In the year 5293 (1532/33), judgement was wrought upon our brethren in Silesia, with the arrest of all the Jewish residents of the region. I had to go up to the cities of Schwabach and Ansbach, together with Rabbi Liebermann of blessed memory, in order to work for the release of the prisoners. The Parnas (13) and another two or three people had already been burnt at the stake because of a calumny about milk from sucking pigs of the forest, an accusation which in the end was shown to be false. And with the help of God, he told the prisoners that they were free. I expended in excess of six hundred guilders from the resources of the Jews in German territory in order to impress upon and prove to the Duke, Margrave George, that we and all of the Jewry were innocent of any crime and that this accusation was baseless (14).
In the years 5293 and 5295 (1532/33 and 1534/35), judgement was wrought upon the Jews in the Barbary lands (15), when our lord the Emperor went to wage war against those lands, and the towns of Coron and Patras were captured. For our many sins, some Jews were slain and some taken captive. The Jewish communities of Italy wrote asking for assistance in ransoming and maintaining the captives, as can be seen from what is written in their letter. However, although here in Alsace a tax of four percent was collected in order to redeem them, we did not succeed in placing this ransom money in reliable hands. And I said, "It is permitted to use this money for the ransoming of other captives, or for similar important religious obligations of this kind." Therefore, I used a portion of it for my activities in connection with the harsh decree against the Jews of Bohemia and the holy community of Prague, and a portion of it for other life-saving work. May this decision be acceptable in the sight of God, blessed be He.
In the year 5294 (1533/34), there was dissension and strife within the holy community of Prague between the community and the Horowitz people and others, and, consequently, many feuding camps arose in the other communities in Bohemia. The rabbis of Posen and Germany wrote urging that an agreement be reached, and that the settlement of the disputes be entrusted into the hands of righteous men. And it fell to the lot of that esteemed scholar, the great rabbi, our teacher Rabbi Abraham son of our teacher Rabbi Avigdor, the memory of the righteous is blessed, and my insignificant self, to draw up and establish new ordinances for the community. At the request and insistence of our rabbis, I journeyed with much toil and trouble to that great city to God, to serve as an assistant to the Gaon of blessed memory (16). We prepared and enacted 23 excellent and estimable regulations, and upwards of 400 adult and responsible men were pleased to come and sign on the document. However, while I was still at table, the spikenard sent forth its fragrance, a supporter of Horowitz and his faction by the name of Shabbat Tash contrived to have me delivered into the hands of murderers. I had to plead in my defence three times in the city fortress of Prague, and all the community supported me. With God's help, I emerged blameless and unscathed from the lions' clutches. In addition to all this, certain people with imaginary fancies, wise men who were in that camp, made common cause with those who were attacking my honour. However, justice will be done in its own way: exemplary persons came from all sides and appealed to the rabbis of Italy and Austria, animated by zeal for the Lord of Hosts, to demand satisfaction for my insult, to fight my battle, and to give thanks for the blessings as they are written down in that book (17). And the strife and dissension provoked and instigated by the Horowitz people has meant that, for our many sins, Jacob has been taken as spoil, to be destroyed and not built up, as is proved by the occurrence of calamity upon calamity. May the Holy One, blessed be He, forgive them and all our sins. May it be His will. Amen.
(13) The presiding official of a Jewish congregation.
(14) Margrave George (b. 1484, r. 1515-43) of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg Kulmbach.
(15) Morocco and Tunis.
(16) Rabbi Abraham ben Avigdor (d. 1542), commentator on the Torah.
(17) The aforementioned book of regulations.
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