Page "Abba Arika" Paragraph 1

His surname, Arika ( English, " Long "— that is, " Tall "; it occurs only once — Hullin 137b ), he owed to his height, which, according to a reliable record, exceeded that of his contemporaries.

Others, reading Areka, consider it an honorary title, " Lecturer " ( Weiss, Dor, iii.

147 ; Jastrow, Dictionary under the word ).

In the traditional literature he is referred to almost exclusively as Rav, " the Master ", ( both his contemporaries and posterity recognizing in him a master ), just as his teacher, Judah I, was known simply as Rabbi.

He is called Rabbi Abba only in the tannaitic literature ( for instance, Tosefta, Beitzah 1: 7 ), where a number of his sayings are preserved.

He occupies a middle position between the Tannaim and the Amoraim, and is accorded the right, rarely conceded to one who is only an ' amora, of disputing the opinion of a tanna ( Bava Batra 42a and elsewhere ).