Letter: T-S 10J16.4

Your slave, the wife (= widow) of 

[the] cantor Ben Naḥman 

[I(n the name of the)] M(erciful) 

Your slave informs your excellency the Gaon, may your r[ul]e be established forever, about the situati]on of your slave and her son, their hunger and nakedness. That is because your slave has been banished, she and her son, from her house for three months, without being able to enter it. For whenever I enter the house, Bayan, the son of my husband, pounces upon your slave and inflicts pain on me in my most vital organs and vulnerable places, intending thereby to harm me. The Iast // [t]ime // your slave left the house, had not a Turk happened to be passing by, he would have killed me. I st[r]etched out my hand and had just begun to cry out for help when he happened by. Also, he (her stepson) and his aunt have banded together against me and concocted improper things about me. The reason for your slave's forbearance all this time until today has been the fear lest, God forbid, the bo[y go astray and it be blamed on me. Otherwise your slave would have s[o]ught the help of God the ex(alted) and of your noble gate.

[But] now the knif[e] has reached the bone and your slave app[eals] for help to [God] the ex(alted) and your noble gate, to be shown favor [and] have her case considered and have pity shown on her. I have a right in that house, praised be God. If your slave does not trust in God the ex(alted), I shall go my way.

May t(he) h(oly one) b(lessed be) H(e) double your reward and be [your] succor.