AI English Translation, Pages 226-250
Tishrei 5683
It was desired according to the Sharia by the hand of Menahem Shem Tov Shaker, it was overturned and given
In the amount of 1100 1 Mejidie Rial Fransawi Karbalai, half of 4 parts
to Yosef son of Saleh Cohen and M. Faraj Allah son of Saleh Cohen and M. Yosef
son of Isaac ⟦...⟧ around Ezra around and M. Yosef son of Saleh Cohen the quarter
<del>of the house located in the Torah neighborhood under the management of</del>
<del>the aforementioned and the expenditure according to the legal document in the hands of the aforementioned</del>
<del>and its date is 29 Shawwal the year 1337 and the price was received</del>
from the hand of the aforementioned buyer and it reached the hand of the aforementioned seller
completely without deficiency and nothing of the price remains with the buyer
And that was on the date of 22 Tishrei the year 5683
And that was upon the testimony of witnesses
Quarter
Quarter
With God's Help
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50
It is said of you that
this day is like the day on which the Torah was given, and this day was made for him like the day of the giving [of the Torah]
And these are the things spoken of in this book and these are the deeds that they did
therein they did not know what they were doing except that they are committed and in their hands and in the hands of their children
one to another, and they observe this custom like the day of Purim
every year like the day of Purim and the sending of portions one to another
and gifts to the poor like actual Purim - and this is also a day of feasting and joy
like actual Purim, and one cannot write or sign or do work on this day
but rather he shall be free from all work and be engaged in Torah and commandments and in good
deeds for this day is a holy and exalted day for on it this great miracle was performed
which the Lord did with us, and therefore every person is obligated to rejoice on it and to gladden
his household and to give charity to the poor according to his ability and also shall say the complete Hallel
with a blessing on this day - and shall also say on it "For the Miracles" in the Grace After Meals
and in the Eighteen Benedictions prayer in the manner they say it on the Purim of Mordechai and Esther
And may it be the will before
the God of the heavens and the God of the earth that He perform for us miracles and wonders as He did for us
in those days at this time Amen, so may it be His will Amen Selah
And afterwards he shall say this Psalm from Psalms: A Psalm, a song at the dedication of the House of David. I will extol Thee,
O Lord, for Thou hast raised me up, and hast not suffered mine enemies to rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou didst heal me; O Lord, Thou hast brought
up my soul from the nether-world; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise unto the Lord, ye His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favour is for a life-time; at evening weeping may come to lodge, but in the morning there is a song of joy.
Now I had said in my security: 'I shall never be moved.' Thou, Lord, of Thy favour hadst established my mountain as a stronghold; Thou didst hide
Thy face; I was affrighted. Unto Thee, O Lord, did I call, and unto the Lord I made supplication: 'What profit is there in my blood, when I go down
to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? shall it declare Thy truth? Hear, O Lord, and be gracious unto me; Lord, be Thou my helper.'
Thou didst turn for me my mourning into dancing; Thou didst loose my sackcloth, and gird me with gladness; so that my glory may sing praise to Thee,
and not be silent; O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever -
On the day of the Holy Sabbath
A: This day is like the day of the Holy Sabbath for this day is holy to the Lord your God
do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength, and also on this day you shall say
the Great Hallel
Thus a fraction in the margin in the Book of the Word of God which is in all 13
If it is so and we are judges we have taken it so and a righteous mark 19
A vow of guilt among you and in your property and in my return and in the year 19
O our judge, and we and this poor man and everyone who assists a returner thus
And a vow upon every one and every one who assists in this good deed thus
19 a fraction in the year in the year and other things
← in 19 a fraction in the year in the year and other things
← in 19 a fraction in the year in the year and other things
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Q 18
And the second is wine (khamar),
which comes from grapes. In the portion of Shelach Lecha (the Torah of the Land), if it does not match the text
mentioned above, the proof for it is that the Sages called it 'wine' from 'the blood of grapes'.
And likewise, His statement, may He be exalted, 'and the blood of the grape thou drankest as wine', as it is said, 'for it is blessed', he inferred
the existence of this named thing by the divine text. As for the 'shekhar' mentioned in the chapter of the Nazir, which is
with a 'dal', it is the drink extracted from things other than grapes, such as date wine or
raisins, and what is extracted from wheat, barley, honey, and other things. And it was forbidden
to the Nazir as well, just as he was forbidden from drinking wine which is the juice of grapes.
Indeed, the distinction and differentiation between them was legislated as it is clear in
the holy text. This is because the drinking of wine is among the laws of the sacrifice in
its being a libation. And the measure of the libation is a quarter of a hin for a lamb, and a third of a hin
of wine for a ram, and of wine half a hin for a bull, as it is explained in
another place. As for 'shekhar', it is forbidden to use it in the Sanctuary and that which is offered therein
as a sacrifice. And the priests were forbidden from drinking it at the time of their entry into the Holy place to serve the Lord of the worlds,
as mentioned in Parashat Shemini: 'Do not drink wine or strong drink' etc. For this reason,
it is not permitted to offer any of it on the altar, as mentioned: 'any leaven or any honey,
you shall not burn any of it as an offering made by fire to the Lord.' And 'shekhar' can be from honey, as we mentioned
that honey is among the things from which 'shekhar' is extracted, and for that reason it was forbidden.
