263:, from one end of the heavens unto the other, , 'Lo! All those that be thirsty, let them go to the waters!' And the traders and all the merchants, all of them together, have answered those that inquired of them, that they have found a bountiful comely orchard, and a good pasture, where anyone who is lean becomes fat, and where their shepherd is a faithful shepherd – those who dwell in the land of Yemen! For they are a refuge for the poor, supplying him with bread, the stay for the rich, those who take the first steps to salute him! The traversing caravans of
147:, had addressed his concerns in a letter which he had sent to Maimonides, who was in Egypt. Jacob had conjectured that perhaps the influences of the stars were responsible for these occurrences, to which conjectures Maimonides replied that Jacob ought to expunge from his heart the vain concept of being able to determine the influences of the constellations, yet counselled him and the Jewish people of Yemen on how they were to act concerning the messiah claimant to be saved from his harmful effects.
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281:, our friend our beloved, all ears were pleased to hear it, as was it desirable to the sight. It bore witness before us concerning you, that you are of the servants of the Lord who dwell in His quarter, who are encamped beside His banner, and who are of those who pursue the Law, and those who love its commissions, those who attend fervently at its doors
221:, heaps lavish praises upon the Jews of Yemen in his day, and uses hyperbolic speech to describe the condition in which he found them. Evidently, Maimonides had knowledge of the Jews of Yemen, and avouched that they maintained a strict adherence to Jewish law and custom, long before his writings became widespread throughout Yemen. In his
255:, to water therewith all gardens, to cause the flowering of buds. Behold! It conducts itself in a slow pace, for all who are exhausted and thirsty in the wilderness, and by it have the wayfarers and isles of the sea supplied their want until, at length, they were completely made satisfied thereby! Therefore, they have published in
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The average Jewish population in Yemen for many centuries had been very small. The Jews were scattered throughout the country, but were successful in business and acquired books about the history of their faith. However, contemporary events in Yemen show that, in the last quarter of the 12th century,
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In what concerns the root of truth, its own trunk shall bear witness ; whereas, in what concerns the goodness of a wellspring, its own current shall give testimony . For, verily, from the root of truth and righteousness has blossomed a faithful offshoot, and from the wellspring of loving kindness,
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instructed. those who pursue after righteousness, and strengthen the places that have fallen; those who establish the principles of the Law upon their razed places, who gather the dispersed of God's people by their words; who, in their assemblies, perform all of the commandments in a most
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scrupulous manner! There is no unruly conduct , neither she who departs , nor crying in their streets. Blessed be God who has brought no end to those who observe the Law, those who keep precepts in the distant isles! ... Now when your letter reached us in
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have put their expectation in them, while their hand to all travelers was outstretched. And their home was opened widely , and with them, all have found rest, whilst anguish and sighing fled away! And all day long, they utter the
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Moses
Maimonides' Epistle to Yemen ; the Arabic original and the three Hebrew versions, edited from manuscripts with introduction and notes by Abraham S. Halkin and an English translation by Boaz Cohen
225:, Maimonides stresses the state of high-learnedness and aptitude of the Jews of Yemen. Unfortunately, the rhyme employed in his verse has been lost in the translation. The
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Eschatology in
Maimonidean thought: Messianism, resurrection, and the world to come : selected studies, with an introduction and bibliography
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who had arisen there. The man who claimed to be the Jewish messiah began preaching a
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353:"Letters of Maimonides: Crisis and Leadership," by Abraham Halkin and David Hartman
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tribes began to persecute the Jewish faith in the Yemen at that time.
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Ascending the Palm Tree – An
Anthology of the Yemenite Jewish Heritage
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led Jacob ben
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a large ravine has stretched itself out in the land of
376:"The Identity of the Apostate in the Epistle to Yemen"
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156:the Yemeni populace was shaken by a revolt against
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168:and local
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164:, while
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