Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak

Who was Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak?

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak or Rabh Naħman bar Yişħaq in actual Talmudic and Classical Hebrew was an amora who lived in Babylonia. He was a disciple of Abaye and Rava and the dean of the yeshiva at Pumbedita.

In his youth, Rav Nachman studied together with Rava, but he sat one row behind him. Later Rav Nachman studied under Rav Chisda. During the time when Rav Joseph bar Chiya was head of the Yeshivah of Pumbeditha and Rava conducted his own Yeshivah in Mechoza, Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak was the chief lecturer under Rava, and he was already famous for his great learning and piety.

Legend states that a soothsayer predicted to Nachman's mother that her son would be a thief. She was therefore very careful to instill in him a fear of heaven. She often reminded him: "My son, cover your head completely, so that you will fear God, and always pray for his mercy, so that you should not be overcome by your evil impulses". It is told that once while studying under a tree, his headcovering slipped off, and he suddenly felt a tremendous desire to take a cluster of dates from the tree.

He praised the character trait of humility greatly. His modesty may be seen from the fact that when Rava stated that "a little pride is becoming a scholar," Rav Nachman hastened to remark, "None of it, nor part of it!"