Kievian Letter - Text of The Letter

Text of The Letter

1. The First among the foremost, He who is adorned with the crown "Final and First,"
2. Who hears the whispered voice, and listens to utterance and tongue - May He guard them
3. as the pupil and make them to dwell with Nahshon on high as at first -
4. Men of Truth, despisers of gain, doers of loving-kindness and pursuers of charity,
5. guardians of salvation whose bread is available to every traveler and passerby,
6. holy communities scattered to all (the world's) corners: may it be the will of
7. the Master of Peace to make them dwell as a crown of peace! Now, our officers and masters,
8. we, community of Kiev, (hereby inform you of the woesome affair of this Mar Jacob bar
9. Hanukah, who is of the sons of . He was of the givers, and not of the
10. takers, until a cruel decree was decreed against him, in that his brother went and took money
11. from gentiles; this Jacob stood surety. His brother went on the road, and there came
12. brigands who slew him and took his money. Then came creditors
13. ook captive this Jacob, they put chains of iron on his neck
14. and irons about his legs. He stayed there an entire year ...
15. we took him in surety; we paid out sixty and there ye
16. remained forty coins; so we have sent him among the holy communities
17. that they might take pity on him. So now, O our masters, raise up your eyes to heaven
18. and do as is your goodly custom, for you know how great is the virtue
19. of charity. For charity saves from death. Nor are we as warners
20. but rather those who remind; and to you will be charity before the Lord your God
21. You shall eat fruits in this world, and the capital fund shall be yours perpetually in the world to come.
22. Only be strong and of good courage, and do not put our words behind
23. your backs; and may the Omnipresent have mercy upon you and build Jerusalem in your days
24. and redeem you and also us with you. (An acronym follows standing for either "Amen, Amen, Amen, soon " or "Brotherly people are we, soon ".)
25. Abraham the Parnas el bar MNS Reuben bar
26. GWSTT (Gostata) bar KYBR (Kiabar) Kohen Samson
27. Judah, who is called SWRTH (Surta) Hanukah bar Moses
28. QWFYN (Kufin) bar Joseph MNR (Manar) bar Samuel Kohen
29. Judah bar Isaac Levite Sinai bar Samuel
30. Isaac the Parnas