הרב אבא שאול

Abba Shaul was a tanna of the third and fourth generations, a contemporary of Rabbi Akiva whose opinions and disputes he cites, which places him in the middle of the second century. The word Abba is a title rather than part of his name, and it appears that Abba Shaul ben Nanas is the same man. He did not carry the title of rabbi. He was tall of stature — it is told that Rabbi Tarfon reached only to his shoulder — and he earned his living as a grave-digger and as a kneader of dough in the household of the Nasi.

Many of the teachings brought in his name concern the Beit HaMikdash and its avodah. He assembled a collection of mishnayot that differed in much from the others, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, in arranging the Mishnah, at times drew on passages from it. In the laws of yibbum he was stringent, requiring that a man take his yevama only for the sake of the mitzvah and not for her beauty or any other motive; one who does otherwise, he held, is as one who touches ervah. In Sanhedrin he added to those who have no share in olam haba one who utters the Divine Name as it is written.

He read the word v’anvehu as though it were ani va’hu — “I and He” — teaching that a man must strive to resemble his Maker, showing kindness and mercy as He does. Among his sayings: discord in the beit midrash brings ruin, and good character is greater than learning.