Letter: T-S Ar.53.37
Letter T-S Ar.53.37What's in the PGP
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Description
Letter from a blind man in Salonica to his son Ismāʿīl in Egypt. In Judaeo-Arabic. Written on parchment in a scholarly hand. The first page of the letter is lost. Dating: 1088/89 CE, or shortly after, based on Goitein's interpretation of the year "48" as 4848 AM. The letter picks up with the father explaining his happy situation in Salonica and why he cannot possibly return to Egypt, as his son had asked him to do (r1–19). The writer lives in Salonica with his wife (not the addressee's mother) and a daughter with many suitors. He fears that they would be a burden on the family in Egypt. He is blind and weak—"I have nothing left but my tongue and my heart" (i.e., mind)—but he has not perished. On the contrary, he is in a thousand states of well-being and is highly regarded by all who fear God. He overhears the Shabbat services from his dwelling. None of the scholars of Salonica are able to match him in his knowledge of the law. He next sends regards to various family members and congratulates his son on the acquisition of noble in-laws (r20–27). He is worried about his family, because he heard that "in the year 48 the Nile had a low flood, and my heart trembled, and I have no rest, neither by day or by night. For God's sake, write me immediately regarding your well-being" and about each person's livelihood (r27–32). The son should send his response to ʿImrān b. Naḥum in Alexandria who will forward it to Salonica, to the upper synagogue, to the house of Shabbetay b. Moshe Matakla 'the head' (r33–36). He exhorts his son not to neglect the study of Torah or be distracted by his business affairs (r36–v1). He then recapitulates the reasons for his departure from Egypt 26 years earlier and what has happened in the interim (v1–v21). It seems his motives for traveling were both pious (wishing to bury his bones in Jerusalem) and financial. At first he sent all the money he earned back to his family, and had none with which to travel back himself. He traveled from place to place for 30 months. At that time he learned that a business partner of the family perished in a fire, from which point onward, "I never had anything but expenses." The 'Turks' then invaded the Byzantine east, so he fled to the west, ultimately reaching Salonica. His vision weakened, gradually, over the course of five years. In Salonica, he has refrained from granting his daughter to any of her many suitors until he received word from his son and his brother-in-law Abū l-Ḥasan. The writer then returns to the subject of why he cannot possibly travel back to Egypt (v21–v34). Even as his son's letter was read to him, he had no strength to go out his door or leave his house without being supported. He can hardly see or hear. If his son saw him, he would "flee the distance of a month's journey." This is apart from the grave danger of the travel itself and his anxiety on account of his old age and his wife—even though she herself would love to travel. It is not in his nature to save money, and he repeats his fear that he would be a burden on the family. There is then a cryptic passage (v30–34) warning his son against listening to 'a generation that left us' and which had various faults that cannot be written in a letter. He concludes (v34–39) with another exhortation to study Torah diligently. When the son was 13 years old, he used to astound people with his intelligence. Information in part from Goitein and from Joshua Holo, Byzantine Jewry in the Mediterranean Economy, p. 53, 56. ASE. Goitein appears to have made his translation at a different time from his translation. This explains why the readings don't always agree, and why some of the passages appeared to be clearer to him in one than the other. The translation comes from a typescript sent to the Geniza Lab by Goitein's former research assistant Ellen Greenberg in 2025, and probably dates from the 1970s. MR
Tags
Editor: Goitein, S. D.
Translator: Goitein, S. D. (in English)
T-S Ar.53.37 1v

Verso
- מע צביה [[נ]] צגירה ולהא חט ואיצא אליהוד מא
- יתחשוני ומא ענדי שי נכרג בה אליכם ואנא פי
- ג נפוס ואכשא אן נתקל עליכם ואכתר מא
- בשרתמוני אנכם מא תחתאגו אלי הקבה לא
- יחווגכם לאחד סואה ואנא מע עמאי וצעף
- קואי אלדי רמאני פי הדה אלגורבה מא צייעת
- ואנא פי אלף נעמה ואלחמד ללה מוכלי אלמונה
- בפצל מחבוב מכרום מן כל מן יכאף אללה
- ויתקיה ומן כל מן יפהם ויעקל. ומא בקי פי שי
- גיר אללסאן ואלקלב מסמוע אל קול אלצלאה ענדנא
- פי אלבית בחזאן לילה אלסבת ויום אלסבת ולילה
- אלאחד ועלי אן גמעה ...סלוניקי קד אנסתהם
- נאס אפאציל מא קדר אחד מנהם יציבנא פי
- גלט לא בדיני ממונות ולא בדיני נפשות ולא (פן)
- פן מן אלפנון וליס לי מוגעה אלא פירקתכם
- ואלדי אסתחלפתמוני פי כתאבכם סאעה אנא
- [[נ]] נקרא כתאבכם לא נבקא אללה אללה לא תעודו
- למא[...] לאני אקדם מנכם לדלך אלף מרה
- ולא [...] מא /לי/ קודרה ואשהד עליך אללה יאולדי.
