ulla

We read in a Baraita: Clouds and winds rank second to rain (in fructifying value). To which clouds and winds does this refer? Said 'Ulla, or R. Judah: To those appearing after the rain. Are we to assume that such winds are beneficial? Is it not written (Deut. 28.24): "The Lord will make the rain of thy land powder and dust"—which, according to 'Ulla, or according to some, R. Judah, is to be brought about by winds following after the rain? This is no contradiction, for in the first place the reference is to winds that come gently, in the second to such as come with vehemence (thus stirring up the dust).

We read in a Baraita: Clouds and winds rank second to rain (in fructifying value). To which clouds and winds does this refer? Said 'Ulla, or R. Judah: To those appearing after the rain. Are we to assume that such winds are beneficial? Is it not written (Deut. 28.24): "The Lord will make the rain of thy land powder and dust"—which, according to 'Ulla, or according to some, R. Judah, is to be brought about by winds following after the rain? This is no contradiction, for in the first place the reference is to winds that come gently, in the second to such as come with vehemence (thus stirring up the dust).

'Ulla, or, according to some, R. Judah, further said: Winds and clouds and sunshine after rain are as good as rain. What does this enumeration exclude? It excludes the glow after sunset and sunshine between clouds.

R. Judah says in the name of Ben Bathyra, of those who go before the ark, etc. A contradiction was pointed out (by quoting the following Mishnah): Until what time is one to pray for rain? R. Judah says, until Passover is over; R. Jose says, until after Nisan. Said R. Ḥisda, there is no contradiction, for the one passage of the Mishnah refers to praying, the other to mentioning; one may continue to pray until the end of Passover, but the mention of rain must cease on the first day. Said 'Ulla, what is here said by R. Ḥisda is "as vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes" (Prov., 10.26), for if one is allowed to mention the rain even when one is not allowed to pray for it, is it not logical that one should be allowed to mention it also at times when one is allowed to pray for it? 'Ulla therefore suggested that there existed two different recensions of R. Judah's statement. R. Joseph said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for the first reader of the first day of the festival is over. 'Abbayi, however, objected: Is there any opportunity at all to mention rain in the holiday prayer? Yes, answered R. Joseph, the Interpreter prays for rain. Does the Interpreter ever pray for anything which is not needed by the congregation? 'Ulla's answer is, therefore, the best. Rabbah said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for slaughtering the Pascal lamb is over, for the discontinuing of the reference to rain must be like the beginning thereof: Just as in the beginning one mentions the rain, although one does not pray for it, so also at the end of the season one should mention it though not pray for it. 'Abbayi objected: It is quite correct at the beginning of the season to mention the rain without praying for it, because the mention is to serve the purpose of propitiating (God) preparatory to praying, but at the end of the season, what need is there for propitiation (since it is not to be followed by praying)? It is therefore best to accept the answer of 'Ulla.

R. Judah says in the name of Ben Bathyra, of those who go before the ark, etc. A contradiction was pointed out (by quoting the following Mishnah): Until what time is one to pray for rain? R. Judah says, until Passover is over; R. Jose says, until after Nisan. Said R. Ḥisda, there is no contradiction, for the one passage of the Mishnah refers to praying, the other to mentioning; one may continue to pray until the end of Passover, but the mention of rain must cease on the first day. Said 'Ulla, what is here said by R. Ḥisda is "as vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes" (Prov., 10.26), for if one is allowed to mention the rain even when one is not allowed to pray for it, is it not logical that one should be allowed to mention it also at times when one is allowed to pray for it? 'Ulla therefore suggested that there existed two different recensions of R. Judah's statement. R. Joseph said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for the first reader of the first day of the festival is over. 'Abbayi, however, objected: Is there any opportunity at all to mention rain in the holiday prayer? Yes, answered R. Joseph, the Interpreter prays for rain. Does the Interpreter ever pray for anything which is not needed by the congregation? 'Ulla's answer is, therefore, the best. Rabbah said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for slaughtering the Pascal lamb is over, for the discontinuing of the reference to rain must be like the beginning thereof: Just as in the beginning one mentions the rain, although one does not pray for it, so also at the end of the season one should mention it though not pray for it. 'Abbayi objected: It is quite correct at the beginning of the season to mention the rain without praying for it, because the mention is to serve the purpose of propitiating (God) preparatory to praying, but at the end of the season, what need is there for propitiation (since it is not to be followed by praying)? It is therefore best to accept the answer of 'Ulla.

