The point is academic “modern researchers” cannot declare Rashi’s girsa “incorrect”.
You don’t have to be a “modern researcher”.
Look at the Rashi to Bereshit 25:6 where he quotes a Bereshit Rabbah on the Hebrew spelling of ?????????????. Rashi says the spelling is “defective” yud missing. Which is correct:
(1) Ever sefer torah on the planet today is correct; Rashi and Bereshit Rabbah were mistaken or had a defective text.
(2) Rashi and Bereshit Rabbah are correct; every sefer torah on the planet today has a misspelled word.
(3) Both are acceptable; the spelling in a sefer torah is not critical.
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