AI en Translation, Pages 151-175
Page 151
153
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him
A hadith was reported from the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, that he said:
Just as God Almighty wants the world to remain until
the Day of Resurrection, so He wanted this sect to remain until that
time. Thus, the world shall not be void of a Jew. Even if there were a single Jew
at the top of a mountain, he must have a Torah with him; and whoever does not have a Torah
with him is not a Jew. And the meaning of His saying, Exalted is He: 'But you who held fast to the Lord your God
are all alive today,' He means by it those who hold onto the Torah and act
<del>according to what is in it, for they are the living in this world and the hereafter. And whoever does not hold</del>
according to what is in it, for they are the living in this world and the hereafter. And whoever does not hold
onto the Torah is dead, even if he is alive and provided for. For life is the
life of religion, not just the life of the body and soul, but the soul, the body,
and religion together. And that time will be a time of goodness and blessing, the time
of the Messiah. In it, God will return the kingdom and the rule to the Children of Israel, and build for them
the Holy House, and gather their scattered from the four corners of the world, and they shall have
<del>a king</del> a king as it was in ancient times, and they shall have authority over all
nations entirely. They shall have the rule, the command, and the prohibition over all
the world, and they shall have glory and elevation before God Almighty and before all
people. They shall have wealth, gold, and silver in great abundance, and the earth
shall sprout for them wheat, barley, and fruits of all kinds without
the labor of a farmer, neither plowing nor sowing, but it shall sprout by God Almighty
through rain. From that time on, death shall vanish from the world, and the people shall remain
And from that, when he was in Egypt, the father of Rabbenu David,
may his soul rest, was in the hands of Sheikh Abu Sa'd al-Tustari and his brother Abu Nasr,
and they loved him with a very great love. And Rabbenu Saadia was
in that time. And Sheikh Abu Sa'd was in Egypt and they advised him,
and he would say to him: 'O my master, do not oppose this man, for he is a man
famous and abundant in knowledge in all the world, so do not oppose him.' But when
Rabbenu Saadia, of blessed memory, did not listen to him, it was hard on Sheikh Abu Sa'd himself.
He was traveling in Egypt at that time with the rest of the people to every
person, and he saw the multitude of people who leaned towards Rabbenu
Saadia, except that Sheikh Abu Sa'd loved Rabbenu David.
At that time, a day when the great men of the people were required to visit
Sheikh so-and-so and his brother, Rabbenu David would go with them
with the people. When Rabbenu Saadia entered to visit the aforementioned
Sheikh Abu Sa'd, he found him sitting, and with him Rabbenu David was sitting with him. When
Rabbenu Saadia entered, Sheikh Abu Sa'd stood up for him and seated him,
and he sat down. But Rabbenu David did not stand up, nor did he move for him, nor
did he show him any courtesy. When Rabbenu Saadia went out from
Sheikh Abu Sa'd, he said to him: 'O my master, what is this action that
you did? It is not beautiful. Do not oppose Rabbenu Saadia, for he is a
great man. And how did you see what he did with you? He sat with you and
you did not stand for him nor show him courtesy, and he is today the head
of the generation.' And Rabbenu David heard those words and did not return an answer.
And he has a long story with Sheikh Abu Sa'd and with Rabbenu David,
the father of Rabbenu David, of blessed memory, with Rabbenu Saadia al-Fayyumi, of blessed memory, with
that. And Rabbenu Saadia did not cease ⟦...⟧
Page 152
Letter
Gold has arrived in thought, coming from you, and with that I want to honor you with a letter
dear to you, and if the brother M. Salim arrives with my letter. The brother N. Y.
is in the town and he has the brother Salim. And all the dignity in the letter that arrived to the father
I read it all, and what was in my mind I wrote to the father about you and that suffices you
since you intended to send to me and to him, to the father, a letter from 4 days until the day
of your departure, that would be for the father a joy and also to the most important of that, and my mother
sends her regards to you and all the house <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> the house
1920 and brighten that, and on the 18th of it, 18 Tammuz, the beginning of the new year, may God
return it to us and to you and to all Israel with prosperous years ⟦...⟧
If you had seen the family and everyone who asks about you with goodness, you would not have had any pain
and what will be is good <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> God willing that will be the reason
for the arrival, with the existence of the arrival from your side it will be good for everyone, and it is
that you be safe, along with all your household, and my mother and my father and everyone who asks about you
and everyone who asks about you and what is in your mind, that will arrive until it becomes
<del>⟦illegible⟧</del> until that becomes high
And that was on the 11th of March 26th <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> after that, and that will be
20th of Shevat
that will be, and if that is so, that will be <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> it will be
And all that for them will proceed, that will be, that will be, that will be
<del>⟦illegible⟧</del> <del>⟦illegible⟧</del>
<del>⟦illegible⟧</del> that will be, that will be, that will be
that will be, that will be <del>⟦illegible⟧</del>
<del>⟦illegible⟧</del> that will be that
The father of David Shimon Daoud al-Baghdadi from Baghdad reached Rome in the year
⟦...⟧ David ⟦...⟧ and visited its lands and went up because the year ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ if it weren't for him ⟦...⟧ for the children ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ Mr. ⟦...⟧ children ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ from children ⟦...⟧
And he was clever as they mentioned ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ the aforementioned house and said I want your service, father
⟦...⟧ times ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
Woe is me and alas for me ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
Page 153
(15)
The date of the letter is from Abilu and take the answer, send it to me at
my father's, and as we ate <del>⟦...⟧</del> the sugar, there is no work for him and so
it is not appropriate to mention unless he has called for it, but what returns me from his interference
from him, there will be no reason from those who call upon him, and he is not a ruler, and so it shall be
the purpose from you, if you do not go back to him first, you go, otherwise they
it will be when the whole matter comes up through your hand, and let there be no mention of it, nor
there be <del>⟦...⟧</del> cloudy, and so the boy shall have no mention unless it be without doubt
it will be with him to it, and from it will be his request, or it will be not in his interference
and good and passed <del>⟦...⟧</del> and <del>⟦...⟧</del> <del>⟦...⟧</del>
perhaps if there was anything in it that suffices what is with him <del>⟦...⟧</del> ⟦...⟧ reaches first what
will be for you as it was <del>⟦...⟧</del> it will be the first that is possible with him
born for me unless they come up through your hand, even if there was in that <del>⟦...⟧</del> and thus
it was in that, and let there be nothing from you <del>⟦...⟧</del> it will be from you then
and so it will be from you, and so that first will be blessed, may He bless that
it will be in that <del>⟦...⟧</del> and what was at the brother, it will be in that my hand
it will be with him who takes, and if it is from you that is in ⟦...⟧ it will be in his interference
and likewise in that, in it will be in that which will be <del>⟦...⟧</del> your being
it will be under your hand, and O may His name be blessed, it will arrive with him the matter of that
from him who has mercy on that, and for you that he in the end may He have mercy on His name be blessed
and may He purify from you that He blesses him, and may he live in that and have mercy
upon him, may He have mercy and bless, for He will be blessed, He blesses him, and he shall be
confirmed blessed in him, it will be from that, Amen and so may it be His will, Amen
And these five written things as I bless you, King of the congregation of the supreme state, may God preserve him
In the name of the Merciful and Gracious. For I have written to you about the deeds of the prince of ⟦wailing⟧
The dear one and every noble, for I am shortening my words out of the magnitude
Of the sorrow that ⟦is increasing⟧ for you, I wrote these lines while my tear
Falls down my cheek as water, and everyone who sees me weeps for me a great weeping
And the breach of the daughter of Zion is as great as the sea; who can heal you? Prophets
Envisioned for you vanity and folly, and did not reveal your iniquity to return your captivity
And they envisioned for you burdens of vanity and seduction; they clapped their hands at you
All who pass by the way; they hissed and shook their head at this daughter of Jerusalem
Is this the city that they said is the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth? They swallowed and did not
Spare; they said: We have swallowed her; surely this is the day we hoped for, we found it, we saw it
The Lord has done what He purposed; He fulfilled His word which He commanded in days of old; He destroyed
And did not spare; and He caused the enemy to rejoice over you, He raised the horn of your adversaries. Their heart cried
To the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night
Give yourself no respite, let not the apple of your eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night
At the beginning of the watches; pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord; lift up
