Abba bar Mammel

A first-generation Amora of Eretz Israel, he was called "bar Mammel" to distinguish him from Rabbi Abba, a student of Rav Huna, so that the two would not be confused, or he was so named after his city, "Mammela." He was among the students of Rabbi Hoshaya Rabba in Caesarea and Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi. While still young, he merited to see Rav before he descended to Babylonia and stated many halakhot in Rav's name. Even in his youth, he was sharp and incisive, as Rabbi Zeira testified: "All the days of Rabbi Ba bar Mammel [thus is his name in the Yerushalmi], we did not find an answer to his question, and now, after he has passed away, we have found an answer." [ירושלמי שבועות פ"ג ה"ד] He was a colleague to all the students of Rabbi Yochanan, namely: Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat, Resh Lakish, Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, Zeiri, Rabbi Assi, and Rabbi Ami, among others. Although he was not a head of a yeshiva, during the time Rabbi Ami was head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Abba was among the leaders of the generation. He left two scholarly sons: Rabbi Ba [Abba], named after his father [ירושלמי פאה פ"ח ה"ה], and Rabbi Aha [ירושלמי שבת פ"ו ה"ו].

His Humility

A yevamah (a woman whose husband died childless, requiring levirate marriage or halitza) came to the court of Rabbi Ami to perform the mitzvah of halitza, so that she would be permitted to marry any man. Rabbi Abba bar Mammel was also in the court. The woman spat before the yavam before removing her shoe. Rabbi Ami said to Rabbi Abba bar Mammel, "Let him perform halitza for her and send her from the court, and she does not need to spit before the yavam again!" Rabbi Abba said to him, "She needs to spit after the halitza, not before!" Rabbi Ami said to him, "She already spat before him, and that is sufficient." Rabbi Abba said to him, "But she should spit again!" Rabbi Ami said to him, "If we tell her to spit again, a mishap could occur through us, because people who see her spitting a second time will say, 'The first spitting was not effective in permitting her, and she needs to spit a second time after removing the shoe in order to be permitted!'" Rabbi Abba said to him, "But the order of halitza must be followed: first the removal of the shoe, and then the spitting!" Rabbi Ami answered him, "The order is not indispensable; even if it was not done in order, the halitza is valid, and she is permitted to marry." Rabbi Abba thought that Rabbi Ami was dismissing him lightly by saying the order is not indispensable, but in truth, the law is not so. What did Rabbi Abba do? He went and thoroughly investigated and found an explicit Baraita: "Whether he preceded the removal of the shoe to the spitting, or he preceded the spitting to the removal of the shoe, what he did is done." This proves that the order is not indispensable. [יבמות קה.]

His Discourses

Rabbi Abba bar Mammel said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, "You wish to know My name! I am called according to My deeds. Sometimes I am called El Shaddai, Tzevaot, Elohim, Havaya. When I judge humanity, I am called Elohim; and when I wage war against the wicked, I am called Tzevaot; and when I suspend the punishment for a person's sins, I am called El Shaddai; and when I have mercy on My world, I am called Havaya, for Havaya is nothing but the attribute of mercy, as it is said: 'And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed: The Lord, the Lord, a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness and faithfulness.' [שמות לד,ו] 'I will be what I will be.' I am called according to My deeds. Rabbi Yitzchak says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, 'Tell the Children of Israel: I who was, and I who am now, and I who will be in the future.' Therefore, 'I will be' is written three times. [שמות רבה פ"ג ס"ו] It is written: 'The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers.' [ישעיה יד, ה] Rabbi Abba bar Mammel said, "These are the firstborns, for because they offered sacrifices before the Calf, they lost the priesthood." And similarly, you find that all the priests who served idolatry in the First Temple, the Holy One, Blessed be He, disqualified them in the Second Temple, as it is said: 'But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me in Midbar Rabba – they shall come near to Me to minister to Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord God.' [יחזקאל מד, טו פי"ב ה,ז] It is written: 'Her belly is a mass of ivory, encrusted with sapphires.' [שיר השירים ה, יד] Rabbi Abba bar Mammel said, "If a person faints (is overwhelmed) by words of Torah and halakha, in the end, a charm will be made through them." And the Sages say: "Whoever has a charm made through words of Torah, in the end, he will become a king, as it is said: 'A divine decision is on the lips of the king.'" [משלי טז, י]