Published by Ora of the Muqata
Visitors to the Old City of Jerusalem might ask themselves: What is a mosque doing in the synagogue complex in the center of the Jewish Quarter?
The Sidna Omar mosque is located right next to the Ramban and Hurva synagogues, two of the oldest synagogues in Jerusalem.
The surprising answer, as it turns out, is that it was built by Jews. [The answer might be less surprising when we consider that most of our troubles are caused by in-fighting and Jews colluding with our enemies]
None other than the Bartneura (Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro), tells us the story of the mosque, in a letter he wrote shortly after arriving in Jerusalem in 1488 (Available online here, the translation is based on Brachae Slae's translation):
"In the synagogue courtyard, very close by, is a Moslem mosque. This site originally belonged to a Jew who converted to Islam as a result of a quarrel with his fellow Jews. When his mother saw that her sons had converted because of the vexation the Jews had caused him, she dedicated her home in the synagogue courtyard as a Moslem place of worship as an act of revenge upon the Jews. This is what has caused all the harm, destroyed the synagogue, and made the Jewish community suffer such a financial loss. Had the merciful Lord not put it into the king's heart to take pity on the Jews, no Jews would remain in Jerusalem."
In this paragraph the Bartneura encapsulates the story of the Jewish community of Jerusalem in the 15th century. It was a difficult time for the Jews of Israel, but one also filled with great promise. The fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine empire, the wars by the Kingdom of Beta Israel against Christian Ethiopia, led many to believe that Redemption was near.
The story of the mosque and synagogue starts in the early 15th century. At the turn of the century the Jews of Jerusalem built a new synagogue, to be used for both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities. They of course had to pay off the Mamaluk rules to allow them to build it. The Ashkenazi community also bought a courtyard in that area.
Around the time the Ottomans conquered Constantinople (1453), the Jews of Jerusalem were forced to pay a great sum of money, convert to Islam or risk expulsion.
The story was written down by Rabbi Avraham Halevi Parnas, an emissary from Jerusalem to Europe [See Kovetz Al Yad 5, p45-50]. The letter he carried tells, in a manner very reminiscent of the Purim story, how the communities of Israel had to pay 100,000 gold florins to pay off the Mamaluk rulers. In Jerusalem they paid 10,000 gold florins, and the community had to sell off almost everything they had: hundreds of books and Torah scrolls, silver and gold Torah ornaments, as well as community-owned land. For the rest, they had to borrow at high interest.
The Bartenura, who was very critical of the way the community elders sold off all that was holy, explains that the Sultan, needing money for his wars, had demanded money from everybody in his kingdom, Jews, Christians and Muslims. The Jews of Egypt had also been forced to pay thousands of florins.
In any case, for years afterwards the Jerusalem community struggled to pay off remaining debts and additional taxes, which led to financial difficulties for all members. The wealthy and scholarly fled the city.
In the early 1470s, a house inside the synagogue complex collapsed. The Muslims wanted to add its yard to the mosque. The case came to the Muslim courts, where the judges denied the request.
"But," added the Muslim plaintiffs, "the synagogue is new, and should not even exist according to Muslim law."
The courts continued to investigate, and the issue went all the way up to Sultan Kait Bey. The Jews had to admit that the courtyard had been bought 70-80 years earlier. One of the plaintiffs didnft wait for a verdict. Inciting fellow Muslims to act, a mob destroyed the synagogue.
Kait Bey got upset and issued an edict that the synagogue should be rebuilt, and the attackers punished.
When the courts finally ruled on the matter, the Jews were forced to pay hefty fines, and, of course, the (re)-building expenses. Once again the Jews had to borrow at high interest, and the financial burden increased.
As if all that wasnft enough, earthquakes, plagues and drought afflicted the residents of Israel throughout the century.
When the Bartnerua came to Jerusalem in 1488, the community, a fraction of what it was earlier that century, still owed 1000 gold florins.
The Bartenura managed to renegotiate the tax burden, attract people to Jerusalem, re-open a yeshivah, and take the first steps to rejuvenate the community.