- אן [...] ...פי צהרך אבי אלחסן ......
- בי [...] אלפרח אלשדיד וצהר לי מן כתאבה אנה מן
- אבנא אלנאס ותחסן אלעשרה מעה ומע צהרך
- אלאכר ומע מא אנא מא ראינא לה כתאב ומע
- אכואתך ומע אמך ומע בנתנא צאנהא אללה
- ומע בית חמאך ותקרי אלכל סלאמי להם
- ולאולאדהם יהיו הכל מבורכים מן הקבה
- ויהיו לשם ולשארית ואעלמת יא ולדי אסמעיל
- בשנת מח מא ופא אלניל וקלבי פזעאן ומא
- לי לא ליל ולא נהאר ולמען יי תשתהד ותכתב
- אלי בסלאמתכם ובאסם צהרך אלאכר
- ובאש מעישת כל ואחד מנכם ותקרי סלאמי
- עלי חמוך(!) ותערפני מן הוא(!) מן אלחברים
- ויכון כתאבך אלי עמראן בן נחום ללאסכנדר[י]א
- והו ינפדה (אלנ) אלינא ויכון ענואנה אלי סלוניקי
- אלכניסת אלפוקאניא דאר שבתי בן מ משה
- מטאקלא הראש ואשהד עליך אללה יאולדי
- לא תפרט פי טלב אלעלם ותם אני אעגב מנך אלדי
- לם תציב מן יכתב לך כתאב אלא דפעה ונסית
- אלדי נכתה פי דמשק וחדא ותם יאולדי
- נקול אן אשגאלך ען טלבה" אלעלם
- נסית תרסם אלכתב וכיף כאן יכאתבנא ראס אלמתיבה
- יכאתבנא בסם וליכן
Verso
- … with an attractive young girl. The Jews here do not
- treat me as a stranger. I have no means for the voyage to you (plural). We are
- three persons and I am afraid we might be a burden on you (plural), in particular,
- since the good news you broached to me was only that you w111 not need me — may the H(oly one), b(lessed be) h(e), let you never
- be in need of anyone except himself. Despite my blindness and utmost physical weakness,
- which has befallen me in these foreign parts, I am not lost.
- At the reverse, I am in a thousand states of prosperity. Praise be to God who provides me with sustenance
- in his kindness. I am beloved here and honored by all God-fearing,
- intelligent, and educated persons. Nothing, though, has remained with me
- except my tongue and my brain. I am able to listen in my room to the sounds of the synagogue service,
- when it is conducted by a cantor on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and evenings.
- And although the community in Salonika contains
- fine scholarly people, no one yet has been able to catch me at
- an error in the discussion of civil or criminal law or any
- other of the sciences. In short, I have no grief except the separation from you.
- You conjure me in your letter in the name of God, saying: "The moment you
- have read this letter do not tarry any longer, but come." Please,
- do not write such a thing again, for I am yearning for you a thousand times more
- than you do for me, but I have no strength. I cannot tell you, my boy,
- how happy I was with the letter of your brother-in-law Abu 'l-Ḥasan,
- for I learned from it that he comes from
- a fine family. You are having a good company in him, and although in your other brother-in-law —
- although I have not yet received a letter from him — and with
- your sisters, your mother and with my daughter, may God keep her,
- and the family of your father-in-law. Greet them all
- and their children from me. May they all be blesed by the H(oly one), b(lessed be) h(e),
- and gain fame and progeny. My boy Ismaʿīl,
- I was informed that in the year 48 the Nile not reach its standard height. I was terrified and had no
- rest either by day or by night. By God, make an effort and write
- me about your well-being, also who is your other brother-in-law
- and how does each of you gain his livelihood. Give my best regards
- to your father-in-law and let me know which rank he has among the "members."
- Send your letter to ʿImrān b. Nahum in Alexandria,
- and he will forward it to me. The address: To Saloniki,
- the Upper Synagogue, the House of Shabbetay, the son of M. Moses,
- Meṭākala, the Head (of the congregation). My boy, I conjure you in the name of God,
- do not neglect the pursuit of knowledge. I am also astonished about you that you [ ... ]
T-S Ar.53.37 1r

Recto
- ברוחה אערף אלדי כאתבנא בתלך אלמכאתבה ותם
- אללה שאהד עלי יאולדי אן מא מסכני ענך פי אלאול
- אלא אן מא כאן בידי שי נרגע בה אליכם ואנתם תעלמו
- בי וקת כאן יתגמע בידי שי מא כנת אבקי ענכם
- ואחדה למחבתכם ושפקתי עליכם ותאניה טמעי
- עוזי אדפן עצאמי פי אלקדס אד עלי הדה אלשהוה
- תרכת נחלת בית אבותי ונפרדתי מהם וכאן פי וקת
- מא רציה אללה אד לי אליום כו סנה מד כרגת מן
- ענדכם מה הדית פי מוצע ואחד תלתין שהר ולא
- (כאן) אגתמע בידי שי נסהם באלכרוג אליכם גאני כבר
- ...באלאסף אנה קד אחתרק הו וכל מן כאן מעה
- וכליתכם משתרכין מעה דאך אלוקת חאלת ידי מן אל
- נפקה ואיסת מן דיאר אלמסלמין ומאתת אלצבייה
- אלראבעה והפת אלאתראך אלי שרקי אלרוום והרבת
- מן קדאמהם אלי גרבי אלרום נסרי ובדא בצרי יצעף
- מדה ה סנין ינזל דרגה דרגה מן בעד דלך לם אטן
- הדה אלצבייה אלדי מעי יבקא לי סהם צ [...]...
