Chiba the Shepherdess
My article in the Jewish Link discussed two unfortunate incidents in which Rav Ada bar Ahava I deliberately or inadvertently cursed Chova, the wife of Rav Huna.
I didn’t put this in the article, but we know Rav Ada bar Ahava has a strong sense of right and wrong, and will react to someone he perceives of acting inappropriately. So, on Berachot 20a:
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב פָּפָּא לְאַבָּיֵי: מַאי שְׁנָא רִאשׁוֹנִים דְּאִתְרְחִישׁ לְהוּ נִיסָּא, וּמַאי שְׁנָא אֲנַן דְּלָא מִתְרְחִישׁ לַן נִיסָּא? אִי מִשּׁוּם תַּנּוֹיֵי, בִּשְׁנֵי דְרַב יְהוּדָה כּוּלֵּי תַּנּוֹיֵי בִּנְזִיקִין הֲוָה, וַאֲנַן קָא מַתְנִינַן שִׁיתָּא סִדְרֵי. וְכִי הֲוָה מָטֵי רַב יְהוּדָה בְּעוּקְצִין, הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁכּוֹבֶשֶׁת יָרָק בַּקְּדֵרָה, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ זֵיתִים שֶׁכְּבָשָׁן בְּטַרְפֵיהֶן טְהוֹרִים, אָמַר: הֲוָיוֹת דְּרַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל קָא חָזֵינָא הָכָא. וַאֲנַן קָא מַתְנִינַן בְּעוּקְצִין תְּלֵיסַר מְתִיבָתָא, וְאִילּוּ רַב יְהוּדָה כִּי הֲוָה שָׁלֵיף חַד מְסָאנֵיהּ, אָתֵי מִטְרָא, וַאֲנַן קָא מְצַעֲרִינַן נַפְשִׁין וּמִצְוָח קָא צָוְחִינַן, וְלֵית דְּמַשְׁגַּח בַּן.
The Gemara responds: In the context of the discussion whether or not human dignity overrides honoring God in the sense of fulfilling his mitzvot, Rav Pappa said to Abaye: What is different about the earlier generations, for whom miracles occurred and what is different about us, for whom miracles do not occur? If it is because of Torah study; in the years of Rav Yehuda all of their learning was confined to the order of Nezikin, while we learn all six orders! Moreover, when Rav Yehuda would reach in tractate Okatzin, which discusses the extent to which the stems of various fruits and vegetables are considered an integral part of the produce in terms of becoming ritually impure, the halakha that a woman who pickles a vegetable in a pot, and some say when he would reach the halakha that olives pickled with their leaves are pure, because after pickling, it is no longer possible to lift the fruit by its leaves, they are no longer considered part of the fruit; he would find it difficult to understand. He would say: Those are the disputes between Rav and Shmuel that we see here. And we, in contrast, learn thirteen versions of Okatzin. While, with regard to miracles, after declaring a fast to pray for a drought to end, when Rav Yehuda would remove one of his shoes the rain would immediately fall, whereas we torment ourselves and cry out and no one notices us.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קַמָּאֵי הֲווֹ קָא מָסְרִי נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ אַקְּדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם, אֲנַן לָא מָסְרִינַן נָפְשִׁין אַקְּדוּשַּׁת הַשֵּׁם. כִּי הָא דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה חַזְיַיהּ לְהַהִיא כּוּתִית דַּהֲוָת לְבִישָׁא כַּרְבַּלְתָּא בְּשׁוּקָא. סְבַר דְּבַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא, קָם קַרְעֵיהּ מִינַּהּ. אִגַּלַּאי מִילְּתָא דְּכוּתִית הִיא. שַׁיְּימוּהָ בְּאַרְבַּע מְאָה זוּזֵי. אֲמַר לַהּ: מָה שְׁמִךְ? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מָתוּן. אֲמַר לַהּ, מָתוּן — מָתוּן אַרְבַּע מְאָה זוּזֵי שַׁוְיָא.
Abaye said to Rav Pappa: The previous generations were wholly dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name, while we are not as dedicated to the sanctification of God’s name. Typical of the earlier generations’ commitment, the Gemara relates: Like this incident involving Rav Adda bar Ahava who saw a non-Jewish woman who was wearing a garment made of a forbidden mixture of wool and linen [karbalta] in the marketplace. Since he thought that she was Jewish, he stood and ripped it from her. It was then divulged that she was a non-Jew and he was taken to court due to the shame that he caused her, and they assessed the payment for the shame that he caused her at four hundred zuz. Ultimately, Rav Adda said to her: What is your name? She replied: Matun. In a play on words, he said to her: Matun, her name, plus matun, the Aramaic word for two hundred, is worth four hundred zuz.
Despite it being purportedly the holier and righteous behavior, note that this is aspirational. Practically, it was not in either Abaye or Rav Pappa’s nature to act in such a manner. Which is really a good thing. Were it really required, Abaye and Rav Pappa are holy enough Amoraim that they would have done it. (Certainly people nowadays should not emulate Rav Ada bar Ahava in this regard. They aren’t as holy as Rav Pappa, let alone Rav Ada bar Ahava.)
This same Sage had an encounter or two with Rav Huna. In our sugya, Nazir 57a, he has a lenient position about adults (men and women) giving a haircut (while rounding the head) of a male child. Rav Huna has a stringent position, but also a leniency, in which women may cut the hair. When Rav Ada bar Ahava asks how Rav Huna’s children have this haircut, he replies that his wife Chova does it. In response, Rav Ada says “the children of Chova should die!” And they do, throughout Rav Ada’s lifetime. (Indicating that Rav Huna outlived him.)
There is a parallel story in Bava Kamma 80a where there is a rabbinic prohibition, perhaps expressed by Rav Huna, of raising small animals in Bavel. Rav Ada asks who raises Rav Huna’s goats and sheep. Rav Huna says Chova does it, and again, Rav Ada curses him in the same way.
I’ll link to the article here, and continue the summary below the image.
I wonder whether both stories are true. Did he curse her twice? Shouldn’t Rav Huna have thought not to mention her after the first time?! Also, some meforshim want to give a different interpretation to Rav Ada’s retort in each place.
There is also a happy incident, during the wedding of Rav Huna’s son Rabba, in which he is in bed sick, and his many daughters and daughters-in-law accidentally lay their silk coats on him, fulfilling a blessing from Rav. It is difficult to place this in time, and I explore some of the constraints pulling one way of another. When were Rav, Rav Huna, Rav Ada bar Ahava, Rabba bar Rav Huna each born? How long until they mature and get married. Rav Hyman (in Toledot Tannaim vaAmoraim) simplifies the matter by suggesting that these children were from a different wife.
I noted two interesting manuscript variants here.
First, some texts give her name as Chiba rather than Chova. This would be a positive name indicating honor rather than a negative name indicating guilt.
In the above image, I underlined instances of the name Chiba, with a yud.
Second, some sugyot and sugya variants not only say that all of Rav Huna’s children didn’t survive, but also put in the word “from Chova / Chiba”. See the above manuscript, last red underline. Or see Vatican 110 on Nazir:
This would align well with Rav Hyman’s suggestion, that it was specifically from Chova. His other children could come from a different wife.