1 Introduction
Finding a document related to Moses Maimonides, especially one of his autographs, has always been one of the gems of Genizah research. The goal of this article is to publish several exciting new discoveries made by Amir Ashur in his focused search in the Cambridge Cairo Genizah collections. We also present a Hebrew letter from the circle of Maimonides which was found by Alan Elbaum in the course of his work for the Princeton Geniza Project. The documents edited here are all connected with Maimonides as a leader of the community. They have nothing to do with his religious work, but rather with the daunting day-to-day activities expected to be performed by a communal leader. The first two documents are Maimonides’ autographs, while the other two are from his wider circle and involve him as a central participant.
2 CUL T-S AS 202.396
This manuscript (paper; 16.1 × 4.8 cm) is a list of contributors written by Maimonides in his own hand, containing names of twelve esteemed persons who donated a total of 10 ¾ dinars. Although there is no concrete evidence, based on the large sums of money mentioned, it is likely that this list relates to other evidence of Maimonides’ active action for ransoming captives. At least three instances in which Maimonides was responsible for collecting donations for ransoming captives are known. The earliest event took place around the year 1170 CE. The following eight documents are all thought to relate to this event:1
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JTS MS 8254.7: An open call for collecting funds written by Mevoraḵ b. Natan and signed by Maimonides. Published by Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, sec. D.
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CUL T-S 16.9: An open call, also written by Mevoraḵ b. Natan, but not signed by Maimonides, which probably was sent to multiple communities. See Friedman, ibid. and n. 305. Edited and translated in Maimonides, Epistles, pp. 66–68.
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CUL T-S 12.238: A few opening lines in Hebrew from an epistle sent to the villages of the Rīf sent by Maimonides and written by Mevoraḵ b. Natan. Edited and translated in Maimonides, Epistles, pp. 68–69.
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BL Or. 5533.1: A few opening lines in Hebrew from an epistle sent to Damīrah, Jūjar, Sammanūd, Damsīs, and Sunbāṭ.2 Edited and translated in Maimonides, Epistles, pp. 69–70.
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CUL T-S NS 309.12: On recto, there is a note approving the sending of nine dinars to Maimonides for the ransom of captives in July 1170 CE. The sum is to be given to a carrier in al-Maḥalla. On verso there is a receipt written by Maimonides himself, confirming that he received the money. Edited and translated in Maimonides, Epistles, pp. 70–71.
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CUL T-S AS 145.277: A new discovery not published or mentioned elsewhere. This is the opening of a Hebrew letter written by Mevoraḵ b. Natan to Peraḥyahu ha-Dayyan (b. Yosef ben Yijū)3 who was the judge in al-Maḥalla. The letter is addressed to the wealthy members of the community. For other letters addressed to communities, rather than individuals, see nos. 2 and 4 above.
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CUL T-S NS 338.12: Fragment of a letter, probably written in Alexandria by Peraḥyahu ha-Dayyan, in which he mentions a collection made for the ransom of captive women. He also travelled to Minyat Ziftah and asked the recipient to inform “our Rabbi”, most likely Maimonides himself, about his actions. Published by Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, pp. 164–166.
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CUL T-S AS 149.134: A small fragment of a letter referring to Maimonides’ involvement in ransoming a captive woman. Published by Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, pp. 167–168.4
A second event related to the redemption of captives took place in the year 1179/80 CE, in Alexandria, and is mentioned in Maimonides, Responsa, II, no. 452. A third event took place in the year 1186 CE or later. This is attested in a letter by Yehudah ha-Kohen b. Ṭuviahu in which he reports about a collection he made, probably also for ransoming captives, among the Ashqelonian community in Bilbays.5
To sum up, we have ten documents connected with three different instances of fundraising for the ransom of captives, all led by Maimonides.
