Rav Hiyya bar Joseph[1] (or Rav Hiyya bar Yosef;[2]Hebrew: רבי חייא בר יוסף[3]) was a Babylonian rabbi of the 3rd century (second generation of amoraim).
Biography
In Babylonia, he lived in a place called Sikara on the shore of the Tigris river, near Mahuza,[4] and had served as the city sage instituting measures.
He mainly studied under Rav and frequently quotes his teachings.[5] He would sometimes go to Samuel's school and submit secondhand reports of Rav, and get Samuel's response.[6] He was also a student of Samuel (probably after the death of Rav, like some other of Rav's students), and addressed him with questions,[7] and would sometimes dispute him.[8]
Later on he made Aliyah to the Land of Israel. Here he made his livelihood from salt trading.[9] Little is known about his family, except that after immigrating to the Land of Israel alone, he sent someone to bring his wife.[10]
Upon arrival to the Land of Israel he studied with R. Yochanan bar Nafcha and Shimon ben Lakish,[11] and submitted to them rulings by Rav.[12] Even with Yochanan bar Nafcha he disputed on various matters.[13] He also studied under R. Hiyya bar Abba.[14] The Talmud also mentions that Hiyya bar Joseph is addressing Yochanan bar Nafcha with questions, however, he was probably not considered Yochanan's pupil: in a dispute among them, Hiyya bar Joseph is mentioned first, and various doubts on halachic matters were brought before both of them as one.[15] At times, Hiyya bar Joseph also delivers statements in the name of Hoshaiah Rabbah.[16]
Pupils
Rav Giddel studied under him when he was still in Babylonia, and delivers statements in his name that are secondhand statements made by Rav.[17] The rabbis of Caesarea, the students of Caesarean academy, also cite laws in his name.[18]
^In texts from the Land of Israel he is often called "חייה" instead of "חייא", and where his father is sometimes called "יוסי" ("Jose"). Aside from carrying the title "Rabbi", he is known as "Rav", as is customary among scholars of Babylon
^Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 53a; Hullin 45b; In both cases, Samuel responded harshly, "If he said so - then we do not know anything about the laws of Shabbat Trefah", an expression that is unmatched in the Talmud, and he may have thought that R. Hiyya misunderstood the second hand reports ('יבוא הלוי', Hullin, p. 187)
^Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 95a; Jerusalem Talmud, Ma'aser Sheni 1:3. In the Babylonian Talmud (Beitzah 32b) it is said: "R. Hiyya bar Joseph recited in the presence of Rav Nachman", which is inconsistent with the order of time. hence, in "Halakhot Gedolot" ("Halakhot Yom-Tov") and in Asher ben Jehiel (on Beitzah 4:8) the version is: "in the presence of R. Yochanan".
^Jerusalem Talmud, Sotah 1:3; Commentators of the Jerusalem Talmud interpreted, in that context, that he was a Kohen and his wife fell in captivity, though Aaron Hyman in Toldot Tanaʾim ṿe-ʾAmoraʾim opines that this is not true and interpreted the context of the story differently.