David Kaufmann and his MSS Online
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences has posted online a small part of the MSS collection of David Kaufmann. (here) The interface is simple and very easy to use. This collection includes the most important MS of his collection, and one of the most important Hebrew MS in existence, the Kaufmann MS of the Mishnah. (here) The website includes a biography of Kaufmann. (hat tip) In order to learn more about Kaufmann and his MSS collection, scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the arrow. These are the MSS from his collection that are online:
1. Mishnah, Italy, 11-12th c. (here)
2. Mishneh Torah, North-Eastern France, 1296 (here)
3. Siddur, Pesaro, Italy, 1481 (here)
4. Mahzor, Southern German, circa 1320 (here)
5. Mahzor, Southern Germany, c. 1270-1290 (here)
6. Haggadah, Catalonia, 14th c. (here)
The following is a good example of the importance of manuscripts for the study of Rabbinic texts. If you look at most standard printed editions of Mishnah Shabbat 6:10 you will read,
יוצְאִין בְּבֵיצַת הַחרגול, וּבְשֵׁן שֶׁל שועל, וּבְמַסְמֵר מִן הַצלוב, משום רְפואָה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים
אומְרִים, אַף בַּחֹל אָסור, משום דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי
R. Obaviah of Bartenura had Rabbi Meir and חכמים switched around. But in the Kaufmann MS we read (here),
יוצְאִין בְּבֵיצַת החרגול וּבְשֵׁן שלשועל וּבְמַסְמֵר הַצלוב משום רְפואה דִבְ׳ רְ׳ יוֹסֵי וּרְ׳ מֵאִיר אוסר אַף בַּחול משום דַּרְכֵי הָאמורִי
In this version there is no חכמים, rather, the contrasting opinions are those of Rabbi Yossi and Rabbi Meir. R. Kafih’s edition of the Rambam’s commentary on the Mishnah has a similar version as the Kaufmann MS. As J.N. Epstein (Mavo le-Nusah ha-Mishnah, 130-131) and Avraham Goldberg (his commentary on Massechet Shabbat, 122-123) have shown, the version of the Kaufmann MS is the version found in all of the Palestinian/Land of Israel manuscript traditions of the Mishnah, and in some of the Babylonian ones, although not like the Mishnah in the Babylonian Talmud which is similar to the printed editions of the Mishnah. Not surprisingly, the Jerusalem Talmud is aware of the difference in traditions, (Y. Shabbat 6:9, 8c)
אית תני תניי ומחליף, רבי חנניה בשם רבי יוחנן כמתני’ רבי שמואל רבי אבהו בשם רבי יוחנן כל שהוא מרפא אין בו משום דרכי האמורי