Letter: T-S 13J9.11

Recto

His servant kisses the ground before the excellent seat of our lord, may it be elevated and increased, and may he live forever. He informs him that he had presented to his excellent seat (court), may it be elevated, a note containing some details about his state. Then one of our lord's disciples came out and mentioned to his servant in the name of our master that it will not be possible for him to take care of the matter until after the holiday. But he already gave his generous (or: eminent) promise to take care of that with which he is familiar. His servant is at the point of ruin in all of his affairs. He asks of his grace not to neglect him and to give complete attention to his weakness and his estrangement. For the knife has already reached the bone. And his greatest calamity is the business of this creditor and the fact that he is of the upper class, so that he is justified and I am the one who wrongs him and myself. And I do not blame him, for it is because of my many sins that I have fallen in with him. The objective of this (petition) is that when our lord meets the venerable head, our master and teacher Abraham the great rabbi, may his majesty be elevated and his honour increased, he should inform him of what he knows to be true about his servant's affairs and request him to secure sixty dirhems any way possible and to send for the creditor to ask him to agree that the sum be paid in instalments of ten dirhems per month. For he (the creditor) sought this, since he knows the situation and is well aware of the difficulty I am in. For the bill that he holds is payable in instalments of twenty dirhems per month. And let it be promised to him that the sixty dirhems be paid for a six month instalment. If this is done, it will be support from God, because of the merit of our lord - If the matter is made little of, and the affair is postponed until after Passover - if God wills, this will be with the assistance of our lord and the merit of his father (may the) m(emory of the) p(ious be a) b(lessing). His servant has informed him of this after having kissed his feet. May the peace of our excellency, our holy lord, increase and never decrease. Forever, selah, amen.

Recto

Your s[la]ve kisses t[h]e ground [be]fore the excellent [seat of our lord], may it be uplifted and increase and may you live forever, and informs you that I had presented before your excellent seat, may it be uplifted, a petition containing a partial explanation of my situation. One of the students of our lord came forth (from the capital, apparently) and told your servant (i.e., the writer) on behalf of our master that you would not be ready to execute the matter under after the holiday. You had earlier generously promised to execute the matter as it was known to you. Your servant is in a desperate situation in all his affairs and I ask you in your munificence not to neglect me but to pay full attention to my weak state (meaning, poverty) and desolation. The knife has reached the bone. My greatest adversity is in the matter of this creditor and the fact that he is one of the better people, so that he is justified and I am the one who wrongs him and myself. I do not blame him, for I have fallen in with him because of my many sins. The purpose of this (petition) is that when my master meets with the illustrious head, our master and teacher R. Abraham the great Rav, may his glory be exalted and his honor increased, you, my master, should tell him what you know to be the truth of your servant’s situation and ask him to procure 60 dirhems in any way possible and send for the creditor and ask him to divide the sum into installments of 10 dirhems per month. That is what he requested, since he knows (my) situation. He is well aware of my extreme predicament. The writ in his hand divides it into 20 dirhems per month. Let it be promised to him that the 60 dirhams be paid in six monthly installments. If that is done, it will be help from God by the merit of our lord. The matter is easy. The matter can be paid off by the end of Passover, God willing, with the help of our lord and by the merit of his father, (may) the m(emory of) the r(ighteous be) b(lessed). Your servant has informed you of this after having kissed your feet. May the welfare of his excellence our holy lord, increase forever and never diminish. Forever, sela amen.

