מכתב: T-S 12.306

תיאור

Extremely faded letter from Moshe b. Levi ha-Levi, Qalyub, to a family member in Fustat. The overall tone is distressed. When the content starts to be (barely) legible in line 16, Moshe is narrating the events following the death of the sister of Sulayman who was the wife of Ya'qub. The family apparently asked Moshe (a cantor) to lead the services. Over 40 people packed into the house incuding a group from al-Mah[allah?]. He started praying, but it seems quietly and to himself. The congregants shouted at him that he had to pray out loud and with 'cantorship' (אלחזאנה) in the 'new' style. Moshe, however, had forgotten how to do this (performance anxiety?) and so he had to continue praying 'without cantorship.' The continuation is unfortunately effaced, and when it is legible again in line 9 of verso, Moshe is probably writing about his sisters ('al-Kabirah' and Fakhr) and mentions a man named Ibn al-'Assar. He concludes with greetings. ASE.