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Rabbah ben Shilah

RABBAH BEN SHILAH (fl. late third early fourth century C.E.), Babylonian amora. His teacher was Ḥisda (Shab. 81a). Because of his aversion to bribery, Rabbah declared a judge unfit to try a case involving neighbors from whom he had borrowed anything (Ket. 105b). He was quick to defend others. According to an aggadah, Elijah appeared to Rabbah on one occasion, and told him that God mentions halakhot in the name of the sages but not in that of R. Meir, because he had been taught by *Elisha b. Avuyah who had denied the existence of God. Rabbah said to Elijah: "Meir found a pomegranate, ate the fruit, and threw away the peel," i.e., he had extracted only what was good from Elisha's teachings, whereupon Elijah replied that henceforward God would mention Meir's name (Ḥag. 15b).

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Hyman, Toledot, 1083–84; Bacher, Bab Amor, 140–1.


Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.