Legal document: T-S K25.153
Legal document T-S K25.153Tags
Description
Legal document. Partnership agreement. A deal between an investor, possibly named Ibrahim, and three unnamed indigo dyers opening a workshop in Damietta. The active partners agree to behave according to industry norms and business practices in Damietta. The active partners will receive two-thirds of profits and losses (except for the first ten dinars of losses due to ordinary business operations). The investor is responsible for the daily maintenance of the active partners and assumes responsibility for losses due to force majeure, though in such cases the active partner is required to swear an oath disclaiming negligence. Notably, the partnership structure is a hybrid of both the partnership model ("torat ʿisqa") and the commenda model. The active partners’ testament to “ward off treachery and fulfill good faith” indicates that the investor isn't present in Damietta, but he retains a modicum of control over their business activities. If the assets of the shop are found to have declined in value, the partners are to communicate with Ibrahīm and to follow his orders; if he fails to respond, they are free from liability for misconduct. (Information from Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture," 245-246)
Edition: Ackerman-Lieberman, Phillip
Translation: Ackerman-Lieberman, Phillip (in English)
T-S K25.153 1v
Transcription
Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture: Jewish Economic and Social Life Seen Through the Legal Documents of the Cairo Geniza" (PhD diss., Princeton University, 2007).Recto
- .............נשתרי בה ניל ונמצי בה לתגר דמיאט ו[..................]
- נצבג פיהא ונביע ונשתרי פי הדא אלמבלג פי אצנאף אלצבג ונאכד ונעטי חסב מא
- גרת עאדה ארבאב הדא אלשגל מדה סנה כאמלה אולהא תאריך הדא אלשטר אכרהא
- חית ינתהי בתורת עיסקא ואן מהמא יסר אללה סבחאנה מן פאידה כאן לנא נחן אלעאמלין
- אלתלתין ולה הו רב אלקראץ אלתלת וכדלך ועיאד באללה אלגראמה בעד אכראג אלמון
- ואלכלף ואן נחן לנא אן נאכל מן וסט הדה אלדכאן מונתנא פקט גרא ועשא טול מדה
- שרכתנא מעה פי אלמדה אלמדכורה ואן נחן נגתנב אלכיאנה ונודי אלאמאנה ונעמל
- באגסאמנא חסב מא נטיק אן נעמל פי הדא אלשגל וקאל לנא אלשיך אברהים
- אלמדכור באעלאה אקנו מנא ואשהדו עלי אנני קד דפעת להם אלמבלג אלמדכור
- עלי אלוצע אלמדכור באעלאה [.......] קבל עלי נפסי מצאף לדלך אן ועיאד
- באללה //מתי// חצל פי הדא אלמבלג אמר יוגב ת[ל]אפה מן גיר גראמה ביע ושרא
- מר לאן יגרק או יסרק או יצאררו פיה לסלטאן או לאחד טאבה פאנהם בריין
- מנה ולא עליהם פי דלך לי סוא ימין אנהם מא פרטו פיה ואן [ג]רי להם פיה
- אלכד...... וסאמחת[הם] פי מא יחצהם פיה מן אלגראמה מן דינאר
- אלי עשרה [מסאמחה מאציה מע]כשיו מחילה גמורה בפה ובלב ואן מתי קוומו
- אלדכאן ווגדו קד כסת יסיר ינפדו יעלמוני פאערפהם מא יפעלו פי דלך
- ומתי סכת ענהם פי תדביר מא יכס עליהם אילא כאנו בריין ממא יגרמוה
- בעד דלך ונפדו אלקניין מן יד כל ואחד מנהם קניין גמור בכלי הכשר לקנות
- בו בלשון מעכשיו ב[רצ]ונם בלי אונס כלל בבטול כל מו[דע]ין ותנאין על [כל מא]
- דכתיב ומפרש לעליא
Translation
Phillip Ackerman-Lieberman, "A Partnership Culture: Jewish Economic and Social Life Seen Through the Legal Documents of the Cairo Geniza" (PhD diss., Princeton University, 2007).Recto
- … we will purchase indigo with it and we will go with it to the port-city of Damietta and […]
- We will dye it and we will sell and buy with that amount various types of dyes, and we will transact in accordance
- with the (established) practice of the people who engage in this business, for the term of one complete year, the beginning of which being the date of this document, the end of which
- fixed by the laws of partnership (‘isqa). Whatever God, praised be He, facilitates in terms of profit, we, the workers, will receive
- two thirds hereof, and the investor of the commenda will receive one third. Likewise, God forbid, in the case of a loss—after (the investor pays) the expense of the provisions
- and (material) costs. We are only entitled to consume out of the partnership assets of this shop our daily provisions for the term
- of our partnership (shirka) with him, for the aforementioned term. We will ward off treachery and fulfill the trust, doing (the work)
- by ourselves as we are able to in this business. The aforementioned Elder Ibrahīm said to us:
- “Perform a qinyan with us and testify concerning me that I have already paid them the aforementioned amount
- in the manner mentioned above […] In addition to that, I take upon myself that, God forbid,
- //if// anything happens to this (amount) causing its destruction, something other than a loss in selling or buying,
- (they) are absolved if (the merchandise) sinks or is stolen or they are compelled (to give it) to the authorities or their agent. They are free from liability
- therefrom and they are only required to take an oath that they have not been negligent therein. If there happens to them …
- … and I will forgive them what would fall as their share therein due to a loss (from buying and selling) from one dinar
- up to ten (dinars), an effective release effective immediately, a complete release, with (my) mouth and with (my) heart. If they appraised
- the shop and that found that it had depreciated a little, they will send a letter to inform me, and I will let them know what to do therein.
- If I do not answer concerning its management, the depreciation will not be upon them, rather they will be free from liability from what they lose
- thereafter. The qinyan was executed with each of us, a complete qinyan, with an item suitable for doing so,
- orally, effective immediately, in accordance with their will, without any sort of duress whatsoever, nullifying all secret dispositions and conditions concerning all that
- is written and specified above.
T-S K25.153 1r
