Rav Zeira - Arrival in The Land of Israel

Arrival in The Land of Israel

Ze'era's arrival in the Land of Israel and his first experiences there have been recorded in various anecdotes. He was small of stature and of dark complexion, for which reason Assi called him "Black Pot" (Ab. Zarah 16b), according to an expression current in Babylonia (comp. Meg. 14b; Pes. 88a; Ber. 50a); this name possibly also contained an allusion to his sputtering manner of speech. Perhaps with reference to a malformation of his legs, he was called "the little one with burned legs," or "the dark, burned one with the stubby legs" (comp. Bacher, Ag. Pal. Amor. iii. 7, note 2). But a different explanation of this is given in Bava Metsia 85a, where it is said that he fasted in order to merit protection from the fires of Gehenna and that he then tested himself every thirty days by sitting in the fire without coming to harm, until one day the sages distracted him (cast an eye upon him) and his legs were burned. Thus, these nicknames throw light upon Ze'era's ascetic piety (B. M. 85a).

In the Land of Israel he associated with all the prominent scholars. Eleazar b. Pedat was still living at the time (Niddah 48), and from him Ze'era received valuable instruction (Yer. Ter. 47d). His most intimate friends were Assi and Ḥiyya b. Abba. In his intercourse with Assi he was generally the one who asked questions, and on one occasion Assi made known his approval of one of Ze'era's questions by saying: "Right you are, Babylonian; you have understood it correctly" (Yer. Shab. 7c). Ze'era especially acknowledged the authority of Ammi, the principal of the school at Tiberias, and it is related that he asked Ammi to decide questions pertaining to religious law that had been addressed to himself (Yer. Dem. 25b; Yer. Shab. 8a; Yer. Yeb. 72d).

Ze'era was highly esteemed by Abbahu, the rector at Cæsarea, of whom he considered himself a pupil. He was ordained rabbi, a distinction usually denied to members of the Babylonian school, and though in the beginning he refused this honor (Yer. Bik. 65c), he later accepted it on learning of the atoning powers connected with the dignity (Sanh. 14a). Upon receiving Semicha, his title changed from Rav to Rabbi. His insignificant appearance was humorously referred to when at his ordination he was greeted with the words of a wedding-song: "Without rouge and without ornament, but withal a lovable gazel" (Ket. 17a).