Monday, March 9, 2009

The Mesorah and the Text of the Torah

In a recent thread on AJCP, we discussed various online sources for the digital text of the Torah. The following resources are available:
Shamash
Mechom Mamre
Snunit
The Aleppo Codex (Keter Aram Sova)
Google Directory of Online Texts
Halacha Brura list of online Tanach (many from HebrewBooks.org)

In the course of my analysis of the texts, I found several differences between them. These "discrepancies" should not be taken as any indication of an issue with the authenticity of the Mesorah. An excellent treatment of these differences and how they actually reinforce the authenticity of the Torah text that we have today can be found in the essay entitled The Accuracy of Our Written Torah by Rabbi Dovid Lichtman of the Discovery project of Aish HaTorah.

Other interesting reading:
Choosing the "best" Tanach - discussion on the Avodah email group
The Letters of the Torah - AishDas Pamphlet #9

My list of differences:

Bereishis
4:13 mineso (chaser/malei vav)
7:11 kol-mayenos (chaser/malei vav)
8:20 hatehorah (chaser/malei vav)
9:29 vayehi/veyihiyu
35:22 piska b'emtza pesuka

Shmos
Differences in numbering of the pesukim in perek 20 - aseres hadibros
25:31 tei'aseh (chaser/malei yud)
28:26 ha-eiphod (chaser/malei vav)

Vayikra
no differences

Bemidbar
1:17 besheimos (chaser/malei vav)
10:10 chodsheichem (chaser/malei yud)
22:5 ben-be'or (chaser/malei vav)

Devarim
2:8 piska b'emtza pesuka
5:18 piska b'emtza pesuka
Differences in numbering of the pesuking in the aseres hadibros
23:5 piska b'emtza pesuka
33:12 k'saifav (chaser/malei yud)
33:19 u'sefunei (chaser/malei vav)

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