Your hands to Him for the soul of your infants, who faint from hunger at the head of every street
See, O Lord, and behold, to whom You have done this! Should women eat their fruit,
Infants of their nursing? Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? They lie
On the ground of the streets, the young and the old; my virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword;
You have slain them in the day of Your anger; You have slaughtered and not spared. You have called as in the day of an assembly
My terrors from all around, and there was none in the day of the Lord's anger that escaped or remained; those whom
I have nursed and brought up, my enemy has consumed them all
Page 154
157
He takes for him the remains of a message in a cupboard, and the deserving people, he sent them to the place
and by the hand of Fahmi, and all of that <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> the Mukawwir shall have no involvement in it
The Mukawwir is not able to send in a cupboard, and if the count falls at the place
they have 560 from the people of the remaining animals, and they deliver them inside the place
which they deliver them to, for they are with them in the cupboard of the animals that he takes
the Mukawwir from the place, so the Mukawwir is not able to deliver anything to any of the people
not <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> from their animals, and the animals of the Mukawwir, the Mukawwir cannot deliver
and if there were 560 animals that are in the place, then the Mukawwir cannot deliver
and if the count falls <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> and he delivers the animals that he takes in the place
which he takes from the place, the count will be with them <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> so the Mukawwir cannot
deliver to one of them anything <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> from their animals, and if the Mukawwir takes
animals from the place, then the Mukawwir cannot deliver anything to any of the people
and if in that place <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> of the animals, then the Mukawwir cannot
deliver anything to one of them, even if the animals that the Mukawwir takes from the place
are in the hand of the Mukawwir, and if the animals that the Mukawwir takes from the place
the Mukawwir cannot deliver anything to any of the people, and if the animals that he takes
the Mukawwir, are in the hand of the Mukawwir, then the Mukawwir cannot deliver anything to any of the people
He takes his right from that written obligation upon the Mukawwir <del>⟦illegible⟧</del>
from his spending in that place, if the Mukawwir had delivered anything to one of
the people, the Mukawwir cannot deliver anything to one of the people
that obligation upon the Mukawwir is to deliver anything to one of the people, and if
there is in the hand of the Mukawwir anything of that obligation which the Mukawwir takes
and if the Mukawwir had delivered anything to one of the people, and if ⟦...⟧
⟦illegible⟧
And they spent the night when I was fleeing on an oak in the desert and through
there he passed and near the Jordan, a place called
Beit Mayim and he found that with a wise man one asks and blesses over the Creator of
the lights at every hour because he does not enjoy the blessing of Formed
light and Creator of soft things as written 'And God saw the light
that it was good' and between light and between the darkness in which the darkness is not recognized
and rather if a parable at that hour he said 'And there was evening'
A parable that he created flesh and blood who cannot gaze and so in the Creator
or he asks if his mind certainly saw everything that he is not like one
of man all days so the world that cannot gaze
a way, as it were, a page that did not cut a covenant by day and night it is written
we have nothing but like a day that will not come nor morning as it is written 'And until morning'
he will say from the guard who sent night and not day that he cannot see
there and the fullness of His glory that He created all the angels so that they would not see the Glory
of a king of flesh and blood he cannot see and he cannot gaze
and for this if he should see us so a king of flesh and blood, Moses our teacher
peace be upon him, was praying and wanting to see and so he said 'Please show me
Your glory' and He said 'And you shall see my back but my face shall not be seen' so
it was that they should not see His face for one cannot gaze at the face
and even the angels and all the multitudes shall not see my face
Page 155
With the help of God
Isaac son of Kafor said
Ali son of Ben Kafouri
Simon son of Isaac son of Hasson
And in this book, as God Almighty has placed us in this world
Every person has a time and a place in this fleeting world
From it are earnings, and from it are for God and for the way of God and for the way of the Rabbi
In which we are at this time, in it the relatives/attributions in which we are
From those who were in the religion and in the world and what was in it
One of them is the relatives/attributions that were in it, that were in it, that were
From those who were in the world, that were in it, that were in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And in this book that was in it, that was in it, that was in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And in this book that was in it, that was in it, that was in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And in this book that was in it, that was in it, that was in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And in this book that was in it, that was in it, that was in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And in this book that was in it, that was in it, that was in it
And that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it, that which was in it
And so it was with the people who came from Baghdad
And they fell into distress as in the aforementioned state, and where is God to save us?
He came to Baghdad in the month of Rabi' al-Thani, and thus there became
two states, Nader and the state of Ahmad Pasha, and the people of the city were besieged
in such distress, hardship, and toil until they ate carcasses and ate kittens
And likewise they burned reeds from hunger and they ate copper from hunger
And there was fear, hunger, panic, and endless death, from the beginning
of Kanun al-Awwal until Nisan, until God Almighty relieved us
by His grace. And likewise on the 3rd of Ab, Muhammad Pasha came and took the city
from the hand of Ahmad Pasha without war or fighting, and the people and the city
became secure, and he sat as a Sultan over Baghdad, and the rule of the military began
without law, and every day he killed people without number or
account, and the time was very narrow for the people, and everyone
who belonged to the English could not go out and could not walk in the market
And everyone feared for his soul, his children, and his money
And no one could trust his brother, and thus a high cost of living came upon us
A high price for wheat and barley until the weight of wheat reached four
hundred, and the weight of rice reached one thousand and one hundred, and the world was dying
from hunger, and of the people there died beyond count from hunger
And most of the people were eating bran and barley with wheat
And no one could go out from the gate of Baghdad to bring anything
from the countryside, neither wood, nor straw, nor fruit, nor anything
at all, and there was high prices, hunger, panic, and death
Page 156
Amen
Abaye
<del>⟦illegible⟧</del> master <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> I, so-and-so ⟦the victorious⟧, seek refuge at the gate
of the Merciful, Lord of the worlds, and I enter and strike with my hand
upon ⟦the horse/foundation⟧ with my hand and dwell in the house; I shall not fear Jinn nor
man nor Satan.
I, so-and-so son of so-and-so, in a house where no heavenly [harm] shall descend, nor
crushing, nor terror, nor from the Jinn, nor from the evil spirit
and the evil that they have dominion over the sons of Adam; and it shall not approach
any of them, and if I, so-and-so son of so-and-so, am in a house,
in the name of God, let no <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> evil descend upon them, nor
the terror in which they are, neither in the house nor in
the heaven, nor in the residence and the wall that He is guarding
over them; in the name of YHWH and by the hand of God, may He not approach anyone
of this house, neither from the heaven nor from the terror
in which they are.
⟦line⟧
If one fears even disbelief,
fear God Exalted; it is said that the Lord [of] disbelief, God Exalted forgives it
without doubt, and other than that; as for injustice, God Exalted does not forgive it,
but rather one must return the wrongs to their people. And whoever wronged a person, let
him return the right to him and repent for that, unless he who died has died -
and upon him are debts. So, it is commanded for him from the good deeds; the creditors take from
his good deeds, and [it] is cast upon him from their bad deeds, and he is cast into the fire,
as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said in the Hadith of the bankrupt. He said: O Messenger
of God, who is the bankrupt? He said: He who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting,
and charity, but he has insulted this one, slandered that one, consumed the wealth of this one, shed
the blood of this one, and struck that one. So this one is given from his good deeds and that one from
his good deeds. If his good deeds are exhausted before what is upon him is settled,
[it] is taken from their sins and cast upon him, then he is cast into the fire.
And it was mentioned in another report that God Exalted says on the Day of Resurrection
to the creation: I am God, there is no god but I, the King, the Judge. There shall not pass
by me the injustice of an oppressor, even if it were a slap, even if it were with the palm.
Likewise, the hornless sheep will take retaliation from the horned one, and the ant from the ant (or as he said).
