Rabbi Jonah
{{Short description|4th-century amora and rabbi}}
{{About||the 13th century rabbi known as Rabbeinu Yonah|Yonah Gerondi|the 11th century grammarian and rabbi|Jonah ibn Janah}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jonah
| honorific_prefix = Rabbi
| occupation = Talmudist, Rector of the academy at Tiberias
| years_active = 4th century
| known_for = Leading rabbinical authority in the 4th amoraic generation, paternal care for pupils, miraculous efficacy of prayers
| notable_works = Rector of the academy at Tiberias
}}
{{Eras of the Halakha}}
Rabbi Jonah (Hebrew: רבי יונה) was an amora of the 4th century, the leading rabbinical authority in the 4th amoraic generation.
Biography
With Jose bar Zevida, his early schoolmate and lifelong colleague and business partner, he studied under Ze'era I and Rav Ela.Bekhorot 30a; Yerushalmi Terumot 2 41d When, as young men, they called on Abbahu to express their sympathy with him in his bereavement, he treated them as prominent scholars.Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 6 23d But Jonah's special master was Rav Jeremiah.Yerushalmi Hallah 1 57c, 2 58b From these masters and others, the youths acquired a thorough familiarity with the traditions, and gradually rose from pupils to fellows. Thus, it is said, "Haggai opened the discourse, and Jonah and Jose closed it".Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana 2 58b
Finally they succeeded to the rectorate of the academy at Tiberias. In his office Jonah was distinguished by his paternal care for his pupils, to whom he gave both advice and material support.Yerushalmi Beitzah 1 60c According to the halakhic requirement he gave away the tithe of his income, but to those who studied halachah, not to priests or Levites, deriving his authority from II Chronicles 31:4.Yerushalmi Ma'aser Sheni 5 56b
When he discovered a worthy man who was poor, he would aid him in such a way as not to hurt his self-respect. "I understand," he would say to him, "that you have fallen heir to an estate" or "that your debtors will soon pay you; borrow some money of me, which you may repay when you come into possession of your fortune." As soon as the loan had been accepted, he would relieve the borrower from his promise by telling him, "This money is yours as a gift." This procedure he regarded as suggested by Psalms: "Blessed is he that considers [Hebr. משכיל = "is thoughtful towards"] the poor".Psalms 41:2 [A. V. 1]; Yerushalmi Peah 8 21b; Midrash Tehillim to passage
Jonah also enjoyed a certain respect among the Romans.Yerushalmi Berachot 5 9a; Ta'anit 23b He was included among those styled ("the mighty ones of the land of Israel"), because, the Rabbis explained, of the efficacy of his prayers in times of drought. The following miracle is related of him: Once, on Shabbat, fire broke out on his premises. A Nabatean whose property adjoined Jonah's attempted to extinguish it, but Jonah would not permit him thus to profane the Sabbath. "Do you rely on your good luck?" mockingly asked the Nabatean, to which Jonah replied, "Yes"; whereupon the fire was quenched.Yerushalmi Yoma 8 45b
As rectors of the academy at Tiberias, Jonah and Jose had many disciples, some of whom became leaders in the next generation, and spread and perpetuated their master's doctrines. Jonah left a worthy son and successor in the person of Mani II.
References
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{{JewishEncyclopedia|url=http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?letter=J&artid=390|article=Jonah}} It has the following bibliography:
- Bacher, Ag. Pal. Amor. iii. 220–231;
- Frankel, Mebo, p. 98a;
- Halevy, Dorot ha-Rishonim, ii. 183b;
- Weiss, Dor, iii. 110.
{{Amoraim}}
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