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Synagogue and House of Study

(וְאָמַר) רַב פַּפִּי מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא:

מִבֵּי כְנִישְׁתָּא לְבֵי רַבָּנַן — שְׁרֵי,

מִבֵּי רַבָּנַן לְבֵי כְנִישְׁתָּא — אֲסִיר.

וְרַב פָּפָּא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא מַתְנִי אִיפְּכָא. אָמַר רַב אַחָא: כְּווֹתֵיהּ דְּרַב פַּפֵּי מִסְתַּבְּרָא, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי:

בֵּית הַכְּנֶסֶת — מוּתָּר לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ.

And Rav Pappi said in the name of Rava: To convert a building from a synagogue into a study hall is permitted, but from a study hall into a synagogue is prohibited, as he holds that a study hall has a higher degree of sanctity than a synagogue.

And Rav Pappa in the name of Rava teaches the opposite, as he holds that a synagogue has a higher degree of sanctity than a study hall.

Rav Aḥa said: It stands to reason to rule in accordance with the opinion of Rav Pappi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

It is permitted for a synagogue to be made into a study hall.