Of all the amora'im, Abaye and Rava are presented as epitomizing the style of discussions that take place in the Gemara. They are mentioned thousands of times in the Gemara.
The disagreements between Abaye and Rava are amongst the most important in the Gemara, to the extent that deep, significant Talmudic discussions are called havayos d'Abaye ve-Rava. The Gemara (Sukkos 28a) calls the inquiries of Abaye and Rava “a small matter” in comparison to the Maaseh Merkavah (Workings of the Chariot – Ezekiel’s vision of the Heavenly realms) “a great matter.”
The tradition is that they have 428 arguments in the Gemara. The halakhah always follows Rava's opinion, with only six exceptions, where the halakhah follows Abaye’s opinion. Those six are referred to by the Gemara by the acronym – YA”L KG”M(יע"ל קג"ם) :
- When a person does not realize that he has lost an object until after it is picked up by someone else, and he gives up ownership when he realizes it, can we apply it retroactively? בבא מציעא כא. יֵאוּש שֶׁל א מֵדַּעַּת
- When witnesses are found to be unreliable, does their status change as of that time or from the time that their false testimony was made? סנהדרין כז. עֵדִים זוֹמֵמִים
- When a pole is standing on its own (it was not placed there by a person), can it be used as part of the structure that will create a legal private domain on Shabbat for the purpose of carrying? ערובין טו. לֶחִי הָעוֹמֵד מֵאֵלָיו
- Does the days of the tumah period following childbirth count towards the seven clean days for a zivah? נידה לז . אין לידה סותרת בזיבה
- When a person is not able to prevent benefit from a prohibited item, is it permitted when one does not intend to benefit? פסחים כה: לא אפשר ולא מתכוין
- If a couple gets married, but will be unable to consummate their marriage, does it have legal significance? קדושין נא. קִּדוּשִין שֶל א נִמְסְרוּ לְבִיאָה
- If a person makes a statement that can be understood as affecting the divorce that has been sent to his wife, must we take it into consideration when ruling on the validity of the divorce? גיטן לד. גִּלוּי דַּעְתָא בְגִיטָא
- Can a person who commits sins be trusted to testify in court? סנהדרין כז. מוּמָר אוֹכֵל נְבִלוֹת להַּכְעִיס
Although it is difficult to discern clear distinctive approaches, some opinions are provided:
- Abaye was more formalistic relaying on the text, while Rava was based more on logical thinking.
- Abaye was on a level of מקיף הרחוק; Rava was on a level of מקיף הקרוב
- Abaye’s soul was related to Kayin; Rava’s soul was related to Hevel
Abaye (Little Father) was an orphan who never saw his father or his mother (hinted to in the verse, "Asher bicha yerucham yatom אביי - for it is with You that an orphan finds mercy" (Hosea 14,4). He was raised by his uncle, Rabbah bar Nachmani, and his wife. He studied at the Yeshiva (Torah Academy) of Pumbedisa, near the Euphrates. There his good friend and study-partner was Rava (not to be confused with Rabbah, the Head of the Academy), with whom he often engaged in debates on various aspects of Torah Law. Great as Abaye was in Torah, Rava was even greater, and over the course of time, hundreds of their disputes are recorded in the Talmud.
Abaye (a Cohen) was a descendent of the family of Eli. The family was cursed not to live full limes, and Abaye’s righteousness pushed off the curse until the early age of 60.
Rava established an advanced Torah Academy in Machoza. After the death of Abaye, many of his students moved from Pumbedisa to Machoza.
