Letter to Abū Naṣr

In the name of the Lord.

My letter to you, my brother and master, may the Lord prolong your life and preserve your strength, your succor, your peace, and your benefaction—from Ramla, the end of Tishri. May God reveal to you His blessing and the blessing of the blessed holidays. May God give you many years.

This is to let you know that the people enjoyed beautiful holidays, the likes of which they had never had. I have already said, if you would come on a pilgrimage, I would praise you to each and every person.

The dā’ūdī had asked about my master, and I said to him: he could not come, because of the dispute. And Ibn Shū‘ā was involved in some activities . . . and the first thing he did . . .

During the fast of Yom Kippur, two men expressed their love in the synagogue, [one from Tyre] and one from Tiberias. The Tiberian was passionate for the Tyrian in front of [the community], and the people from Tyre and Tiberias hit each other and went out to . . ., and they brought the chief of police into the synagogue, and he re[mained there] until everyone left. And Joseph said to Daniel: “This . . . , for people behave like this every day.”

And they reached an agreement concerning the ra’īs [head] [that they would ascend] all together to the mountain, and they ascended to the mountain throughout the holidays, and Jos[eph prayed over] Daniel as head of the academy, and Daniel prayed over Joseph as av bet din [head of the court] and [. . . a prayer] which was beautiful.

I wish you peace, and I wish Abū ’l-Faraj peace, and the . . .

Address

To Abū Naṣr the cross-eyed, may God prolong his life.

From his brother, Ḥasan ibn Mu’ammal, Alley of al-Faqa‘.

Source: CUL T-S 8J22.25.