Soferim

Masekhet Soferim ( Hebrew מסכת סופרים“Treatise from the scribes”; also Hilkhot Soferim or Baraita de-Soferim ) is a so-called extra - canonical treatise of the Babylonian Talmud and is usually printed in its appendix after the order Nesiqin .

It covers the rules for writing a Torah scroll and reading the Bible.

The treatise dates from around the second half of the 8th century and has survived in two versions: a Palestinian (the usual version) and a Babylonian version (the latter not fully preserved).

In some points Soferim contradicts the Talmudic Halacha and has prevailed in it.

literature

• Johann Krengel, article SOFERIM , in: Jüdisches Lexikon , Berlin 1927, Vol. IV / 2.
• Hermann L. Strack and Günter Stemberger : Introduction to Talmud and Midrash . 7th edition, Beck, Munich 1982.

Web links

• Wilhelm Bacher, Ludwig Blau:  SOFERIM ("Scribes"). In: Isidore Singer (Ed.): Jewish Encyclopedia . Funk and Wagnalls, New York 1901-1906.