The מסורה, from a משומד (convert)

                What is the מסורה?

The מסורה started in the times of Ezra Hasofer*
& The Anshei Knesess Hagedolah. This
continued for over a thousand years to the times
of the Rabonon Saveroi and early Gaonim.


There are many parts to the מסורה.

Some parts of the מסורה,(there are more)

1) How many letters and words in each Sefer (Tanach)
2) The טעמים (known as the Trop)
3) The קרי & כתיב
4) Nekudos (How to pronounce)
5) Begin & end Pesukim & Parshios
6) How many times the word with the same
spelling appears.
7)  חסירות ויתירות (spelling)
8) Large & small letters  (גחון}
9) Similar words elsewhere in Tanach
10) When it's the name of Hashem and when not

Because of the מסורה, we have a uniform text
of the Tanach, which both the Perushim &
Tzedokim agree on.

          Our מסורה is from the משומד

           יעקב בן חיים אבן אדוניהו


Yakov ben Chaim and Eliyahu Bachur were both employed as editors in the printing house of Danielle Bombergini.
( The Goy who printed the first complete Shas)

Yakov ben Chaim edited the Seforim Bomberg printed.
Among them were the Shas Bavli & Yerushalmi
and the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash.

Yakov wrote an important and  fabulous
Hakdama** for the Mikraos Gedolos Chumash.
He also compiled and organized the Mesorah (Tanach) which was completely disorganized and almost impossible to read.

It is interesting, his co-worker Eliyahu Bachur praises his work and curses him in the same sentence.(for converting)

E. Bachur writes " I have never seenin any of the previous Seforim such perfect, beautiful and organized work as was done  by the person whose name used to be "Yakov, תהי נשמתו צרורה ***בצרור נקוב "

Yakov convinced D.Bomberg to allow him to print his Mesorah in the Chumash.

Hence the only Mesorah we have today is from 
the Meshumad Yakov who compiled, organized
and had it printed.


*They were called Sofrim because the counted the 
letters, words, Pesukim and Parshios.(Ms.Kidushin)

** The original Chumashim had his name printed.
In the later  prints, the name was removed and 
replaced as הקדמת המעתיק

***A bundle with a hole (everything falls out.
a play on words based on a Pasuk in Chagi 1