Geniza Lab

Letter. "The comparatively strong control exercised by the academies over even remote communities is to be explained by the fact that many local leaders had themselves pursued their postgraduate studies there and their loyalty to their alma mater was like that of modern alumni. Some, or perhaps the majority, of the students had benefited from the academy's funds. The following incident may illustrate the situation. A scholar from Egypt on his way to Baghdad, where he intended to continue his studies, was detained in Mosul. He had sent "a student and servant" of his to the Iraqian capital to determine whether it was safe for him to enter it, but meanwhile he had run short of cash. The Gaon answers: Had he known of the writer's intention to come, he would have borne the cost of his entire journey, and, of course, his sojourn in Baghdad would be at the expense of the yeshiva." Med Soc II, pp. 12–13. Note that this shelfmark no longer exists, and Goitein's description corresponds to neither Moss. Ia,10.1 or Moss. Ia,10.2 (which theoretically are the new shelfmarks for the old L 279)