Introduction to Sefer Divrei HaYamim on the Letters of Rasham

הַקְדָּמַת ״סֵפֶר דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים״ לְמִכְתְּבֵי רַש״ם

A Jewish man, David was his name (אִישׁ יְהוּדִי, דָּוִד שְׁמוֹ), came from a distant land from India (בָּא מֵאֶרֶץ מֵרְחָקִים מֵהוֹדוּ), at the gate of the king of Portugal in those days (בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ פּוֹרְטוּגָאל בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם), and he said to him: I am a Hebrew p1-1(וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו: עִבְרִי אָֽנֹכִי), and the God of the heavens I fear (וְאֶת אֱלֹקֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲנִי יָרֵא), and my brother, the king of the Jews, has sent me to you, my lord the king, for help (וַיְשַׁלְּחֵנִי אָחִי, מֶלֶךְ הַיְּהוּדִים, אֵלֶיךָ אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לַעֶזְרָה). And now, be among our helpers and let us fight against Suleiman the Turk (וְעַתָּה, הֱיֵה בְּעֶזְרֵנוּ וְנִלָּחֲמָה בְּסוּלִימָאן הַתּוּגְרִי), and let us take the Holy Land from his hand (וְנִקְּחָה אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה מִיָּדוֹ).

And he said to him: Peace be upon your coming, and now go, and I shall send you to the great priest, and the thing he tells me I shall do (וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו: שָׁלוֹם בּוֹאֲךָ וְעַתָּה לֵךְ וַאֲשַׁלְּחֲךָ אֶל הַכּוֹמֵר הַגָּדוֹלִי וְדָבָר מַה יַּגִּיד אֶעֱשֶׂה). And he went out from him and dwelled in Lisbon for a few days (וַיֵּצֵא מֵאִתּוֹ וַיֵּשֶׁב בִּלִישְׁבוֹנָה ימים אחדים). And the Anusim believed his words (וַיַּאֲמִינוּ הָאֲנוּסִים לִדְבָרָיו), and each said to his fellow: He is our redeemer (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ: גּוֹאֳלֵנוּ הוּא), for Hashem has sent him (כִּי ה׳ שְׁלָחֲהוּ). And they gathered to him and honored him greatly (וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ אֵלָיו וַיְכַבְּדֻהוּ מְאוֹד). And the man journeyed from there and passed through Spain (וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם הָאִישׁ וַיַּעֲבֹר בְּסְפָרַד), and in all the places through which he passed, many who had been scattered there gathered to him (וּבְכָל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָבַר שָׁם נָהֲרוּ אֵלָיו רַבִּים מֵאֲשֶׁר נִפְרְצוּ שָׁם), and he became to them a stumbling block (וַיְהִי לָהֶם לִפֻקָּה). And he passed through France and went to Avignon (וַיַּעֲבֹר צָרְפָתָה וַיֵּלֶךְ לְאַבִינְיוֹן), and he journeyed from there and came to Italy (וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם וַיָּבֹא אִיטַלְיָא). And he made banners of intricate design (וַיַּעַשׂ דְּגָלִים מַעֲשֵׂה חֹשֵׁב), and he wrote upon them the sacred names (וַיִּכְתֹּב עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת שֵׁמוֹת הַקֹּדֶשׁ). And many in those days believed in him (וַיַּאֲמִינוּ אֵלָיו רַבִּים בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם). Also to Bologna, Ferrara, and Mantua the man came (גַּם לְבוֹלוֹנְיָא, פִירְאַרָה וּמַאַנְטוּאָה בָּא הָאִישׁ). And he said to bring with him-by word of the kings of the uncircumcised-all the Jews found among them to his place and to his land (וַיֹּאמֶר לְהוֹלִיךְ אִתּוֹ, בִּדְבַר מַלְכֵי הָעֲרֵלִים, אֶת כָּל הַיְּהוּדִים הַנִּמְצָאִים בְּתוֹכָם אֶל מְקוֹמוֹ וּלְאַרְצוֹ). And he also spoke to the Pope (וְגַם אֶל הָאֲפִיפְיוֹר דִּבֵּר). And the children of Israel were very afraid (וַיִּירְאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְאֹד), and it was when they spoke to him, saying:

And what shall we do with our wives today, for we will all go to war, and with their children who will be born? (וַיְהִי בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר: וּמֶה נַּעֲשֶׂה לְנָשֵׁינוּ הַיּוֹם כִּי נֵלֵךְ כֻּלָּנוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה, וּלְבָנֵיהֶן אֲשֶׁר יוּלָדוּ) And he said to them: There is, there is in our land many such as these, do not fear, for there is no lack for Hashem to save (וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם: יֵשׁ וְיֵשׁ בְּאַרְצֵנוּ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה רַבּוֹת, אַל תִּירָאוּ, כִּי אֵין מַחְסוֹר לַה׳ לְהוֹשִׁיעַ). And a shoot came forth from Portugal-Shlomo Molcho was his name (וַיֵּצֵא חֹטֶר מִפּוֹרְטוּגָאל, שְׁלֹמֹה מוֹלְכוֹ שְׁמוֹ), from the seed of Israel who were dispersed there since the days of the persecution (מִגֶּזַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר נָפֹצוּ שָׁם מִימֵי הַשְּׁמַד). And he was a scribe to the king’s recorders at that time (וְהוּא נַעַר אֵת סוֹפְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּעֵת הַהִיא).

