masoret

noun

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

   “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).”

2. (alt-of, alternative)Alternative form of Masorete.

   “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.”

3. A Masorah.

   “...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].”