The newest discovery, CUL T-S AS 202.396, is now an eleventh Maimonidean document relating to the ransom of captives. Some of the people mentioned here appear also in other Genizah documents from the period 1172–1193 CE. It is unknown whether the new document is connected with any of the above-mentioned episodes or if it represents a new one. In either case, it proves that Maimonides dealt personally with the management of the funds collected. Another document, a list of contributions of bread, similarly shows that Maimonides was personally involved in supporting the poor and the needy.6
Maimonides wrote this list on the verso of a letter written in Arabic script that was sent to him from a poor woman probably asking for financial assistance. As found in other letters, Maimonides cut the paper to a narrow strip to write this list.7
2.1 Edition and Translation
2.1.1 Verso8
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אלשיך אבו אלטא [הר מסתעמל (?)]9 -
אלכתאן ד [ינאר ] -
בִרִכאת בן עמאר בקיה -
דינאר -
ברכאת בן טיב -
דינאר -
בקא אלעטאר נצף -
אבו אלמני אלמסתעמל -
דינאר -
מכארם שריך בקא -
דינאר -
אבו אלפצ̇ל אלמסתעמל -
דינאר -
אבו מנצור בן נציר -
דינארין -
אבו סהל בן איוב נצף -
אלחמדת נצף ורבע -
סאלם אלביאע נצף -
הבה אלצבאג ואולאדה נצף
(1) Al-šayḵ Abū al-Ṭā[hir the government agent charged with the sale of] (2) flax10—one d[inar]. (3) Barakāt b. ʿAmmār11—the rest12 of (4) one dinar. (5) Barakāt b. Ṭayyib13—(6) one dinar. (7) Baqā the perfumer14—one half. (8) Abū al-Munā the government official15—(9) one dinar. (10) Makārim, Baqā’s partner16—(11) one dinar. Abū al-Faḍl the government official—(13) one dinar. (14) Abū Manṣūr b. Nuṣayr—(15) two dinars. (16) Abū Sahl b. Ayyūb17—one half. (17) The ‘delight’18—one half and one quarter. (18) Sālim the seller19—one half. (19) Hibah the dyer and his children—one half.20
2.1.2 Recto21
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تقبل الارض بين يديها وتنهي بساميها دامت [نعمتها -
وهلكت اعاديها 22انها امراة منقطعة صعلوكة فقيرة ليس -
لها ......الا
(1) [The slave] kisses the ground before him23 and reports to his loftiness—may his favour endure (2) and his enemies perish—that she is a cut-off woman,24 indigent, poor, who has no (3) [one but God and him ….].
3 CUL T-S 6 J 11.3 recto25
This document is also in the handwriting of Maimonides himself. Here he is giving an order to a certain Abū al-Mufaḍḍal to pay to the bearer of this letter, named Yaʿaqov, who serves as a proxy for two notables—al-šayḵ al-Asʿad and al-šayḵ al-Ṯiqah—whatever amount of money he requires. Maimonides will compensate the addressee.
Who was this al-šayḵ al-Ṯiqah? During Maimonides’ lifetime, two people bearing this title are known. One was Maimonides’ father-in-law Mišaʾel b. Yišaʿyahu he-Ḥasid. The other one, probably the one intended here, was Yehudah ha-Kohen b. Elʿazar, a government secretary (kātib) in Minyat Zifta.26
3.1 Edition and Translation
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אמת -
אלשיך אבי אלמפצ̇ל -
התלמיד ש׳צ׳ יוצל -
למוצלהא אלזקן אלג̇ליל -
מ̇ יעקוב וכיל אלמואלי -
אלאג̇לא אלשיך אלאג̇ל -
אלאסעד ואלשיך אלתקה -
י ̅ש ̅צו מהמא טלבה -
מן אלמולא מן אלפצ̇ה 27 -
וינזלה עלי ויטאלעני -
בדלך חתי אנזלהם לך -
והו תע̇ יופקה -
ושלום
(1) Truth.28 (2) May al-šayḵ Abī al-Mufaḍḍal29 (3) the scholar—may his Rock protect him!—deliver to the bearer (of this letter), the esteemed elder (5) m[ister] Yaʿaqov, the representative of the (6) masters—the most esteemed šayḵ (7) al-Asʿad and al-šayḵ al-Ṯiqah (8–9)—may their Rock protect them!—whatever sum of money he asks for from my master (10) and debit me, and inform me (11) so that I will pay it back to you.30 (12) May God the exalted bring you success. (13) And peace.