⟦illegible⟧
Page 157
In the name of
God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
One gold press "healer" and now their service is others
for the hour of the others "the" and the sixth press for him and now one
Gold flower one one warm one one one what
And the sixth water gold one one warm one thin one
In it one not pressed one and now warm <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> others pressed
One not pressed and flower thin pressed one one warm one
And now warm water not pressed and flower and now water service in the name
And then the other one repetition of service and now <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> water not
Pressed and now flower water and news returned pressed one
And now from gold one one no <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> water no pressed one pressed
In it flower one and now water service flower one in it thin
One water pressed Judah the water and now in the name
And now gold and in and now service and in the water
And now not pressed one water gold one one not pressed
In it water who one and in one one one one
And now not pressed who and now not pressed one one one
Pressed and now not water one and now one and in it one one
Water and now one and in it water pressed and now one warm
And now one and in it water pressed
And now pressed one water and in one who pressed one
— water and now pressed one water one one one —
And now in it gold press one one one one pressed water
And now one not pressed one one water pressed one water
The date of the paper is 29 Av 93 and its content is that we ceased work
for a period of four days due to the birth of our daughter Mazal, and likewise
Teacher Meir began the mediation around 8 Elul. We received
a paper from you on 21 Av via the Sage Kadouri the broker, and we wrote
you an answer on 8 Elul and sent it by airmail, and on 22 Elul
so too we received a postcard from you via Kadouri the broker
and we wrote him an answer, and on 2 Heshvan we sent him an answer via the broker
and we have not received an answer from you since then
⟦illegible faded text lines...⟧
Page 158
17
Entered in the Waqf office on Thursday, 11th of Ab
To the attention of the dear brother, the light of the eyes, K. Eliyahu, may his Rock protect him
Your dear letter arrived, and in it you kindly mentioned to us the health
of your being; may God protect you and prolong your life, Amen.
And likewise, mention to K. Salem, may his Rock protect him, to be in goodness and health.
From our side, we are, thank God, in goodness and health as you would desire.
We went to Mosul and stayed there for 12 days, and
no business or anything happened for us, and we returned to Baghdad.
We arrived on Friday, 28th of Tammuz, and we had written
you a letter from Mosul informing you of our arrival
at that time. We had departed from Baghdad
on Sunday, 21st of Tammuz, with the large caravan,
and with us were a group of people from the town, such as K. Yosef
⟦...⟧ and others, and God's peace was with us.
Likewise, I inform you, my brother, that before my departure from Baghdad
I became acquainted with a merchant named K. Saleh K. David
Yaqoub, and he mentioned to me that he has with you a trust: a carpet,
a saddlebag, and a kerchief. He mentioned to me that I should receive from you the
aforementioned trust, and I said to him: 'God willing,
I will write to them, and whatever they tell me, I shall do.' And now, my
brother, if the trust is still with you, let me know,
and if you have delivered it to someone, let me know so
I may know the answer for the aforementioned man. This is what was necessary
to inform you. My peace be upon you and upon K. Salem, may his Rock protect him, and upon
the father and the mother and the brother K. Yosef and K. David and everyone
who asks about us, peace. And from the side of K. Saleh, he sends
you many greetings. May you remain in the protection of the Creator.
⟦illegible⟧
It is said, Happy is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked
⟦illegible⟧
And it says further, Happy is every one that feareth the Lord, that walketh in His ways
For thou shalt eat, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee
And King Solomon, peace be upon him, said, Happy is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who obtains understanding, for its commerce is better than the commerce of silver, and its gain than fine gold
It is more precious than pearls, and all your desires cannot compare to it; length of days
is in its right hand, and in its left are riches and honor; its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all
its paths are peace; it is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and those who support it
are happy; the Lord by wisdom founded the earth, established the heavens by understanding
By His knowledge the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down dew; my son, let them not depart
from your eyes, keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and grace
for your neck; then you will walk your way securely, and your foot will not stumble; if
you lie down, you will not be afraid, and your sleep will be sweet
Do not be afraid of sudden fear, nor of the destruction of the wicked when it comes
For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught
Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it
Do not say to your neighbor, Go and come back, and tomorrow I will give, when you have it with you
Do not devise evil against your neighbor, while he dwells securely with you
Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm
Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways
For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret is with the upright; the curse of the Lord is in the house
of the wicked, but He blesses the habitation of the righteous; if he mocks the scoffers, but to the humble
He gives grace; the wise shall inherit honor, but fools carry away shame
Page 159
257
The honorable Ezekiel Gabbai, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, on Thursday, 17th of Adar 5681, entered our small study hall
and delivered an excellent sermon in praise of charity and acts of loving-kindness and the virtue
of those who faithfully engage in public needs, and he blessed the congregation and blessed us
with the Priestly Blessing, and may it be His will that this blessing be fulfilled in us and in the entire holy congregation,
Amen. And after the prayer, we showed him great honor and escorted him to
the entrance of the courtyard, and he went to his house in peace. And on Sunday, the 20th of the aforementioned Adar, there came to us
the wondrous sage, the honorable Rabbi Shimon Agassi, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, and he also delivered a sermon,
very pleasant, in praise of charity and the virtue of those who support it, and he concluded with praise
for the honorable Ezekiel Gabbai aforementioned for his efforts for the benefit of the poor and the establishment
of the soup kitchen, and he blessed him and blessed the congregation and blessed us
and blessed the students, may there be many like him in Israel, Amen. And on Thursday, the 24th of
the aforementioned Adar, there came to us the complete and versatile sage, our teacher and rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov
Mutzafi, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, and he delivered a very precious and pleasant sermon in praise of charity
and the virtue of those who engage in it, and he blessed the congregation and blessed us
and blessed the students and blessed the honorable Ezekiel Gabbai aforementioned
for his good and upright deeds, may there be many like him in Israel,
Amen, may it be His will.
⟦line⟧
The end
⟦illegible faded text⟧
The merciful and its total is one merciful 7 from it to perceive the thing and no
Wine for the Jews rising copper rut star 27 for you in honor
22 for good good plenty in honor day assembly and turquoise gold meaning his word
21 cycle day 2 those left another and it is your opinion even if bad 20
God for the rabbit and the birth of David ⟦...⟧ 25 for the pearl 10 your palm chair rejoices
And gold for the thousand who day 24 and for earth and for the bucket a hundred 25 is suitable
The 20 the yellow and wine reason rain lamb the bull see the Pleiades 17 ⟦...⟧
Stripped of a matter finishes 7 day 29 from a bucket mention it is suitable for every mention
⟦...⟧ which he calculates and wine ⟦line⟧ seven lamb curses bucket ⟦...⟧
Only he hears from Roof
⟦line⟧
22 as a dervish ⟦...⟧
⟦illegible⟧
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And he loved if he covered
if he wants to take from the people of that country rent as much as he wants
because if he did not take the rent from them, they would go down and join those who
paid them the rent and they return to them what is theirs to take. And that
being that they are inhabitants of that country and they have a right to it. And that is because
the country is of God, may He be exalted, and it is a garment for Him, and from the garment of the Exalted
a light emerges called 'Light because it is good'. Because 'good' in it is the Gematria
of El. And that light is the light of the 'Now', for the 'Now' is a garment for that
aforementioned light, and that light gives life to the 'Now' and it is a spirit for it
and just as the spirit gives life to the body, so the light gives life to the 'Now'
divine, and that is because the 'Now' is in the position of the body to the light
And that is that ⟦...⟧ if he covers it will be ⟦...⟧ the Now
⟦...⟧ if he covers it will be ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ the worlds all return to
⟦...⟧ it is called Shekhinah and it is
⟦...⟧ for it ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦illegible lines faded at bottom⟧
The word of the Lord as follows
And Moses said to Aaron, to all the congregation of the children of Israel, come near before
the Lord, for He has heard your grumbling.
And it was, as Aaron spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel,
they turned toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.
Speak to them, saying: Between the evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning
you shall be satisfied with bread, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God.
And it was in the evening, the quails came up and covered the camp, and in
the morning there was a fall of dew around the camp.
And the fall of dew lifted, and behold, on the surface of the wilderness, something fine,
round, fine like frost on the ground.
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Rose
On Tuesday ⟦...⟧
The first of Av, the year 5694, corresponding to August 14, 1934 ⟦...⟧
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On Wednesday ⟦...⟧
The first of Elul, the year 5694, corresponding to September 12, 1934
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<del>⟦...⟧</del>
<del>⟦...⟧</del>
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With the help of God, may He be blessed and exalted
I shall write a few stories of our holy Rabbi, may his merit protect us, Amen
And it came to pass one day, Rabbi Eliezer the Great, of blessed memory, went on a far journey
And he found a certain Jew who was crying and suffering greatly
He said to him, Rabbi, why are you crying so much?
He said to him, Rabbi, I am poor and destitute, and I have a grown daughter to marry off
And I have nothing to give her as a dowry, and all day long I cry
For anyone who hears that I have no money flees from me
Rabbi Eliezer said to him, Do not cry my son, go to your house and you shall have salvation
The Jew went to his house and found there a great treasure of gold and silver
And he rejoiced with great joy and made a great feast and called all his loved ones
And when Rabbi Eliezer heard the matter, he too rejoiced with great joy
And he said, Blessed be God who did not turn away the prayer of this poor man empty-handed
And it came to pass one day, Rabbi Eliezer went to the house of study and saw a certain student there
Who was sitting and crying; Rabbi asked him, Why are you crying?
He said to him, Rabbi, I want to study Torah and I have no book to study from
Rabbi Eliezer said to him, Do not cry my son, I will give you a book
Rabbi Eliezer went to his house and brought him a precious and lovely book
And the student rejoiced with great joy and blessed Rabbi Eliezer
And it came to pass one day, Rabbi Eliezer went to the market and saw a certain poor man there
Who was walking barefoot and had no shoes on his feet and was suffering greatly
Rabbi Eliezer said to him, Why are you walking barefoot and have no shoes?
He said to him, Rabbi, I am poor and I have no money to buy shoes
Immediately, Rabbi Eliezer took off his shoes and gave them to the poor man
And he went barefoot to his house, and the poor man rejoiced with great joy
And it came to pass after these things, Rabbi Eliezer fell ill with the illness of which he died
And all the sages of Israel came to visit him and to hear words of Torah from his mouth
And Rabbi Eliezer sat and expounded to them the secrets of the Torah and the mysteries of the universe
Until his soul departed in purity, and all the people wept and eulogized him
May his merit protect us and all of Israel, Amen
Finished and complete, praise to the Creator of the universe
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254
And above that which was happening to us of transgressions and injustice which
is in his time now because of the famine and diseases and the increase of the spirit and added
to that the entry of the locusts, so they ate it all, the green and the dry, even the trees and the palms, nothing remained
green, as the verse says: 'There remained no green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field'
And in the second year of ⟦...⟧ from ⟦...⟧ the year one thousand and eighty and ⟦...⟧
there was a very great high cost in Baghdad until they sold wheat five okes
for a parara, and the people of the country ate grass and carrion from hunger, and there died of
the people of Baghdad and the ⟦...⟧ 26,000 souls and more, and of the protected people there died
thousands upon thousands from hunger, and there also died of the protected people about seven thousand souls
from the plague, other than those who died of hunger. When the scholars of the protected people saw that,
they fell into great distress because of the jizya tax on that from every ⟦...⟧ and from
66
66
And there was at that time Sayyid Abd al-Ghani Effendi, the Mufti of Baghdad, a righteous man and a lover
of everyone. A group of the protected people entered upon him and said to him: 'O our master,
you know what has happened to us of the high cost and the plague, which has not happened to anyone like us,
so how is it permissible for them to take jizya from us for the dead?' So he ordered the scribe to write
a legal document, and he wrote it at that time and they presented it to the Pasha, and he accepted that and ordered
that they be relieved of half the jizya. If it were possible for him to remit the whole, he would have remitted it,
but out of his fear of the Sultan at that time, who was Sultan Murad, he was afraid of him
extremely. And that reached...
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RNZ
And after much peace,
I kiss the hands of the exalted presence, our great Rabbi Ovadia, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, and I kiss
the palms of my lord and teacher, his compassion and his garden, may you be in joy and happiness with all the people of his house
in peace, and may God protect you all, Amen, so may it be His will. Furthermore, your letter arrived from your presence
in the city of Orfa, 29 Heshvan 5650. It arrived well and we rejoiced in his health and safety very much,
but alas and woe regarding the bad news.
<del>And after</del> that, regarding the woman who died in the prime of her youth, the mother of the child, poor thing.
May God have mercy on her and make her resting place in the Garden of Eden, and compensate you with patience and consolation,
and may He not show you any misfortune after this misfortune, Amen.
And furthermore, many presentations,
that I am satisfied with the general letter to Dalal Yosef that reached us from you, and we replied to it
at its time. And that which we inform you is that a letter reached us from your brother Yosef, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, dated 16 Heshvan,
and he mentions that he is very content and at ease regarding what reached us from you, that he is in
distress and not content and unable to write words clearly. And he now says that he is content
very much, and all his children are well and extremely comfortable, and they lack nothing.
And all this they write so that your honor's mind may be at ease regarding him and regarding his children.
And likewise he informs us that a letter reached him from your presence and that he prepared for them a thousand very ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ and the letters reached them because he is unable to travel because he is ailing
in his right leg, and he was carrying a paper from the doctor in order to travel with it,
but he cannot walk on it much as is necessary. And that he writes to your honor.
⟦...⟧ and that which we inform you is that your brother Yosef, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, traveled with his children on Friday,
2nd of Adar; they arrived safely and successfully, and praise be to God for their safety.
The liar is troubled by people and will have no friend
who trusts him. Even if he swears by the Great God, they will disbelieve him. And his
words will not be accepted by people, for lying inherits poverty and humiliation
<del>and blackens the face</del> and for that reason he will have no friend and will not
have a companion on the road nor in travel. Truthfulness saves from death and whitens
the face and raises prestige, status, and dignity, and it is the capital
by which a human is looked upon by people and beloved by them.
And the truthful person, if he errs or forgets, people forgive him and accept his excuse,
for God Almighty loves the truthful and hates the liar. And whoever earns
through truthfulness, God blesses him in his wealth and provides for him from where he does not expect,
and the mention of his name will be with goodness among people and the righteous angels.
For truthfulness is the spirit of God Almighty and lying is the spirit of Satan,
and whoever follows Satan will be a loser in this world and the hereafter.
Whoever speaks with truthfulness will be successful in both worlds, may God Almighty be pleased with him.
For that reason, my son, prefer truthfulness and commit yourself to it, you will be
profitable and safe from all calamities; and beware of lying, for it
blackens the face and in <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> its owner will be humiliated among people,
his words will not be heard, and he will have neither status nor prestige
in this world or the hereafter. So keep this advice and you will be happy in both worlds.
And whoever listens to the words of his parents, his life will be long and he will have much good,
and God will bless him in his wealth and children, and he will be mentioned with goodness,
and he will have a good end. But whoever opposes the word of his parents will be a loser,
and all his deeds will be void, and he will not be mentioned with goodness,
nor will he have righteous children, nor will his life be long.
Every liar is troubled
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And a stranger
Fear not, my servant Jacob, thus says the Lord ⟦...⟧
And Rabbi Simeon bar Yochai said ⟦...⟧ peace be upon him ⟦...⟧
In the Holy Tongue ⟦...⟧
And you already know what our Sages of blessed memory said ⟦...⟧
Regarding this matter ⟦...⟧
The Lord your God ⟦...⟧ for with you ⟦...⟧
Therefore he said ⟦...⟧
And all the more so ⟦...⟧
And he said ⟦...⟧
What he wrote ⟦...⟧
In any case ⟦...⟧
For behold ⟦...⟧
For ⟦...⟧
Behold ⟦...⟧
And he said ⟦...⟧
How ⟦...⟧
And he said ⟦...⟧
To be ⟦...⟧
And as he wrote ⟦...⟧
And for this ⟦...⟧
And this ⟦...⟧
For ⟦...⟧
Like ⟦...⟧
In the matter ⟦...⟧
To ⟦...⟧
And a person should always be careful as a village
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65
Rav Ashi said that Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: A person should not say, 'From where is this matter'
that benefits him? And furthermore, one should always be careful of the honor of his wife, as blessing is not found within
a person's house except for the sake of his wife, as it is said: 'And he dealt well with Abram for her sake.'
And this is what Rava said to the people of Mechuza: Honor your wives so that you may become wealthy.
The Sages taught: One who loves his wife as himself and honors her more than himself, and who guides his sons and daughters
in the straight path, and marries them off near the time of their maturity, about him the verse says: 'And you shall know that peace
is in your tent; and you shall visit your habitation, and shall not sin.' And furthermore, Rabbi Helbo said: A person should always be
careful with the honor of his wife, for blessing does not rest within a person's house except for the sake of
his wife, as it is said: 'And he dealt well with Abram for her sake.' And this is what Rava said to the people of Mechuza:
Honor your wives so that you may become wealthy. And Rabbi Eleazar said: A man has none but
his first wife, as it is said: 'And David was successful in all his ways, and the Lord was with him.' Rabbi Shmuel
bar Nachmani said: For everything there is a substitute except for the wife of one's youth, as it is said: 'And the wife of one's youth,
can she be rejected?' And Rabbi Yehuda said: Anyone who divorces his first wife, even the Altar
sheds tears over him, as it is said: 'And this second thing you do, covering the altar of
the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because He no longer regards the offering, nor receives it with goodwill from your hand. Yet you say,
"For what reason?" Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is
your companion, and your wife by covenant.' And Rashi, of blessed memory, explained: 'And the wife of youth, can she be rejected?' meaning
even if you reject her, do not send her away, for she is the wife of youth and is worthy
of compassion, until here [his words]. And Rabbi Eleazar said: Any man who has no wife is not a man, as it is said:
'Male and female He created them, and He called their name Adam.' And anyone who has no wife dwells without
goodness, without blessing, without joy, without Torah, without a wall, without peace.
Without goodness, as it is written: 'It is not good that man should be alone.' Without blessing, as it is written:
'To cause a blessing to rest on your house.' Without joy, as it is written: 'And you shall rejoice, you and your household.'
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that town, except for the sheikhs among what they mentioned to him, and they are four thousand of the Druze total
All of them, when they heard the news of the arrival of the Hilla people, threw down their weapons and fled, and there remained only
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and on Saturday morning it cleared up
and peace was established between them, and the Hilla people entered the town in safety and tranquility.
And they arranged for them a reading that was not useless, meaning the sheikhs of Hilla and those with them, and they entered
the government house on the 3rd of Shawwal and settled in it, and the rule became theirs, and the soldiers became loyal
to them. And their brother Yusuf Pasha al-Maghribi had arrived a day after the Hilla people entered,
and out of his fear, he entered the port of Ali Agha to seek protection in it, and after one day
he went up to the citadel and took the harem and the house of Ali Agha and looted everything in it and took from
the treasury on the seventeenth of the 3rd of Shawwal and looted all the gold and silver and took
valuables and other things, many things that cannot be counted.
After that, the Hilla people stayed in the town, contrary to what people thought
in terms of justice and fairness. So when it was Friday, the 17th of the 3rd of Shawwal,
Salih Agha left the town and returned to the people of Hilla and became a partner with them in ruling before
that. The messengers of Sultan Suleiman arrived in Baghdad demanding the head of Suleiman Pasha
and the head of Abdullah Agha and those with them from the aghas who were the cause of this fitna.
Upon their arrival, they seized Ali Pasha the Kehya, cut off his head, and threw it to the dogs.
And they traveled to Mandali and cut off the head of Suleiman Pasha and the head of Abdullah Agha
and those with them, and they brought their heads with them and entered with them on the 26th of Shawwal, year 1225,
with Said Pasha. The people rode out and watched them, and they hung their heads on
the bridge gate for four months, and they remained mounted for the sake of threatening
the people against rebellion. After that, the Druze fled to Mount Sinjar.
And the day of Said Pasha's entry was Thursday, the 25th of Shawwal
aforementioned, as we have mentioned.
And he said likewise that we used to pray and say Amen Yehe Shme Raba
at the bowing ⟦...⟧ and whoever does not say it and whoever lifts his head
and likewise he says the moment he lifts his head he returns first ⟦...⟧ and he is standing and when he returns
the Musaf prayer as he raises for him a voice ⟦...⟧ and when he returns
how he sits on the Sabbath day ⟦...⟧
it will be with the ⟦...⟧ matters how it was and how it will be
he wrote that and so on and he had no hearing ⟦...⟧ and does not know what
he says like how ⟦...⟧
that which returns in what ⟦...⟧
<del>⟦...⟧</del>
⟦...⟧ in that and said to him that the Lord has mercy on the people now
because of that he told him he wants Kol Nidre and other than all of them
⟦...⟧ from that and said to him and the best of people ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
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With God's help
My father is great in my heart
Regarding that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
In that year, it was not known to us that it would be a year of famine
⟦...⟧
I was fresh in the year ⟦...⟧ 1928 ⟦...⟧
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Page 167
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⟦...⟧ Parashat ⟦...⟧
The compiler of this collection of moral instruction said: This book is called by the name
Yoreh De'ah (Teacher of Knowledge), to understand with insight; let the wise man hear and increase learning.
The study of Torah is equivalent to them all, and in it are morals and stories
To warn the people in the way of the Lord and to walk in His paths and to fear Him
And to serve Him with a whole heart and a willing soul, and it warns against the prohibitions
And encourages the positive commandments and all the mitzvot and acts of loving-kindness
Also the 613 commandments mentioned in the Torah in brief outlines
As the reader will see within it, and all the matters mentioned
Within it are the words of the Sages of blessed memory and verses of the Torah and the Prophets.
Since I do not know, and do not understand, and have not learned, and am not
A master of Torah, and there is in me neither Torah nor wisdom nor understanding,
But rather a tiny bit, I gathered them as isolated ears of grain after the reapers.
I did not merit to be like a laborer in the middle of the field; I was only a gleaner of ears of grain.
I did not merit to sit in the seat of the elders with the wise and the discerning.
I did not serve the Sages as is proper and correct, and how shall I lift my face to
The high mountains? For there is in me neither knowledge nor understanding, lacking in everything,
Naked of everything, poor and impoverished of deeds and of every correct attribute and every science.
But I saw the people of our generation walking in a way that is not good; they
Walk in darkness and have no light. And I said: perhaps they will look
In this book and return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on them and teach them the way
That is good and straight, in which they should walk.
Finished and completed, praise to the Creator of the world.
With the help of God
Likewise, and since he has no strength for your service, even if <del>a</del> children were born to him, and his guardianship
and besides what is spent on him, and I <del>do</del> not know his way with it
and from the house of his aunt he does not want to leave, and this Elazar goes back and forth
from the house, for he wants to leave my place, and may God preserve the people
O my master, see to a solution for him, and besides that, I cannot do anything
and your service is as kohl in my eyes
To my dear mother, the lady Rebecca, may she live, and let this serve as an answer for you
Likewise, O my brother Joseph, may he live, you know <del>that</del> the world has turned over and the place
that I was in, they took it from me <del>and I</del> and I left it, and you know the time
of winter, one cannot move, and your service is on my head and my eyes, may God protect you
and besides the regard for my dear mother and the sisters, lady Miriam and lady Lulu
And the one praying <del>ask</del> asks after you is Joseph Kadori Ezekiel, may he live, may God protect you
And at the shop, a letter reached us from the dear Elijah, may he live, and with it
a paper for the sage, as we are going to sign the paper and give peace to my brother
And to the sage <del>name</del> Kadori, may he live, that on Friday I was at the Gate of Sharia, there came out
three Moroccan women, one of them stood before me <del>and</del> and began to cry
without benefit, and I asked her: What is with you? She said: Her daughter-in-law's house, the oppressors took it
And she said to me: You know the sage Saleh Joseph Daniel, I was in your father's house
And what was possible to do, I did, and after three days she will come to receive something from you
if it is possible, and may God help everyone
And likewise
O my master Joseph Daniel, may he live
Page 168
Page 24
Story of Bel and the Priest
And it came to pass in the days of a certain king named Sennacherib, and he reigned over the entire world,
and he ruled over the whole world together, and he ruled over Babylon, and Babylon was a great city
exceedingly above all the cities in the world, and Babylon was built like a great city on the banks of the Euphrates River
in length and width like a land of seven days' journey for an average man, and it had
one hundred gates of copper and one hundred gates of iron and three hundred and sixty-five towers,
and each and every tower was a day's journey, and at the top of each and every tower they would build
a palace, and on the roof of the palace they would make forms differing from one another, such as birds of
the heavens and beasts of the field and livestock and creeping things and swarming things and all kinds of images,
and all kinds of idols that were in the world, and all kinds of food and drink and all kinds of
fruits and delicacies in the world were there, and there were gardens and orchards there
and springs of water, and all kinds of musical instruments in the world were there and all kinds of
joy in the world, and there was within the city one palace belonging to King Sennacherib,
and that palace was very large and very high, a day's journey, and there was
within that palace one house of the king where he would sit, and that house
was very wide and very high, and that house was decorated with various colors
of vermilion and of silver and of gold and of fine pearls, and there was inside that house
one throne of King Sennacherib, and that throne was high
fifty cubits, and they would ascend it by steps, and at the top of that throne was
a kind of large chest, and King Sennacherib would sit in it, and before him
many ministers were standing, and all the greats of the kingdom were to his right and to his left,
and the king would sit on that throne and would see the entire world
and all the deeds of the sons of men that they were doing in the entire world, and he
knew what was in the heart of each and every one, and everything that people were speaking
one with another, he knew it all and heard it all and saw it all
due to his great wisdom that was in him and due to the constellations that he knew
by them, and he had one minister named Nebuzaradan, and that minister was
a very, very mighty man of valor, and that minister was appointed over all the armies
of King Sennacherib, and that minister was beloved to King Sennacherib.
