Diary

I began to write the first Torah Scroll, with the help of God, today, 2 Heshvan, the twenty-second of October, in the year 5302 [1541]. It was completed on April 10, 5303 [1542], and I sold it to Mr. Yeḥiel Foa, through the intermediary of the gaon, our honorable teacher and master, R. Eliah Dayena, who took it to him at Arezzo on the fifteenth of August 5303. [ . . . ]

I began to write the seventh Torah scroll in peace on 10 Tevet 5311 [1550] for R. Raphael Cohen, who is known as R. Raphael Fagiuoli of Ferrara, and I stayed in Ferrara on his behalf. The order was by R. Eliezer of Guastalla; I completed it on 24 Tevet 5312 [1552] . . . to make its crowns.

. . . The sixteenth was a small scroll for Mr. Hoseah di Colonia, on behalf of his brother-in-law, who lives in Alexandria and is known as Gianvarna, today, on the Fast of Esther, in the year 5321 [1562]. I stopped writing at the portion of Devarim [Deuteronomy 1:1] due to my parents’ illness, but I began to write the Torah scroll again on Rosh ḥodesh Heshvan and completed it, with the help of God, on Sunday, 15 Kislev. It consisted of a total of thirty-five parchments, each of which had four sheets, which makes 140 sheets. [ . . . ]

. . . the thirty-fourth I have written up to now, today, Friday 7 Nisan, the seventeenth of March 5335 [1575], for the honorable Mrs. Diana del Bene, and with the help of God I completed its writing, through the grace of God, on Friday, 13 Elul, the nineteenth of August, 5335, and I have already finished the crowns up to the portion of Ki Tissa [Exodus 30:11]. It consisted of a total of thirty-four parchments, many of which have more than five sheets each, while the rest are of four sheets. [ . . . ]

I began writing the thirty-sixth Torah Scroll on Sunday, 13 Tammuz, the tenth of June 5336 [1576], for the sage, our honorable teacher and scholar, R. Kalonymos (may His Rock protect and sustain him) ben Samuel, of Pavia, ordered by Mordechai Soncino, when the plague started to spread among the people [see Numbers 17:11]. In my house too, three people died, for our many sins, and I stopped writing for a long time because of the troubles that had befallen me. Later, I returned to its writing and completed it, thanks be to God, today, Friday the seventh of First Adar, the twenty-second of January 5337 [1577], and I began to place the crowns on its letters. It consisted of a total of thirty-seven parchments, only three of which contained three sheets, while the rest were all of four sheets, making a total of 149 sheets.

The thirty-seventh Torah Scroll I began writing in peace on Tuesday, 23 Adar, the twelfth of March 5337 [1577], in the name of my late nephew [nekhdi], R. Moses, of blessed memory, son of my brother David, of blessed memory, in fulfillment of the request of the deceased. I completed it, thanks be to God, before Rosh Hashanah of 5338. It consisted of a total of forty-one parchments, twenty-three of which contained four sheets, while the other eighteen had three sheets each, making a total of 146 sheets.

. . . on Rosh ḥodesh Tevet, December 10, 5337 [1577] for the excellent R. Moses Pugliese (may His Rock protect and sustain him) bar Menahem, of blessed memory, who lived in Lodi. His son-in-law was Mr. Abraham Levi dell’ Arpa, and it was through him that I vowed to serve him, with the help of God. I reached the portion of Koraḥ [Numbers 16] on 17 Nisan 5337, at which point I paused for two months due to a lack of parchments, after which I began writing again and finished it, thanks be to God, on Tuesday, 17 Tammuz, the twenty-fourth of June 5337 [1578], and I completed the crowns from the portion of Koraḥ until the end. It consisted of thirty-seven parchments, each of which had four sheets, apart from two which were of three sheets, making a total of 142 sheets. [ . . . ]

. . . for Mr. Mordechai (may His Rock protect and sustain him) ben Raphael of Norzi, on Rosh ḥodesh Tammuz, June 25, 5339 [1579], but I stopped writing it during the festival season on account of the persecutions of the heretic and inquisitor, as I was detained in prison for twelve days, during the Days of Awe. I merited, thanks be to God, to pray with the congregation on Hoshana Rabbah—blessed be He who redeems and saves. In addition to this, I subsequently suffered another mishap, as I hurt my foot—an injury which caused me great pain—and I was confined to my bed for some six months. I completed it, thanks be to God, on the first of June, 22 Sivan 5340 [1580]. It consisted of a total of forty-three parchments, twelve of which contained three sheets, while the rest were of four sheets, making a total of 150 sheets.