4 Mosseri VII.6.131
The following document is a court record in which a certain Abū al-Faraj acknowledges receipt from Maimonides himself (“our master Mošeh, may he be elevated”) a sum of 10 dinars. The case is related to a testimony about the demise of Abū Zikrī, probably the brother of Abū al-Faraj. The court record is signed by Samuel ha-Levi b. Saʿadyah,32 and it is written by his son Yosef.
Yosef ha-Levi b. Samuel was a judge and a court clerk in al-Fusṭāṭ and was active from 1181 CE until ca. 1210 CE.33 He bore the titles ha-dayyan ha-maskil (like his father) and also nezer ha-maskilim. He wrote several documents related to Maimonides and his son Abraham, including a legal deed signed by Maimonides himself34 and a legal query on which Maimonides wrote an autograph response.35 He also copied some of Maimonides’ works such as The Commentary to the Mishnah and Mishneh Torah. A legal query sent to him with his autograph reply is found in DK M8.36
4.1 Edition and Translation
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ולמא […אבו ]זכרי אלמד [כור …] -
שקיקי [....]הם אבו אלפ [רג …] -
אבו […]אלמדכור […]ם פי אן י ד ]פע לה נאי […] -
פל [ם ]יתהיא [דא ]לך ל [אנה ל ]ם יתבת מות אבו ז [כרי …] -
עלי אן תסלם אבו אלפרג̇ אלמדכור מן הדרת [אדונינו משה ירום הודו ]37 -
עשרה דנאניר מצרייה פי דמתה חיני [ד …] -
עלי ואקנו מני אנני מעתרף ענדכםִ אע […] -
מן הדרת אדונינו משה ירום הודו הנזכר עִ [שרה דנאניר …] -
פי דמתי לה בתורת חוב והודאה גמורה מע […] -
בבי ّ נ َ ה תתבת פי בית דין אן אבו זכר י אלמ ]דכ [ור …] -
הדרת אדונינו משה הנזכר ירום הודו ואקנו [מני ....קנין ] -
גמור חמור בכלי הכשר לקנות בו בלשון מעכשיו […] -
[
וכ ]ל מודעין ותנאין על כל מה דכתיב ומפרש לעילא מן […] -
שריר ובריר ומוחזק [וקיים ] -
שמואל הלוי ביר̇ סעדיה נ׳ע׳
(1) Whereas [… the aforementioned Abū] Zikrī […] (2) my brother […] Abū al-Fa[raj …] (3) Abū […] the aforementioned […] that he should pay him […] (4) And that was not possible, because the death of Abū Z[ikrī] had not been confirmed […] (5) that the aforementioned Abū al-Faraj had received from his honour [our master Mošeh, may (God) raise up his glory and enhance his honour], (6) ten Egyptian dinars to his possession after [… testify] (7) upon me and perform a legal acquisition from me that I acknowledge to you [… that I have received] (8) from the aforementioned, his glory, our master Mošeh, may (God) raise up his glory and enhance his honour, t[en dinars …] (9) in my possession for him, by way of debt and a complete and definitive declaration […] (10) with a proof to be approved in court, that the aforementioned Abū Zikrī […] (11) his glory, our master, the aforementioned Mošeh, may (God) raise up his glory and enhance his honour, and perform a legal acquisition [from me …] a complete and weighty legal acquisition with an implement fit for doing so, effective immediately […] (13) nullifying all secret dispositions and conditions, regarding everything that is written above from […] (14) [All this] is strong, firm [and valid]. (15) Samuel ha-Levi b. Saʿadyah (may his) r(est be in) E(den).