As for the aspect of similarity between 'khamar' (wine) and 'shekhar', it is that both of them intoxicate the one who drinks them.
Since 'shekhar' intoxicates like wine, it is called 'shekhar', because the word 'shekhar' is derived
from 'sukr' (intoxication), which is the loss of reason, raving in speech, and bad actions.
And it is not hidden from you that the word 'shekhar' is written with a right-hand 'Shin' and its dot is on top
on the right. This indicates that it is from 'sukr', which is the opposite of reason and understanding.
Sermon for Beshalach, Kafar
From the teacher Rabbi Belai son of Joseph son of Rabbi Ezra, of blessed memory, Cohen <del>emissary</del> from the sages of Jerusalem
May it be rebuilt and established, the year 5603 (1843), from the book of sermons of Al-M. Tzedakah
And there was a sermon on the portion of 'Vayehi' concerning Exodus by Al-M. B.R. Cohen
above, and he said an interpretation of the verse: 'And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying,
God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here...'
and so the Rabbi would say regarding Joseph, peace be upon him, from the book of Al-M. Tzedakah
in the sermon for Vayechi. And may God, blessed be He, grant a sermon for the portion of Beshalach from the days
in the sermon for Vayechi as we promised you at that time, and from the sermon of Al-M. Tzedakah
in order, mentioning that verse: 'And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not
by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: Lest peradventure the people repent
when they see war, and they return to Egypt.' He said: O community, it is known
to the world that a person, if he travels for even one hour, will be
disturbed in mind, not knowing what will happen to him; how much more so should he be pressed, as
Solomon, peace be upon him, said: 'Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth
darkness.' He means to say that wisdom is the Torah and it is the light,
and so King David, peace be upon him, said: 'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.'
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Chapter Five
Whoever denies, etc. denied
A person should sell his house in the field, etc. What is the reason? Because he needs to stand before it
at the time of prayer, and a fortress etc. and what is it etc. denied who gave for tax
one who has many fields etc. and what is the reason he does not work them
because people do not dwell in them, and thus he said, one should not sell
his field and leave his house etc. as it is said etc. and what is it
two pairs of oxen etc. and what is the reason? because they are not common
etc. and what is it, a cloak etc. Rav Chisda said etc. and so said Rav
Yehuda in the name of Rav etc. all these words etc. but with coins
it is permitted etc. and so said Rav etc. what is it, a Torah scroll
as it is said etc. and Rabbi Yochanan said etc. and even a widow etc.
like that case of a certain woman etc. they took her comb etc. she came
before Rav Huna etc. go return it to her etc. he said to him
but isn't it the Master who said etc. he said to him, these words apply
to a poor widow, but to a wealthy widow, there is no question
swore etc. Rav said
Gidel said in the name of Rav etc. Rashbam of blessed memory explained that he is exempt from a Torah oath
as it is written: 'And its owner shall accept it and he shall not pay'—the one who must pay is the one who swears
and is released, and this one, since he pays, does not swear etc. after the oath etc. swore
on everything because he admitted to a part. How so? Denied etc. behold he swears etc.
until he denied everything etc. Rav Nachman etc. and Rav Sheshet etc. the law is like Rav Nachman
regarding Rav Sheshet etc. and so said Rav etc. for example, he claimed vessels and land
and he admitted to the vessels and denied the land etc. and Rav and Shmuel both say
property that does not have security (movable) binds property that has security (land)
to swear upon them etc. so it is a settled law etc. and so the fourth foundation
that he cannot make him swear etc. from an inclusive oath he does not have etc.
