[Avodah] Why Not: Yehoshua BEN Nun?

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 08:34:33PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
>> The yud added to
>> Yehoshua's name is "well known" to have been borrowed from the one
>> dropped out of "Sarai" when she became "Sarah". But where did the two
>> dots for the sheva under the yud come from? The segol from "ben"!

> This implies that nekudot are misinai, which used to be universally
> believed.

But simply cannot be true. The nequdos under discussion are those of the
Baalei Mesorah of Tiveriah. We're talking a group that post-date Chazal
that mostly consisted of Qaraim. There are centuries of written record
with no concept of niqud, the Cairo geniza has examples of earlier forms
of the niqud, etc...

The Bavli system of niqud was in use before that of Tiveriah. Not just
by absence of evidence, but by evidence of use of earlier system. Did
the Amoraim not know something miSinai that the Qaraim in Teveriah had
an Oral Tradition on?

Rashi, refers to a segol as a patach qatan. This shows at least partial
acceptance of the Bavli system, if not in use, its concepts. In that
system of niqud, what we call patach and what we call segol have the same
symbol.

But mequbalim believe in progressive revalation. so what's the big If the
Ari could reveal something min haShamayim that wasn't known until him,
then why does niqud have to be miSinai in order to be "real"? The "only"
problem is asserting the antiquity of those parts of the Tiqunei Zohar
(eg the discussion of tzeirei on 7b). Rashbi is describing symbols from
one of three widespread systems that have no indication of being in use
yet, not any indication of being more accepted amoung Rabbinic Jews than
other options until the rishonim.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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