Letter: ENA 3768.2
Letter ENA 3768.2What's in the PGP
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- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
Description
Letter from Yehuda b. Ṭuviyyahu ha-Kohen, the muqaddam of Bilbays (ca. 1170s–1218) to Pinḥas b. Meshullam, a judge of Alexandria in the time of Maimonides. In Hebrew. Dating: ca. 1168–1204 CE, based on the mention of Maimonides in the margin who was active in Egypt during this date range. This is the only Hebrew letter so far identified in the hand of Yehuda; this is likely because Pinḥas was of French origin and most likely knew Hebrew better than Arabic. There are copious praises for the addressee. The sender says that he praises him to R. Yiṣḥaq and R. Naḥman. Shemarya the cantor arrived with a letter from Pinḥas for the sender. The bottom of the letter is torn off here. The margin mentions that Maimonides has sent something (presumably a letter to Pinḥas). On verso there is a collection of titles and attributes of God, in Judaeo-Arabic. At the bottom, written upside down, there are the openings of verses from Ecclesiastes 11:8–12:7. The Arabic script at the top is a paraphrase of an aphorism from the Canon of Avicenna: “For this reason, healers are directed not to rely on a single remedy for changing a temperament if it proves ineffective" (ولهاذا قد يومر المعالجون ان لا يقيموا على دوا واحد في تبديل المزاج إذا لم ينجع).
Editors: Ashur, Amir; Elbaum, Alan
Translators: Ashur, Amir; Elbaum, Alan (in English)
ENA 3768.2 2
Recto
- כבוד הדר]ת י[קרת צפירת תפארת כבוד
- גדולת קדושת מרנא ורבנא פינחס הרב המבהק
- המעוז והמגדול יברכהו שומרו ויצילו מיד רודפו ומבקש
- רעתו כי יפול לא יוטל כי ייי סומך ידו ביר רבנא
- הרב ר משולם זל ירוחם הנפטר ויוחנן הנשאר
- וכן יהי רצון אם לחוות עוצם האהבה
- והתשוקה אל הדרת הרב ור[...]אה [...]מחול [
- תרבה ואף לא משכה עט סופר כי הוא מקור החכמה
- ענוותן וממולא עלוב ואהוב [...] הן עלובין ואינן עולבין
- ואמ ר פינחס בן יאיר זהירות מביאה לידי זריזות וכול
- ובשמעו כי הוא חונה שלום ויגל כבודי אך בשרי
- נהפכה תוגתו לשמחה ובמה אקלסך כדאמ על ר יצחק
- ורב נחמן כי הוו מיפטרי מהדדי אמר ליה ניברכן מר אמ
- ליה אילן אילן במה אברכך וכול וכעת שהגיע ר
- שמריה חזן סיפר לעבדו כי הדרתו שיגרה על ידו
- פיטקא לעבדו וטבעה ממנ[..]ים ו[...]סודרה
- [...]
Recto - right margin
- אשר
- הפר
- א[ת
- לתִש[
- המִר[
- שעל
- אכיה
- פכיר בן
- מוסי
- וישגר
- אדוננו
- רבנו
- משה
- הרב
- הגדול
- יחיד
- הדור
- ופלאו
- ממזרח
- [(To) the honour, the glor]y, the grandeur, the diadem, the splendour, the honour,
- the greatness, and the holiness of our teacher and rabbi Pinḥas the outstanding Rav,
- the fortress and the tower, may his Guardian bless him and save him from his enemies
- and ill-wishers, though he stumbles, he does not fall down, for the Lord gives him support, the son of our rabbi,
- the Rav, R. Meshullam (may his) m(emory) be for a b(lessing), may the deceased receive mercy and the surviving receive grace,
- so may it be (God’s) will. If (I were) to express the greatness of the love
- and longing for the glory of the Rav ... it would be too much for [...]
- and would exhaust(?) the pen of a scribe, for he is the source of wisdom,
- the modest, the full(?), the humble, the beloved [...], they are “those who are humbled but do not humble.”
- As R. Pinḥas b. Yaʾir said, “Carefulness leads to zeal,” etc.
- When I heard that you were well, my glory rejoiced along with my flesh,
- and its sorrow turned to joy. With what shall I praise you? As they say about R. Yiṣḥaq
- and R. Naḥman, “When they were taking leave of one another, one would say to the other, ‘Master, give me a blessing.’ He said,
- ‘Tree, tree, with what shall I bless you?’” etc. When R.
- Shemarya the cantor arrived, he told me (lit. “his slave”) that you (lit. “your glory”) sent me
- a note with him and requested of him ... [...]
Recto - right margin
- who annulled the [...] that is upon his brother Fakhīr(?) b. Mūsā. Our master and rabbi Moshe, the great Rav, the unique one of the generation and its wonder, from the rising [of the sun to its setting], sent [...].
ENA 3768.2 1