Up to this point, all the places where the term 'additions' is written regarding the matter and what he wrote explicitly that they were not written
additions in the Mishneh Torah, and for this reason he wrote that they were not written, not to explain the Holy Scriptures -
And what the Rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote that he explained this above in Law 17, for there he explained regarding the scribe's fee
as it says, and the law follows Rabbi Yose who said <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> he taught him and said for a fee and not in the category of the reward for a commandment
And he wrote that since he explained his intention that the main dispute is between the First Tanna and Rabbi Yose
and the law follows Rabbi Yose, he did not need to explain except for what the Rabbi wrote in the Commentary on the Mishnah there
and to explain the word 'and said for a fee' that our Rabbi wrote, and he wrote that they were not written, not to explain the Holy Scriptures
but wrote the fee that he took upon himself to ensure he would not be idle from his work or that he accepted upon himself
compensation for idleness, etc. Thus far are the words of the Rabbi, of blessed memory, in the Commentary on the Mishnah at the beginning of Pe'ah and there
he explained at greater length, see there and study it well:
I also saw for the Rabbi, the author of Knesset HaGedolah, of blessed memory, in Choshen Mishpat Chapter 34 in the Glosses of the Tur
sign 14, where he wrote and these are his words: Maharash Yonah, of blessed memory, wrote on page 150b, and these are his words: The Rabbi
the author of Kesef Mishneh, of blessed memory, wrote in Chapter 7 of the Laws of Testimony, Law 4, where our Rabbi [Maimonides], of blessed memory, wrote: 'And that is provided he
is knowledgeable in the nature of betrothals and divorces, for he is like a judge in the matter.' And the Ra'avad, of blessed memory, wrote on it:
'Impossible; what do we care about betrothals and divorces? Do not the witnesses sign only on the transaction, but
on the counting?' And Maran [the author of Kesef Mishneh], of blessed memory, in Kesef Mishneh answered this, and these are his words: 'And it can be said that here
we are dealing with a woman's bill of divorce, which requires that he know the nature of divorces and betrothals,' end of quote. And Maharash
Yonah mentioned above wrote on it, and these are his words: 'I do not know what he answered with this, for even if you say we are dealing with a woman's bill of divorce,
nevertheless the difficulty of the Ra'avad, of blessed memory, remains in its place, for since the witnesses sign only on
the counting, what do we care if he knows the nature of divorces and betrothals? This requires further investigation,' end of quote from Maharash Yonah,
of blessed memory. However, in my humble opinion, it seems to me to answer the words of Maran, of blessed memory, that this was his intention to say: that here
we are dealing with a woman's bill of divorce, and since this is so, he must be knowledgeable in the nature of divorces and betrothals, for since he
becomes like a judge in the matter, as our Rabbi wrote, if so, he certainly must be knowledgeable in the nature of
divorces and betrothals, for if he did not know the nature of divorces and betrothals, how could he act as a judge in this matter?
For just as the judge must know the law by which he judges, so the witness who becomes a judge in the matter must
know the law upon which he testifies. And since this is so, our Rabbi said well: 'And that is provided he
is knowledgeable in the nature of betrothals and divorces, for he is like a judge in the matter.' And study this well. And as for the difficulty raised by
the Ra'avad, of blessed memory: 'Do not the witnesses sign only on the counting?' it seems to me to answer that Maran,
of blessed memory, held that it is not difficult at all, for even though the witnesses sign only on the counting,
nevertheless, since he becomes like a judge in the matter, we require him to be knowledgeable in the nature of divorces and betrothals,
as I have written, and study it well. This appears to me, written by the youth Yechezkel Shimon ⟦illegible⟧ S.T.
107
And what must be mentioned
is that in the week the late Dana Kaher Rachel Daoud bin Yosef Khuzuri died
she passed away on Yom Kippur as we moved from our house, mention of which is in the Dananir quarter, to
the one they call the Old Jewish Quarter, and we lived in the house of Master Rafael David Ram
according to the payment of rent; and the people of the house were Khawaja Farah and his son Menashe and his brother Khawaja
Daoud and Um Salem and Um Naim, and all that was, and our partnership with them was equal, meaning
food and drink and everything was one, except for sleeping, as each one would sleep in a room
alone, and we used to pay them 3 riyals monthly, and they have a beautiful favor upon us that will not be forgotten
all our life, may God reward them with good and give them a good life, Amen, so be His will.
Tevet Kislev Year 5656
And after that, mention
that on Sunday, 17th of Elul, year 5656, we left the house of Khawaja Farah
and we were in the house of Salim Agha and we paid the rent for the year 5657
two hundred and twenty Qaran, and from 그 time our expenses became
on us alone and everything by ourselves, except for the house which is shared
between the two parties, and from that time ⟦...⟧
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Portion of
Balak
Verse: And he saw
Balak son of Zippor
And Balak son of Zippor saw
The Sages said: He was his enemy from the start, and when he saw that vengeance was taken for him from Sihon
and from his brother, he became proud over him and said: Blessed is He who has kept me alive after I saw the fall of
my enemy this much. Rather, as people say: I will sharpen your spear from your enemy
like the day you do a favor for your brother. And the meaning of 'And all of Moab'
is that when they saw that Sihon and Og had fallen, they said: These two men who were guarding us
did not stand before Israel, we all the more so. 'And Moab was afraid'
like one who is in mourning, Moab from Israel. And the verse says 'And Moab was sickened'. They were sick of their lives
a parable, to what is the matter comparable? To one who took a cup to drink and a wasp entered it
and pressured him until he died. So were Moab afraid of Israel until they were sick of their lives.
'And Moab said to the elders of Midian'. Were they not enemies to one another, as it is said: 'who smote Midian
in the field of Moab'? Rather, out of great fear they made peace between them. A parable of two dogs
that were in the flock and were snapping at each other; a wolf came upon one of them. The second said: If I do not
help him today, he will kill him, and tomorrow he will come upon me. They both stood and killed the wolf. So
Moab and Midian. Another explanation: what is the nature of the elders of Midian here? Rather, they saw Moses
who grew up in Midian, they said: Let us ask them what his qualities are. They said to them: His power is only in his mouth.
They said: We too will come against them with a man whose power is in his mouth. 'Now this assembly will lick up
all that is around us, as the ox licks up'. Just as an ox, its power is in its mouth, so too these, their power is in their mouth.
