"Nachor" was the name both of Terach's father, and one of Terach's sons.
This name appears eight times in Parshas Noach, Perek 11: once each in
pesukim 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, and twice in 29. In eight of my
chumashim, it is spelled malei (with the vav, for a total of four letters)
all eight times.
But there is one exception. In my Hirsch Chumash (Judaica Press Ltd.,
Gateshead 1973), Bereishis 11:24 has it spelled chaser - only three letters
- nun, ches, resh, with no vav. I have attached a photo to this email,
though I don't know if it will be passed along to the mailing list. If
anyone would like me to send it directly, just email me at
AkivaGMiller@gmail.com
MY QUESTION is this: Is this an error in this particular edition? Or might
it be a variant spelling of some kind?
Akiva Miller
(attachments)
It should be well known that early mss. of the Torah and T'NaKh have many differences in male' and chaser. Even the Leningrad Ms. is dificient in this respect, having many, many cases where it differs not only from other mss. but from the Masorah that it has in its margins. Menachem Cohen wrote a 100-page essay describing the matter at the end of the volume of his Miqra'ot Gedolot -- HaKeter on Y'shuvua' and Shoftim.
In particular, old Ashkenaz mss are particularly not so careful in male' and chaser.
I do not have a list of all the cases. In Breuer's work on reconstruction the Masoretic text he brings differences between his 8 or so first-class mss. But that does not include Ashkenaz mss. If you cannot find the source for the chaser spelling there, it is probably from an Ashkenaz ms., particularly in view of the fact that you found it in the Hirsch Chumash.
I assume you checked it against R. Wolf Heidenheim's edition.
Rabbi Dr. Seth Mandel
Rabbinic Coordinator
The Orthodox Union
Voice and Fax (212) 613-8330 e-mail mandels@ou.org
Which Printed Chumashim are the most consistent with Rav Breuer's work?I know about 2 editions that he was involved in1 from Mossad Rav Kook1 from Choreiv publishingHow about the Simanim Chumash?RRW