מכתב: ENA 4020.25

Recto, main text

1. The letter of my master and lord, the sage and [... (our) te(acher) and ma(ster) Ḥalfon]

2. ha-Levi b. (our) te(acher) and ma(ster) Netanʾel ha-Le[vi, the sage and scholar,]

3. m(ay) (his) s(oul be) b(undled) in the (bundle of life), arrived — the most exalted and highest of letters — may God make his glory 

4. and wellbeing eternal, and, in His benefaction, prolong his life and 

5. realise his goals to the ut[most] of his hopes and the greatest extents of his happiness,

6. and may He crush with disdainful humiliation those envious of him and his enemies!

7. I previously sent a letter to his excellency, my master, before 

8. his esteemed letter reached me. When the letter reached me from his excellency,

9. my lord and master, my longing for his excellency doubled

10. from what I felt before. May God the exalted unite (me)

11. with him in His kindness after the fulfillment of our needs. What I mentioned to him 

12. on the matter of the fine linen fabric, and the blocks of cheese,

13. I have done, may God guard you. 

14. My lord need not inform me again of his commands, for he 

15. knows that his matters are not forgotten by me. I am 

16. attending to them more than (I attend to) my own matters. The details

17. of what I owe you, God willing, will reach him in a letter 

18. from Aden. His servant has mentioned to him in the 

19. previous letter (sent?) with the elder Makārim a [matter]

20. of the Sijilmāsī man with whom [my] lett[er] arrived.

21. I request from you that you deal 

22. with him as you are accustomed.

 

Recto, right margin

 

1. The elder Abū Zikrī delivered

2. his goods to him. You have heard

3. some of what he suffered 

4. at the hands of our colleagues.

5. I request from my lord 

6. that you protect him with your solicitude.

7. Perhaps he will return

8. to this land 

9. so that God may give him

10. success. I cannot —

11. may God protect you — 

12. write to you, by God,

13. about the man and his piety (?)

14. because he is my relative.

15. But you can ask the people 

16. who traveled with him 

17. about him, and they will inform you 

18. about him.

 

Recto, top margin

1. [...] I am short on words.

2. [The] kindness [you will show] him is part of the kindness you will show

3. [me.] You [are not] the one who needs to speak about acting kindly (?)

Verso, main text

1. I informed my lord what Ibn Sutayt and Ibn al-Shimūs Shimūs did to me,

2. and that is that I had the corals for the elder Abū Zikrī. It happened that

3. I smuggled it out of customs in ʿAydhāb. The aforementioned found out, may they be remembered

4. in banishment, and they reported on me. They lost me 7.5 dīnārs. By my trust 

5. in Heaven, what happened with me is that I only ever dealt with them charitably, and they dealt with me

6. with purulence. Evil will never leave the houses of those who repay goodness with wickedness (Proverbs 17:13). 

7. I am not telling you this, but rather you yourself know the (rank of) the Jews,

8. by God. (This letter) is written (to you, may God) protect you, from the harbor, as I am boarding the ship

9. on the 25th day of Iyyār. Please forgive me for any mistakes. Great wellbeing.

10. I send my lord and master my best, most abundant,

11. greatest and complete regards. Likewise to my lord the most exalted elder, (our) te(acher) and ma(ster) Yeḥezkel,

Verso, right margin

1. your brother, may God prolong his life, and the best wellbeing for 

2. his sons. To the elder Abū Naṣir and the elder Abu ʾl Faraj,

3. the best wellbeing, and great peace.

Verso, address, right column

1. [In honor of (his) greatness and holines]s, the excellent and precious, (our) te(acher) and ma(ster)

2. [Ḥalfon ha-Levi, so]n of his honor (our) te(acher) and ma(ster) Netanʾel

3. [ha-Levi, m(ay)] (his) s(oul be) b(undled) in the (bundle of life).

 

Verso, addrses, left colum

1. From his servant,

2. thanking him for his great

3. benevolence, Yiṣḥaq

4. Sijilmāsī.