Another explanation: just as an ox uproots all that is before it, so these do not leave anything. Another explanation: just as an ox
has only today, so these have only today; for as long as you stand
against them, they have no standing. 'And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time'.
Was he not a prince initially, as it is said: 'the princes of Sihon'? Rather, once Sihon was killed,
they crowned him over them because he was a fierce warrior. 'And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor
at Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of his people, to call him.' Pethor - for he was a solver of dreams.
Another explanation: for all kings were advised by him. Another explanation: Pethor - he was a money changer and the kings of nations
would profit with him. 'Which is by the River, to the land of his people'. For they came with him and he had
sorceries that he would perform with them like the action of a river. Another explanation: the land of his people - for from there was Balak
and he was prophesying about him that he was destined to reign. 'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, behold they cover the
eye of the land, and they dwell opposite me'. He said to him: You say 'behold, a people has come out of Egypt'
of its own accord they came out; but I say to you they did not come out of their own accord but their God brought them out
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. 'Behold, they cover the eye of the land' - for they killed Sihon and Og who were
guarding us, and now we remain exposed and breached. 'And they dwell opposite me'
a small piece am I, and they dwell upon me and want to swallow me. 'And now, please come, curse for me
this people, for they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know
that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed'. 'Please come, curse for me'. What did Balak see
to call Balaam? Rather, Balak said: Let him whose power is in his mouth come and stand against him whose power is in his mouth.
And Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was very afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was sickened because of the children of Israel. And Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will lick up everything around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. And he sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the River, the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, a people has come out of Egypt; behold, they cover the eye of the earth, and they dwell opposite me. And now, please come, curse for me this people, for they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse shall be cursed."
And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with divinations in their hands, and they came to Balaam and spoke to him the words of Balak. And he said to them, "Lodge here tonight, and I will bring you back word as the Lord shall speak to me." And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam. And God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?" And Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me: 'Behold, the people that is come out of Egypt, it covers the eye of the earth; now, come curse them for me; perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.'" And God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed." And Balaam rose up in the morning and said to the princes of Balak, "Go to your land, for the Lord refuses to give me leave to go with you." And the princes of Moab rose up, and they came to Balak and said, "Balaam refuses to go with us." And Balak sent yet again princes, more and more distinguished than those. And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus says Balak son of Zippor: 'Let nothing, I pray you, hinder you from coming to me; for I will promote you to very great honor, and whatever you say to me I will do; come therefore, I pray you, curse this people for me.'" And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do small or great. And now, please, stay here you also tonight, that I may know what more the Lord will speak with me." And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If the men have come to call you, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I shall speak to you, that shall you do." And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the Lord placed himself in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field; and Balaam struck the donkey to turn her into the way. Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she thrust herself against the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he struck her again. And the angel of the Lord went further and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?" And Balaam said to the donkey, "Because you have mocked me; I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would have killed you." And the donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your donkey, upon which you have ridden all your life long until this day? Was I ever wont to do so to you?" And he said, "No." Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way with his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed his head and fell on his face. And the angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out as an adversary, because the way is contrary to me; and the donkey saw me and turned aside before me these three times; unless she had turned aside from me, surely now I had even slain you and saved her alive." And Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, "I have sinned, for I did not know that you stood in the way against me; now therefore, if it be evil in your eyes, I will go back." And the angel of the Lord said to Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak to you, that you shall speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak. And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him to the City of Moab, which is on the border of Arnon, which is at the utmost part of the border. And Balak said to Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send to you to call you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able indeed to promote you to honor?" And Balaam said to Balak, "Behold, I have come to you; have I now any power at all to speak anything? The word that God puts in my mouth, that shall I speak." And Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and to the princes that were with him. And it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, and he saw from there the utmost part of the people.
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⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧ ⟦illegible⟧
In the name of the Lord, we shall do
Solomon said in his wisdom: "The spirit of a man will sustain his sickness, but a broken spirit, who can bear it?"
Rashi of blessed memory explained: King David, peace be upon him, doubled [this], saying: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
and the Lord will be his trust." For trust is complete faith and a whole heart.
And he who trusts in the Lord is he who trusts with all his heart and does not lean on his own knowledge or wisdom,
nor says "my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth," as the wise man said:
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom etc. but let him that glories glory in this: that he understands and knows me,
that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight, says the Lord."
And this is what King Solomon, peace be upon him, said: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord
and depart from evil. It will be health to your navel and marrow to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of
all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine. My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
nor be weary of His reproof; for whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father the son in whom he delights.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain
than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand,
in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life
to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who retain her. The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens;
by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes; keep sound wisdom
and discretion; so they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Then you will walk safely in your way, and your foot
will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down 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 safely
with you. Do not strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm. Do not envy the oppressor
and choose none of his ways; for the perverse person 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 home of the just. Surely He scorns the scorners, but He gives grace to the humble. The wise shall inherit
glory, but shame shall be the legacy of fools."
100
55
And this is what King David, peace be upon him, said: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his trust."
For trust is the complete faith and the whole heart; and he who trusts in the Lord is he who trusts
with all his heart and does not lean on his own knowledge or wisdom, nor says "my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth,"
as the wise man said: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom etc. but let him that glories glory in this:
that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight,
says the Lord."
223
Today too I forgot, with God's help, 2nd of Tammuz 5684. I looked into an ancient book I found in a certain port,
A letter sent by our Master of God, in which wonderful things are written
About the hidden light and the widow's son who came to him from heaven not before his time,
And the miracle that was done for him in the great synagogue which is there
In the city of Toledo, and they copied it into the Arabic language by a swift scribe, etc.
There he sat on the chair of instruction and said a new song, etc. and this is the gist of the matters:
So that the last generation may know, children yet to be born shall arise and tell their children,
All the city of Jerusalem bowed down to the Lord,
And we will praise God from now until eternity, Hallelujah.
And after I wrote this in this book, an old, ancient manuscript happened to come to me,
And I found written in it this story <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> in the Holy Tongue and I copied it here letter for letter.
And this is the copy: Once there were two brothers, great merchants, and they loved each other so,
And in their love they would not part, and it was their way to always love one another.
And once a certain merchandise came their way in a certain city far from them, a journey
Of 30 days, and they both went together and did their business and profited much silver and gold,
And they returned toward their border, and on the way back they strayed from the path and went into a desolate desert,
And on the way there was no water and no path or road, and there was no shepherd there nor any man walking.
And they walked for three days and did not drink water, and they nearly fainted from thirst and their strength failed,
And they both fell to the earth on their faces and cried out to the Lord with a bitter voice, and the older brother wept
Over his younger brother and said to him: My brother, my brother, why did we leave our home and what has happened to us
That we have come to this place to die of thirst, we and all our possessions, and now as the Lord lives
I cannot bear to see your death and your hunger, and now my son, listen to my voice and do this now:
The verse says: And the Lord said to Moses, come up to me on the mountain and be there,
and I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the commandment which I have written to teach them.
That all of these are from Sinai, and everything written in it was not written for nothing, but rather
to teach them to everyone who will come after Moses, that he should do according to the deeds of Moses and be
acceptable before the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and every deed of a man is written in a
book.
And in this book, there is another matter from which we will understand how we must
be in this world, both in the matter of the Lord, may He be blessed, and between honor to
his parents, as it is written: Honor your father and your mother so that your days may be long
upon the land which the Lord your God gives you. And if he does not honor them,
woe to him and woe to his soul, and into the house of the Lord, may He be blessed, he shall not enter. And also in this
book are written very important things regarding the matter of the Lord, may He be blessed, and regarding
the Torah and the commandments and every single thing in the world, and every
person who reads it will understand the way in which he should walk. And it is also written
there, and so regarding the matter of the honor of the whole man, we must know everything,
because everything a person does is all written about him in the book, and also
about a person who does not walk in the ways of the Lord, may He be blessed, and does not honor
his father and his mother, for everything is written about him and his punishment will be very, very severe.
But if he returns in repentance and walks in the ways of the Torah and the commandments,
then the Holy One, blessed be He, will forgive him for everything he did and he will be beloved
before the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and he will have a portion in the world to come and be an honor to
his parents and will have a proper structure in the house of the Lord our God, Amen.
Honor to
Adar
And you, my lord, may God have mercy on you
And as it remains in your hand of the dinars that are in your hand now, do not hide
⟦...⟧ you want to exchange them as you wish, for this is what is on
the mind, but, my lord, you know that people, my lord
⟦...⟧ you know that it needs ⟦...⟧
And that was in ⟦...⟧
And if it were ⟦...⟧
And perhaps it will be ⟦...⟧
Thus, my lord ⟦...⟧
My lord, if I had dinars, each dinar worth ⟦...⟧
From dinars ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
As I told him, and I cannot lie to you, my lord
I am your servant, and if the dinars become as you wish
From this time of mine, my lord ⟦...⟧
With this news, for it will be ⟦...⟧
In your hand, my lord, and God knows my condition, that I have nothing
Except God, and you, my lord, do good with me and do
With me the utmost you can of goodness and the correction of the matter
Because, my lord, from the beginning of Adar the market is less than others
And you, my lord, do your best, and peace be upon you and the mercy
of God and His blessings
And so it was prepared on Monday of the Torah portion of Va'era in the year 5680 [1920], and this is the essence:
1. Mordechai Eliyahu, 2. Ezra Shimon Cohen, grandson of Hakham Sasson Cohen,
regarding the matter of the woman Khatun daughter of Yosef Sofer, wife of David son of Ezra Zechariah,
who fled two years ago and his location is not known, and no one
knew his location at all. And her aforementioned husband, when he left, wrote her a Ketubah
in the amount of 24 [units] and 1, and mortgaged to her the household movables and also gold and silver jewelry,
and the door of the house they live in, and also they had rent for 6 months.