5 JTS ENA 3768.2 recto38
We conclude with a letter written by Yehudah ha-Kohen b. Ṭuviahu, who served as the muqaddam of Bilbays from 1170s CE until his death around 1218 CE.39
Yehudah was a prolific scribe and dozens of documents written by him—letters,40 piyyuṭim,41 legal documents,42 and copies of halakhic and other compositions43—are found in the Cairo Genizah.44
The letter edited below is written in Hebrew and is addressed to Pinḥas b. Mešullam, who served as a judge in Alexandria.45 It is not surprising to see that the letter is written in Hebrew, for this Pinḥas was of French origin and most likely knew Hebrew better than Arabic. As far as we know this is the only Hebrew letter identified till now that was written by Yehudah. As often in the Cairo Genizah the letter is damaged and is not complete, and the preserved text contains mostly regards and blessings. But it is of interest here due to its mention of Maimonides in the margin.
Yehudah had long and close relations with Maimonides, as we learn from a greeting card he wrote for Maimonides’ marriage46 and from his signatures on various enactments issued by Maimonides. Yehudah is also mentioned explicitly in Maimonides’ famous enactment from 1187 CE as the only person permitted to perform marriage and divorce in his town Bilbays.47
5.1 Edition and Translation
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[
כבוד הדר ]ת [י ]קרִת צפירת תפארת כבוד -
גדולת קדושת מרנא ורבנא פִיִנחס הרב המבהק -
המעוז והמגדול יברכהו שומרו ויצילו מיד רו ד פו ומבקש -
הרב ר׳ משולם ז״ל ירוחם הנפטר ויוחנן הנשאר -
וכן יהי רצון אם לחוות עוצם האהבה -
והתשוקה אל הדרת הרב ור […]אה […]מחִול […] -
תרבה ואף לא משכה עט סופר 50כי הוא מקור החכמה -
ענוותן וממולא עלוב ואהוב 51 […]הן עלובין ואינן עולבין 52 -
ואמ׳ ר׳ פינחס בן יאיר זהירות מִבִיאה לידי זריזות 53וכול׳ -
ובשמעו כי הוא חונה שלום ויִגִל כבודי 54אך בשרי -
נהפכה תוגתו לשמחה ובמה אִקלסך כדאמ׳ על ר׳ יצחק -
ורב נחמן כי הוו מיפטרי מהדדי אמר ליה ליברכן מר אמ׳ -
ליה אילן אילן במה אברכך 55וכול׳ וכעת שהגיע ר׳ -
שמריה 56חזן סיפר לעבדו כִיִ הדרתו שיגרה על ידו -
פיטקא לעבדו וטבעה ממנ […]ים ו […]סוִדִרִה -
[…]
Margin:
אשר /הפר /א [ת ] /לִתשִ […] /המרִ […] /שעל /אִכִיִהִ /פכיר בן /מוסי /וישגר /אדוננו /רבנו /משה /הרב /הגדול /יחיד /הדור /ופלאו /ממזרח
(1) [(To) the honour, the glor]y, the grandeur, the diadem, the splendour, the honour, (2) the greatness, and the holiness of our teacher and rabbi Pinḥas the outstanding Rav, (3) the fortress and the tower, may his Guardian bless him and save him from his enemies (4) and ill-wishers, though he stumbles, he does not fall down, for the Lord gives him support, the son of our rabbi, (5) the Rav, R. Mešullam (may his) m(emory) be for a b(lessing), may the deceased receive mercy and the surviving receive grace, (6) so may it be (God’s) will. If (I were) to express the greatness of the love (7) and longing for the glory of the Rav … it would be too much for […] (8) and would exhaust(?) the pen of a scribe, for he is the source of wisdom, (9) the modest, the full(?), the humble, the beloved […], they are “those who are humbled but do not humble.” (10) As R. Pinḥas b. Yaʾir said, “Carefulness leads to zeal,” etc. (11) When I heard that you were well, my glory rejoiced along with my flesh (12), and its sorrow turned to joy. With what shall I praise you? As they say about R. Yiṣḥaq (13) and R. Naḥman, “When they were taking leave of one another, one would say to the other, ‘Master, give me a blessing.’ He said, (14) ‘Tree, tree, with what shall I bless you?’ ” etc. When R. (15) Šemaryah the cantor arrived, he told me (lit. “his slave”) that you (lit. “your glory”) sent me (16) a note with him and requested57 of him … […] [margins] who annulled the […] that is upon his brother Faḵīr(?) b. Mūsā. Our master and rabbi Mošeh, the great Rav, the unique one of the generation and its wonder, from the rising [of the sun to its setting], sent […].
