Peraḥ Levanon (Flower of Lebanon)

Introduction

I will print this book in ink as a remembrance and a sign, a memorial for my dear children. For now I will reveal their strength with words, as a reminder for them and their children after them, for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the lot of the righteous. Listen to me, O nobles, and I will speak! I will declare my opinion to you regarding your histories, and your generations, and your wanderings in foreign lands. I will encourage you with words and sayings, which I have learned from books and writers, from my parents and my noble ancestors, who were crowned with wisdom and glory. Let this be your comfort! For it is indeed correct for someone with a worthy lineage to demonstrate it to their fellows, as is explicitly written in the will of the great sage, our rabbi Sheftel Horowitz of blessed memory—go seek it there, among his pure and clear words.

You should know, then, that before the destruction of that city surrounded by mountains [i.e., Jerusalem] by the Babylonians, with its entire population, when our inheritance was burnt up by foreign attack, since we did not heed the voice of our teachers, and our congregations sent into exile—before that, there had been a first portion of the people sent away: the nobles of Israel and its prices and lords, who were sent to another land, a place of rivers and forests, which is the kingdom of Sefarad [Spain], by Pirrus, the king of Spain. This is written in the book Sefer yuḥasin: “Pirrus, the king of Spain, exiled most of the Jews to Spain, and therefore the prophet said, ‘The exile of Jerusalem that is in Spain’ (Obadiah 1:20). Most of their descendants settled in the city of Tulaytula [Toledo], whose name was originally Pirrizuela, and the Jews changed its name to Tulaytula on account of their wanderings” [tiltulam].The rest of the Jews were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon, Media, and Persia, across rivers in the land where [God spoke to Abraham] between the pieces [see Genesis 15:7–21]. He did this cunningly and hastily, for he feared those mighty ones whose hearts were like lions and panthers. Therefore he separated them from their homeland, hoping to exterminate them among the mountains, in a shameful and secret place.

The descendants [of those Jews exiled to Spain] settled in the old kingdom of Castile, and built cities and palaces to dwell in. Some of them left and wandered to other provinces in the kingdom of Spain, one in this city, one in that city, scattered and dispersed. Meanwhile, the second portion of Jews were exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar—may his bones be crushed—among foreign peoples. The third portion, the poorest of the people, were left in their place amid bitter weeping, cut off from all good things. These things are testified to in books, as I myself learned and studied for some time among them, two or three gleanings, in the historical writings of kings and princes which are called kronikas. They gathered these things in stories, heaps and heaps of them, like bees in a hive.

The ancestors of my family settled there, in the old kingdom of Castile, and held on to it. The land was spread open before them, and they were merchants there, gathering up much gold. The nations grew envious of them, for they were hateful, saying: “the Jews have received all this honor from what they took of us. When they first came here among us, they were dressed in rags as paupers and debtors, as if they had no place even to tie a knot, and see, now they have become rich. We do not know what the next day will bring, for they are an impure people, constantly plotting to deceive the gentiles. How long shall we grope along as blind? Let us deal shrewdly with them, and launch the attack: let them be expelled from our lands, or have them abandon their religion!” The order was declared with trumpets in every province, city, and village, and the Jews were expelled. All who cared more for their money, and put their faith in gold rather than trusting in God, changed their religion.

But most of the Peretz family left in large numbers, and wandered across the Mediterranean to the region of Africa, and settled beyond Taddert, in the kingdom of Marrakesh. They acquired from the king the city called Dades, and put up its gates. They settled there in safety, with no strangers among them, and no one who was not crowned with the name of their family house. They did not marry into other families but rather were betrothed from a young age amongst themselves. As the days went by, they increased and multiplied, and soon their land could not support them living together in unity. So they acquired from the king another city which was nearby, called Tillit, and were granted this place for a high price. To this day, they live in these places. Among them are great rabbis and renowned scholars, who can explain all seventy facets of Torah and who strictly observe every commandment and precept of Torah.

Each one had brought with them great wealth from Spain, leaving behind only what was cheap and worthless. They even had with them a book of pedigree which they had taken from Jerusalem, a flying scroll written inside and out, so that they might trace the fate of their surviving family. Ten idle men were appointed every day to study and read from this scroll, carefully restoring its writing with pen and ink so that its names could be clearly read (for on account of its great age, its letters were fading away). This was their daily practice, to examine this book of origins. [ . . . ]

My grandfather of blessed memory left [Italy] to travel to the land of his ancestors, the Land of Israel, but once he had left on their journey with his family and children, they were constrained to go to the city of Tlemcen and stay there, enclosed by the will of the harm-doers. This was because of the wars that had erupted at that time between the king of Fes and the Arab tribes. The [Peretz family] gathered all the money that was found in their hands, and left to live wherever they could find, until they came to the city of Tunis, and stayed there. My father, may God protect him, came to Italy as a merchant, but his business was constrained and his success impeded, by virtue of his being a bachelor. So he found himself a wife, the noble and honorable woman Rachel, may she be blessed beyond other women, the daughter of the venerable elder, the respected merchant and seeker of virtue, our master and teacher, Solomon Shemaya de Lucena, from a noble family.

And you, my children, receive this from its source and have it in your hands: “I come from the house of Peretz!” You are all from a true and pure family, from your mother’s side as well: the modest and honorable woman of valor, Esther, may she be blessed beyond other women. She too is from a priestly family, among the descendants of Aaron who served God, and their lineage is filled with scholars and rabbis. She is the daughter of the respected sage, the exacting scholar Moses, a great scribe of Israel, son of the exalted rabbi, famed in his generation, our master and teacher Michael ha-Kohen of blessed memory, from that city which is filled with Jews, Salonica, may God protect it. He was the author of the book Moreh tsedek [Salonica, 1656], a commentary on the ḥoshen Mishpat of the Tur [ . . . ].

On the seventh day of the holiday of Passover, I entered the city of Naples and was taken to the royal palace. I prostrated myself before him and the members of his court who sat with him, and I laid out my affairs before them with pleas and supplications. The joyous moment arrived: the king responded, “Please tell me your name and the name of your family, that I may write you a letter of freedom and safe passage.” With rejoicing and gladness I told him my name and the name of my ancestors. Two of the ministers near me were surprised, and asked me, “From where does this precious name originate? For the name Peretz [Pérez] is among our most noble families from the old kingdom of Castile.” Then fear gripped me, lest this question prove to be some kind of pretext, and my face blanched. But one of the ministers, who seemed to me like Harvona [see Esther 7:9], told me: “Do not be afraid, and do not fear. For today you will be set free, for the time of mercy has arrived.” Indeed, it was as he said: I left their presence, with much gratitude and humility. As the dawn came up the next day, I was called back into their chamber, and there they spoke to me honestly and personally. They bowed before me and told me, “You spoke the truth. It is indeed recorded among us, and we have observed it,” and they sent me off with a parting gift. [ . . . ]

And I, the lowly one, inherited his position after his passing, in the aforementioned congregation: every month, and every Shabbat, I preached in the community of the holy congregation. But when troubles and debts and loans surrounded and encompassed me, encircling me like the oven of Akhnai [see m. Kelim 5:10], I had to leave my place and wandered ceaselessly. I gathered from my sermons some few selected gems, and composed them into this book which I called Peraḥ Levanon, alluding to the verse: Come from Lebanon, O my bride (Song of Songs 4:8), since the sages say that “Lebanon” here refers to exile, and I myself am today in exile, wandering to and fro.