And since the aforementioned fled and the aforementioned husband died, his aforementioned father came and sold everything,
and furthermore, all the household utensils he took for himself, everything, and left her nothing. And now the
aforementioned stood before us in weeping and said that she has nothing to eat, she and her small son,
and she asked of the aforementioned, the father of her aforementioned husband, for sustenance ⟦...⟧
o o
o o
The essence: S. David Habbib, S. David Yosef, S. Menashe Hayyim Raphael Sofer and Moshe
Pinhas Yitzhak HaLevi Cohen, and all admit to the business of the partnership which
(they made) between them (namely) (Rabbi) and as they said, we shall be partners with each other
in whatever business happens to come their way, whether buying or selling, whether in Baghdad or
abroad, via a messenger or by themselves, and any profit that shall occur
according to the time, they shall divide among themselves equally, share for share, and also the loss, G-d forbid,
equally. And they stipulated among themselves that any merchandise they buy or sell must be
by the word of the three of them specifically, and according to their knowledge and will. But only if two of them agree
on a certain thing and the third does not want this thing, the authority is
in the hands of the two to do that thing; such was the condition between them and so they took upon themselves.
But only to take money out of the pocket for any business, the two cannot
take out without the consent of the third, may his Majesty be exalted. And for proof they signed here, and all is valid and established.
⟦...⟧
And I with my signature ⟦...⟧ this ⟦...⟧
I say, I the undersigned below, the honorable Salach son of M. Yechezkel Cohen ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
Written on the 14th of Kislev
The undersigned, the honorable Salach ⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
⟦...⟧
And Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good, said to him: By an oath, I shall come to you
at the hour when you release your soul from the world, and I will tell those angels of
destruction ⟦that they should leave⟧ you and not touch you, for the Angel's face will shine for you at that
hour, and I will fulfill this for you.
And after the pious man heard this, his mind was eased and he rejoiced greatly, and his son
also rejoiced. And Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good, said to him: By an oath, I
will not leave the entrance of your house until the day of your departure from the world arrives.
And Elijah,
remembered for good, dwelt in the house of the pious man for eighty days, and no man saw him
except for the pious man and his son, and the pious man and his son would study with him every single day.
And at the end of eighty days, Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good, said to the pious man:
This day is the day of your departure from the world; arise and wash your body
and put on clean clothes and purify yourself, for the Angel is coming to take
your soul from the world. And at that hour, the pious man stood up and washed his body
and put on clean clothes and purified himself, and sat before Elijah the Prophet,
remembered for good, and was studying with him until the hour arrived.
And at that hour, the house was filled with a great light like the sun,
and the pious man and his son and Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good,
were sitting and studying together.
And behold, the Angel of Death came from heaven with a sharp and drawn sword in his hand,
and he wanted to enter the house of the pious man but was unable because of the light
that was in the house; and the Angel stood outside and was unable to enter, and he was
very distressed. And Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good, saw him
and was laughing. And the Angel said to Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good: Why are you
laughing? Behold, I have come to take the soul of this pious man by the command of the Creator,
blessed be His name, and you are hindering me. And Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good, said
to the Angel of Death: By an oath, you shall not enter this house.
Said Judah, son of ⟦illegible⟧
Said Judah, son of ⟦illegible⟧
104
With the Help of God
SS
SS
And these are the names [of] the village
And they did the work and they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its vessels,
its clasps, its boards, its bars, and its pillars, and its sockets; and the covering of tanned ram skins,
and the covering of tachash skins, and the veil of the screen; and the ark of the testimony and its poles,
and the mercy seat; and the table and all its vessels, and the showbread; and the pure lampstand,
its lamps, the lamps set in order, and all its vessels, and the oil for the light; and the golden altar,
and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the entrance of the tent; the bronze altar,
and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its vessels, the basin and its stand; the
hangings of the courtyard, its pillars, and its sockets, and the screen for the gate of the courtyard, its cords,
and its pegs, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; the garments of office for serving
in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons to serve as priests; according to all that
the Lord commanded Moses, so the Israelites did all the work. And Moses saw all
the work, and behold, they had done it; as the Lord had commanded, so they had done. And Moses blessed them.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: On the first day of the first month you shall set up the
tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall put there the ark of the testimony, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
And you shall bring in the table and set in order its arrangement, and you shall bring in the lampstand and light its lamps.
