Rav Nachman said regarding a lesson, "That is not a good lesson!" Rava challenged him, as one is not supposed to approve of, or disapprove of, Torah lessons. Rav Nachman recanted: Eruvin 64a
Rava challenged Rav Nachman from a source, Rav Nachman replied with a source that supported his own position, and then Rava refuted both the challenging source and the supporting source: Bava Metzia 67a
Rava challenged Rav Nachman on a halachic position, Rav Nachman was silent [ishtik], and then Rav Nachman was upset later when he realized what he could have said in response: Keritot 18a
When Rav Nachman was dying, he asked Rava to tell the Angel of Death to be gentle with him. When Rava asked, "But isn't the master an important person", Rav Nachman explained that this stage, being important wouldn't help him: Moed Katan 28a
Rava and Abbaye labelled "dardiki [Children]" by Rav Yosef, for schemes they invented for carrying items one may not move Shabbat: Shabbat 142b
Rava commenting on a statement of Rav Yosef, "How could a great man like Rav Yosef make this mistake?" And then re-interpreting what Rav Yosef was reported to have said: Ketuvot 43a
Rava and other Sages
Rava commenting on a statement by Rabbi Tarfon: "His Master should forgive him!": Succah 32b
Rava commenting on an argument by Rabbi Eliezer: "With this, Rabbi Eliezer merited over the Sages!": Kiddushin 18a
Rava said to Rav Chisda, "We teach in your name that the law follows Rebbe." Rav Chisda replied, "May it be the Will that you always teach such good lessons in my name!": Ketuvot 68a
Rava was once serving Rav Pappa, Rav Huna beraih deRav Yehoshua, Rav Mari and Rav Pinchas beraih deRav Chisda, and only the former two stood up in respect for him, leading him to get upset at the latter two for acting as though they were greater than the former two: Kiddushin 32b
Rava said that any pasuk that was not explained by Rav Yitzchak bar Avudimi had not really been explained, and any braita that was not explained by Zeiri had not really been explained: Zevachim 43b
Rav Huna bar Chinina wanted to announce a leniency in his address, but Rava warned him against doing so because of the laxity it would lead to: Nedarim 23b
Rav Huna bar Chinina asked a question against Rabbi Yochanan from a Mishnah, but Rava responded, "One who doesn't know how to explain a Mishnah is going to use it as a question against Rabbi Yochanan?!": Eruvin 67b
Rava considered Rav Sechorah his "Rebbe" for all of the legalities imparted by that status, for teaching him a single set of laws: Bava Metzia 33a
Rava asked Abbaye and Rabbah bar Rav Chanan to eulogize him: Shabbat 153a
Rav Yirmiyah miDifti was upset by a man who passed in front of him without a head-covering; Rava explained that the man could have been from Masa Machsaya, where they were so used to scholars that they were numb to them: Kiddushin 33a
Raveina saying to Rav Pappa: You weren't there last night in Bei Chermach, when Rava posed very good questions between opposing sources, and resolved them: Zevachim 2b-3a
Rava [or perhaps Rabbah] was challenged by Rav Hemnuna, and he didn't have an answer and so he was silent [Ishtik]; only after Rav Hemnuna left did he say, "Why didn't I answer X?": Keritot 25a
Raveina terming Rava "Mar [Master]": Eruvin 68b
Rava calling Rav Acha bar Yaakov "Pappunai," as he lived in Pappuna: Kiddushin 35a
Rava answering a question of Rav Pappa with the introduction, "Were I did, I couldn't have told you this.": Bava Metzia 73b
Calling Rabbi Chiyya Bar Avin "Ari SheBaChaburah" - the Lion of the Group: Shabbat 111b
Rava being called "Moshe" by Rav Safra: Shabbat 101b; Succah 39a
Rav Safra reporting a lesson, and Rava explaining what it meant: Bava Metzia 65b
Rava responding to an inquiry, "I have not heard this, but I have heard something similar...": Megillah 22a
Rav Sheravya expressed surprise at a leniency of his, saying, "May it be [Hashem's] Will that he should permit [forbidden] Fat!": Shabbat 136b
Offers a text-changing answer, rejected by Rav Pappa: Pesachim 46a
"The archer is shot with his own arrow" referring to an answer on Rabbi Yehudah from his own words: Pesachim 28a
Rava telling Rav Yitzchak the teachings of his father, Rabbah bar bar Chanah: Succah 43b
Rava studied from Rabbi Yitzchak: Megillah 10a
Rava insulted Abba bar Marta for sitting on a low seat when he brought a Mourner's Meal to Rava: Moed Katan 26b
Rava had a tradition from Rabbah as to the breadth of the Earth: Pesachim 94a
Saying about the Rabbis who criticized his assistant for cleaning Rava's shoe with a broken vessel on Shabbat: "It's not enough that they don't learn, they even teach!": Shabbat 124b
Rava was cited by the anonymous Hahu Sava, "that elder": Makkot 11a
A case was brought to Rabbi Abba bar Zavda, who said, "This doesn't require examination," and Rava replied, "This requires extra examination!": Bava Metzia 16a
Rava, his brother Rav Seorim, and the Angel of Death: Moed Katan 28a
Rava responded to a statement of Rabbi Zeira, "Who is this, that he isn't concerned with the flour [that he is grinding and producing impurities with]?": Succah 54a
