מסורת

מַסּוֹרֶתf. (מָסַר) (a chain of) tradition. Sot.10b דבר זה מ׳ בידינו מאבותינווכ׳ we hold a tradition from our fathers that Ḥull.63b עוף טהור נאכל במ׳ as for eating clean birds we rely on tradition (there being no rules for distinguishing them in the Biblical law).Esp. the traditional Scriptural text without vowels, contrad. to מקרא the traditional vocalization, v. אֵם. Y.Meg.IV, 74d bot. (ref. to Neh. 8:8) ‘they explained the reading, זה המ׳ this means the traditional text; Bab. ib. 3a אלו חמסורות (some eds. מסורת; v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.); Ned.37b המסורות. Ab. III, 13 מ׳ סייג לתורה the tradition is the fence for (preserving the integrity of) the Torah. Zeb.37b, sq. אהני מקרא ואהני מ׳ the traditional vocalization is a help (in interpretation), and so is the traditional literal text (e. g. בסכת, Lev. 23:42, which may be interpreted as singular number, and which is read as a plural); a. fr.Pl. מַסֹּורֹות. Tanḥ Vaëthḥ. 6 נטלו מ׳ חכמהוכ׳ the traditions of wisdom were taken from Moses and given to Joshua.Meg.3a; Ned.37b, v. supra.מַסֹּורָה Massorah, the collection of textual readings systematically arranged.