Huna ben Joshua ( Rav Huna BeReia DeRav Yehoshua; died 410Samson of Chinon, "Sefer Keritut," p. 26a, Cremona, 1558) was a Babylonian rabbi of the fifth generation of Amoraim.
Biography Ben Joshua was considered one of the most prominent Amoraic sages of his generation. He was a student of Rava,Kiddushin 32b who seems to have been his principal teacher and sometimes praise and blame himHorayot 10bKetuvot 85a; Gittin 73a Ben Joshua appears to have been the pupil of Abaye, as well.Rosh Hashana 24b He was a colleague and a scholarly opponent (bar plugata) of Rav Papa, from whom he was inseparable both in and out of the academy.Eruvin 12a; Berachot 58b; et al.
When Rav Papa became head of the yeshiva of Naresh (an academy that later was relocated to Mata Mehasia, a suburb of Sura, Huna was appointed president of the general assembly (resh kallah) of the academy.Berachot 57a
During his studies under Rava, ben Joshua earned his livelihood from a small landed property, enabling him to make the time needed for his studies. Later, he became a business partner of his colleague Rav Papa and earned his living from selling sesame.
Ben Joshua was wealthy.Horayot 10b He never walked more than four cubits bareheaded.Shabbat 118b He ate very slowly so that Rav Papa consumed in the same time four times as much and Rabina eight times as much.Pesachim 89b
He lived to a great age, outliving Rava by 57 years. Once, in the lifetime of Rav Papa, ben Joshua fell desperately ill, but his life was spared because he was forbearing.Rosh Hashana 17a
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