אבא בר אבא הכהן אבוה דשמואל

Abba bar Abba the Kohen, the father of Shmuel, is called the father of Shmuel due to an incident brought in the Talmud (Gittin 5a). Abba bar Abba went to the West and encountered a woman who knew the language of Tzipori. She said to him, "I have a need, and I will give you such and such coins," because she knew that a great man would emerge from him. He left her and came that night to his wife, and he had relations with her, and afterwards it was heard that she was pregnant and brought to the Beit Din to be examined.

Shmuel said, "In the womb of his mother, let him be like the head of a fool, lest I receive the head of a fool and it will pain me." The head of a fool in the womb of his mother and the head of a fool is removed. [And a bit of this you will see in Tosafot, Kidushin (17a). (It is written in the book Ginat Veradim, section Pei, that this incident was the reincarnation of Potiphar's wife who accused Yosef, for she knew that from him would emerge a great man.) And it is written in the book Ginat Veradim, section Aleph, that it is difficult why he is called after his son. The matter is that Abba bar Abba is Shmuel the Ramathi, and Shmuel his son is the reincarnation of Shaul, and just as Shmuel spoke with Shaul after his death, so Abba bar Abba spoke with his son Shmuel after his death, as it is stated in Berakhot (18b).

And just as the woman (the Ba'alat Ov) said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" they also said to him, "There are many here, father," and just as Shmuel said to Shaul, "Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me," so Abba bar Abba said to Shmuel his son, "You are coming to the calf." And just as he said to Shaul, "With me in my company," so Abba bar Abba said to Shmuel, "You are considered greatly in this world." And Shmuel is a reincarnation and a spark of King Shaul, for Shmuel is called "Arioch, king of the law," as Shmuel is in judgment. (And a hint to this is that Arioch, king, with the letters and two inclusives, totals the number of Shaul.) And my master, my father, wrote in his work that Shmuel the Ramathi was from the side of the female, therefore Hannah said, "And you will give your maidservant a seed of men," attributing it to his mother (Maggid, Ophan 100). And because Abba bar Abba is Shmuel the Ramathi, therefore he is called Abba bar Abba, meaning that he is not dependent on his mother but on his father, for he is not from the side of the female. [That is to say, not like Abba, who is Shmuel the Ramathi, who was from the side of the female, but this Shmuel is dependent on his father, therefore he is called Abba bar Abba Shmuel.] And my master wrote, and to this secret Hannah said, "I am the one who asked for him," a spark of the Holy Spirit because Shmuel is the son of his father Shaul.

And see Yalkut Shmuel, section Pei.]

b) And there was a pious man who guarded the property of orphans in the midst of his own funds, (Berakhot, chapter Mi Shemato) [(D'rachim, 2, regarding Shmuel). In Shabbat (65a) he did not abandon his wife, etc. In Bava Metzia (24b) he found a donkey in the desert and returned it to its owner after twelve months, beyond the letter of the law. In Avodah Zarah (20b) the Angel of Death said to him, "If we do not concern ourselves with the reading of the Beraita, we would be liable for the slaughterhouse."]

3) [In Shuchan Aruch, Shmuel, Parashat Yud, and in the Yalkut there, Remez 100: Abba used to trade in silk, and Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah sent him a message that he wished to purchase silk from him.

Abba held the silk for Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah, but later Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah did not want to take the silk and said to Abba, "I only sent you words of mere formality." Abba replied, "Your words are more trustworthy to me than money; therefore, I relied on you and did not wish to sell to another." Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah blessed him that he should merit a son like Shmuel the Ramathi, as it is written about him, "And all of Israel knew that Shmuel was trustworthy." Therefore, Abba merited this son, Shmuel bar Abba.

Thus far is the text. And Zayit Raanan wrote that Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah was during the time of the Temple, as is evident from the story of this Kutite who ate the Paschal lamb in Jerusalem, and Shmuel was three generations after the destruction, and it is possible that he lived for such a long time.

Thus far is the text. And see what Rabbi Yehuda ben Beterah wrote there. It appears that this Abba lived a long time, for Abba sent to Rabbi Yehuda Nasi, and Rabbi Yehuda Nasi sent to him for his honor, not to hold back from the father of Shmuel. As a mistaken one, in the chapter "The Woman of Peace" (Ketuot 62b), and Rabbi Yehuda Nasi permitted oil of the Kutim, and the Rabbi did not want to eat, and Shmuel said to him, "Eat, or else I will write against you as a rebellious elder," as it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud, chapter "There Are No Appointments" (see above regarding Rabbi Yehuda Nasi).

And Rabbi Yehuda Nasi was the grandson of Rabbi, and Shmuel was the disciple of Rabbi (see there), and Shmuel died shortly after the death of his father, as is evident in Berakhot where they read about Shmuel that he ate the money of orphans; this was probably immediately after the death of his father, and then Shmuel went to the courtyard of death (see above regarding Shmuel, the matter in detail), and his father cried that he would die quickly.]

(d) [The father of Shmuel asked Shmuel, saying, "If so, it would be a mistake" (Zevachim 26a). He sent to Rabbi to teach us, our master, and he sent him back, thus said Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yosi in the name of his father (Pesachim 63a). Rav challenged the father of Shmuel and was silent, and he read about it, "The princes were restrained by words, and they placed their hands upon their mouths" (Ketubot 84, 51b).

And behold, it appears that since Rav challenged the father of Shmuel, for Rav was his student, and it seems that Rav was a friend of Shmuel, and Shmuel received from his father as mentioned, and there is a question in Me'ilah (9a) where the father of Shmuel and Rabbi Avin challenged Rav Huna. And Rav Huna was a student of Rav, and how could he challenge from Rav Huna, a student of his student? One cannot say that he challenged from Rav Huna, the Exilarch, who died in the days of Rabbi, for behold, the father of Shmuel and Rabbi Avin asked from Rav Huna, and Rabbi Avin was not in the time of Rabbi (see there).

And after some time, new Shas was printed, erased, and Ravin's version was not in accordance with Rav Huna (see above in the introduction). In the Jerusalem Talmud, in the chapter of the one who releases a woman, law 11, Abba bar Wah argued with Shmuel his son, and that matter is mentioned there in Niddah, chapter 1, law 4, Abba bar Abba argued with Shmuel his son.

Therefore, you should know that in the Jerusalem Talmud, in many places, he is referred to as Abba Wah. In the Jerusalem Talmud, in the chapter of the daily offering, law 2, Rabbi Yochanan said, "On this, my father Abba bar Abba said to me." And this matter is in Shekalim, chapter 2, law 5, the explanation on this is that Abba bar Abba is difficult. The father of Shmuel and Levi entered the synagogue of Shef and sat in Nehardea and prayed there (Rosh Hashanah 24b) (Avodah Zarah 43b). (It is written in the book of the travels of Benjamin in the city of Shafita that the synagogue was built from stones and dust of Jerusalem).

And Levi departed from there. In Rosh Hashanah (27b, 28a), they sent to the father of Shmuel, on Shabbat (Rosh Chodesh 2b), Mar Ukva and Rabbi Matna said in his name. His daughters were captured, etc. They entered to Rabbi Chanina, and she said, "I was captured and I am pure," etc.

And he said to Rabbi Shimon bar Abba the priest, "I will take care of your relatives." See Mari bar Rachel, the daughter of Shmuel. Pinchas his son, and there is a question].