Rava Accepts Money from Ifra Hormiz, the Mother of Shapur II
About This Entry
Ifra Hormiz, the mother of King Shapur II, appears in a series of texts that describe the rabbis interacting with the Sasanian monarchy. In what follows, Ifra Hormiz sends money to the rabbis, which the Babylonian amora Rava accepts so as not to offend the government. R. Ammi, upon hearing this, becomes upset by Rava’s deed. Another anecdote about Rava and Irfa Hormiz can be found in “Rava and the Queen Mother.”
[It is related that] Ifra Hormiz, the mother of King Shapur, sent four hundred dinars to R. Ami, but he did not accept them. She [then] sent them to Rava, and he accepted them for the sake of peace with the kingdom. R. Ami heard [what Rava had done] and was angry. He said, “Does [Rava] not accept [the lesson of the verse]: When the boughs are withered, they shall be broken off; the women shall come and set them on fire (Isaiah 27:11), [meaning that when righteousness has ceased from a particular nation, it is time for its citizens to be punished, and therefore we should not help them perform any meritorious deeds, which would delay their punishment]?” And [why did] Rava [accept the money? He did so] for the sake of peace with the kingdom. But [did] R. Ami [not] also [see the importance of accepting the money] for the sake of peace with the kingdom? [R. Ami maintains that Rava] should have distributed [the money] to the gentile poor [rather than to the Jewish poor, as it is a disgrace to the Jews to require the kindness of the nations of the world in order to support their poor. In fact,] Rava also gave [the money] to the gentile poor [and not to the Jewish poor]. And R. Ami got angry [because those who reported the story to him] did not conclude it before him; [consequently, R. Ami was not informed that Rava had indeed given the money to the gentile poor].
Notes
Words in brackets appear in the original translation.
Credits
From Koren Talmud Bavli, Noé Edition, trans. Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz (Jerusalem: Koren Publishers Jerusalem, 2019). Accessed via the William Davidson digital edition, sefaria.org. Adapted with permission of Koren Publishers Ltd.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.
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Ifra Hormiz, the mother of King Shapur II, appears in a series of texts that describe the rabbis interacting with the Sasanian monarchy. In what follows, Ifra Hormiz sends money to the rabbis, which the Babylonian amora Rava accepts so as not to offend the government. R. Ammi, upon hearing this, becomes upset by Rava’s deed. Another anecdote about Rava and Irfa Hormiz can be found in “Rava and the Queen Mother.”
Related Guide
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You may also like
King Shapur I Performs a Jewish Practice
b. Avodah Zarah 76b
King Shapur II and Rav Ḥama Debate Jewish Burial Practices
b. Sanhedrin 46b
Ifra Hormiz Praises the Power of the Rabbis and the Jewish God
b. Ta‘anit 24b
Standing for the Patriarch
In y. Bikkurim 3:3, 65c–d and y. Horayot 3:9, 48c, the rabbis reshape Roman customs of honor, redirecting respect from rulers to Torah and the sages who embody its wisdom.