ר' אמי הכהן

Rabbi Ami the Kohen. A) [Chulin (K67b)]. In the chapter of the foreleg, he was privileged with a share of dinars that were sent to the yeshiva, for since he was the head of the yeshiva, he was preferred over his brothers. Rashi explains that he was privileged to allocate his portion to the students of the yeshiva and not for himself.

In the chapter of "These are found" [(28b)], he found a bundle of dinars and said to him, "You should not fear, for we are not like the Persians." And the author of the Tosefta of the Books of Teachings wrote that this refers to the chapter "The Torah commanded," which contains seven words corresponding to the seven books [(Baba Batra 14)]. He was engaged in matters and saw a raven that abandoned its young [(because they were white)] and after three days, he saw them excreting and mosquitoes were born and consumed them [(and they turned black)].

This is as it is stated, "To the young of the raven which cry out, or who prepares for the raven its nourishment" [(Midrash Shmuel, and in Midrash Rabbah, Parashat Metzora, chapter 19, Rabbi Asi, etc., the matter is explained differently, and see Ketubot (49b) in Rashi)]. And in the Tosefot on Chulin, there are two types of ravens, and the deep ones are white. [And it is written in the genealogies in the gloss that there is a place in India where there are white ravens.]

b) His colleague Rabbi Asi the Kohen, [Tosafot K'ra (M'H b')] and they are esteemed Kohanim in Eretz Yisrael, [Megillah (22a) Sotah (38b)]. And they are judges of Eretz Yisrael [(see there)] for they would exclude monetary cases and establish a prozbul, and during their time, Rav Chisda was a judge in Babylonia. [The ruling of Rav Chisda came before Rabbi Ami, and he said... they returned it to Rav Chisda, and he said... they returned it to Rabbi Ami...

Bava Metzia (40a) and he was called a great man in Yevamot (21b) because they relied on Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, they permitted them in all matters of law and all matters of law relied upon them... Ketubot (17a) and the first chapter of Sanhedrin. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi would carry and bring out utensils for the honor of Shabbat, Shabbat (119a). Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi one said... and one said... three matters Yoma (74b)].

In the chapter "These are the findings" [(24b)] Rabbi Ami came before Rabbi Asi, the Tosafot wrote that although in every place Rabbi Ami is considered first and greater than Rabbi Asi, it is not surprising that he came before him to ask, for he was his colleague. But if it is stated that he came before Rabbi Abba, it is difficult, for Rabbi Abba was a student of Rabbi Ami, how could he come before him?

Thus it is said. [And in Tosafot Bava Batra (34a) although in Gittin (54b) Rabbi Asi called Rabbi Ami 'Rabbi', you say thus, so said Rabbi Yochanan, nevertheless he was his colleague, and since he was greater than him, he called him Rabbi, and so too Tosafot Shevuot (47a) his colleague was Rabbi Ami who came to take counsel from him. It can also be said that after a time Rabbi Ami was a head and the judges would come before him, thus it is said].

And they would pray between the pillars in the first chapter of Berachot [(8a)]. And they would compel Rav Huna [(see above Rabbi Asi)]. Students of Rabbi Yochanan, and he was a prominent student and filled his place to be the head of the yeshiva in Tiberias, in the chapter "All the meat" [(111b)]. In the Jerusalem Talmud Berachot, chapter 2, Mishnah 3, Rabbi Ami said, 'Asi taught, Rabbi Yirmiyah taught from across the river,' meaning Rabbi Ami Asi, i.e., Rav Asi taught what Rabbi Yirmiyah taught, etc.

Another explanation is that Rabbi Ami Asi means Rabbi Ami was a physician (see Sadeh Yehoshua) above regarding Rav Asi. In Gittin (40a) they said before him Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi explained, Rashi explained before Rabbi Yochanan, so that it should not be interpreted that they said before Rav Dimi because they were greater than him (Responsa B'L, page 161a). Rabbi sent to Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi to establish Eretz Yisrael (Rabbah Lamentations).