Letter to A. Neubauer at Oxford University

To his excellency, the great sage, the learned and famous rabbi

Adolf H. Neubauer, the Head Librarian

Of the Government Library in Oxford, England!¹ My dear Sir and Rabbi!

Although I have not hitherto been honored to enter into correspondence with your excellency, and although my name may not even be known to you, I shall nevertheless assert myself to approach you with a single query, to respond to the following request that I will make of you, since it is scholarly.

If there be found in the library under your supervision a man who will take on himself the burden to copy several extracts from books that I shall detail below, and in the event that such a person is found, how much will he ask for his trouble, and in what manner shall the money be delivered, whether prior to the copying or afterward, and whether before it be sent here [in Kiev], and if your excellency would consent to assume this small burden, to instruct the copyist in accord with this request, and to speak with him concerning these details, everything in accord with what I request of your excellency, it will be an act of true kindness. For what fitting recompense could I offer to his excellency? A fitting recompense would be that his name would be credited on all the copies.

I shall be short and say peace, peace to him and his Torah and his wisdom—

Abraham Dov Dubzhevitch

Author of the book Ha-metsaref [the Purifier]: On the Legends of the Rabbis, Odessa, 5630 (1870)

My address:

Kiev, Russia

B. Dubzevitz

These are the titles of the Hebrew and Yiddish books that we need copied:

From the Bible (Constance, 1544), several verses from the poem of Jacob[’s blessing], the Song of the Sea, the words of the sorcerer Balaam, Ha’azinu, and Moses’ blessing;

The same from the Bible (Cremona, 1560), with Rashi’s commentary in the margin;

N357 Some excerpts from the Shmuel-bukh, Kraków, 1593, from Hannah’s prayer and David’s lament over Abner (several verses);

N358 A few verses from Ezekiel in rhyme, Prague, 1602;

N365 A few verses from Proverbs in rhyme, 1713; N368 A few verses from Job in rhyme;

From the item listed by Steinschneider in the journal Serapeum § 112 under the name “Gottlieb Lied,” beginning “Volt ir uns niksh far ibel nemen” [May You not become angry with us]—the entire poem;

N124 A short poem beginning “Fun dray vayber” [of three women]—complete;

N125 Messianic song of Shabbetai Tzvi (may his name be blotted out)—complete;

N129 Four short poems by various hands in the new style—complete;

N130 Song of the Knight Riegmund (a few excerpts);

N96 Bridal song that begins “Yung froleyn, ir zayt gebetn” [young woman, you are sought]—complete;

N38 Song of the harsh decree over the land of Ukraine—complete;

N39 The faithful Parisienne—a few excerpts;

N273 Song of lament beginning “Vi kumt dos aher” [how did this happen here]—complete;

N92 A few excerpts from the book Yarim Moshe [Moses Will Raise Up] on healings;

N143 One complete chapter from the book Mizmor le-todah [A Psalm of Thanksgiving] by R. David ben Menaḥem ha-Kohen;

N159 Ma‘aseh beri’ah ve-zimrah [The Tale of Briyo and Zimro]—one chapter;

N160 One chapter from the book Ma‘aseh ha-gadol [The Great Work];

N189 A few excerpts from Geshikhte des fortunatus mit zaynem zekl [Tale of Fortunatus with his Sack];

192 Geshikhte fun der yungfroy Rokhl in Nemiriv [Tale of the Young Woman Rachel in Nemirov]—complete if it is not long, otherwise a few excerpts;

204 A few excerpts from the book Matsil nefashot [Who Saves Souls] on healing children;

N211 A few excerpts from Meshal ha-kadmoni [The Ancient Parable];

N212 Several parables from the book Mesholim [Parables] of R. Moshe Wallich, as well as some parables from the Kuh-bukh [Cow Book] and Mishle shu‘alim [Fox Fables];

N219 A few excerpts from the book Segulot u-refu’ot [Magical Charms and Remedies];

N22 Bovo-bukh [Bovo of Antona] in rhymes—a few excerpts from it.

These are the places where we need the copies, all as listed for each of the numbers, whether complete or in a few excerpts. Please, sir, speak to the copyist and have him reply to us in writing in detail (he should send us a “letter insured” and “C.O.D.,” to my name as listed, and I will pay here, for why should his excellency incur the postal expenditure for my sake?) indicating how much the copyist would charge in compensation for his labor. If it please his excellency, show the copyist the places indicated above, if the copyist is not reliable in this regard. The copyist should make a faithful copy, on which we can rely. Similarly, his writing should be clear, so that we should be able to read it and copy from it to be printed in the journal Yudishe folks-bibliotek [Library of the Jewish People], being published here in Kiev by Mr. “Sholem Aleichem.”

I should be honored to honor his excellency with my booklet Be-ḥada maḥta [One Stroke], and to hear his respected judgment on it.

With honor and appreciation as befits his station—
A. D. Dubzhevitch