Quote:
Originally Posted by Ringy
How can you prove that the Torah has remained unchanged for over 2000 years?  |
Preserving the Accuracy
Throughout all generations, great care was taken to preserve the Torah exactly as it was given by Moses. The scribe is thus given the advice, "Be careful with your task, for it is sacred work -- if you add or subtract a single letter, you will destroy everything." (Talmud)
Since every Torah must be letter perfect, it must be carefully copied from another scroll. It is forbidden to write a single letter without copying it from another Torah.
Moreover, the scribe must repeat every word out loud before writing it down, so as to insure accuracy in copying. This was the custom among the prophets, as we find, "He pronounced all these words for me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book" (Jeremiah 36:18).
If a Torah or other sacred writings are incorrectly written, it is forbidden to keep them for more than 30 days, lest they be used or copied. After this period, they must be either corrected or hidden. It is thus written, "Do not let wrong remain in your tents" (Job 11:14).
Originally, the Torah and other scripture were so carefully preserved that every letter, word, and sentence was counted. Traditions still exist based on this knowledge.