YIẒḤAḲ BEN SAMUEL BEN MARTA:

By: Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser

Babylonian amora of the third and fourth centuries. He was a pupil of R. Naḥman, to whom he directed questions relating to sacrifice (Men. 81a) and to differentiation between sanctified and unsanctified things (Ḥul. 35a). In the name of Rab he transmitted sayings relating to the presentation of letters of divorce (Giṭ. 13a, 63b), and to Rab's method of pronouncing the Sabbatical benediction (Pes. 166a). Rabbah transmitted sayings of Yiẓḥaḳ's (Meg. 16b); Ze'era addressed him as "Rabbenu" (Ḥul. 30b); and Rami bar Ḥama directed a question to him (ib. 35a). Yiẓḥaḳ once met Simlai in Nisibis, where he heard the latter denounce the free use of oil among the Jews; and he later furnished a report of this denunciation ('Ab. Zarah 36a; comp. Yer. 'Ab. Zarah 41d).

J. S. O.