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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>In my last post I mentioned Codex Lamed
(mem).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Codex Lamed (mem) came from the Cairo Geniza
and was in the collection of Manfred Lehman. It had its Messora
Gedola published by Rav M. Breuer in 5751 (reissued by Reuven
Mas 5762). <BR>This Codex was written by, punctuated by and had the massoretic
notes written by one Shmuel Ben Yaacov, who also punctuated and wrote the
Massora of the Leningrad B19a codex. <BR>Its MG is greatly influenced by
the Bavli Massora. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This codex and R Breuer's work on it is very
important. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Many scholars, many non-Jewish scholars and also a
lot of Jewish ones hold that the Leningrad Codex is of equal weight to Alleppo
(or any other ancient Codex). For their purposes Leningrad is better, more
useful, because it has the whole Tnach, which Allepo doesn't. (Thanks to Arab
rioters and maybe also to Syrian Halabi Jews, but that is another story
entirely)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Breuer tried to prove in his book on the Allepo
Codex that <U>it</U> is far superior to the Leningrad Codex because it
closely/almost 100% hews to the Massora. Leningrad in his opinion has tens or
hundreds of divergences from the true Massora.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The opposing scholars said: Leningrad represents a
slighty different but of equal weight Messora. Why is it's Masran any worse that
Allepo's Masran? Most think "any Messora in any old MSS is of equal
weight"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Breuer tried to show by publishing Lamed (mem),
that the divergences of Leningrad from what Breuer felt was the "correct"
Messora was <U>not</U> an equal, old shita passed down and held by the Masran of
Leningrad. Because the very same Masran Shmuel ben Yaacov, in this
different codex, wrote something different! So not only does B19a <U>not</U>
represent an old Massora, it doesn't even represent the Masran's OWN
Messora, he just wrote in 2 places and both have numerous mistakes.
Ha-Ra'ayah - the two MSS of the same Masran diverge from each
other!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is a important subject/argument in the Massora
world, and I thought it merited its own post and not to be hidden under the
subject of Re Allepo Codex Ruth 1:19</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dov Bloom (DB the younger on this
list)</FONT></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>