For nos. 1–5, see Maimonides, Epistles, pp. 61–68, and Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, pp. 155–168.
For the places mentioned here, see Golb, “Topography”.
On Peraḥya b. Yosef see Goitein and Friedman, India Traders, p. 885 (index).
The upper part of this letter is in CUL T-S AS 149.130.
CUL T-S NS J 477. See Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, p. 158, n. 301. Amir Ashur identified the sender as Yehudah b. Ṭuviahu.
CUL T-S Misc. 8.19, published by Ashur, “Autograph Instructions”.
For other examples of letters sent to him which he cut, see Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, p. 193, n. 468. His son Abraham also did the same; see Friedman, “Pietistic Criticism”, p. 277.
Conserved as recto. In this transcription, Hebrew letters with a sublinear dot indicate a reading that is partially preserved or uncertain, as per the Leiden conventions.
The possible reading was suggested by Prof. M.A. Friedman.
If a flax seller was intended, we would expect to find the title
Might be identical with b. ʿAmmār mentioned in another list of contributors, CUL T-S 10 J 26.13, written by Samuel b. Saʿadyah ha-Levi. On the verso of this list a court record from 1172 CE written under Maimonides’ authority.
It seems that the person contributed one dinar, but only paid part of it, and now added the rest of the amount.
Barakāt b. Ṭayyib and his partner donated a sum of money in CUL T-S K 15.6 from 1178 CE.
He donated a wayba of flour in CUL T-S K 15.6, a list of donors written by Mevoraḵ b. Natan from 1178 CE. A wayba is a measure of 10 manns, weighing 12.618 kg.
A man bearing this name is mentioned in a list of names, CUL T-S K 6.177, probably from the end of the 12th century, side by side with three other officials. See Goitein, Med. Soc. II, pp. 482–483.
Abū Makārim and his anonymous partner are mentioned in CUL T-S 10 J 26.13 (see, n. 11 above).
He might be identical with Abū Sahl b. Yosef b. Ayyūb ha-Levi; see, India Book IV/b, pp. 68–69, n. 17.
This is an abbreviated form of the title ḥemdat ha-yešīvā (Heb. ‘delight of the Academy’). He is also mentioned in CUL T-S 10 J 26.13 (see, n. 11, above). He might be identical with ‘al-kohen al-ḥemdat’ mentioned in CUL T-S 8 J 5.14, dated 1183 CE, and Bodl. MS Heb. f.56/48, from 1186 CE (See Gil, Foundations, no. 96).
A preparer and seller of delicacies (Blau, Dictionary, p. 59).
A man bearing the same name is mentioned in CUL T-S K 6.54, a list of revenue of the pious foundations dated 1191–1193 CE (Gil, Foundations, no. 97).
Our thanks to Naïm Vanthieghem for assistance with the edition and identification of this text.
The reading of the last two words was suggested by Prof. M.A. Friedman.
As is customary, the writer refers to the recipient with the third-person feminine pronominal suffix, because ḥaḍra, the Arabic for ‘excellency’, is a feminine noun.
See Zinger, “The Use of Social Isolation,” pp. 820–852.
On verso there is a draft of the opening lines of a letter addressed to R. Zakkai. It is most likely secondary to the note on recto.
See Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, p. 98, n. 195.
See Friedman, Dictionary, p. 710.
The Hebrew word ʾemet (‘truth’) often was written on the head of an order of payment, as used by Maimonides here. For this use, see Goitein, Med. Soc., I, p. 241; Goitein and Friedman, India Traders, p. 15, n. 35.
The kunya Abū al-Mufaḍḍal is very common. A certain Abū al-Mufaḍḍal the scholar is mentioned in CUL T-S 12.126, a legal document from 1229 CE, but we cannot identify him with the same person mentioned here. Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, pp. 194–197, published JTS MS 8254.12, a letter sent by R. Meʾir (b. Hillel?) to Maimonides in which the writer informed that he took an oath from Abū al-Mufaḍḍal in regard to a sum of money left from the payment of the poll tax.
