Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi (II)
We’ve seen R’ Yitzchak bar Avdimi recently, as quoted by Rava, for the two-step gezeira shava of zima-zima heina-heina.
אָמַר רָבָא: אֲמַר לִי רַב יִצְחָק בַּר אֲבוּדִימִי, אָתְיָא ״הֵנָּה״ ״הֵנָּה״, אָתְיָא ״זִמָּה״ ״זִמָּה״.
Rava says: Rav Yitzḥak bar Avudimi said to me: The equation of his relative to her relative is derived by means of a verbal analogy between the word “henna” written with regard to his relative: “The nakedness of your son’s daughter, or of your daughter’s daughter, their nakedness you shall not expose; for theirs [henna] is your own nakedness” (Leviticus 18:10), and the word “henna” written with regard to her relative: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter; you shall not take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; they [henna] are near kinswomen; it is lewdness” (Leviticus 18:17). Additionally, it is derived from a verbal analogy between the word “lewdness” (Leviticus 18:17) and the word “lewdness” in the verse: “And if a man takes a woman and her mother, it is lewdness; they shall be burned with fire both him and them, and there shall be no lewdness among you” (Leviticus 20:14).
Is this Rav of Rabbi Yitzchak bar Avudimi?
Across all printings and manuscripts in Hachi Garsinan, the title is “Rav”.
There were actually two separate R’ Yitzchak bar Avudimis. The first was a Tanna, Rabbi Yitzchak bar Avudimi, in the days of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, often called Rabbi Yitzchak Ruba. Here is how Rav Hyman begins in Toledot Tannaim vaAmoraim:
The Tanna is obviously to early to interact directly with Rava, a fourth-generation Amora, yet Rava states a direct interaction: אֲמַר לִי רַב יִצְחָק בַּר אֲבוּדִימִי.
I would guess his existence and fame could prompt someone else named Avudimi to call his son Yitzchak; or else this is a descendant, from the same family chain. This is Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi II. Rav Hyman says that he’s a third-generation Amora, a scholar in Rav Chisda’s academy, but as a colleague, not a student. He’s always arguing with Rav Chisda. It then makes sense that Rava is citing him in this way. He is Babylonian, not from the Land of Israel. Where we see “when Rav Yitzchak bar Avdimi came”, it means from Sura.
Thus, Rav Hyman writes:
I don’t have time to translate all this, but at least, here we have an interesting introduction to him.