Letter to the Jews of Egypt

To the holy people that has been warned and to those who are seeking God, to those who listen to the Sages, commandments and authorities; to the noblemen and to the other people; Peace and Welfare! May prosperity, a sincere prayer, the protection of our King and the Glory of the Shekhinah be granted to you; may your wishes be fulfilled, and good counsel, success and help be bestowed upon you, safety and assistance; may aid be conferred upon you by the Lord, our mighty God, our strength, our pride. Greetings from us, from our friends and disciples! [ . . . ]

Children of Israel! When a man commits a sin, it will always be before his eyes; he will be afraid that it will find him out one day, as it is written: But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord; and know ye your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23), and it is also written: My sin is ever before me (Psalms 60:5).

Children of Israel! If your heart aims at achieving a desire, understand it well; perhaps it will taste bitter afterwards, as it is written: There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12).

Children of Israel! If your heart desires to offer a spontaneous fast or an additional prayer, it would be better to avoid a transgression, and this means more than anything else, for of those who do otherwise has been said: When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt-offering and meal-offering, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword and by the famine, and by the pestilence (Jeremiah 14:12). And the sages have said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, hates the good work which is the outcome of an evil work” [b. Sukkot 30a].

Children of Israel! If you do not look to [or fear] God in good days, to whom will you be able to call in the days of distress, and have him listen?

Children of Israel! When you perform a good work with impatience, irritation and weariness, your reward is already empty, as it is written: Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts, and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: Should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord (Malachi 1:13).

Children of Israel! You shall not say that the end which should come and has not come, neither in this year nor in this month, neither on the first nor on the next day nor today, has been delayed: that is of no avail, but on every day and in every hour it can come to pass, as it is written: Sing unto the Lord, bless His name; proclaim His salvation from day to day (Psalms 96:2).

Children of Israel! Know that man’s soul will not find rest in this world, even if it finds the kingdoms of the whole world, because it knows that the world-to-come belongs to it; there will it rest and repose, as it is written: Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and seek and ask for the eternal paths, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said: “We will not attend” (Jeremiah 6:16).

Children of Israel! Do not assume that your forefathers have changed anything in the tradition, because every word was understood distinctly, word by word, as it is written: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born: who should arise and tell them to their children (Psalms 78:6). [ . . . ]

Children of Israel! Every word which is repeated in the Torah has a different meaning, as it is written: God speaks in one way, yea, in two, though man perceiveth it not (Job 33:14), and our masters, blessed be their memory, said: “Every section which has been repeated was repeated only for the reason that it was intended to say something new” [m. Sotah 25]. [ . . . ]

Children of Israel! Do not say: “How lovely are the words of this letter, and how sweet are its sentences!” but you shall carry them out. Is it not written: And lo, thou art unto them as a love song of one that hath a pleasant voice [and] can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not (Ezekiel 33:32).

Children of Israel! Remember that God has created you upright and that it is you who soil your souls for wickedness, as it is written: Behold, this only have I found that God has made man upright: but they have sought out many inventions (Ecclesiastes 7:29), and this is proved by the fact that little children do not lie until they are taught to do so.

Children of Israel! Put down on sheets of paper all our words, learn them by heart and keep them in your hearts, for by them ye will be helped.

Children of Israel! When you want to know anything, do not be lazy in asking questions and thus perform dubious actions, for this would not be according to God’s will; but forward your questions to us, and we shall be with you and not restrain our lips, as it is written: I have reached righteousness in the great congregation: Lo, I did not restrain my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest (Psalms 40:10).

Children of Israel! Turn to God and keep His commandments, His judgments and His decrees, even if you have turned away from the Lord and are covered by sins, as it is written: Turn ye unto Him against whom ye have deeply rebelled, O Children of Israel! (Isaiah 31:6).

Blessed are the just, blessed are the pious, blessed are those who pay good for good to the Lord, and good for evil to men, and blessed are those who trust in the Lord, as it is said: And therefore will the Lord wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have compassion upon you, for the Lord is a God of Justice. Happy are all they that wait for Him (Isaiah 30:18). And He will do as we have hoped, and your peace, welfare and success will increase for ever.

Closed and signed. Blessed be the Lord for ever. Amen and Amen.