Regarding Dr. Yosef Gabbai, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, who had the rent money for his house from the year 5685 (1925)
<del>And he said that he paid it all from the rent, it is written there in the Book of Records, page 125, see there</del>
And likewise in the matter of the German man and his brother Yosef who were there in the village of Al-Jadeeda
Near the 11th of Adar, year 5689 (1929), we wrote them a letter via our teacher Yehezkel and likewise
We wrote to the Governor via Yosef above that he should pay the rent for the house which is near
The 11th of Adar 5689 (1929)
⟦line⟧
<del>Tishrei</del> the child of David and his brother Yehezkel, we wrote them a letter on the 24th of Elul 5689 (1929)
<del>In the</del> <del>The landlord</del> <del>The landlord</del> <del>The landlord</del> <del>The landlord</del> <del>The landlord</del>
And we told them to send us the account of the rent money for their house in the village of Al-Jadeeda
And if they do not intend to leave us the rent money, they should write to us clearly
And since the aforementioned Yehezkel wrote us a mortgage deed regarding the aforementioned house which he gave
To us as a conditional gift, that if he does not pay us the sum of seven hundred rupees by
The 22nd of Av 5689 (1929), then the aforementioned house shall be ours permanently; and behold the time has passed
And they did not pay the aforementioned sum, and therefore we wrote them a letter on the aforementioned 24th of Elul that the house
Aforementioned is indeed ours permanently and they have no right or authority in it at all
And now the aforementioned house is ours permanently and the authority is in our hands to sell it
To another, and also the rent of the house from this day forward belongs to us
And we further wrote to them that they should inform us how much the aforementioned house is worth now
And if there is a buyer they should sell it for us and take permission from us prior to the sale
And we further wrote to them that they should endeavor to collect the rent of the aforementioned house from the tenants
And they should send it to us immediately and not be negligent in the matter because the house is ours
And we wrote to them that they should make an account with the tenants and send us the account
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According to our words on this matter, which is seen by us through experience, it is indeed true
that the leader is the intellect which leads the body, its soul, and its
powers, and this thing <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> has great proof, for when a man feels a certain thing
with his senses, he will be awakened to it or flee from it according to what his intellect dictates and sees;
for if a beautiful woman stands before him and he sees that it is not proper for him to approach her
according to the law of intellect and religion, he will restrain himself from her even though his nature dictates
every pleasure and delight to him, and so too with other matters. This is the matter of the intellect leading
the body, and likewise with other character traits. And this is what the Sage, peace be upon him, said: 'A wise man's heart is at his right, but a
fool's heart is at his left.' And the explanation of this matter is that the intellect is what leads the body,
and it is what leads the soul and all its powers, and all this is from the side of the intellect.
But <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> from the side of the animal soul, it leans toward physical
desires, and all this is from the side of matter. And this is what the Sage, peace be upon him, said: 'And the fool
carries folly,' for foolishness is from the side of matter, and intellect is from the side of the
intellectual soul. And behold, according to this, it will be clarified to us that the intellect is what leads the body,
and it is what leads the soul and all its powers. And this is the matter of the intellect leading
the body from evils and from disgraceful traits. And this is the matter of the intellect leading
the body from evils and from disgraceful traits.
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
⟦illegible⟧
With the help of God, blessed be His name forever
On Saturday, the 14th of the month of Adar, the year 5664, while I was sitting in the shop of the honorable Yosef Salem,
We went down to the town and sat in the shop of the honorable Yosef Salem. Khojah David son of
Khojah Yosef Zalkha came to us, and each of us requested from him
concerning the money, and we settled
a price with him, and he said: I will give to you. We arrived at his house and sat down to talk about the matter of the shops,
and he said: Express gratitude for the virtues of the honorable Yosef Salem, who is looking out for you to the utmost
degree. And he said to me: O Khojah Yehezkel, you know that I have with the Master Abd
Allah one hundred and twenty paras, and you know that money is precious; if it were someone else,
he would have complained against him and taken the money from him
at that time.
And I said to him: O Khojah David, you are a prominent man and it is not fitting for you to do so with him. So he said to me:
I will do nothing but good, and as long as you desire this, I accept
what Khojah Yosef Salem adjudicates. And we agreed to the words of Khojah Yosef Salem,
so he ruled that he should pay me five Mejidie liras, and a note for five liras,
and another note for four liras, and a third note for four liras, and a fourth note
for four liras, and a fifth note for four liras, and a sixth note for four
liras, and a seventh note for four liras, and an eighth note for four liras,
and a ninth note for four liras, and a tenth note for four liras, and a
eleventh note for four liras, and a twelfth note for four liras, and a
thirteenth note for four liras, and a fourteenth note for four liras, and a
fifteenth note for four liras, and a sixteenth note for four liras, and a
seventeenth note for four liras, and an eighteenth note for four liras, and a
nineteenth note for four liras, and a twentieth note for four liras,
and a twenty-first note for four liras, and a twenty-second note for four liras,
and a twenty-third note for four liras, and a twenty-fourth note for four
liras, and a twenty-fifth note for four liras, and a twenty-sixth note
for four liras, and a twenty-seventh note for four liras, and a twenty-eighth
note for four liras, and a twenty-ninth note for four liras, and a
thirtieth note for four liras, and a thirty-first note for four liras, and a
thirty-second note for four liras, and a thirty-third note for four liras,
and a thirty-fourth note for four liras, and a thirty-fifth note for four
liras, and a thirty-sixth note for four liras, and a thirty-seventh note
for four liras, and a thirty-eighth note for four liras, and a thirty-ninth
note for four liras, and a fortieth note for four liras, and a forty-first
note for four liras, and a forty-second note for four liras, and a
forty-third note for four liras, and a forty-fourth note for four liras,
and a forty-fifth note for four liras, and a forty-sixth note for four
liras, and a forty-seventh note for four liras, and a forty-eighth note
for four liras, and a forty-ninth note for four liras, and a fiftieth
note for four liras, and a fifty-first note for four liras, and a fifty-second
note for four liras, and a fifty-third note for four liras, and a
fifty-fourth note for four liras, and a fifty-fifth note for four liras,
and a fifty-sixth note for four liras, and a fifty-seventh note for four
liras, and a fifty-eighth note for four liras, and a fifty-ninth note
for four liras, and a sixtieth note for four liras, and a sixty-first
note for four liras, and a sixty-second note for four liras, and a sixty-third
note for four liras, and a sixty-fourth note for four liras, and a
sixty-fifth note for four liras, and a sixty-sixth note for four liras,
and a sixty-seventh note for four liras, and a sixty-eighth note for four
liras, and a sixty-ninth note for four liras, and a seventieth note for four
liras, and a seventy-first note for four liras, and a seventy-second note
for four liras, and a seventy-third note for four liras, and a seventy-fourth
note for four liras, and a seventy-fifth note for four liras, and a
seventy-sixth note for four liras, and a seventy-seventh note for four liras,
and a seventy-eighth note for four liras, and a seventy-ninth note for four
liras, and an eightieth note for four liras, and an eighty-first note for four
liras, and an eighty-second note for four liras, and an eighty-third note
for four liras, and an eighty-fourth note for four liras, and an eighty-fifth
note for four liras, and an eighty-sixth note for four liras, and an eighty-seventh
note for four liras, and an eighty-eighth note for four liras, and an eighty-ninth
note for four liras, and a ninetieth note for four liras, and a ninety-first
note for four liras, and a ninety-second note for four liras, and a ninety-third
note for four liras, and a ninety-fourth note for four liras, and a ninety-fifth
note for four liras, and a ninety-sixth note for four liras, and a ninety-seventh
note for four liras, and a ninety-eighth note for four liras, and a ninety-ninth
note for four liras, and a hundredth note for four liras, and a hundred and first
note for four liras, and a hundred and second note for four liras, and a hundred and third
note for four liras, and a hundred and fourth note for four liras, and a hundred and fifth
note for four liras, and a hundred and sixth note for four liras, and a hundred and seventh
note for four liras, and a hundred and eighth note for four liras, and a hundred and ninth
note for four liras, and a hundred and tenth note for four liras, and a
hundred and eleventh note for four liras, and a hundred and twelfth note
for four liras, and a hundred and thirteenth note for four liras, and a
hundred and fourteenth note for four liras, and a hundred and fifteenth
note for four liras, and a hundred and sixteenth note for four liras, and a
hundred and seventeenth note for four liras, and a hundred and eighteenth note
for four liras, and a hundred and nineteenth note for four liras, and a
hundred and twentieth note for four liras.