And you shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and you shall put the screen of the entrance
to the tabernacle. And you shall set the altar of burnt offering before the entrance of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting. And you shall set
the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water there. And you shall set the courtyard around,
and you shall set the screen of the gate of the courtyard. And you shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle
and all that is in it, and you shall sanctify it and all its vessels, and it shall be holy. And you shall anoint the altar
of burnt offering and all its vessels, and you shall sanctify the altar, and the altar shall be most holy. And you shall anoint
the basin and its stand and sanctify it. And you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance
of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. And you shall clothe Aaron with the holy garments and you shall anoint
him and sanctify him, and he shall serve Me as a priest. And you shall bring his sons and clothe them with tunics. And you shall anoint
them as you anointed their father, and they shall serve Me as priests; and their anointing shall be for them for an everlasting priesthood
throughout their generations. And Moses did according to all that the Lord commanded him, so he did. And it was in the first month
And the first payment of the new year is nine hundred
And for everything in this world there is an end, and God Almighty remains without end
A thousand prayers and a thousand peace be upon the Messenger of God who (brought) the clear light
(Which) illuminates the whole world, and he said, O servants of God, do not fear
The Prophet of Mercy will have mercy on all the nation of Muhammad <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> they will be shown mercy
O Lord, from <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> to You we complain, You are aware of all our condition, You know
How we were and how we became among the infidels ⟦...⟧
And the Lord of the worlds is living, providing for us as long as the eye blinks in sleep
O Lord, cover us and cover all the nation of Muhammad forever and ever
Pay attention, O brothers, to the fear of time, for every day words flow over us
We cry three times every day, and the tears flow like a pouring flood
By God, O Lord, in Your hand is the judgment, O Creator of all, I have no lover but You
That You wish to have mercy on whoever asks You always by the thunders of the sky, the earth, and the water
We, O Lord of the worlds, guide us to the paths of truth and do not afflict us with trials
Nor is there any rejection from You for the one blamed, who sees You and You support him <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> with Your eternal victory O
Creator of creatures, O Lord of Forgiveness, eternal O He in whose hand is the management of affairs
The master of the house said, look what happened to me, O people, in this year nine hundred
From the strangeness of time, I have not seen anything like this (unlucky) year that occurred
In these lands, O present listeners, stand and pray for the Prophet of God, O masters
⟦...⟧ a story in this year <del>⟦illegible⟧</del> something happened to us that did not happen in the ages
Behold, in this year, by God O brothers, we saw wonders and marvels that have no count
On Holy Saturday, the day of the feast, we went out to the fields to look at the spring and the
Flowers, and everyone who has joy and pleasure goes out to the fields, O creatures, to look
Let us mention again the destruction that befell us, by God O people, nothing has happened
In the world like this distress
(15)
And he said like sulfur
And if they are not desired and do not come out by her hand, run and turn away from the furnace it becomes
dusty copper. Wind a thousand and thousands of thousands thousand becomes a thousand bucket sulfur -
with that we bless in the excess copper sulfur and like a thousand of gold
And that which results in copper for them, run washing and pour the gold becomes copper a thousand of your bucket
they are not like gold towards sulfur for them like the cinnabar it burns like them a little
the gold and it does not change from the color and the little will become like the dust
except that the gold can return to sulfur like a gold dinar it takes head and nature
and both are free from the color, but sulfur was specified and not like coarse dust and the
high from you do not make coarse dust except with moisture and the drink and the concentration
And if it was dust your weight in a second degree it sees ⟦...⟧ and the drink and the concentration
they want from the furnace color drink the gold and so it is clean drinking of coarse dust
as the gold mentioned to you in what preceded
And he wants your furnace to be and the most gold and he returns to blow evil cauterization
gold. and the rose gold of the yellowing becomes like kohl like a raven eating the gold and he returns
the gold dust to your eye like kohl and you take all the gold and pour it on the glass
it enters to the middle all gold and in its bottom ruby is obtained and you take the gold from the color
it will be a thousand ⟦line⟧ and the ruby will be a red ruby
you make from it jewelry and every color sought in the gold you manufacture it all returns to gold
and as for the ruby you cook it and likewise it all vanishes and returns like this gold
it eats the furnace like a push and from the end of the words of the people of the furnace which they said when
gold entered the furnace and in the likeness of gold and they consumed the furnace it eats the gold it goes into the air
and likewise the gold eats the spirit
And like this, kfar and ras will be prepared at the hand of this building, the government accountant, to the life of the lord Faraj by his hand
on the father's house from <del>the place of the Name</del> in place of the D. from the house of H. B. A. M.
Ezra Kokhi H.
It was great with Laman that he cannot write, neither from other than the state nor from
it is possible except from the side of George the AH. I have no claim, notice, or protest regarding him
and the matters are wearying as they are without any doubt or challenge
and a notice is revealed to me and everything that was spoken is but truth and justice and what was is past and what
will be here and everything that was done by me and by my authority and my complete will without any
duress or compulsion or any kind of necessity at all, and not as a reliance and not as a prototype
of documents and anything not proper and not in order
and everything is valid and established according to the path and bow of the land, not to be changed
(27)
::
And the report that was mentioned
that he moved from the house of perishability to the house of eternity, ⟦no less than⟧
on Tuesday, the nineteenth of the month of Tammuz in the year 5677 (1917)
by the mercy of God Almighty and His pleasure and the goodness of his reward as a recompense for the righteous who act
by His will and are zealous for His religion and who guide towards His obedience and pleasure.
May God Almighty settle him in the Gardens of Eden with our masters Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Everyone who sees and hears what happened to this deceased person should weep for him and mourn him
and remember his beautiful deeds during the time of his life and all that he used to do with
people of goodness, kindness, charity, and performing good deeds with the stranger
and the relative, and with the poor and the needy, and with the neighbor and the distant one. For that,
very great sadness was felt for him. May God have mercy on him with His vast mercy.
May it be the will before our Father in Heaven and let Him say
Amen, may it be so.
