Letter: ENA 4020.28 + ENA NS 72.11

Description

Letter from Ṭoviyya b. ʿEli to Natan b. Shelomo ha-Kohen. In Judaeo-Arabic. The opening of the letter mentions a thawb, R. Berakhot, going to the Rīf, and staying with various communities including Minyat Zifta and Sunbāṭ, Berakhot and [...] b. Avraham, and someone who seems to be named Matan Rosh ha-Qahal (a rare name; this man appears also in T-S NS 342.74 (PGPID 26095)). He then met with Abū l-Ḥasan the brother of Matan, who complained ("cried a cry") about "their cantor." He said "10 sabbaths I have not gone down. . . ." This cantor may be Abū Saʿd al-Kohen. It seems that Ṭoviyya then went with him to the synagogue to hear out the complaint. Also present was the Frank (al-ifranjī) R. Yaʿaqov and Abū l-[...] al-Kohen. A collection (pesiqa) took place. There seems to be some irregularity in how the pesiqa is conducted, which is what the complaint is about. This person (Abū l-Ḥasan?) has asked Ṭoviyya to ask Natan to ask "our master" (Maṣliaḥ?) to send an order forbidding this man from engaging in his bad behavior (ען תויעדהם(?) וען אלאכראק בהם פי אלמחאפל וגירהא). Reused on verso for a large vocalized piyyut. Join: Alan Elbaum.