Page "Abbahu" Paragraph 3

After his ordination he declined a teacher's position, recommending in his stead a more needy friend, R. Abba of Acre ( Acco ), as worthier than himself ( Sotah, 40a ).

He thereby illustrated his own doctrine that it is a divine virtue to sympathize with a friend in his troubles as well as to partake of his joys ( Tan., Wa-yesheb, ed.

Buber, 16 ).

Later he assumed the office of rector in Cæsarea, the former seat of R. Hoshaya I, and established himself at the so-called Kenishta Maradta ( Insurrectionary Synagogue ; Yer.

Nazir vii. 56a ; Yer.

San.

i. 18a ; compare Josephus, B. J. ii. 14, § 5 ; Jastrow, Dict.

p. 838 ), whence some of the most prominent teachers of the next generation issued.

He did not, however, confine his activity to Cæsarea, where he originated several ritualistic rules ( Yer.

Demai ii. 23a, R. H. 34a ), one of which — that regulating the sounding of the shofar — has since been universally adopted, and is referred to by medieval Jewish casuists as " Takkanat R. Abbahu " ( the Enactment of R. Abbahu ; compare " Maḥzor Vitry ", Berlin, 1893, p. 355 ).

He also visited and taught in many other Jewish towns ( Yer.

Berakhot viii. 12a ; Yer.

Shab.

iii. 5c ).