“Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us.” We have passed from one calamity to another, we have grown weary and no rest has been given to us. A wicked Christian in the French town of Bray murdered a Jew.

The victim’s relatives appealed to the lady who ruled that territory. Because the murderer was a servant of the king of France, they gave her gifts and obtained permission to hang him. They hanged the murderer on Purim.

When the king of France heard what had happened, he became enraged. This was the same wicked king who had previously expelled all the Jews from his territory, in the year 4940 [1180], and seized all their property. He was a king who persisted in his wickedness from beginning to end.

The king came to the town of Bray and ordered its Jews to be burned. Some of them were very wealthy and highly respected, some were great rabbis and some were learned scholars. They refused to submit to baptism and deny the one God.

The blessed Rabbi Yom Tov then came forward and killed about sixty people with his own hand. The others were burned while proclaiming the unity of their Creator. The king ordered that only the children under thirteen years of age be released and allowed to escape for their lives.

I witnessed all these things during the fleeting days of my life. May the Creator also allow me to live to see retribution. May He reveal vengeance on our behalf and bring our redeemer quickly. Amen, may this be God’s will.