[Avodah] KSA, MB, AhS, Chayei Adam and other codes

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Sep 04, 2008 at 03:04:37PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
: Question: Did the GRA believe that Mes' Soferim was actually written
: before chatimat hatalmud?  Or did he consider its authors among Chazal
: for another reason?

The Gra studied girsaot, so he knew things like how recent the mesechtos
qetanos were. I would also take it for granted that he also knew that
the Rosh said it was a late work. And that Soferim in particular is
different in forms published with the Bavli and with the Y-mi.

I think the Gra considered them liqutim of divrei Chazal, even if compiled
by geonim. In the case of Soferim, recompiled; much of it already appeard
in Mes' Seifer Torah, although only the parts about being a sofeir; not
the last section from which he got the pesaq about making a berakhah on
megillos or the list of special shirim shel yom.

Peeking up after checking the JewishEncyclopedia.com:
Academics also acknowledge the use of EY idiom, rather than that of
Bavel. However, they attribute ch 6-9 (which is all about writing sta"m)
to the baalei mesorah of Teveriah.

They also conclude from things like the lack of sources (thus showing
no need to pin onto an earlier authority) that most of the book is early.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Never must we think that the Jewish element
micha at aishdas.org        in us could exist without the human element
http://www.aishdas.org   or vice versa.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                     - Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch