Letter to Her Brother, Moses

[To] the esteemed sage, our sage Moses, may God preserve him, [from] Miriam, your sister, who continuously praises you.

May God make permanent the honor of my lord and master, the crown of my head, and my light, and my splendor, and . . .

. . . and enhance his splendor, and enlarge his happiness, and adorn his honor and majesty by [your] obedience [to Him], and he will never cease being exalted, and his reputation [will never cease to be] lofty, and his happiness [will not cease to be] at the maximum . . . sublime. If you were to see me, you would not recognize me because of the awful state I am in and the intensity of . . . [and the reason] for this is my son, about whom any news has vanished; he has become like [someone] in a well. No letter whatsoever has reached me from him nor . . .

And I do not know his whereabouts, and as a result, I am [continuously] crying and fasting. He left me, forgot me, and ignored me . . . for better or for worse. And nothing [has succeeded] in distracting me from him and . . . for he is the [community’s] leader. [And if] I were in a good state, then I would [be able] . . .

And I didn’t consider [turning to] you, except in this matter you can be a [help] to me since your reputation is respected and your merit the greatest of all the . . . . Regarding education . . . . [Inform] me about his situation and where he is located. . . . [and if] he is in a place that is graced by your presence . . . . [Inform] me please. And if he is roaming about in [another] place, if so, send him my letter and a letter from you with admonish[ment], and perhaps he will correspond with me and will tell me his real news.

[Margin:] And kindly [send] me a letter from you yourself. It is not beyond your powers [to find] someone who can deliver it to me; inform me about all his affairs. In this way, you will ease my heart and silence my weeping and relieve my burning thirst and suffering. You will do this out of mercy and kindness from you. And the heartiest of greetings to my lord and master.

[The scribe:] . . . your servants send heartfelt regards to you. Give regards to Jam[ila]. And extend my greetings to your brother David and your sisters, may Go[d]‌ . . . preserve them . . . the best regards; [and the writer X, son of] Jacob the cantor sends greetings to all of you.

Address

[To the] esteemed one, the foundation, the honored, our lord and long-standing pillar, our master and sage [Moses, the] . . . the wonderful, the superb crown, son of our honored sage Maymūn, may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing, may his splendor be glorified [and his honor increase].

Source: CUL T-S 10J18.1.