[6] The best known of his senior fellow students was Hiyya the Great, who, as an assistant teacher in Rabbi's school, sometimes acted as Yannai's tutor.
Their friendship was afterward cemented by the marriage of Yannai's daughter to Hiyya's son Judah.
His school differed from others in that the pupils were treated as belonging to the master's family; they worked on Yannai's estate, took their share of the revenue, and lived under his roof.
[22] Yannai said in reference to Hanina, "He who studies the Law under only one teacher sees no sign of blessing".
[23] Yannai is conspicuous in both Talmud and Midrash as a prolific aggadist, and he occupies an important place among the Biblical exegetes of his time.
[25] When old age had impaired his sight he requested Mar Ukba to send him some eye-salves prepared by Samuel.