⟦line⟧
And the intention ⟦?⟧ is that we discuss some things from what the Sage, of blessed memory, mentioned
in the book Otzar Nechmad.
And from it, a person learns to hold his soul accountable in this vanishing world
before death and the journey from the house of perishability to the house of eternity, as mentioned
by the Sage—may the Merciful One protect us ⟦?⟧—in the Gemara: Prepare yourself in the hallway so that you may enter
the banquet hall. And this is a true statement because the world is a path
leading to the eternal world. So, whoever walks on the path leading to
the city will reach it, and he who walks on another path will not reach
it. And this is very clear.
O God, You have shown mercy, shown mercy to that man
who had become bewildered, for in him the foundation of existence <del>his</del> again
from the hands of women who are like a snare, like a magnet that
pulls the hearts and attracts them, for giving one's heart to it has no
and betrayal in between. If you want the heart's desire, come and turn
color and scent, for He is of one color and scent, like a magnet that
heart ⟦...⟧ for giving one's heart to it has no and betrayal in between
desire ⟦...⟧ for giving one's heart to it has no and betrayal in between
Unless it has the face of one heart, you with this smoke ⟦...⟧ so that your heart burns
Among one color and scent there is like a magnet that giving one's heart to it
has no and betrayal in between. If you want the heart's desire, come and turn
smoke from the heart that ⟦...⟧ for giving one's heart to it has no and betrayal
⟦...⟧ for giving one's heart to it has no and betrayal in between
⟦...⟧ for giving one's heart to it has no
⟦illegible⟧
228
With God's Help
Such-and-such shall take upon himself
And he shall not pursue Nahman etc. all for the love of the soul all the days of his life as is proper etc.
And her food and her clothing and all her needs according to her dignity and all her requirements as is customary
among us, a denar less one, and he shall not borrow ⟦...⟧ and he shall not profit and he shall not take interest from the gentiles and from
Israel whether with a pledge or without a pledge and he shall not desecrate the Sabbath nor a Festival
And he shall not swear by the name of the Lord falsely, nor by any name of the holy names, and he shall not mention the name of Heaven
in vain, and he shall not be angry, and he shall not reproach, and he shall not blaspheme, and he shall not lift a hand to strike any creature
And he shall not eat from the slaughtering of any person except from the slaughtering of the slaughterer who is an expert for the public
And he shall not drink libation wine or the ordinary wine of gentiles, and he shall not shave his beard with a razor
And he shall not round the corners of his head, and he shall not walk with an erect posture, and he shall not gaze at women
even at an unmarried one and even at her little finger, and he shall not be alone with any woman
in the world except for his wife
And he shall be careful all his days not to be angry at all, even for the sake of a commandment and even to discipline his household
And he shall not say any word of falsehood or lie, and he shall not speak idle words nor mundane conversation
in the synagogue, nor during the time of prayer, and even not during the time of prayer he shall not converse
mundane conversation on Sabbath and Festivals, but only in words of Torah, and he shall pray with great devotion
And he shall not omit any blessing from the morning blessings and the Grace after Meals and all the blessings in their entirety
And between Mincha and Ma'ariv he shall engage in Torah, and before he sleeps he shall say a confession for all that he sinned
on that day, and he shall forgive anyone who sinned against him, and he shall take upon himself the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven
with awe and with fear, and he shall recite the Shema upon the bed with great devotion, and he shall arise
at midnight and lament over the destruction of the Holy Temple and over the exile of the Shekhinah and over the neglect of
Torah, and he shall engage in Torah until the light of the morning, and he shall not be idle from the Torah for a single moment
all the days of his life except at the time he engages in his livelihood for his sustenance, and his business dealings shall be
in good faith, and he shall establish fixed times for Torah every single day, and he shall study every day a fixed portion and not pass it over
And he shall be very careful with the honor of his father and his mother and with the honor of his teacher and with the honor of Torah scholars
And he shall love every person and be humble and of lowly spirit before every person, and he shall judge every person
favorably and receive every person with a pleasant countenance
These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan
in the wilderness, in the plain over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth,
and Di-zahab. Eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of mount Seir unto Kadesh-barnea.
And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke
unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the Lord had given him in commandment unto them; after
he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og
the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei; on the other side of the Jordan, in the land
of Moab, Moses took upon him to expound this law, saying: The Lord our God
spoke unto us in Horeb, saying: 'Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain; turn you, and take your journey,
and go to the hill-country of the Amorites, and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the Lowland,
and in the South, and by the sea-shore, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river
Euphrates. Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which
the Lord swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed
after them.' And I spoke unto you at that time, saying: 'I am not able to bear
you myself alone; the Lord your God hath multiplied you, and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven
for multitude. The Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless
you, as He hath promised you! How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden,
and your strife? Get you from each one of your tribes wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge,
and I will make them heads over you.' And ye answered me, and said: 'The thing which
thou hast spoken is good for us to do.' So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men,
and full of knowledge, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds,
and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe. And I charged
your judges at that time, saying: 'Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously
between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small
and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man; for the judgment is God's'