Abba Saul

Who is Abba Saul?

Abba Saul was a fourth generation Tanna. His elder contemporary was Akiva ben Joseph. Many Masoretes in the Talmud cite him engaging in the topics of the Temple in Jerusalem and the holy work done there.

He was tall at sight, and the Talmud depicts R. Tarfon reaching only up to R. Saul's shoulder. Saul was a grave-digger.

In the Talmud, Tractate "Yebamoth", Abba Saul was stringent, and demanded that a levir should have pure-sacred intentions:

Abba Saul opined that in his days there was nowhere to be found a levir with a mitzvah intention, and thus he revokes the commandment of the yibbum, replacing it with the Halizah.