Letter to Nahray ben Nissim (II)

Israel Ibn Sahlūn

1059

My letter to you—my beloved lord and master, may God prolong your life and maintain your benefaction—[is] from Jerusalem, may God build it, [sent] three days before the end of Tishri.

My situation is peaceful, may the Lord be praised, but I long for you. May God hasten our meeting in peace, and He is capable of that.

This is to notify you that your letter has arrived, and you mentioned the three dinars to be collected from my lord ha-Kohen, your associate. I have informed him of your letter, and he said, “If his letter had reached me, I would have given you the three dinars.” I said to him, “He already sent you letters to Ramla!” He said, “I am going to Ramla; if I find a letter from your cousin about this, I will pay you.” And he did go to Ramla, and I did get three good dinars from him. I already wrote to you that he did not pay anything, and I asked you to get a letter signed by R. Abraham, but now that I have collected them, there is no need to get the letter or anything else. May God grant you success. Altogether, I have with me thirteen dinars, [made up of] some old Sicilian quarter-dinars and dinar coins.

My master, I am waiting for your letter for news of the west and of my brother Abū Yaḥya, so I will know what to decide. Or perhaps I shall write a power of attorney document to my lord, the elder Abū Isḥāq Barhūn, may God maintain his might, saying, “Whatever you see fit, do it, and I will not question what my master the elder Abū Isḥāq wishes.”

I pray for you and for him all the time at the Gates of Mercy, since I go there every Monday and Thursday, as well as the other gates. May God receive from me the best of prayers for you.

If you think that I should write a power of attorney for him regarding all my claims in the West, write to me and let me know what you think is best. And do not withhold your letters from me, and let me know the rates of wheat and bread, and the news from the West.

And as for the query you asked me to bring an answer to, this month—which is Tishri—our master, the head [of the academy], did not have free time, since all his duties take place during this month. And I have given him your thanks for the first answer, and he was pleased to hear that. God willing, I will get you the second answer, but he requires patience and restraint.

The letter that R. Judah sent attached to your letter is here with me; I am waiting for your letter to know what I should do with it. I ask you to write a letter to my lord, the elder Abū Isḥāq Barhūn, and tell him about my prayers for him and my love, and tell him that I am here for anything he wants. And notify him as well about the thirty-five dinars; those thirty-five dinars are deposited for him. I have the notebook with me, and it is written in it. I greet your honor with the best of peace. And peace to my lord the Rav. And peace to R. Abraham and the friends.

Do not withhold your letters from me; let me know what your needs are. Also, you wrote to me concerning copying—please tell me what it is that you would like me to copy. And if possible, buy some parchment for me, and send it with my lord, the elder Abū Naṣr Ibn Ṣaghīr, and he will send it to Ramla, and Makhlūf will take it. If you do not want anything to be copied, please ask R. Abraham ben Isaac the Scholar (al-talmid) whether he needs some copying done.

I have decided to winter here, if God wills it, after having heard about the water situation. Also, I am registered in the Fustāt tax bureau as qātin [a permanent resident]. I was once registered there as tāri [a newcomer], but as my stay there grew longer, they changed it to qātin. But it is already ten years since I left Fustāt! Now starts the eleventh year.

I have now started to copy the Mishnah, Seder Nashim and Nezikin for a friend. May your letter come quickly and tell me what it is that you wish me to copy, or R. Abraham, or anyone else you think of. May your peace increase. And if you wish me to copy some exegesis, or whatever is available, I will put my time to it until the Lord looks forth and beholds from heaven (Lamentations 3:50).