[Avodah] Merchavyah

[Akiva Miller]

.
R' Micha Berger wrote something that goes to the very heart of my question:

> The kosher text of a seifer Torah, when there is doubt, is
> based on rov of existing sifrei Torah. If the demographics
> of girsa'os changed between chasimas hashas and the Baalei
> Mesorah (and didn't switch back since), perhaps we follow the
> new rov, despite evidence in the gemara of Chazal preferring
> something else.

A "doubt" is what happens when you've done your best to figure out the
situation, and you can't decide which way to go. So, for example, a
person who came across several authoritative texts, some of which
spelled "merchavyah" as one word and some spelled it as two, IF he was
unaware of this Gemara, then he would count up his texts and follow
the rov.

But that person is not me, because I was fortunate to have stumbled
upon RSR Hirsch's perush on Tehillim, in which he pointed out the
gemara to me. So to me, there is no doubt; "merchavyah" is one word.

Does that make sense, or am I being obtuse?

Akiva Miller