And it came to pass when he saw the man David (וַיְהִי בִּרְאוֹתוֹ אֶת הָאִישׁ דָּוִד), and Hashem touched his heart (וַיִּגַּע הָאֱלֹקִים בְּלִבּוֹ), and he returned to Hashem, the God of our fathers (וַיָּשָׁב אֶל ה׳ אֱלֹקֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ), and he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin (וַיִּמֹּול בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ). And he knew nothing of the Torah of Hashem and of the Holy Scriptures in those days (וְהוּא לֹא יָדַע מְאוּמָה בְּתוֹרַת ה׳ וּבִכְתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם). And it came to pass, when he was circumcised, that Hashem gave wisdom to Shlomo (וַיְהִי בְּהִמֹּלוֹ וַה׳ נָתַן חָכְמָה לִשְׁלֹמֹה), and he became wiser than any man, almost instantly (וַיַּחְכַּם מִכָּל אָדָם כִּמְעַט רֶגַע). And many were astonished at him (וַיִּתְמַהוּ עָלָיו רַבִּים), and he passed over to Italy (וַיַּעֲבֹר לְאִיטַלְיָא), and he set his face to speak in the Torah of our God before kings (וַיַּעַז פָּנָיו לְדַבֵּר בְּתוֹרַת אֱלֹקֵינוּ נֶגֶד מְלָכִים), and he did not hide his face from them (וְלֹא הִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מֵהֶם). And he went to Turkey (וַיֵּלֶךְ תּוּגַרְמָה), and he returned to Rome and spoke with Clementp1-2 (וַיָּשָׁב לְרוֹמָה וַיְדַבֵּר עִם קְלִימִינְט), and he inclined toward him with kindness, against the will of all those who know religion and law (וַיֵּט אֵלָיו חֶסֶד נֶגֶד רְצוֹן כָּל יוֹדְעֵי דָּת וְדִין). And he gave him written permission, signed in his name (וַיִּתֵּן לוֹ רְשׁוּת נִכְתֶּבֶת וְנֶחְתֶּמֶת בִּשְׁמוֹ), to dwell wherever he pleased and to be called by the name of Israel (לָשֶׁבֶת בַּאֲשֶׁר יִיטַב בְּעֵינָיו וּבְשֵׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִכָּנֶה).

And he grew wise in the wisdom of Kabbalah (וַיַּחְכַּם בְּחָכְמַת הַקַּבָּלָה), and a spirit of grace came forth from his mouth (וַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּיו רוּחַ חֵן), for the spirit of Hashem spoke through him and His word was upon his tongue always (כִּי רוּחַ ה׳ דִּבֵּר בּוֹ וּמִלָּתוֹ עַל לְשׁוֹנוֹ תָּמִיד). Also, he drew forth sayings of beauty from the deep fountain of Kabbalah (גַּם דָּלָה דָּלָה מִמְּקוֹר מַעֲמַקֵּי הַקַּבָּלָה אִמְרֵי שֵׁפֶר), and he wrote them upon tablets, and I have not seen them until now (וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל הַלֻּחוֹת וְלֹא רְאִיתִים עַד הֵנָּה).

And he preached to the multitudes in Bologna and in other places (וַיִּדְרוֹשׁ לָרַבִּים בְּבוֹלוֹנְיָא וּבִשְׁאָר הַמְּקוֹמוֹת), and many ran after him to hear his wisdom and to test him with riddles (וַיָּרֻצוּ רַבִּים אַחֲרָיו לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וּלְנַסּוֹתוֹ בְּחִידוֹת). And Shlomo told them all their words-there was nothing hidden from him that he did not reveal to them (וַיַּגֵּד לָהֶם שְׁלֹמֹה אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵיהֶם, לֹא הָיָה דָבָר נֶעְלָם מִמֶּנּוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִגִּיד לָהֶם). And they saw the wisdom of Shlomo, and they said: True is the report we heard about you (וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת חָכְמַת שְׁלֹמֹה, וַיֹּאמְרוּ: אֱמֶת הָיָה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ עָלֶיךָ), and you have increased wisdom beyond what we had heard-very much so (וְהוֹסַפְתָּ חָכְמָה עַל הַשְּׁמוּעָה אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ מְאֹד). And many were filled with jealousy toward him (וַיְלַבְּשׁוּ עָלָיו רַבִּים קִנְאָה), but they could not bring evil upon him in Italy, for he was beloved in the eyes of the princes (וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לְהִתְגּוֹלֵל עָלָיו רָעָה בְּאִיטַלְיָא כִּי נֶחְמָד הָיָה בְּעֵינֵי הַשָּׂרִים). And he joined with David, and they were as one in those days (וַיִּתְחַבֵּר אֶל דָּוִד, וַיִּהְיוּ לַאֲחָדִים בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם). And Shlomo wrote to the sages words of peace and truth, saying (וַיִּכְתֹּב שְׁלֹמֹה אֶל הַחֲכָמִים דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת לֵאמֹר):