1)
TORAH AND GREATNESS IN THE SAME PERSON
ואמר רבה בריה דרבא ואיתימא רבי הלל בריה דר' וולס מימות משה ועד רבי לא מצינו תורה וגדולה במקום אחד ולא הא הוה יהושע הוה אלעזר והא הוה פנחס הוו זקנים והא הוה שאול הוה שמואל והא נח נפשיה כולהו שניה קאמרינן והא הוה דוד הוה עירא היאירי והא נח נפשיה כולהו שניה קאמרינן והא הוה שלמה הוה שמעי בן גרא והא קטליה כוליה שניה קאמרינן הא הוה חזקיה הוה שבנא והא איקטיל כולהו שניה קאמרינן והא הוה עזרא הוה נחמיה בן חכליה אמר רב אדא בר אהבה אף אני אומר מימות רבי עד רב אשי לא מצינו תורה וגדולה במקום אחד ולא והא הוה הונא בר נתן הונא בר נתן מיכף הוה כייף ליה לרב אשי
Translation: And Rabbah, the son of Rava, said, and some say it was R. Hillel, the son of R. Valess - From the days of Moshe until Rebbi (R. Yehuda HaNasi), we have not found Torah and (worldly) greatness in the same person. But is that really so? Was there not Yehoshua? But there was Elazar with him. And was there not Pinchas? There were the Elders with him. And was there not Shaul? But there was Shmuel with him. But Shmuel then died? We are speaking about their entire lifetimes. And was there not David? But there was Ira haYairi with him. But he then died? We are speaking about their entire lifetimes. And was there not Shlomo? But there was Shimi ben Geira with him. But Shlomo killed him? We are speaking about their entire lifetimes. And was there not Chizkiyah? There was Shevna with him. But he was killed? We are speaking about their entire lifetimes. And was there not Ezra? But there was Nechemiyah the son of Chachaliyah with him. Rav Adda bar Ahava said: I too say, from the days of Rebbi until Rav Ashi, we have not found Torah and greatness in one place. But was there not Huna bar Natan? Huna bar Natan was subservient to Rav Ashi.
(a)
The Gemara discussed three individuals, thereby breaking Jewish history into sections. What is the significance of these sections?
1.
Toras Chaim: The Torah can be divided into three main parts: the Written Torah, the Mishnah, and the Talmud. Each of these was transmitted under the leadership of an individual who was the greatest in his generation, both in Torah knowledge and in worldly matters. Because of their position, they were able to gather all the Chachamim of their time, collect the laws and their discussions, and compile them into a single unified work. Moshe transmitted the Written Torah, Rebbi compiled the Mishnah, and Rav Ashi compiled the Talmud.