Geniza Lab

Complete, but very faded late letter in Hebrew from Jerusalem to ha-Ḥakham ha-Shalem ha-Dayyan ha-Meẓūyan Raysh Metivta Qedishta [...] Shemuel Sid[i?], Fustat. There are several letters in Ladino from a 17th-century Shemuel Sidi (see tag); unclear if this is the same person. This document would benefit from multispectral imaging. ASE.

Upper left corner of a letter in Ladino. A Gatenio is mentioned.

Recto: bottom half of a letter in Ladino from Shemuel Sidi (same as T-S 12.318 and T-S 12.381). Verso: unclear, needs examination. Long list of names, mostly Shimons. ASE.

Letter in Ladino from Shemuel Sidi to Gabriel Conforte (17th century). ASE.

Letter from Shemuel Sidi, in Damietta, to his brother-in-law and business partner Gabriel (likely Gabriel Conforte, son of the famous David Conforte). In Ladino. See T-S 12.381 for another letter from the same Shemuel Sidi, also with a responsum on the other side. Written on Friday, the 13th of Tammuz. It is not clear where the various people are based. Shemuel's father is also in Damietta, but Shemuel's wife is in Gabriel's location. Shemuel writes: "Always write to me via Rashid to Izmir," and, "God willing, on Sukkot, you will tell me what happened the garments that I will send to Salonica, and God willing, tell me about in Izmir." Perhaps Gabriel and Shemuel's wife live in Cairo/Fustat, and Shemuel has embarked on a trip to Izmir. Shemuel reports that he is sending some clothing back to (presumably) Cairo/Fustat for his wife (? "by my sins, I left her practically naked / muy desnuda"). He mentions that he is sending a silk skirt (futa de seda) with R. Ya'aqov Sobrado (?). "Our brother" R. Shelomo al-Hanati (אלחאנאטי) and R. David Kivas (דוד כיואס) are also mentioned. Shemuel sends regards to his father-in-law, Tia Havah (or Hannah), Tio Moshe, and Menahem, and to his own "brother" יאודה מראלי. This fragment also contains a responsum regarding a Jew who had a Gentile process the parchment for Torah scrolls and tefillin but failed to mark the parchment so that he would know if the Gentile swapped it out. The responsum has been edited by Shmuel Glick of the FGP Seride Teshuvot Team. ASE.

Letter from Shemuel Sidi to Moshe ha-Levi. Written on Friday, 1 Heshvan. The letter's origin and destination are unclear. See T-S 12.318 for another letter from the same Shemuel Sidi (sent from Damietta), also with a responsum on the other side. Shemuel reports that he is sending money to Moshe both with Aliko (?), the factotum (taking "muchacho" as the equivalent of "ghulam") of Hajji Amir איל נאמראגואי, and with his own slave איל מוטי. The remainder has to do with a debt to R. Yosef Burgos (?), which he is unable to pay right now. He asks Moshe to speak with him, and Shemuel hopes to pay him later when he travels to Salonica. There is also a note about the bearer of the letter in the margin. He concludes by saying he could not manage to send the purple קוסאקיס (?). ASE.