Person
Rav Safra רב ספרא
amora and merchant; the Talmud's measure of honesty
A merchant who travelled with caravans, Rabbi Abba's companion on the roads. He knew halakhah the way a trader knows his measure: without him the Talmud would lack the man who shows that honesty is not a sermon but a habit of the hands.
On the timeline
Places
Sources
Chazal: Mishnah, Talmud, midrash, Zohar
- Makkot 24a (Rashi) — “speaks truth in his heart” — of Rav Safra
- Chullin 51a — on the road with Rabbi Abba
Basis: Talmud and midrash.