R. Judah says in the name of Ben Bathyra, of those who go before the ark, etc. A contradiction was pointed out (by quoting the following Mishnah): Until what time is one to pray for rain? R. Judah says, until Passover is over; R. Jose says, until after Nisan. Said R. Ḥisda, there is no contradiction, for the one passage of the Mishnah refers to praying, the other to mentioning; one may continue to pray until the end of Passover, but the mention of rain must cease on the first day. Said 'Ulla, what is here said by R. Ḥisda is "as vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes" (Prov., 10.26), for if one is allowed to mention the rain even when one is not allowed to pray for it, is it not logical that one should be allowed to mention it also at times when one is allowed to pray for it? 'Ulla therefore suggested that there existed two different recensions of R. Judah's statement. R. Joseph said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for the first reader of the first day of the festival is over. 'Abbayi, however, objected: Is there any opportunity at all to mention rain in the holiday prayer? Yes, answered R. Joseph, the Interpreter prays for rain. Does the Interpreter ever pray for anything which is not needed by the congregation? 'Ulla's answer is, therefore, the best. Rabbah said, do you know what "until Passover is over" means? It means until the time for slaughtering the Pascal lamb is over, for the discontinuing of the reference to rain must be like the beginning thereof: Just as in the beginning one mentions the rain, although one does not pray for it, so also at the end of the season one should mention it though not pray for it. 'Abbayi objected: It is quite correct at the beginning of the season to mention the rain without praying for it, because the mention is to serve the purpose of propitiating (God) preparatory to praying, but at the end of the season, what need is there for propitiation (since it is not to be followed by praying)? It is therefore best to accept the answer of 'Ulla.

What is the meaning of "The Lord maketh lightnings" (Zech., 10.1)? Said R. Jose b. Ḥanina, it teaches us that the Holy One prepares a cloud for every righteous man. What are ḥazizim? Said R. Judah, poreḥot. But what are poreḥot. Said R. Papa, a thin cloud under a thick one. R. Johanan said, poreḥot are a sign of coming rain. 'Ulla happened to be in Pumbedita and, seeing poreḥot, said, move your things, for rain is due to come presently. But rain did not come, whereupon 'Ulla remarked: As the Babylonians are deceivers so are their rains. ['Ulla once happened to be in Pumbedita and seeing that a basketful of dates was selling for a zuz, he remarked: A basket of honey for a zuz and yet the Babylonians are not studying the Torah! He ate some and became indisposed. He then said: A basketful of knives for a zuz and yet the Babylonians study the Torah!].

What is the meaning of "The Lord maketh lightnings" (Zech., 10.1)? Said R. Jose b. Ḥanina, it teaches us that the Holy One prepares a cloud for every righteous man. What are ḥazizim? Said R. Judah, poreḥot. But what are poreḥot. Said R. Papa, a thin cloud under a thick one. R. Johanan said, poreḥot are a sign of coming rain. 'Ulla happened to be in Pumbedita and, seeing poreḥot, said, move your things, for rain is due to come presently. But rain did not come, whereupon 'Ulla remarked: As the Babylonians are deceivers so are their rains. ['Ulla once happened to be in Pumbedita and seeing that a basketful of dates was selling for a zuz, he remarked: A basket of honey for a zuz and yet the Babylonians are not studying the Torah! He ate some and became indisposed. He then said: A basketful of knives for a zuz and yet the Babylonians study the Torah!].

What is the meaning of "The Lord maketh lightnings" (Zech., 10.1)? Said R. Jose b. Ḥanina, it teaches us that the Holy One prepares a cloud for every righteous man. What are ḥazizim? Said R. Judah, poreḥot. But what are poreḥot. Said R. Papa, a thin cloud under a thick one. R. Johanan said, poreḥot are a sign of coming rain. 'Ulla happened to be in Pumbedita and, seeing poreḥot, said, move your things, for rain is due to come presently. But rain did not come, whereupon 'Ulla remarked: As the Babylonians are deceivers so are their rains. ['Ulla once happened to be in Pumbedita and seeing that a basketful of dates was selling for a zuz, he remarked: A basket of honey for a zuz and yet the Babylonians are not studying the Torah! He ate some and became indisposed. He then said: A basketful of knives for a zuz and yet the Babylonians study the Torah!].

