ULLA I

ULLA I (Ulla b. Ishmael in the Jerusalem Talmud; second half of third century), Palestinian amora. Ulla studied in Ereẓ Israel under *Johanan b. Nappaḥa (Ḥag. 19a), Resh Lakish (Git. 50b), and *Eleazar b. Pedat (Er. 21b), and transmitted halakhic decisions in their names. He also recorded some of the teachings of Oshaiah and Joshua b. Levi. He was known to be extremely strict in his interpretation of religious laws (Shab. 147a; 157b). Among his halakhic decisions were those concerning the benedictions to be made on different occasions (Ber. 38b; Pes. 53b; 104b). He censured decisions he disliked and on one occasion commented, "As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes are the words of *Huna" (Kid. 45b). Some of his other colleagues were *Abba (bm 11 b), *Judah (Ḥul. 76a), and particularly, *Rabbah b. Bar Ḥana (Ḥul. 34a).

Ulla was greatly respected both in Ereẓ Israel and in Babylon, which he visited frequently, and he was one of the first *neḥutei (tj, Kil. 9:3). In Babylon he reported on current Palestinian customs and decisions and was often invited by the exilarch to deliver halakhic discourses (Ket. 65b; Kid. 31a; Shab. 157b). It is related that once, when returning to Ereẓ Israel from Babylon, Ulla was in danger of being murdered by one of his fellow travelers. In order to save himself he had to condone the murder of another, and Johanan excused his conduct as having been done in self-defense (Ned. 22a). Ulla's maxims reveal how intensely he felt the tragedy of the destruction of the Temple; for instance: "Since the destruction of the Temple, God has nothing in this world save the four cubits of halakhah" (Ber. 8a); and "Jerusalem will be redeemed through the performance of charity" (Sanh. 98a). He died in Babylon on one of his visits (before c. 279 c.e.). On hearing the news, Eleazar, adapting Amos 7: 17, exclaimed, "That you, Ulla, should have died in an unclean land" (Ket. 111a), and had his remains taken to Ereẓ Israel for burial. He was survived by his only son, Rabba (Shab. 83b). Among those who transmitted his sayings were Aḥa b. Adda, Ḥisda, and Joshua b. Abba.

bibliography:

Hyman, Toledot, 970–4; Bacher, Pal Amor; Frankel, Mevo, 119b–120b; Ḥ. Albeck, Mavo la-Talmudim (1969), 302–4.