[This post is based mainly on "For the Sake Of Jerusalem" (Aharon Bier, translated by Brachae Slae), and "The history of Eretz Israel Under the Mamaluk and Ottoman Rule (1260-1804)" (Ben-Zvi Institute)]
Not many history books were written in this land in the past 2000 years. Our history in this period is pieced together from Halachik writings, accounts of pilgrims and travelers, personal letters and government reports.
The two stories I bring below are very similar, though they come from different sources and different time periods, and they give us insight into the day-to-day difficulties of living here in previous centuries. Because sometimes, you could find yourself being charged for murder, just for selling wine.
The first story is from the Mamaluk period. In a letter written to his father in 1488, the Bartneura (Rabbi Obadiah of Bertinoro) had one good thing to say about Israel. People here are G-d fearing. Even the "evil and sinful" leaders of the Jewish community in Jerusalem, of whom he was very critical, would hurry to prayer and to do other commandments between man and G-d.
Here you won't find a Muslim who curses G-d, like the Christians in Europe do. The Bartneura points out this is the only thing that keeps this land from complete anarchy, since the Muslims have no order and no justice, and the courts do whatever they please. To illustrate his point he brings the following story:
A Muslim got so angry with his mother that he "slaughtered her like a sheep". When he was brought to court, he claimed he had been drunk.
Who makes wine? Only the Jews and Christians do, so obviously they were to blame. The Jews were fined 6 gold florines, the Christians 12 gold florines, and the Muslim got off scot-free.
If they had such laws in Europe, says the Bartenura, they would eat each other alive.
The second story is from the Ottoman period, and shows that things didn't change much in the previous 250 years. This story appears in a responsa by Rabbi Nissim Chaim Moshe Mizrachi, the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem in 1745-1749 (Admat Kodesh 1 Choshen Mishpat 72). The story is a bit convoluted, so bear with me.
Two Muslims fought in the market and one killed the other. The killer's family said in his defense that he had been drunk and had no idea what he was doing. The judge started investigating whether he had been drunk, and who sold him the wine.
Feyge was an Ashkenazi Jew living in Jerusalem. That in itself wasn't such a simple thing in those days. Twenty five years earlier all Ashkenazi Jews were run out of town after the community was unable to pay its debts. The Ashekenazi Jews left in Jerusalem all lived "undercover", pretending to be Sephardi Jews.
As it happened, Feyge, like other Jewish women in town, made a living by selling wine. And as it happened, one of the court officers had showed up at her house for several days with a big bottle, telling her he had been sent by the head of the Jewish community, and demanding she give him free rose-water. When she refused he threatened he'll get his revenge.
Finding this a good opportunity, the court officer went to Feyge's house and demanded money or he will finger her as the woman who sold wine to the murderer. Feyge had no choice and paid him off.
However, somebody reported Feyge anyway, and the city governor sent his people to get her. They didn't find her because Feyge went into hiding. The governor then turned to the head of the Jewish community and told him to find the woman, since he wants to hang her. As was usual at the time, this was just an invitation for negotiations, and the two settled on a sum of bribe money for Feyge's life. The Jewish leader, who did not himself have such a huge sum, then went looking for Feyge to get the money, but he couldn't find her either.
"Don't worry," said the governor's men. "We know other women who sell wine, we'll get the money for you."
The 'bribe-collectors' showed up at the women's houses and demanded they give them money, otherwise they'll inform on the authorities that woman sold the wine which led to the murder.
The money was collected, Feyge's life was spared, and everybody was happy.
Except for the fact that fifty four women sued Feyge to get their money back. Poor Feyge's defense was as follows: You know that murderer never entered my house. I lost money due to bad luck, and you lost money due to bad luck. It happens. The Chief Rabbi agreed with her and ruled in her favor.
Life was difficult, but the Jews in these stories don't come out smelling all rosy either. The Bartneura was impressed that people here were G-d fearing, but as he himself points out, fearing G-d doesn't make one a mensch.