- עאלם יעלם .....אכרי ועלי אן [כתי]ר מן
- אלשבאב יטלבוהא ולם תגיב ואחד מנהם אלי מגי
- כתאבך וכתאב אבו אלחסן צהרך ואנתם תסתחלפוני
- אן מא אבקי מן בעד נצר אלי כתאבכם אשאהד
- אללה אן מא קרית עלי כתבכם אלא ואנא מא לי קדרה
- אן אכרג מן אלבית לבאב אלדאר אלא וימסכוני ואנא
- עלי צפה מן תקל סמע וצעף חאל ולו ראיתני הרבת
- מן קדא[מ]י מסירה" שהר מע אלכטר אלעצים אלדי
- פי אלטריק וכלפה ופזעי עלי שיבתי ומן מעי ועלי
- אן אלדי מעי תשתהי אלכרוג ולא תכאלפני פי הדא
- אלפן מע כיפתי אני לא אתקל עליכם אנא ומן מעי
- אד אנת תעלם אן מא שיימי מן גמע אלמאל אלא אדא
- אגתמע מעי שי אכלתה ואללה אללה יאולדי לא תטן
- בי כלף הדא אלטן ולא תהרהר אחרי מידת הבורא
- ולא תלפת אלי אקואל בני דור אחד אלדי כרגו מן
- ענדנא אלדי אכבר מן פיהם אציבו פי פנון אחתשם
- אדכר[ה]א אחרי ואוכד אכאתב בהא ויא בני מא
- תרגע אלי עקלך ואלי מא קראתה וקד כנת בן יג סנין
- ידהלהם עקלך ומא תעלם אן הדה אמור סמאויה
- מא לאחד פיהא שי ואסתדל מן אכיאתך ומן
- ס[לאם]
- נפסך פי אלקאהרה כליתכם או מאלכם וקראת ש[לום]
Recto
- My boy, God is my witness that, in the beginning,
- I could not come back to you because I had not the necessary means. All of you know
- that whenever I had accumulated some sums I did not leave one penny with me,
- but spent everything on you (plural), because I loved you and had mercy with you. Secondly, I wished
- to bury my bones in the Holy City, for out of this desire
- I had left the inheritance of the house of my fathers and separated from them. But that was at a time
- of which God disapproved. Therefore, it is now twenty six years since I left
- you and did not find rest in any place for thirty months, and I had never
- enough money for traveling back to you. I learned also that
- ... , the paternal uncle of Joseph, perished in a fire, he and all those that were with him;
- when I left you, you had a partnership with him. At that time, my means dwindled because of the many expesnes
- and I saw no hope for me any more in the lands of Islam. The fourth girl died.
- The Turks swept over the eastern parts of the land of the Romans and I fled
- before them hurriedly to the western part. My eyesight began to fail and constantly worsened
- in the course of five years. After this I did not think that there remained with me p [… ]
- for this girl that is with me,
- although many
- young men have asked her hand, and she did not accept any one of them. Now
- your letter and that of your brother-in-law Abu 'l-Ḥasan have arrived and you ask me
- not to tarry a moment after having seen your letters. But
- I have not strength enough
- to walk from my room to the door of the house without being supported and am
- generally in a poor state, being hard of hearing and of utmost frailty. If you would see me you would run away
- a month’s walking distance. And consider the enormous perils
- of the voyage, its expenses, my fright because of my high age and
- my solicitude for that who is with me, although she wishes to travel. Do not oppose me in this
- matter. I am also afraid of becoming a burden on you, I and my family.
- For you know it is not my nature to save money, but when
- I have some, I consume it. By God, my boy, do not suspect
- anything and do not think evil of the ways of the Creator.
- Do not pay attention to the talk of a group that has traveled from
- here to your place and of which even the most important men among them have been afflicted
- by doctrines that I am ashamed to mention orally, let alone in writing. My son,
- rely on your own judgment and on what you have learned. When you were a boy of thirteen years
- you dazzled the people by your brilliant mind. Do you not know that these are heavenly things
- in which no one has a share? Take a lesson from what happened to your sisters and
- to
- you in Cairo. Did you perish or even your possessions? Greetings of p[eace].