Rav Papa belonged to the fifth generation of the Amoraim of Babylon. He lived about 1,600 years ago. He was a student of Abaye and Rava in Pumbedisa. When Rava died, Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak became head of the academy in Pumbeditha, and Rav Papa established a Yeshiva in Nehardea, where many students came to study under him.
Rav Papa's father was a well-to-do merchant, and he fully supported Rav Papa throughout the many years of his study. Later Rav Papa became self-supporting. He engaged in making beer from dates, and also traded in poppy seeds from which oil was made. Rav Papa became a rich man, and he was able to support many of his poor students.
Rav Papa, as a great scholar and a businessman, was quite familiar with human nature, for he had gathered considerable experience in his travels, and in his dealings with all kinds of people. He was therefore wise in matters of the world, and many are the sayings and proverbs in the Talmud which display his practical wisdom. We will mention a few of them:
"At the door of a house full of food, there are many brothers and friends, but at the door of hunger there are no brothers and no friends."
"Let a quarrel stand over night, and it will disappear by itself."
"Anyone who acts in the midst of anger is likely to destroy his house."
"Be quick in buying a field, and slow in taking a wife."
"Step down a rung to choose a wife; step up one, to choose a friend."
"People say, 'If your wife is short, bend down to whisper in her ear.'"
"When the grain runs out of the jar, conflict comes into the house."
"If you wish to talk to a wool-washer, do not be ashamed to call him out to the gate and sit down near him."
After Rava's death, many of his prominent students came to Rav Papa, and acknowledged him as their teacher. Some of them sometimes embarrassed him with difficult questions, but Rav Papa used to pray that they should not be punished by G-d for shaming him in public. One bright student was Rav Shimi bar Ashi (who later became the father of the great Rav Ashi, who, together with Ravina, edited the Babylonian Talmud). Rav Shimi often asked Rav Papa difficult questions. Once, Rav Shimi overheard his teacher praying to G-d to deliver him from Shimi's embarrassing questions, and never again did he ask any more such questions. This shows the humility of Rav Papa, for he could have expelled any difficult student from the Yeshiva, but he swallowed his pride.
Rav Papa had a unique distinction of being blessed with ten sons, all of whom were great scholars.
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