Meaning of masoret | Babel Free

Definitions

1. An unwritten tradition orally passed down as law by the Hebrews.
2. A Masorah.

Examples

“The rough correspondence between these concepts and “native” Jewish ideas such as masoret (authoritative tradition) and galut (exile) further helps to explain⟳ their enduring status in the field.”

“From the above, it would seem that Rabban Gamliel had a different masoret from R' Yehoshua, one that was a very well-kept secret.”

““The Sadducees say⟳ that there is a tradition (masoret) in the hands of the Pharisees to afflict themselves,” according to 'Abot R. Nat. A (end⟳ chap. 12).”

“The Masorets, by their great care and diligence, have⟳ left us an edition of the Old Testament, which secures the text from all interpolations, while it checks also the licentiousness of conjectural criticism, and gives a definite meaning to many obscure passages; at the same time, it by no means precludes the labours of the learned from aiming at greater accuracy in their attempts to understand⟳ Scripture, as the sense⟳ which the Masorets may have⟳ put⟳ upon any passage can only be said to be highly probable: the meaning of Scripture in all cases being derivable from the words, and not from the vowel points, or any arbitrary divisions.”

“Having thus fixed the correct⟳ reading, the Masorets determined to prevent⟳ as far as possible, the danger of any future departure from it.”

“It is a version of the Hebrew Old Testament, translated from 700-1000 a.d. (yes, that's right) by the Masorets, Jewish scholars trying to translate⟳ the Old Testament back into Hebrew from fragments of existing Hebrew, oral tradition, and the Septuagint.”

“...the transcribers themselves have⟳ candidly intimated by the suspended Nun that סשמ is the genuine reading, and the Masorets also expressly state, that the Nun was inserted, in order⟳ that the first idolatrous priest should not be said to be a grandson of Moses.”

“Where the Keri's have⟳ to do with exegesis or grammar, by far the largest part of them proceed immediately from the Masorets themselves.”

“This is surprising, because in the Masoret it is plene, but we have⟳ found that the Masoret disagrees with the Talmud in Tractate Shabbat [55b].”

CEFR level