They further decreed a fast because wolves had devoured, etc. 'Ulla said in the name of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak, it once happened that wolves devoured two children beyond the Jordan and discharged them through the excretory canal. When the fact came before the Sages, they declared the excreted (digested) flesh as clean, but the excreted bones as unclean.

'Ulla said, it is the day on which Hosea (son of Elah) abolished the guards whom Jeroboam son of Nebat had stationed on the roads in order to prevent the Israelites from going up to Jerusalem for the festivals.

Said R. Ḥelbo in the name of R. 'Ulla of Bir, who said it in the name of R. Eleazar, in the future the Holy One, blessed be He, will arrange a chorus for the righteous in Paradise. He will sit in the center and each of the righteous will be able to point to Him with his finger, as it is said (Is., 25. 9): "And it shall be said in that day: Lo, this is our God, for whom we waited, that He might save us; this is the Lord, for whom we waited, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

It has also been stated: R. Helbo said in the name of Ulla of Biri: One must read the Megillah in the evening and repeat it in the day, as it says, “To the end that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to thee forever” (Psalms 30:13).

Ulla said: Greek Italy is the great city of Rome which covers an area of three hundred parasangs by three hundred. It has three hundred and sixty five markets corresponding to the number of days of the solar year. The smallest of them is that of the poultry sellers, which is sixteen mil by sixteen. The king dines every day in one of them.

From what Ulla said; for Ulla said: Wherever a man’s name is given along with that of his father as the author of a prophecy we know that he was a prophet son of a prophet. Where his own name is given but not that of his father, we know that he was a prophet but not the son of a prophet. Where his name and the name of his town are specified, we know that he came from that town. Where his name is given but not that of his town, we know that he was from Jerusalem.

From what Ulla said; for Ulla said: Wherever a man’s name is given along with that of his father as the author of a prophecy we know that he was a prophet son of a prophet. Where his own name is given but not that of his father, we know that he was a prophet but not the son of a prophet. Where his name and the name of his town are specified, we know that he came from that town. Where his name is given but not that of his town, we know that he was from Jerusalem.

On Rosh Hodesh and Hol Hamoed four people read… Ulla b. Rav enquired of Rava: How is the portion of Rosh Hodesh read? “Command the children of Israel and say to them” has eight verses. How are we to deal with them?

There was a stone pavement there and it has been taught: “You shall not put any figured stone in your land to bow down upon it” (Leviticus 26:1): On it you may not bow down in your land, but you may bow down on the stones in the Temple. Like Ulla, who said: The Torah [here] is forbidding only a pavement of stone.

Let him then go among the congregation and fall on his face? He did not want to trouble the congregation. Or if you like I can say that Rav usually spread out his hands and feet [when he fell on his face], and he followed the opinion of Ulla, who said, The Torah forbade only the spreading out of the hands and feet.

one who says he does not count is like Ulla, who said: Why is it proper for the one who reads the haftarah from the Prophet to read in the Torah first? To show respect for the Torah. Since he reads [only] out of respect for the Torah, he should not be counted to make up the seven.

A person in rags may publicly recite the Shema etc. Ulla b. Rab asked of Abaye: Is a child in rags allowed to read in the Torah?

We have learned in another place: Whoever makes use of a crown, passes away [from the world] and Resh Lakish taught: This applies to one who accepts service from one who can repeat halakhoth, the crown of Torah. And Ulla said

How many are sufficient? R. Shmuel b. Inia said in the name of Rav: Twelve thousand and [in addition] six thousand trumpets, or, as according to another version, twelve thousand men of whom six thousand have trumpets. Ulla said: Enough to make a procession extending from the burying ground to the town gate.

What is R. Meir’s reason? It like that of Ulla as Ulla said: Why did they say that he who reads from the Torah should not aid the translator? So that people should not say that the translation is written in the Torah. So too here [R. Meir’s reason is] so that they should not say that the blessings are written in the Torah.

What is R. Meir’s reason? It like that of Ulla as Ulla said: Why did they say that he who reads from the Torah should not aid the translator? So that people should not say that the translation is written in the Torah. So too here [R. Meir’s reason is] so that they should not say that the blessings are written in the Torah.