Ulla or 'Ulla was a Jewish Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

ist and one of the leading Halakhic

Halakha

Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...

 amoraim in the Land of Israel

Land of Israel

The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...

 during the latter part of the third and in the beginning of the fourth centuries CE (the second and third amoraic generations).

In his youth he studied under R. Eleazar II. (Tos. to Ḥul. 34a, s.v. "Man Ḥabraya"); and he transmitted nine of his teacher's halakhic sayings, seven of which are contained in Bava Kamma

Bava Kamma

Bava Kamma is the first of a series of three Talmudic tractates in the order Nezikin that deal with civil matters such as damages and torts...

 11, one in Eruvin 21b, and one in Ketubot (tractate) 74a. He was greatly respected for his learning; and during his visits to Babylonia

Babylonia

Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...

 he seems to have been invited frequently by the Resh Galuta to deliver halakic lectures (Ket. 65b; Ḳid. 31a; Shabbat (tractate) 157b). He traveled repeatedly to the Talmudic Academies in Babylonia

Talmudic Academies in Babylonia

The Talmudic Academies in Babylonia, also known as the Geonic Academies, were the center for Jewish scholarship and the development of Jewish law in Mesopotamia from roughly 589 CE to 1038 CE...

; and on one of his journeys he was in danger of assassination

Assassination

To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...

 by one of his companions, saving his life only by condoning the murder of another (Nedarim 22a). Ulla rendered important decisions regarding the benedictions and the calculation of the new moon, and was accustomed to promulgate his rulings in Babylonia when he went thither (Ber. 38b; R. H. 22b; Pes. 53b, 104b).

He was very strict in his interpretation of religious laws (Shab. 147a, 157b); and on one occasion, when he heard R. Huna use an expression which he did not approve, he retorted, "As vinegar

Vinegar

Vinegar is a liquid substance consisting mainly of acetic acid and water, the acetic acid being produced through the fermentation of ethanol by acetic acid bacteria. Commercial vinegar is produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes. Slow methods generally are used with traditional...

 to the teeth, and as smoke

Smoke

Smoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...

 to the eyes, so are the words of R. Huna," applying to him the first half of Prov. x. 26 (Ḳid. 45b). Only in the presence of Rav Nachman

Rav Nachman

Rav Nachman bar Yaakov was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the third generation, and pupil of Samuel of Nehardea. He was chief justice of the Jews who were subject to the exilarch , and was also head of the school of Nehardea...

 did Ulla hesitate to pronounce his opinions, generally waiting until the former had departed (Giṭ. 11b, 12a); although he frequently sought Naḥman's company (Ket. 53a).

Of his contemporaries with whom he engaged in controversies may be mentioned, besides R. Naḥman, R. Abba (B. M. 11a), Abimi bar Papa, Ḥiyya bar Ammi (Ket. 53a), and R. Judah (Ḥul. 68b, 70a); but his personal friend, with whom he associated most frequently, was Rabbah bar Ḥana (Tosef., Ḥul. xxxiv. 1).

In addition to the sayings of his teacher Eleazar, Ulla transmitted those of R. Hoshaiah (Ḥul. 76a), Joshua ben Levi

Joshua ben Levi

Joshua ben Levi or Yehoshua ben Levi was an amora who lived in the land of Israel of the first half of the third century. He headed the school of Lydda in the southern Land of Israel. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha and Resh Lakish, who presided over the school in Tiberias...

 (ib. 122a), R. Johanan ('Er. 67b), Rab (Shab. 143b), and Simeon ben Laḳish (Ḥag. 8b), while his own sayings were transmitted by R. Aḥa bar Adda (B. M. 117b), Hamnuna

Hamnuna

Hamnuna is the name of several rabbis in the Talmud.* Hamnuna Sabba . Mid third century of the common era. A pupil of Rav . After Rav, he became the head of the rabbinical academy at Sura. The Talmud contains many halakhic rulings, aggadot and prayers from him...

 (Shab. 10b), Ḥiyya bar Abba

Hiyya bar Abba

Hiyya bar Abba or Rabbi Hiyya was an amoraic sage of priestly descent of the latter Mishnaic period. Active in Tiberias, Hiyya was the primary compiler of the tosefta. He was the uncle of Abba Arika....

 (Ḥag. 25b), Ḥiyya bar Ami (Ber. 8a), Raba bar Ḥinena (Men. 30b), R. Ḥisda (Ber. 38b), Judah bar Ammi (M. Ḳ. 5b), and Joshua bar Abba (ib. 5b).

Raba appears to have been his only son (Shab. 83b). Ulla died in Babylonia, before his teacher R. Eleazar; but his remains were taken to Palestine for burial (Ket. 111a).