And we wrote a note for the total, that the payment shall be
every week four liras until it is completed,
the sum mentioned above, and we accepted
this from him by our will and choice,
without compulsion or coercion, and that occurred
on the date mentioned above.
And we received from him five liras
in cash in the assembly.
And written by Yehezkel
Meir Sassoon
Page 170
Hint
And your jar is faithful to the village of Kana'as from the house of B, the village which has for him
For so it is said what he has in the house, and as they said, whoever has for him
Whoever has for him in the house, as it is said, everything that the village belongs to him, and even what is not
Upon him the hand etc., what is not written upon him etc., it is well taught to us that even what is not
It is taught as written upon him, but whoever denied it in court or in court
Denied but admitted in part and said 'here it is', is liable to an oath
And from a lawsuit and from an oath that you shall not leave, and he admitted to him in part, he denied
He said to him: I have a maneh in your hand, and the other says: you have nothing in my hand, and there is
Only fifty dinars for him, he is liable to an oath and cannot say 'here it is'
And he only has fifty and 'here it is', he is liable to an oath and cannot say 'here it is'
So wrote our Rabbi Moshe Gaon, of blessed memory, and so Rav Hai Gaon, of blessed memory, and so
Our Rabbi Chananel, of blessed memory, who wrote so, and so our Rabbi Isaac Alfasi, of blessed memory
And so ruled the Rabbi, Rabbi Isaac ibn Ghiyyat, of blessed memory, and wrote that such is the opinion of
Our Rabbi Hai Gaon, of blessed memory, and so wrote the Rabbi, our Rabbi Joseph HaLevi, of blessed memory
And this is his language: and such is the law in practice, and we do not pay attention to the words of whoever disagrees
In this matter, and such is the opinion of our Rabbi Ephraim, the student of our Rabbi Isaac Alfasi
Of blessed memory, who wrote in a response that such is the law, and according to everyone he is liable to an oath
As one cannot say 'here it is' regarding a loan
And what Rav and Shmuel said, that we do not say 'here it is'
In a loan, but only in a deposit, and the reason for the matter is because a loan is given for spending
And since he denied in part, he becomes a robber for the rest, and having denied
Everything, he is like a robber who denied it, and since it is so, he cannot say
Regarding it 'here it is', for the robber cannot say 'here it is' unless
He returned the stolen item to the place from which he stole it
Light of the first day of the Holy Sabbath, good, the 8th of Sivan in the year 5657 from creation
And on that day, Mr. Yosef Chaim, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, came before us and told us how he has
a claim against Mr. Moshe Yosef, may his Rock and Redeemer protect him, regarding the partnership business between them
and he claims from him the sum of five hundred grush and the aforementioned defendant claims
that he has nothing of his and wants to swear to this since the aforementioned plaintiff
has no clear proof of his claim and the aforementioned defendant wanted to swear
on a Torah scroll that he has nothing of his and be exempt, and we asked the aforementioned plaintiff
if he wants the aforementioned defendant to swear to him and be exempt, and he said that he does not want
the aforementioned defendant to swear to him, and he forgave him for his aforementioned claim with a forgiveness
complete and whole from now on with a whole heart and a willing soul without any
duress or compulsion at all, and we performed a formal acquisition from the aforementioned plaintiff with a complete and whole acquisition
with an instrument fit to perform an acquisition with it regarding all the aforementioned, and also the aforementioned defendant
raised his voice and said that he also forgives the aforementioned plaintiff for every
claim and argument that he has against him with a complete and whole forgiveness
from now on with a whole heart and a willing soul, and we also performed an acquisition from the aforementioned defendant
with a complete and whole acquisition with an instrument fit to perform an acquisition with it
<del>regarding all the aforementioned and everything is valid and clear and established</del>
regarding all the aforementioned and everything is valid and clear and established
The words of the young Isaac ⟦...⟧ may his end be good
The words of the young Eliyahu ⟦...⟧ may his end be good
The words of the young ⟦...⟧ may his end be good
Page 171
First house I visit is the people of the house of its head, the house of Jama'a, property of the Aga
The just ruler Abdul Aziz, may God protect him and grant him victory
And raise his status to the highest degrees by the grace of the faithful Prophet and whoever
Prays for Muhammad and repeats with us 'Amen'. Then we return to what we
Were discussing first; but first we say praise be to God who guided us to this
And we would not have been guided if God had not guided us, and may God's blessings be upon
Our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions, and grant them abundant peace.
The narrator said: O masters, O noble ones, hear what happened and what
Occurred in this time ⟦...⟧ and a strange tale and wonders of
A time <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> it was in the time of Sultan Selim, he was a just Sultan
He used to ride at night and go around the lands to inspect the conditions of the people
And with him was the Vizier Masrur (the swordsman), and they were always every night
Coming out of the palace secretly (incognito) and going to wander through the
Lands and see (the conditions of the people) and hear the talk of the people from
Behind the door: And on one night of the nights, O masters, O
Noble ones, the Sultan went out and with him the Vizier Masrur and they went walking
⟦...⟧ the markets and every time they passed a house they heard the sound of people talking
And laughing and having fun, except for one house from which they heard weeping
And wailing and words that break the heart, so the Sultan stood listening to
The talk of the people <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> and they were saying: O our Lord, O Generous, O Most Gracious,
O Most Merciful, O You from whom no condition of conditions is hidden, look upon us
With the eye of mercy and grant us relief, O Lord, O Generous, O God.
And that man was weeping and saying: O Lord, I have no trick left nor
Did I have any means except Your generous door, O Lord, have mercy on the tear of
This orphan child who has no one but You, O Lord of the worlds.
When the Sultan heard these words, he was overcome with emotion.
Page 172
143
Blessed is He who gave us the Torah and commandments etc. and in Midrash Zuta Rabbi Isaac said
Why are Israel compared to a dove? Just as a dove <del>does not</del> guards its nest, so too Israel
etc. and in Midrash Song of Songs Rabbah Chapter 1 verse 'Behold you are beautiful my love, behold you are beautiful
your eyes are doves' Rabbi Isaac said, just as this dove is modest, so too Israel are modest
Just as this dove performs kindness for its companion, so too Israel perform kindness for one another
Just as this dove stretches out its neck for slaughter, so too Israel stretch out their necks
for the Sanctification of the Name. Just as this dove atones for the sins of Israel,
<del>so</del> so too Israel atone for the nations. Just as this dove, from the moment it recognizes
its mate, it never replaces it with another, so too Israel, from the moment they recognized
the Holy One Blessed be He, they never replaced Him with another. Just as this dove enters
its nest and all its [fellow] doves recognize it, so too Israel, when they go up
for the festivals, all Israel recognize them. Just as this dove, even though they take
its chicks from under it, it does not leave its cote, so too Israel, even though the
Holy Temple was destroyed, they did not cancel the three festivals a year etc. see there at length
And he wrote: and so too in Perek Shirah, at the time Israel were in Egypt
Just as this dove's wings are covered in silver and its pinions in yellow gold
<del>Just as this dove</del> <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> <del>its wings protect it, so too Israel, their commandments protect them</del>
<del>Just as this dove</del> <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> meaning: its wings protect it, so too Israel, their commandments protect them
And once He gave them the Torah and the commandments, they wrapped themselves in them and were elevated and beautified
by them like a dove whose feathers are beautiful for it and an adornment for it, so too Israel, the commandments are beautiful
for them and an adornment for them. And so said Rabbi Yohanan: Just as this dove's wings protect it,
so too Israel, the commandments protect them. And so said Rabbi Judah:
Just as this dove only shakes its wings when it flies,
so too Israel have no rest except when they are engaged in Torah.
And so the commentator explained: Just as this dove only rests upon
a rock or a plank, so too Israel only rest in synagogues
and in study halls. See there at length.
