The Manifest Book (Arabic Section)

[Hebrew:] These are the names of the men who conspired to cause harm, the council [called] Khalaf: Caleb Met [i.e., dead]—son of gravediggers; Musa—his mother was revolting in her marriage; Hananiah—sadness is ever with him; Jesse—may desolation fall upon him and pursue him.

[Judeo-Arabic:] These are the names of the men who conspired in the wicked council called Khalaf: Caleb Met [i.e., dead], son of gravediggers; Musa, called [revolting], for his mother was revolting in her marriage; Hananiah—called sadness, [for sadness] is always with him; Jesse, called [thus]—may a [natural] death forsake him, him and his friends. [ . . . ]

[Hebrew:] For he [Se‘adya] grew exalted in worth in the eyes of Israel. When the man saw that they sought his destruction, [Judeo-Arabic:] he did not recall the kindness he did for him, instructing him in the Torah and attaining piety for him. And he grew exalted in the eyes of Israel, insofar as he agreed with him. Now when the man [Se‘adya] saw that they sought his harm, he broke upon them and smashed them, but they did not recant. [ . . . ]

[Judeo-Arabic:] I said, “No trade is there,” similar to what it said: No kingdom is there (Isaiah 34:12); this was the dispute of those who opposed me, some out of jealousy. If only they had known that it was better to abandon it because it spoils their life, especially when the jealous one is the Master of all this world. You know what Haman said there: Yet all this avails me nothing [so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate] (Esther 5:13). Some [follow] them on account of the rents, which the Khalaf had with them. It is sufficient that He sees them as ridiculous liars. You know that Jezebel hired two false witnesses. She called them base fellows (1 Kings 21:10). Some [follow] out of fear of the truth. If only they had realized that their thoughts were set on obtaining another orphan’s wealth. Even if pleasant now, how much worse will it be afterward, since their thoughts should be for the orphans in their possession. As it says: There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). Some who [follow] them are men for hire who act as if they are at work. Even so, if they are enticed, calamity will fall upon them, as it says: Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and harried them while they were building, and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose (Ezra 4:4–5). Some of them cried out against them on account of their behavior, which contravened the law, and in their unwillingness to accept reproof, they turned and departed from the straight path, as it states: Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; reprove a wise man, and he will love thee. (Proverbs 9:8). Even though this is said about this world, in matters of religion, reprove a scorner even if he hate you. Behold, the final portion I did not mention, those who oppose us. I said, “shame upon his friends,” because of this brawling and fighting. They did not come for the trade and commerce. If the distant Israelites agreed and stopped them, the wickedness would lessen, since all this is only because of them. This statement is similar to the verse: Be ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea has spoken (Isaiah 23:4). They tried to bring strife upon Baghdad and link it to the heads of the academy by mentioning them [as associated] with the “strife in Baghdad.” They said, “Because the heads of the academies wanted to rule over each other, people abandoned them.” In truth, I say, if these men oppose me in order to preserve their honor, behold all that they have done. They destroyed it, wrecked it, and corrupted it. The people do not trust them with five dirhems, let alone without complete repentance and visible signs of their contrition and repentance before the people. I wrote this at the end of the book to be certain that they would read it and to give them this advice, since I am obligated to advise them. If they accept, the matter will be resolved; if not, may this be an addition to their punishment. The literati say, “Only advise your enemy and your friend with the most useful [advice]; then your friend will trust you and accept it from you and understand what you love also.”