[Mesorah] VaYechal Moshe - Zakef or Revia (Devarin 32:45)

[Dov Bloom]

An aquaintance called to my attention the variant ta'am on the phrase "VaYechal Moshe" (leDaber et-kol-hadevarim haele el-kol-yisrael) Devarim lamed-bet 45, Shevi'i of Ha'azinu.

Most tenachs have Moshe with a revi'a, including Breuer in Daat Mikra. Minchat Shai has no comment, nor does Keset Sofer or Meivin Hidot. The Bavli Mesorah (Ofer's book) is silent here also. My Leningrad copy has a revia and the Allepo Codex , and the 2nd edition Mikraot Gedolot seem to go along. Mechon-Mamre on the net likewise has a revia. The Bavli Mesorah (Ofer's book) is silent here.

Koren, however, has a zakef, as does the new Tanach Simanim.  Anyone know what the Koren version is based on? What does Heidenheim say (Koren often follows Heidenheim)? Are the "Simanim" Chumashim following them?

In terms of the syntax the zakef seems plausable: since the rest of the pasuk is connected to the verb leDaber.
The revia would seem to follow the rule about the largest stop preceding the final addendum (the tipcha before el-kol-yisrael being the largest stop, VaYechal Moshe ||  leDaber ||| et-kol-hadevarim haele  | el-kol-yisrael. 

I will ask Dr. Leah Himmelfarb , from Bar Ilan, who extensively studied the psukim without an etnachta (like this one), what her analysis is.  


Dov A Bloom
dovb at netvision.net.il
02-9963196
052-8903727