[Avodah] End of sefer notes

[Yisrael Dubitsky]

RMK asks:

> In Mikraos Gedolos Hamaor, at the end of each sefer it has a note that
> says (using B'midbar as an example), "S'chum pesukim shel sefer b'midbar
> 1288, ... , uparshiosav 10 ..., v'sidrav 32..., uperakav 36..., minyan
> hapesuchos 92, v'hasesumos 66, sach hakol 158 parshios..."
>
> I found it interesting that it lists both sidros (referring presumably to
> EY's triennial cycle, since in all the seforim it is approx. 3x the # of
> parshios) and perakim.  Isn't this a bit of an anachronism?  Were
> triennial
> sidros and perakim ever used in the same period?


First, the two systems were in use simultaneouly for the different
communities of EY and Bavel.
Second, even were this not so, the listing of the two systems at the end of
humashim is not "anachronistic" at all, since they are listed as systems of
text division and not as liturgical practice. All items you have mentioned
are different ways of dividing the same text.

What is more troubling, at least to me, is the wholly un-masoretic "perakim"
marker, as these were not originally Jewish text divisions (even if they
were adopted later by Jews). In that sense, they do not belong in an
otherwise authentic masoretic note such as this.

Yisrael Dubitsky
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