Geniza Lab

Fragment from a responsum dealing with matters of betrothal. The fragment was written by the same scribe who wrote AIU D 75 which is a fragment from Siddur R. Shelomo ben Natan that was written in the twelfth century. Thus, the document must have been written in the twelfth century or after it. It appears that the question involved a betrothal that was carried out with haste (see line 3) by an inexperienced man. The respondent expresses his displeasure that the betrothal was conducted by someone who was not 'experienced in the matter of marriage and divorce' and requests to know how exactly the marriage was conducted: were the objects of betrothal handed directly to the bride or her representatives, and were those appointed in front of two witnesses? Was the expression 'for the purpose of complete betrothal' uttered when then objects of betrothal were handed over? He asks the person who presented the responsum to warn the public that such cases should not happen again.

Legal query addressed to Moses Maimonides with his autograph responsum, ca. 1170-1204.

Fragment of a query to Avraham Maimonides (1205-1237) regarding the relationship between a single man and a female slave.

A query seeking a responsum, addressed to Avraham Maimonides regarding an unmarried man living with a female slave. (Information from Mediterranean Society, V, p. 486 and from Goitein's index cards)

Legal query with responsum. Concerning tefillin. Late. Striking signatures.

Legal query regarding a partnership between merchants. See also T-S 20.152 and T-S NS J161 + T-S 12.5.

A query directed to Maimonides (d. 1204). Responsum.

Legal query addressed to Yiṣḥaq b. Sasson ha-Dayyan, with his responsum and signature. Concerning an upstanding man whose only trade is teaching Torah but who is a bachelor. If someone objects to his teaching Torah because he is unmarried, what is the law? The responsum cites the Mishna and Gemara of Qiddushin 82a and explains that he may continue teaching children but that he may not go to their houses to teach them, because there are usually women around. ASE

An autograph responsum by Avraham Maimonides (1186-1237) dealing with wine brought by a Karaite and the injunction about preparation of wine by Jews (rabbanite Jews). (Information from Mediterranean Society, I, pp. 14, 123, 428)

Legal query addressed to Avraham Maimonides. Concerning a certain Kohen who is seeking a restraining order against his divorcee and to prohibit her from entering the alley where he lives, because he is scared of her and her witchcraft (כישוף). She keeps visiting her female friends who live the same alley as he. (Information in part from Goitein's index cards.) ASE

Various Geonic responsa. (Information from CUDL)

Maimonides’ responsa to the sages of Lunel. Headings שאלה and תשובה. (Information from CUDL)

Responsum in a literary style concerning a dispute between husband and wife, written in the hand of Yeḥiʾel b. Elyaqim (active 1213-1233 CE). (Information from CUDL)

Responsum (lengthy) by the judge Yeḥiel b. Eliyaqim regarding the invocation of the 'reshut' -- the authority of the Head of the Jews -- in legal documents and other contexts. The document concludes with a statement that it was copied directly from that in Yeḥiel's own handwriting, witnessed by Avraham b. Hillel and Yoshiyah b. Moshe.

Recto: Responsum regarding a man who made many vows and repented of them. Verso: Appears to be the writer's notes more general notes to himself on the question of repenting of vows. Needs examination

Recto: Letter of recommendation addressed to Aharon ha-Ḥazzan. In Hebrew, calligraphically written. Headed with the title 'Rosh ha-Seder.' Requesting that Aharon look after a blind man named Shabbat who claimed to have been cheated of his allocation. Verso: A woman pawns pieces of her trousseau against loans. The date 26 May 1050 CE appears in lines 4–5. Information from Goitein's note cards. Old description: Fragments of responsum by a Gaon, dealing with children of female slaves.

Fragment of a double query, presented to Avraham Maimonides about (1) a man who keeps a female slave—not for service—although he was married and a father of children. (2) a man who had a Christian female slave accept Judaism but lived with her out of wedlock. This seems to be another version of the same two questions contained in T-S 10K8.13. Information from Goitein's note card.

Responsum of Daniel b. Azarya about a dispute between men named Avraham and Yaʿaqov.

Responsum on the type of vellum used for writing tefilin. Glick attributing the hand erroneously to Yosef b. Ya'aqov Rosh Haseder, but it is clearly written by Shlomo b. Shmuel b. Sa'adya (first half 13th century)

Responsum that deals with someone who, due to financial troubles, must move to another city to find work despite an explicit prohibition against it in his wife's Ketubba. The identity of the person to whom the question was directed is unknown. Danzig quotes Adler's opinion that the rabbi was Maimonides, however, there is no proof for this. The Responsum asks: May the husband force his wife to join him against her will? If the answer is no, must he divorce her, as he transgressed an explicit condition in her Ketubba? If the answer to both questions is negative, must he give her child support while he is away? Must he only provide for his kids in this period? The answer has not been preservEd. In the rest of the page and in the right-hand margins there is a piyyut that continues on the reverse side (not presented here).