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<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Evaluating the Mesorah:<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br></span></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The following is information that I have gathered regarding
the viability of our Mesorah.<span style=""> </span>Please evaluate
on objective grounds whether or not it is good enough for the following 3 practical
purposes. 1. Halacha LeMaaseh (in all cases where Halacha is discussed in the
Mesorah); 2. Accurate enough descriptions of events/stories for us to garner
the correct messages (musar/midos) from; and 3. Physical Metziuses of objects
described in the Mesorah (which may alter our understanding of theses objects
(e.g. keilim) should they have to be re-built bizman HaMoshiach (in case the
originals are not found). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1.Torah Text Authenticity; Many sources indicate our
modern-day sifrei Torahs are not letter for letter, word for word authentic
copies of the original STorah written by Moshe Rabeinu.<span style=""> </span>(<strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yerushalmi</span></strong><b style=""> </b><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Taanit</span></strong>
4:2, Soferim 6:4, Tos Shabbas 55b, extensive work by Gil Student, etc,).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">2. Torah v. Torah Discrepancies: Count 50 days for the Omer
v. Count 7 weeks; Eat Matza for 6 days v. Eat Matza for 7 days;<span style=""> </span>Aseret HaDibrot Discrepancies. [All of these
discrepancies are explained away by the mesorah we are currently attempting to
evaluate; but nevertheless, they exist.]</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">3.Nach v. Nach Discrepancies:<span style=""> </span>taken from: <a href="http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.html" target="_blank">http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.html</a>
<br>
A. 1KI 9:28 420 talents of gold were brought back from Ophir. <br>
2CH 8:18 450 talents of gold were brought back from Ophir. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">B.<span style=""> </span>1SA 31:4-6 Saul
killed himself by falling on his sword. <br>
2SA 1:2-10 Saul, at his own request, was slain by an Amalekite. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C.<span style=""> </span>2SA 21:12 Saul was
killed by the Philistines on Gilboa. <br>
1CH 10:13-14 Saul was slain by God.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">D.<span style=""> </span>2SA 24:9 The
census count was: <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
800,000 and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Judah</st1:place></st1:country-region>
500,000. <br>
1CH 21:5 The census count was: <st1:country-region w:st="on">Israel</st1:country-region>
1,100,000 and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Judah</st1:country-region></st1:place>
470,000. <br>
E.<span style=""> </span>2SA 24:24 David paid 50 shekels of
silver for the purchase of a property. <br>
1CH 21:22-25 He paid 600 shekels of gold. <br>
F. 1KI 4:26 Solomon had 40,000 horses (or stalls for horses). <br>
2CH 9:25 He had 4,000 horses (or stalls for horses). <br>
G. 1KI 5:16 Solomon had 3,300 supervisors. <br>
2CH 2:2 He had 3,600 supervisors. <br>
H. 1KI 16:6-8 Baasha died in the 26th year of King Asa's reign. <br>
2CH 16:1 Baasha built a city in the 36th year of King Asa's reign. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><st1:place w:st="on">I.</st1:place><span style=""> </span>2KI 8:25-26 Ahaziah was 22 years old when he
began his reign. <br>
2CH 22:2 He was 42 when he began his reign. <br>
J.<span style=""> </span>2KI 24:8 Jehoiachin (Jehoiakim) was
eighteen years old when he began to reign. <br>
2CH 36:9 He was eight.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">etc., etc.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">4.Mesorah (zugos, etc.,) as they appears in Pirkei Avos and
in the Rambam.<span style=""> </span>HB question: When was
Pirkei Avos written?<span style=""> </span>After all of the
events in it were described? Any possibility that parts could have been added
in after-the-fact to fill in historical blanks?<span style="">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">5.Mishna v. Mishna discrepancies; many.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">6.Mishna v. Baraisa v. Tosefta discrepancies (some resulting
in different Halachic interpretations); many.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">7.Gemmara re-phrasing and re-editing of Mishnayot (chasurei
mechsora; something being heard/darshened out in the name of someone else,
etc.,) </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">8. Talmud Yerushalmi v. Talmud Bavli discrepancies (not only
in received Halachot but in narrative events and stories). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">9.<span style=""> </span>Gaonim, Rishonim,
Acharonim, Corrections/Contradictions within Shas: R. Akiva Eiger; Gilyon
Hashas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">10. Many known cases of xian (muslim?) censors editing
and/or changing parts of Shas.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">11. Zohar Authenticity; many hold that the Zohar (or part of
it) was not authored by the Rashbi, including R. Yaakov Emden (Sefer Mishpat
Sefarim). Some of its concepts go against traditional beliefs, and some
practices (chasidish mostly) were adopted on the belief that it is an authentic
work. (Tzarich Iyun as to halachic applicability were the Rashbi to appear at
Techiyas Hameisim and tell us that in fact he never wrote it.)</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">12. Many Baal Shem Tov Stories never happened, yet are
repeated world-wide thousands of times a day (and even more often on Shabbas). <span style=""> </span>Applicability to Halacha may be nil, except
for perhaps Midvar Sheker Tirchak. HB</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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