Abba Saul (, ''Abba Shaul'') was a fourth generation Tanna (Jewish sage).

Name

The "Abba" in "Abba Saul" is a title, and is not part of his name. Sources that mention Abba Saul b. Nanos and Abba Saul bar Nash probably refer to the same individual.

Biography

As Abba Saul explicitly refers to an opinion of R. Akiva's, and to disagreements between Akiva and

Ben Azzai Simeon ben Azzai or simply Ben Azzai () was a distinguished tanna of the first third of the 2nd century. Biography Ben Azzai is sometimes called "Rabbi", but, in spite of his great learning, this title did not rightfully belong to him, for he r ...

and between Akiva and the sages, it may be concluded that he was a pupil of R. Akiba and that he lived in the middle of the second century. In the story where Abba Saul prepared the bread in "Rabbi's" house, the reference must be to the house of the patriarch R.

Simeon ben Gamaliel II Simeon (or Shimon) ben Gamaliel II (Hebrew: ) was a Tanna of the third generation and president of the Great Sanhedrin. He was the son of Gamaliel II and father of Judah I (Yehuda HaNasi). Biography Simeon was a youth in Betar when the Bar ...

not to that of R.

Judah haNasi Judah ha-Nasi (, ''Yəhūḏā hanNāsīʾ‎''; Yehudah HaNasi or Judah the Prince or Judah the President) or Judah I, known simply as Rebbi or Rabbi, was a second-century rabbi (a tannaim, tanna of the fifth generation) and chief redactor and e ...

. He does not appear to have held the title of rabbi. He was tall, and it is said that R.

Tarfon Rabbi Tarfon or Tarphon (, from the Greek language, Greek Τρύφων ''Tryphon'' literally "one who lives in luxury" Trifon), a Kohen, was a member of the Tannaim#The generations of the Tannaim, third generation of the Mishnah sages, who lived ...

reached only up to his shoulder. He worked as a grave-digger.

Teachings

Abba Saul devoted himself assiduously to the study of the mode of worship in the Temple. He also made a collection of mishnayot which in many respects differed from others; this collection has partly been preserved in the present Mishnah, whose redactor,

, occasionally made use of some passages in it which were at variance with other mishnaic compilations. He demanded that a man perform

yibbum ''Yibbum'' (, ) is the form of levirate marriage found in Judaism. As specified by , the brother of a man who died without children is permitted and encouraged to marry the widow. However, if either of the parties refuses to go through with the ...

solely for the sake of the

mitzvah In its primary meaning, the Hebrew language, Hebrew word (; , ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment Divine law, from God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of disc ...

, and not for any other reason such as the sister-in-law's beauty. He was a proponent of Judaism's version of ''imitatio dei''. He explains the word ''anvehu'' as though it were composed of ''ani'' and ''vehu'', and interprets it as meaning that man must endeavor to imitate God and, like Him, show charity and benevolence. To Leviticus 19:2 ("Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy") he cites the parallel, "The king's companions must do according to the king's will".

Quotes

* "Discord in the school causes general corruption" * "Morality is greater than learning"Semachot 11

References

Bibliography

* J. Brüll, Einleitung in die Mischnah, i. 200–201. {{DEFAULTSORT:Saul, Abba Mishnah rabbis Pirkei Avot rabbis