jan 1, 950 - Letter to the King of Khazar - חסדאי אבן שפרוט

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~950 - גאונים

After the alleged confirmation of the state of Khazar, חסדאי אבן שפרוט authored a letter to the king of the state to establish ties to Al-Andalus. His letter expresses how he was excited to confirm the existence of Khazar with messengers, especially that it was a Jewish state. This letter gives us greater context of the lives of the Jewish community in Spain – even though they were secure for the time being, חסדי expresses that the future of Jewish survival only lies in a Jewish state and hopes to secure this future in Khazar. This idea has only been fully actualized with the state of Israel in the 20th century.

About the Author: Born around 915, חסדאי אבן שפרוט rose to power through gaining the trust to hold the position of Abd-ar-Rahman III and acted as the minister of foreign affairs for the Spanish caliph despite his dhimmi status. His powerful court position led for the Jews to be treated well while and for decades after he was in power. He was a patron of the arts and was known to support various ישיבות, specifically the ישיבה of ר׳ משה בן חנוך, which allowed Spain to become the Jewish center after the decline of the גאונים. He also supported the grammarians מנחם בן סרוק and דונש בן לברט. Through his efforts on behalf of the Jewish community, he is considered to be the man who ushered the Golden Age. He died around 970.

Image: A copy of the letter of Hasdai to the King of Khazar

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