A historic interesting letter from the false Messiah Yehuda ben Shalom ben Mari Shukar Kachail, to Rabbi Shmuel Heller Rabbi of Sefad. "Written in the city of Al-Krana (Yemen), Kislev 1869.
In the letter, the "Messiah" writes a lengthy response to Rabbi Shmuel Heller, to his claims as to why the "Messiah" reveals himself in Yemen and not as is explained in the writings of Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai) that the Messiah will be revealed in the cities of the Galil: "His words are words of truth, but all the intentions and words [of Rashbi] are in the Upper World and G-d should enlighten your eyes". Moreover, he writes in the name of the Zohar Chadash that the mountain on which the Messiah will be revealed is a mountain with horns like the horns of an oryx and only in Yemen does such a mountain exist by the name of Alteil.
Further, he answers the claim why the Messiah's revelation is in the desert and not in an inhabited country, and this is what he writes: "… In the cities of Yemen named Uzel there are two klipot that our brothers who dwell in the Yemenite cities could not overpower… therefore, I do not have permission to leave my place. Furthermore, my master Eliyahu [The Prophet] forbade me to do any activity nor study the Torah. The reason for this is that if I will study Torah and Israel will not study Torah and fulfill the mitzvoth as is fitting… this will be an excuse… for accusing Israel… and my master Eliyahu has already given me time until we reach the city of Mead. But I inform you that you will soon see wonders, because all Israel will gather there and from there we will enter the Holy Land." At the end of the letter he signs: "Shalom ben Mari Shukar Kuchail and my mother's name is Chamama – Mari Shukar because we are celebrating G-d's festival [acronym: Kuchail] – His Majesty and His kingdom should rise forever. And three "royal" stamps: one with his signature Yehuda Shalom.
Yehuda Shalom Mari Shukar Al Kuchail, native of the village of Beit Radam near Sana, "revealed himself" in 1859, with various stories that he "received" the message of redemption from heavenly angels and he traveled and expounded throughout Yemenite cities to awaken people to do teshuva and pray for the redemption. When he reached Sana, Sana scholars headed by Rabbi Saliman ben Saliman Amar went out against him. In the end, the king of Yemen executed him and cut off his head. After a number of years, during 1867-1868, a new false Messiah rose in Yemen, a faker who claimed that he is Mari Shukar himself that has been resurrected from the dead. Rabbi Ya'akov Sapir wrote and publicized in the newspapers and in special pamphlets (Letter to Yemen, Paris, 1869 and Second Letter to Yemen, Mainz, 1873) the misdeeds of the false Messiah. After the rabbis of Eretz Yisrael publicized the denial of his messianism, his many believers left him and he was scorned and mocked in the city of Sana until his death in 1878.
This letter was written by Mari Shukar Kuchail the Second and was printed [with minor changes] in the last book of Rabbi Ya'akov Sapir, The Second Letter to Yemen, pages 20-21. [For further information on this affair, see Meshichei HaSheker U'Mitnagdeihem, by Binyamin Shlomo Hamburger, Bnei Brak, 1989, pages 295-312; and see the article written by Avraham Ya'ari, Shukar Kuchail – two false Messiahs in Yemen, included in Shevut Teiman, Tel Aviv 1945, pages 146-147].
Leaf 32.5 cm. Handsome handwriting. Fair condition, stains and tears. Many letters have erased ink and are difficult to decipher.