Geniza Lab

Letter in Hebrew dated 1766/67 CE (527 = וה(י)כינו את (אשר) יביאו) from the Jewish community of Safed to the Jewish community of Pisa, begging for financial help to the tune of 15,000 gerushim. They recount a fascinating tale of a Jewish man who 'purchased the tax' (=the tax farming rights under the malikane system) from the rulers for 6,000 gerushim. They knew this would turn out badly, but he refused to listen. Later, he was unable to render the full amount demanded by the rulers, so he was clapped in irons, "and died on account of the fright." It seems that now the rulers are demanding that the community itself make up the deficit. There is a somewhat mysterious episode about an evil man who wishes to bring his minions to live in a certain house. The "Italian congregation" of Safed (ק״ק איטאלייאנוס) is mentioned. Their sheliḥim are Yisrael Benveniste and Ḥayyim Mordechai Būnan (their power of attorney is the next shelfmark). Note that the gematriya in fact adds up to 537, corresponding to 1776/77 CE, but one of the yods should probably be ignored, because the power of attorney is clearly dated 527. An earlier cataloguer thought the same (see note on final page). Merits further examination. ASE. MCD.

Power of attorney (שטר הרשאה) in which the community of Safed appoints Yisrael Benveniste and Ḥayyīm Mordechai Būnan as their sheliḥim. See previous shelfmark. There are numerous signatures (or at least names written out by the scribe), including that of Masʿūd Būnan, perhaps identical with the shaliaḥ sent from Tiberias to Pisa nearly twenty years earlier (Bodl. MS heb. c 64/6). ASE.

Several legal attestations in Hebrew, perhaps from a court ledger, in multiple handwritints, regarding the dispute between Yosef Kalido (?) and David Leon, who were in the securities ("polisas") business. David Leon transfered to Yosef Kalido a debt owed by Yosef Shunina (the Talmudic term "apoteiki" is used here, but seems to refer to Kalido himself rather than to assets designated as repayment). There was also a dispute between Yosef Shunina and Makhlūf Mayo (?), likewise regarding polisas. The plot thickens here, and more characters are introduced, including Eliezer Benveniste and Yosef de Leon. The settlements reached appear on verso in statements introduced by "I the undersigned, by the power vested in me. . . ." which sounds like a European documentary formula. The date Friday, 17 Elul appears, but the year (if given) is difficult to parse—may be gematriya. ASE