On One Masorah in Rashi's Biblical Commentary

Abstract

The aim of our research was to clarify the Masoretic sources which Rashi used in his commentary on the word נחלה in Ezek. 47:19. Rashi claims that he has see that the stress is penultimate for גחלה מצרים (Num. 34:5) and that the Masorah ad loc is לית בטעמא (= unique with this accentuation). I examined scores of medieval Biblical manuscripts that originated from all known regions but did not find a single Masoretic note formulated in this way. Moreover, they all apply the ב (= two occurrences) in different wording, without the use of לית as Rashi does. In only one manuscript, Parma di Rossi 2, did I find the note ל פס דס וחד נתלה עבר על נפשנו (the word-pair מצרים נחלה is unique in the Bible as is נחלה עבר על נפשנו). I suggest viewing this note and the other one quoted by Rashi לית בטעמא as a rewording by the Masoretes of the equivalent note found in the Aleppo and Leningrad Manuscripts: בתרי לישני ב (= a unique pair of words identical in pronunciation but different in meaning).