The translation is uncertain and was suggested by Prof. M.A. Friedman.
Verso is blank. Words in the original texts that are written in Hebrew or Aramaic, rather than Arabic, have been printed in italics in translation.
A well-known judge in al-Fusṭāṭ, see Goitein. Med. Soc., II, p. 514. no. 23.
See CUL T-S 13 J 3.21, which he wrote and signed.
JTS MS 8254.11.
JTS MS 8254.10, published in Maimonides, Responsa, II, no. 273, pp. 521–524.
The manuscript is now missing. It was published by Kandel, Genizai kéziratok, p. vi. For the identification of his hand see CUL T-S AS 147.29, which he wrote and signed.
For this reconstruction, see l. 8.
On verso there is a collection of titles and attributes of God, in Judaeo-Arabic. At the bottom, written upside down, there are the openings of verses from Ecclesiastes 11:8–12:7. The Arabic script at the top is a paraphrase of an aphorism from the Canon of Avicenna: “For this reason, healers are directed not to rely on a single remedy for changing a temperament if it proves ineffective” (
Friedman, “Pietistic Criticism”, p. 277.
E.g., JTS ENA NS 2.18.
E.g., CUL T-S NS 203.30.
E.g., CUL T-S 8 J 9.13, an engagement contract (edited by Ashur, “Engagement”, no. 12).
JTS ENA 3471.7, Mishnah, Shabbat 14:2–15:1.
His handwriting has tricked scholars: CUL T-S G 1.22, which he wrote and signed ‘Yehudah ha-Kohen’ was attributed erroneously by Goitein, “Ha-Rav”, p. 65, n. 5, to Yehudah ha-Kohen b. Elʿazar. Yehudah ha-Kohen b. Ṭuviahu copied CUL T-S C1.52, and the script was identified as Spanish, 13th–14th century (see Mandel, Lamentations Rabbati, p. 63). Other fragments copied by him are CUL T-S AS 83.200, T-S NS 329.723 and T-S F 1(2).101, cited by Ahrend, Rashi’s commentary, pp. 26–27, and identified as 15th century Spanish. As far as we know, neither Yehudah nor any of his forefathers were of a Spanish origin.
Active 1191–1199 CE, see Friedman, “Maimonidean Research”, p. 103, n. 202.
JTS MS 8254.16, published by Friedman, “Maimonidean Letters”, pp. 209–211.
Maimonides, Responsa, no. 348, pp. 624–625.
Numbers, 35:23.
Psalms, 37:24.
Psalms, 45:2.
See Tractate Dereḵ Ereṣ Zuṭa.1.1.
BT Shabbat 88b.
BT ʿAvodah Zarah, 20b.
Psalms 16:9.
BT Taʿanit 5b.
Šemaryah might be the cantor who is mentioned in Maimonides, Responsa, no. 258, p. 483.
The writer may have intended
References
Ahrend, Rashi’s commentary = A. Ahrend, Rashi’s commentary on tractate Rosh Hashana: a critical edition, Jerusalem, 2014.
Ashur, “Autograph Instructions” = A. Ashur, “Autograph Instructions by Maimonides regarding Aid to the Needy and to Functionaries,” Ginzei Qedem 9 (2013), pp. 83–94 (Hebrew).
Ashur, “Engagement” = A. Ashur, “Engagement Documents from the Cairo Geniza”, MA thesis [Hebrew], Tel Aviv, 2000.
Blau, Dictionary = J. Blau, A Dictionary of Mediaeval Judaeo-Arabic Texts. Jerusalem, 2006.
Friedman, Dictionary = A Dictionary of Medieval Judeo-Arabic in the India Book Letters from the Geniza and in other Texts (Hebrew), Jerusalem, 2016.
Friedman, “Maimonidean Letters” = M.A. Friedman. “Two Maimonidean Letters:
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