Geniza Lab

Responsum regarding qiyyum of legal documents

Fragment from a legal query concerning the bill of divorce given by Moshe Qudeisi, which is claimed to be given forcibly, and therefore is not valid. Published Glick, Sridei Teshuvot, p. 517-521

Letter fragment (vertical strip from the left side of recto). In Hebrew. Dating: Late, perhaps ca. 16th century. Regarding communal matters and evildoers.

Responsum regarding a marriage permission to the chained wife of a silk dealer, who was on a business trip in the villages of Egypt and was murdered by bandits. His body was found, together with those of others, and was identified by gentiles, who gave his details to Jews who went to search for him. Published by Glick, Sridei Teshuvot, p. 416-443. AA

Possibly a letter (FGP). Late fragment filled with Hebrew text on both sides, most of which consists of praises for somebody. Sherira Gaon is mentioned.

Late letter in Hebrew.

Letter, possibly. Late fragment containing halakhic discussions in Hebrew, in two different hands, and one line at the top that would normally be found at the beginning of a letter (היקר ונעלה. . . ).

Business letter, fragment, from Yaʿaqov Levi to an unknown addressee. In Hebrew. Goods mentioned include: alkali (הקלי) in line 6, and coral in line 8. The writer mentions his trip to Friuli (NE Italy) in line 9. Currencies: peraḥim. Uses the title "Agha." Dating: 16th century? Information from Avraham David via FGP.

Magical recipe written in Arabic and Hebrew. The Arabic script reads "ṣifa kāghaḍa (=kāghadh) saḥiḥa wa-hiya lā tataghayyar wa-taṣnaʿ minhā mā shiʾt" on verso. Recto: pen trials and signature practices in Arabic script including taqbīl clause, and cartouches. Late. Perforations for binding.

Letter from an unknown writer, either in Gaza or near Jerusalem, to Yishmaʿel, in Fustat/Cairo. In Hebrew. Dating: Second half of the 16th century. The writer describes his persecution at the hands of judges and police in Palestine, specifically in the city of Gaza. It began with a debt owed to the writer by a shāwīsh/çavuş, who denied owing anything (r10–12). The matter came before a judge from Jerusalem, who came to Gaza (r10), and, thanks to bribes and false witnesses, ruled against the writer (r12–15). The shāwīsh continued persecuting the writer, trheatening him with imprisonment or extradition to Damascus for the sake of bringing the case before the Basha there (r15–18). The shāwīsh maintained that the writer owed him 427 Venetian gold coins (peraḥim banādiqa) (r32–33). But the community of Gaza came to the rescue of the writer and agreed to stand security for the loan (r28, v14) that he would need to take out in order to pay off various people to avoid being dragged off to Damascus (r19–31). The writer is now in unbearable financial straits (r31, v6) and asks the addressee to help defray his debts to the community of Gaza (v7–38). The writer has also turned to Yaʿaqov de Villareal and Moshe Porekh(?) for help in transferring the money (v22–25). Information from Avraham David's edition on FGP.

Letter in Hebrew. Late. Mentions Elʿazar Castro.

Business letter. In Hebrew. Dating: 16th century, based on Avraham David's assessment. Currency: muayyadi/medin.

Legal deed. In Hebrew. Dated: Shevat 5562 AM, which is 1802 CE. Settlement of a partnership dispute. Currency: medin (מאיידיס). Witnesses; Aharon Ṭawīl; Yehuda Pinto; Ḥayyim Ḥefeẓ; Nissim Ṭawīl. Verso: Accounts in Judaeo-Arabic.

Letter addressed to ʿAmram. In Hebrew. Dating: Probably no earlier than 16th century. Shemuel b. Sīd(?) is mentioned in the first line. Very faded.

Legal document. In Hebrew. Location: Fustat/Cairo. Dated: End of Sivan, 5578 AM, which is 1818 CE. Apprentice contract for Avraham Puerte(?), the student, and Yehuda Bonan, the teacher. Avraham will study the trade of sarraflik (money changing) from Yehuda for a period of 24 months. He will learn "how to count money as is customary here, every 1000 medins in one paper." For the first year, the weekly wage will be 40 medins. For the second year, the weekly wage will be 60 medins. The fine for violating the contract is 100 esedi gurush to be paid to the other party. Witnesses: There is a single elaborate signature, difficult to read. It looks very much like the signature in ENA NS 29.20 from ~20 years earlier.

Letter from Shemuel b. Sīd. In Hebrew. Dating: 1600–35 CE, based on Avraham David's assessment. It is unclear whether Shemuel wrote this letter while still living in Egypt or when living in Jerusalem (as he did from the 1620s until his death in 1635); David leans to the latter option, based on the reference to the 'donation for Jerusalem.' Shemuel provides a recommendation for a teacher named Ḥayyim who is in need. He also asks the addressee to send him a donation of 50 grossos (? גורושוש) 'for Jerusalem,' for he has a debt of this amount. He also asks to be sent the money from "the sale of the knives, for it is not hidden from you that the period has arrived of dispersing (funds) more than fifths." (Information from FGP.)

Letter sent by Ḥayyim b. Avraham Skandari, probably in Cairo, to his son, probably in Alexandria. The date is the 2nd of Adar I, probably 1590 but could also be 1606, depending on whether the yod and vav are to be read in ישֿוןֿ. Information from Avraham David's edition (FGP).

Letter from an anonymous writer in Jerusalem to a certain Elʿazar, probably 16th century. The writer seems to genuinely yearn to travel to the addressee's location (Fustat?). First he was in Damascus, "and they did not let me leave. I do not wish to tell you all the respect they paid me." Due to the difficulty of leaving, he resorted to "a trick" and told them that he wanted to visit all the graves of the righteous in Palestine, so he left and his party traveled the country from Dan to Be'er Sheva. Then he came to Jerusalem, where the Sephardic congregation again refuses to let him leave. "They wish to catch me so that I preach to them every Shabbat. I escaped Damascus for this? And here these other ones are catching me, and I do not wish to stay with them." Summary based on Avraham David's transcription, who, however, reads "I escaped from Damascus for this" as a sincere statement. ASE

Late letter in Hebrew. Needs further examination. Mentions the unbearable heat of the sun.

Hebrew letter from Yiṣḥaq b. Zeraḥya known as Faryol (?), a physician, to Avraham Talmid (known from other letters, fl. ca.1600). The first part of the letter deals with business matters. The writer mentions that he wished to examine some books, but the bookseller refused to untie them. He then asks the addressee to look after and mentor R. David ha-Kohen who is visiting Damascus with 200 gold pieces to exchange them for other gold and silver. The second part of the letter conveys information for al-Shaykh Ghāzī who left his wife in the hands of the writer to cure her from her illness. Thanks to the medicines sent by the husband and others that the writer gathered, the cure has been successful—her face has completely healed, and her legs, thank God. "Please remind him to send me a suitable gift, something suitable. In truth it has been nine months since I have seen my home (or: wife). Now, for Purim, they have begged me to come, but the sick woman, his wife, did not wish to let me go, and I could not go against her will. Copy out these words for him. . ." Information from Avraham David's edition. ASE.