Page 173
Hint
Ethics of the Fathers Chapter 1
For it explained regarding the matter of the Torah and the acquisition of property as the Rav wrote that everything is included in custom
difficult things also now as it seems he will enlarge everything greatly
and even if a person has according to the will and livelihood in abundance ⟦...⟧
for the time when there is on the side of intellect and time and anger that should not be mixed in it
some trace of love and friendship to join in a covenant of beloved and dear
and people who will join both of them into a group and beloved friends together
like one man with one heart and they loved and rejoiced greatly each in his brother
but when the joy goes and departs from between them both and love is cancelled
then he shall separate from him very much in a great separation and a great distance at the ultimate
hatred until there remains no love and brotherhood and friendship between them
at all and essentially until as if they had not joined at all and essentially and the matter
is known and famous to all owners of intellect and understanding and know and enough
in this for the understanding and a hint is enough for the wise and for the fool
a fist and this is enough for the one who understands and examine carefully
and so our Master of blessed memory explained in the Shulchan Aruch in the laws of Torah Study
and the laws of Judges that one needs to be careful and distance oneself from this a complete
distancing and do not approach the entrance of her house and even at a distance of four
cubits and even post-facto when he is far from it at the ultimate distance
and it is found in the days of his winter in his youth he studied much Torah and fulfilled commandments
and good deeds and engaged in Torah for its own sake and fulfilled commandments and deeds
good for their own sake and taught others and supported the hands of those who study Torah
and beat his feet from one push to another and from city to city and from place to place
And regarding the matter of those who eat Sabbath materials and they took and purchased from a Gentile kosher materials on the condition
that it involves the desecration of the Sabbath and they purchased it for the material and they took and from its completion the law is
simple and they said that 30 L' money ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and sold it to a farmer and said such and such's property ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and said such and such etc.
and said etc. meaning since they sold the material from the Gentile and our Master said it is kosher
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
meaning and if he lost and does not pay ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
it is considered in this manner ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and if a loss occurred to us ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and said that it is not considered ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and said etc. meaning since ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and if such and such ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
here in the city of Baghdad, may God protect it ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
and said such and such ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧ ⟦...⟧
Page 174
(Ho)
M. Hizkiyahu Amar, may his soul rest in Eden, son of Yosef, may his soul rest in Eden, may God protect him and grant him life, concerning R. David, may his soul rest in Eden, son of Yosef, may his soul rest in Eden, Amar
It seems to me that there is no claim against Amar by virtue of the inheritance of his father Yosef, may his soul rest in Eden
and particularly since as it appears he had no rights, and also since he was a debtor to others
and also the aforementioned Yosef, may his soul rest in Eden, was poor and needy and was supported by charity, so how could he become wealthy
L. David, may his soul rest in Eden, the aforementioned, for these are things without legs (groundless), and what David, may his soul rest in Eden, wrote
the aforementioned in the deed that David Amar gave him <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> that he gave an absolute gift
to the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, that he gave the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, a promissory note to pay him and also to pay him from his properties
and concerning the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, regarding David the creditor of the aforementioned promissory note and also the aforementioned promissory note
The honored Rabbi David Amar
And also the aforementioned David Amar, may his soul rest in Eden, wrote a promissory note against himself that he owes the sacred trust a sum of 24 gold coins
and after a time he passed away and was summoned to the Heavenly Academy
and all the properties of the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, are not sufficient for the payment of the aforementioned creditor
and concerning the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, regarding David the aforementioned creditor of the aforementioned promissory note
and it has been clarified that everything he wrote to him in his own handwriting is a lie and a falsehood and has no substance in it
Here in Safed, may it be rebuilt and established speedily in our days, Shevat, year 5576 from creation, the youth Moshe Sutzin
The youth Rafael Yosef
And as the aforementioned sage wrote, so it is, that all the properties in the possession of the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden
are encumbered to the creditors and for his wife's Ketubah and he has no right
at all in the aforementioned properties, for also the promissory note that he has against the aforementioned David Amar
is paid off, and also the aforementioned David Amar swore to him regarding the aforementioned promissory note
that it has already been paid and he owes him nothing, and also the aforementioned David, may his soul rest in Eden, admitted before us
that he has no claim against the aforementioned Amar regarding the inheritance of his father Yosef, may his soul rest in Eden
except for what he has against him in the aforementioned promissory note, and since he swore to him that it was paid
from the aforementioned promissory note, he no longer has any claim against him at all, and it is a
clear thing that everything written in the will is all a lie and a falsehood and has no substance in it
and there is no concern for all the things he wrote in the aforementioned will at all, and it is a
true judgment of truth
The youth Yosef
Village Lights [Anwar Dart Kfar]
Released on Tuesday, the twenty-third of the month of Dhu al-Qi'dah, year 5675. And this is the day
on which Khawaja Dawud Cohen rented from the hand of Khawaja Eliyahu Yitzhak Khalas the Yellow House
village of Nahris, downstream in al-Hindiya. Which was in the hand of Khawaja <del>⟦...⟧</del> Kadouri
for 27 [years] in the Government House with official papers, for 27 [years], and other than that with papers between them, and now
in <del>this. That</del> the designated period between the lessor and the lessee has ended
and through us the agreement between the two parties took place, and it is that
the lessee Mr. Dawud Cohen shall rent from the hand of Mr. Eliyahu Yitzhak
the aforementioned for a period of 25 (twenty-five) full years, beginning from the first day of Ab
year 5675 and ending at the end of Ab year 5700 for an annual rental value
amounting to four hundred and forty Ottoman gold Lira, solid, and nothing else
he shall pay the amount in two installments every year; the first payment on the first of Tishrin
the first of the year 5676, which is two hundred and twenty Lira, and the second payment on the first of Nisan
year 5676, which is two hundred and twenty Lira, and likewise in every year until the end of the period
And the aforementioned lessee shall be obligated to repair the embankments
and the bridges and the dams and the dredging and the canals and the crossings and the irrigation ditches and the arches
as is the current custom in that region, and the lessor is not obligated for anything
of that according to the binding conditions which are in the hands of the lessor and the lessee
And this negotiation and agreement took place between the two parties and acceptance occurred
between them upon that, and we wrote this deed to be in the hand of the lessor as a deed
and proof, and upon that we have signed
The conditions that are current in the old deed which is in the hand of the lessor are current
in this deed and their effect shall run as it runs in that deed without
addition or omission, without any change or alteration at all, and we wrote that for clarification
Page 175
(140)
And so too the author of Zichron Kehunah, System Yod, Item 12, who wrote that wherever
there are two points of weakness in the entire permitted matter, even a double doubt is permitted, for he wrote etc. that it seems
that what Maran wrote in the Beit Yosef in Yoreh Deah, Chapter 110, Section 9, wrote: Everything that is בדי בדי
in practice and in a time of pressing need is permitted. And the Rabbi Zera Emet wrote in Part 2, Chapter 130, that any matter
where there is a dispute among the authorities whether it constitutes a double doubt or not, we say it is a double doubt.
And he further wrote there that whenever there is a dispute among the decisors whether it constitutes a double doubt, it is permitted because of
a double doubt. * And I further saw the Rabbi Zera Emet there who cited the words of the Rabbi Knesset HaGedolah,
part of Yoreh Deah, Glosses of the Beit Yosef, Item 140, who cited from there in the name of the Rabbi Mas'at Binyamin, o.b.m.,
who ruled that wherever there is a dispute among the authorities whether it constitutes a double doubt or not,
it is permitted because of a double doubt. And so ruled the Rabbi Knesset HaGedolah there. And the Rabbi Perach
Shoshan wrote in Rule 1, Chapter 4, that any reversible double doubt is a superior double doubt.
And he further wrote there that wherever there is a dispute among the decisors whether it is a double doubt or is not
a double doubt, it is permitted because of a double doubt, see there. From all these reasons it is permitted, so it seems to me, the youth Yosef Chaim,
may his Rock and Redeemer preserve him, may his end be good, Mordech Baruch.
Question: Reuben died and left without a will a widow and several sons and daughters, adults and minors,
and one of the sons has a wife and a Ketubah, and before his father's death he gave his wife a gift of everything
that would come to his share of his father's inheritance, whether real estate or movables, and they performed a kinyan from him for this from now
with a valid vessel for acquiring, and an oath of the Torah by holding a sacred object, and the nullification of protests and delivery of protest.
Now the widow claims maintenance and housing from the estate, and the aforementioned son claims that his mother does not have
maintenance and housing from the share he inherited from his father because he already gave it to his wife as an absolute gift.
May our teacher instruct us, and his reward be doubled from Heaven.