Haggai

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HAGGAI

HAGGAI (or ?agga ; fl. c. 300 c.e.), Palestinian amora. Probably born in Babylon (tj, Or 3:1, 63a; tj, Av. Zar. 3:14, 43c), he went to Palestine, where after initial difficulties (Av. Zar. 68a) he became a prominent member of the academy of Tiberias and one of the principal pupils of *Zeira whom he often accompanied (tj, Dem. 3:2, 23b) and in whose name he transmitted sayings (tj, Kid. 3:2, 63d). In a dispute with *?anina in a case of marital law, Haggai was praised by R. Hilla as a scholar of sound judgment (ibid.). Because of his important position in the academy he opened each study session while *Yose and Jonah closed them (tj, rh 2:6, 58b). Haggai was also the pupil (according to Frankel, Mevo ha-Yerushalmi, 79b–80b, the associate) of Yose (bb 19b; tj, Pes. 4:3, 31a; tj, Kid. 3:3, 64a; see tj, Shab. 1:5, 4a, where Yose calls him "rabbi"; cf. tj, rh 2:6, 58b). In a case brought before *A?a he supported the view of his teacher Yose by an oath "By Moses," a formula often employed by him (tj, Naz. 5:1, 54a; tj, 4:3, 24a, etc.). Like Yose he held the view that the reason for the interdiction against looking at the kohanim while they are reciting the Priestly Benedictions is because it may distract them from proper concentration (tj, Ta'an. 4:1, 67b).

His close pupil and associate was *Mana, the head of the academy in Sepphoris, who participated in Haggai's scholarly discussions (ibid.). Once Mana visited his sick teacher on the Day of Atonement and gave him permission to drink, but Haggai declined to avail himself of it (tj, Yoma 6:4, 43d). His daughter was involved in lawsuits because she squandered her property (tj, bb 10:15, 17d). His son Eleazar was a pupil of Mana's academy in Sepphoris (tj, Shek. 7:3, 50c). Haggai appears to have lived for a while in Tyre (tj, Ket. 2:6, 4a) and some sources hint at the fact that he migrated to Babylonia in the days of *Abbaye and *Rabbah since he is quoted in the Babylonian Talmud as having had discussions with them (e.g., bm 113b but see Dik. Sof. bm 169b, n. 100). The Haggai who ordered Jacob of Kefar Nibburaya to be punished by flagellation for falsely interpreting Scripture to the effect that fish must be slaughtered in the same way as animals and that the son of a gentile mother may be circumcised on the Sabbath is probably this Haggai and not *Haggai of Sepphoris.