ABIMI (a contraction of ABBA-IMMI or ABBA-AMMI):
By: S. Mendelsohn
The name of several Amoraim, distinguished for proficiency in the Halakah. The most prominent of these are the following:
- 1. A Babylonian halakist of the third century, always quoted without cognomen. Most of his doctrines have been transmitted through Rab Ḥisda, to whom, however, in later years he turned for information on some Baraitot which he had forgotten (Men. 7a; 'Ar. 22a). Rab Judah b. Ezekiel, the founder of the Pumbedita Academy, also reported Halakot in his name ('Er. 24a; Ḥul. 48a). Abimi has the tradition that, after the completion of the First Temple, the Mosaic Tabernacle, together with all its boards, hooks, bolts, pillars, and thresholds, was secreted in the subterranean chambers beneath the Temple (Soṭah, 9a; Suk. 16b; Giṭ 79a; B. Ḳ. 13b; Sanh. 15a and 81b; Zeb. 26a; Men. 77b; 'Ar. 5b).
- 2. A Babylonian amora of the fourth century, disciple of Rabbah b. Naḥmani. He and his brother 'Efa (Ḥefa) are cited as "the ingenious scholars of Pumbedita" (Sanh. 17b). In the Palestinian Talmud he is designated as Abimi, the brother of Ḥefa (Yer. Ned. ii. 37b; Yer. Shebu. iii. 34d); but the Babylonian Talmud (Sanh. l.c.) gives Raḥba as the name of his father (see, however, Bunk in "Rev. Ét. Juives," 1898, pp. 191-197). According to Ḳid. 39a, Abimi and his brother attempted to abrogate the Biblical law concerning uncircumcised fruit (Lev. xix. 23) for Babylon.
