ثيقة شرعيّة: DK 237.4
ثيقة شرعيّة DK 237.4العلامات
الوصف
Legal document. Dating: probably ca.1185. This is the only known document that refers to the majlis of Maimonides. It is a draft of a statement (tiqrār) to be signed by Maimonides, the Judges and the Elders, to the effect that Avraham b. Yaḥyā ha-Levi, called al-Najīb, should get the payment of his capitation tax (jizya) to the amount of 1 2/3 dinars out of the revenue from the rents of a "block" (rabʿ) which was a pious foundation earmarked for poor people. Thus Avraham's capitation tax will be paid from the revenue of the qodesh, not as charity, but as compensation for fees which he once renounced for supervising repairs in the funduq. The text stresses the great benefit which would accrue from his continued presence at such repairs. This payment was to be in the place of a daily salary of 1/2 dirham to which al-Najīb was entitled for his supervision of the building of the Funduq ('hotel' or caravenserai), erected by Abū ʿImran Beḥir ha-Kohanim, certainly also a public building. The remuneration of 1/2 dirham normally was paid out of a daily emolument of 2 dirhams which the Wakīl or administrator of the building received. The statement is not signed, perhaps because Maimonides objected to such a vague agreement made in respect of the spending of money destined for the poor. (Information from Goitein's notes and from Gil, Documents, pp. 323 #77.) On verso there are 6 lines of verses in Arabic script.
Edition: Gil, Moshe
Translation: Gil, Moshe (in English)
النصوص المفرّغة
Moshe Gil, Documents of the Jewish Pious Foundations from the Cairo Geniza (Leiden: Brill, 1976).- בש רח
- נקול נחן אלגמאעה אלמתבתין כטוטנא באכר הדה אלסט[ור]
- אננא ראציין באן יטלק מן גבאיה אלרבע אלמוקף ברסם
- אלעניים ברסם גזיה אלשיך אלנגיב מר ור אברהם בר יחיי
- הלוי נע דינאר ואחד ותלתי ואן יכון הדא אלמבלג מא
- יסתחקה ען וקופה מדה סנה פי אלעמארה עוצא מן
- אלנצף דרהם אלדי כאן יקבצה פי כל יום אן תכון פיה עמארה
- מן גמלה אלדרהמינ אלדי יקבצהא אלוכיל וקד ופר אלשיך
- אלנגיב הדא אלנצף דרהם ולם יקבצה מן וקת עמארה
- אלפנדק עלי יד אלשיך אבו עמראן בחיר הכהנים יש צו עו
- והדא אמרא ליס פיה מצרה בל מנפעה כבירה לדפע
- אלצרר ענה מן חכם אלגזיה וינתפע בחצורה ומבאשרתה
- אלעמארה אלרבע יצבט מא ינפק מנה לתגרי אלאמור עלי
- אלאסתקאמה וחמיד אלעאקבה ושלום והדא אלתקראר
- וקע עליה אלאתפאק פי מגלס רבנו משה הרב הגדול ישמר[ו]
- אלוהינו וינצרו מעזינו בחצור אלדיאנין ולמשאיך(!) אלחאצרין
الترجمة
Moshe Gil, Documents of the Jewish Pious Foundations from the Cairo Geniza (Leiden: Brill, 1976).- In Thy Name, oh Merciful!
- We, the company undersigned at the end of these lines, declare
- (3-5) that we agree that 1⅔ dinars shall be deducted from the collection from the Estate that is dedicated for the sake of the poor, in order to pay the poll tax of al-Shaykh al-Najīb, our Master and Leader Abraham b. R. Yaḥyā ha-Levi, of blessed memory. Also, that this sum shall be (considered)
- as due him for supervision of the repairs for one year, as the equivalent of
- half a dirhem that he used to receive every day on which repairs were done,
- (8-9) out of the sum of two dirhems received by the overseer. Al-Shaykh al-Najīb once renounced this half a dirhem and did not receive it during the repairs
- at the funduq, (accomplished) by al-Shaykh Abū ʿImrān, the Elect of the Priests, may God preserve him forever.
- This is a matter in which there is no harm; rather it is of great use, to safeguard him
- (12-13) from trouble (caused) by his debt for the poll tax. Also, the repairs to the Estate will profit from his presence and experience. He will be the one to decide what to spend in the course of the operations in a way (full) of
- integrity and excellent efficiency. Greetings. This decision
- (15-16) was agreed upon in the yeshiva of our Leader Moses, the Great Leader, may our God preserve, and our Mighty Rock guard him, in the presence of the judges and those of the elders that were present.