרב אדא בר אבא, משום דלא הוו בסיומא,
אמרו ליה: אימא לן הני שמעתתא דמעשר בהמה, היכי אמרינהו רבא.
אמר להו: הכי אמר רבא, והכי אמר רבא.
אדהכי נגה ליה [לרב נחמן בר יצחק], ולא אתי רב אדא בר אבא;
אמרו ליה רבנן לרב נחמן בר יצחק: קום, דנגה לן, למה יתיב מר?
אמר להו: יתיבנא וקא מנטרא לערסיה דרב אדא בר אבא.
אדהכי, נפק קלא דנח נפשיה דרב אדא בר אבא.
ומסתברא, דרב נחמן בר יצחק ענשיה.
as Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak was the head of the kalla lectures, the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would teach the students immediately following the lesson taught by the head of the academy.
Every day, before he went in for the kalla lecture, he reviewed his lecture with Rav Adda bar Abba, and then he would enter the study hall for the kalla lecture.
On that day Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, seized Rav Adda bar Abba, because they had not been present at the conclusion of Rava’s lecture.
They said to him: Tell us how Rava stated these halakhot of animal tithe.
Rav Adda bar Abba said to them: Rava said this and Rava said that.
Meanwhile, it grew late for Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak, and Rav Adda bar Abba had not yet arrived.
The Sages said to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Arise and teach us, as it is late for us. Why does the Master sit and wait?
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to them: I am sitting and waiting for the bier of Rav Adda bar Abba, who has presumably died.
Meanwhile, a rumor emerged that Rav Adda bar Abba had indeed died.
The Gemara comments: And so too, it is reasonable to conclude that Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak punished him, i.e., he died as a result of Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak’s statement, as the unfortunate event occurred just as he announced that Rav Adda bar Abba’s bier was on its way.
Interesting as always. My first thought was that the gemarra consistently paints the sages as normal people, with virtues and failings, and willing to subject themselves to self-scrutiny and possible liability. My second thought was perhaps claiming responsiblity for Rabbi Addar Bar Abba's death was not to accept guilt but to take credit!