Recto

1. The slave kisses the ground before the glorious presence of our lord,
2. may he be exalted, magnified and live forever, and informs (him) that he (the petitioner) had submitted
3. before the glorious presence, may he be exalted, a petition containing
4. some explanation of his situation. Some of the students of our lord (the Nagid) came out (from the capital) and mentioned
5. to (your) servant on behalf of our master that he (the addressee) would not be ready to finish
6. the matter until after the holiday. He (the addressee) had previously generously promised
7. to execute the matter as it was known to him. The servant is
8. in a desperate situation in all his affairs. He (the petitioner) asks
9. of his (the addressee's) munificence not to neglect him, but to protect him in his weak state
10. and isolation. The knife has reached
11. the bone. His greatest adversity is in the matter of this creditor
12. and the fact that he is from among the extreme people (aṭrāf al-nās). He is justified, whereas I am
13. unjust toward him and myself, and I do not blame him; I have fallen in with him
14. _because of my many sins_ (Heb.). The purpose of this (petition) is that when
15. the master (the addressee) meets with the illustrious head (of the Jews), our master and teacher Avraham, the great rabbi, may his glory be exalted
16. and his honor increase, my master should inform him what he knows
17. to be the truth of your servant’s situation and ask him to procure
18. sixty dirhams from anywhere possible and send for
19. the creditor and ask him to divide the amount into (installments of) ten
20. dirhams per month. For this is what he requested when he learned of
21. the situation (in which I find myself). He is well aware of my extreme predicament, since the legal document in his hand
22. divides it into twenty dirhams per month. Let it be promised
23. that the sixty dirhams be paid in six monthly installments. If
24. that is done, it will be help from God _by the merit_ (Heb.)
25. of our lord. The matter is easy. The matter can be put off until the end of
26. Passover, God willing, with the help of our lord and _by the merit_
27. of his father, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing. The servant has informed (you) of this, after having kissed
28. his (the addressee's) feet. May the welfare of his excellency, our saintly lord,
29. increase forever and never diminish. Forever, sela amen.

Verso

Concerning Reuben against whom there is a bill of debt [...], and he lacks the means to pay and does not have that with which to support himself or his family, to the extent that, were he able, he would swear to his fellow litigant with a solemn oath that he has nothing and is without means. And some of the food and furnishings are not designated for him but for others. And his opposing party is oppressing him and summons him to a gentile court. If he admits it, he (the creditor) may become violent and have him arrested. And he does not heed the ruling of Jewish law. If he denies it, the qāḍī may require of him an oath, and he is afraid of the (heavenly) punishment. May he instruct us: if the violating opposing party transgresses and summons him to a gentile court, is he allowed to swear that he does not owe him anything in this case and be virtuous or not? And, being well aware of the state of the debtor and knowing the truth of his destituteness, may the judge send after the violent opposing party and tell him, "if you summon him to a gentile court, you will no longer have any claim on him and you will be obligated such and such by Jewish law"? May our lord instruct us and may he be granted a double reward by heaven. 

Verso

Concerning Reuben against whom there is a bi[ill of debt…,] and he lacks the means to pay and does not have that with which to support himself or his family to the extent that, were he able, he would swear to his fellow litigant with a solemn oath that he has nothing and is without means. And some of the food and furnishings are not designated for him but for others. And his opposing party is oppressing him and summons him to a gentile (i.e., Muslim) court. If he admits it, he (the creditor) may become violent and have him arrested. And he does not heed the ruling of Jewish law. If he denies it, the qāḍī may require of him an oath, and he is afraid of the (heavenly) punishment. May you instruct us: if the violating opposing party transgresses and summons him to a gentile court, is he allowed to swear that he does not owe him anything in this case and be virtuous or not? And being well aware of the situation of the debtor and knowing the truth of his destitution, may the judge send after the violent opposing party and tell him, “if you summon him to a gentile court, you will no longer have any claim on him and you will be obligated such and such by Jewish law”? May our lord instruct us and may he be granted a double reward by heaven.

Verso

1. Concerning the matter of Reuben, who has a bill of debt […]
2. and lacks the means of paying it, and does not have the means to support either
3. himself or his family, to the extent that, if he were able, he would swear
4. to his fellow litigant with a _solemn oath_ (Heb.) that he has nothing and is without
5. means, and that some of the fodder and furnishings are not designated to him
6. but to others, and that his opposing party is oppressing him and summons him
7. under gentile law. If he acknowledges (the debt before a notary), perhaps (the creditor) will make him suffer, 
8. have him arrested and not abide by the ruling according to Jewish sharīʿa.
9. If he denies it, the qāḍī may require him to swear _an oath_ (Heb.),
10. and he would be afraid of (divine) _punishment_ (Heb.). Instruct us: if the violating litigant
11. transgresses and summons him to a gentile court, is he allowed
12. to swear that he does not owe him anything according to this ruling
13. and be exonerated? Is the debt binding given that he (the creditor) was 
14. aware of the debtor's situation and knew the truth of
15. his destitution — may he send after the violating litigant and tell him, 
16. “if you summon him under gentile law, you will no longer have any claim
17. on him and you will be obligated by Jewish law to do such and such”? May our lord instruct us and may he be granted a double reward
18. from heaven.