Rava advising Rabbi Natan bar Ami on when to marry off his son: Kiddushin 30a
Raveina and Rav Ada bar Matna asking Rava a question, and entering a Synagogue for shelter so that they could study further: Megillah 28b
Raveina permitted something, and then Rava bar Tachalifa and Rav Shemayah challenged it. They asked Rava, and he also ruled against Raveina: Eruvin 40a
Raveina refused to check a butcher's knife before the butcher used it to slaughter an animal for him, because he was going to purchase the meat; this was not considered "checking for his own use." Raveina told him to take the knife to Rava: Eruvin 63a
Rava questioned on a Mishnaic analysis, by an anonymous sage [Hahu MeiRabbanan]: Makkot 8a-b
Rava exclaimed, regarding Rabbi Shimon's ability to analyze a verse, "Only a woman who is going to birth a child like Rabbi Shimon is a woman who should give birth!": Makkot 17b
Rav Yehudah breih deRav Shemuel bar Shelat reported a legal ruling by Rav regarding two laws. Rav denied having rendered the ruling in one of the cases, and Rava objected, arguing that he had, himself, heard the ruling from Rav. Rav had recanted his earlier ruling: Eruvin 14b
The Exilarch asked Rav Huna bar Chinina to fix up a shady area in such a way that it would be usable for Shabbat. Rav Huna bar Chinina made arrangements, which Rava took apart, as he felt they were unnecessary. Rav Pappa and Rav Huna breih deRav Yehoshua removed the materials, so that Rav Huna bar Chinina could not re-establish his arrangement, but they then realized on Shabbat that he had been correct. The Exilarch cited a verse regarding Rav Pappa and Rav Huna breih deRav Yehoshua - "They are wise to perform evil, but they don't know how to do good": Eruvin 25b-26a
Rava telling his students, on a day when he felt good, "Today I can answer questions like Ben Azzai did in the markets of Tiveria!": Eruvin 29a
Mar Yehudah saw that the people of Mevarchita were following a law which Rabbi Akiva disagreed with, and he corrected them. Rava replied, "You are arguing against the sages! We don't hold this way.": Eruvin 61b
Rabbi Zeira told his son, Ahavah, to teach a lesson in his name. Rava said, "Just because Ahavah breih deR' Zeira says something, is he providing them with rings [alternatively, pearls]? Rather,...": Eruvin 96b-97a
Raveina told Rava what Rav Ada bar Ahavah had reported in his name: Ketuvot 68b
Rava taught a law, and then was corrected by Rav Pappa. Rava then set up a public forum, with an official speaker [Amora], and recanted: Eruvin 104a
Rava reported on what Rav Nachman did with his holy scrolls and phylacteries when entering the bathroom: Berachot 23a-b
Rava teaching his students how to store their tefillin, by asking them to get it from a certain spot on a night when he and his wife would be using the bed: Berachot 24a
Rabbah [Rava] bar Rav Nachman's host asked him a halachic question that he couldn't answer; he went to Rava for an answer: Beitzah 12b
Rav Ada bar Ahavah reviewed the relevant material 24 times before going to Rava for a class on it: Taanit 8a
What happened when Rav Huna bar Manoach, Rav Shemuel bar Idi and Rav Chiyya of Vistanya came to study with Rav Pappa after their teacher Rava died, and they were dissatisfied with Rav Pappa's lessons: Taanit 9a-b
Rava said to Rav Huna of Descarta, who had cited Levi to challenge him, "If Levi were here, he would ex-communicate you [invoking 'pulsa d'nura'] for mis-quoting him!": Bava Metzia 47a
Rava rejected purchase of an eved, preferring to hire needy people to do the work. Rav Pappa bar Shemuel then purchased him, only to find the eved's hair had been dyed to make him look younger; Rav Pappa bar Shemuel blamed himself for not acting meritoriously as had Rava: Bava Metzia 60b
The sages accused Rava of financial impropriety, but he explained that his arrangement was legitimate, and theirs was actually the illegitimate one: Bava Metzia 73a
Rav Mari bar Rachel lived in a house he held as collateral from a nochri. The nochri sold it to Rava, who did not charge him rent until the nochri paid off the debt (because had the house remained with the nochri, the nochri could not have removed him without paying the debt), but there was no issue of prohibited interest because the nochri, not Rava, was the debtor: Bava Metzia 73b
Rava telling Rabbi Chanina [other editions: Rabbi Chiyya]: Had you learned from Rabbah, you would have known this: Keritot 25b
Rav Rechumi left home to learn Torah from Rava in Mechoza all year, coming home only on the eve of Yom Kippur. One year he was late due to learning, and his wife cried. As a result, he passed away: Ketuvot 62b
Abbaye said: One Israeli is greater than two Babylonians [in wisdom]. Rava replied: When a Babylonian goes to Israel he becomes as great as two Israelis, as seen from the fact that when Rabbi Yirmiyah was in Bavel he didn't understand what the Sages said, but when he moved to Israel he called the Babylonians foolish: Ketuvot 75a
