Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
Parshat B'shalach

Column #13. The contents of this weekly column are based on the sefer: EIM LAMIKRA HASHALEIM, by R' Nissan Sharoni, Ashdod, a guide to correct pronunciation of Hebrew, specifically in davening and Torah reading. 

Okay, let's try to summarize SH'VA NA and NACH so that we can move on to other topics next week. Just know, that even it there is a fair amount of agreement among BAALEI DIKDUK (Hebrew grammarians) for almost all SH'VAs, there will be some that will "forever" remain points of debate. 

5 rules for SH'VA NA (the one that gives its letter a very short vowel sound - in this column, shown as an apostrophe following the letter). The rules are ALEF, BET, GIMMEL, DALET, and HEI. 

[ALEF] The first letter of a word, if it has a SH'VA, the SH'VA is NA. Books, children, names – S'FARIM, Y'LADIM, SH'MOT. (Maybe the words SHTEI, SHTAYIM, two, is an exception.) 

[BET] The second SH'VA of two consecutive letters with SH'VAs (in the middle of a word) is NA (the first one is NACH). TISH-M'RU, the SHIN's SH'VA is NACH, the MEM's is NA. (When there are two SH'VAs at the end of a word, they are both NACH (unvoweled). 

[GIMMEL] stands for G'DOLA. The SH'VA following an UNACCENTED long vowel (T'NU'A G'DOLA) is NA. SHO-F'TIM V'SHO-T'RIM. The SH'VAs under the FEI and the TET are NA because they follow SHINs with CHOLAM, a long vowel. In this week's sedra - the Egyptians said, oy, what did we do that we sent Israel out from our service. VA-YO-M'RU (not VA-YOM-RU). Horse and rider, SUS V'RO-CH'VO (not ROCH). G-d's "right hand", Y'MI-N'CHA - the NUN with the SH'VA follows a Full CHIRIK (the MEM with the CHIRIK is followed by a YUD), not Y'MIN-CHA. Also in AZ YASHIR we find YA-R'DU. KAMATZ GADOL is a long vowel under the YUD, therefore the SH'VA under the REISH is NA. R'DU. 

And let's not forget the king of them all (because of the change in meaning), VA-YI-R'U, and they feared HaShem (not VA-YIR-U, and they saw). 

We can include in this rule SH'VA that follows a short vowel that is strengthened (lengthened) by a METEG. With a CHIRIK and a KUBUTZ there seems to be agreement. With PATACH there seems to be debate. 

Also remember that a connective VAV that became an U at the beginning of a word, the SHURUK (which usually is a long vowel) is considered a short vowel and is not (usually) followed by a SH'VA NA, but rather a NACH. UV-RU'ACH, not U'V'... 

(This rule has a few more complications, but let's leave it for now.) 

[DALET] D'GUSHA, a letter with a dot in it (except at the end of a word), its SH'VA is NA. And the water was to them a wall, on their right and on their left. U'MIS'MOLAM. The SIN has a dot in it and a SH'VA under it (and a different dot above it to the left). The SH'VA then is NA and has a short vowel sound. But the letter also belongs together with the MI because of its DAGESH. It isn't a clean differentiation of syllables U'MI-S'MO-LAM, but more like U'MISS'MO-LAM. TUBB'U, not TUB-U. The BET has a DAGESH and a SH'VA. The SH'VA is NA and the BET is emphasized and shared by the first and second syllables. Also in AZ YASHIR - NITZ'VU, with the TZ being stressed and shared by NITZ and TZ'VU. 

[HEI] This one is forced for the purpose of the mnemonic. HADOMOT, two letters the same and a SH'VA under the first, the SH'VA becomes NA even if it would ordinarily have been NACH. U'L'-LEI-VI (in contrast to UL-GAD, UL-DAN, UL-YOSEF). The SH'VA under the first LAMED became a NA because of the LAMED that follows it. Y'VA-RE-CH'CHA. (This rule too is disputed in certain circumstances.) 

[VAV] can be the VAV that became a SHURUK exception to the [GIMMEL] rule as mentioned above. 

Practical suggestion for fellow chronic mispronounces. Take things slowly. Be inconsistent as you correct SH'VAs one at a time. M'TZAVV'CHA.