ḤANA BEN BIZNA

HANA BEN BIZNA (third–fourth century C.E.), Babylonian amora. Ḥana was primarily an aggadist, most of his statements being quoted in the name of Simeon Ḥasida (Ber. 7a; 43b; Yoma 77a, et al.), whose name is otherwise unknown. One of them is, "Better that a man throw himself into a fiery furnace than put his neighbor to shame in public" (BM 59a, et al.). His contemporary, sheshet , admitted that Ḥana was his superior in the field of aggadah (Suk. 52b). Ḥana was judge in Pumbedita in Naḥman b. Isaac's time (Ket. 50b; BK 12a) but he is also mentioned as being in Nehardea where, in spite of criticism he allowed himself to frequent pagan barber shops (Av. Zar. 29a). The amora joseph relied on his judgment in matters of halakhah (Suk. 47a). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Judah b. Kalonymus, Yiḥusei Tanna'im ve-Amora'im, ed. by J.L. Maimon (1963), 327–30; Hyman, Toledot, 463f., S.V. (Zvi Kaplan)