YIẒḤAḲ HA-BABLI:

By: Joseph Jacobs, Schulim Ochser

Palestinian amora. His period is unknown. Two haggadot of his are extant. The king Melchizedek, who went to meet Abraham, was called Salem, says Yiẓḥaḳ, because he was perfect; that is, he had early submitted to circumcision (Gen. R. xliii. 7). With reference to Jacob's promise, the amora interprets the words "Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble" (Ps. lxvi. 14) by saying that one makes a vow when in need, in order to keep the commandments of the Torah (Gen. R. lxx. 1; Midrash Shemuel ii.).

J. S. O.