Column #38. 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.

Sorry about the mess-up in numbering these last few weeks. Officially, this column started in TT #492. The first few columns were unnumbered; TT #496 was the first numbered column, #5. The column has appeared weekly since then, except for TT #515, which did not have TBD&TR. In looking at back issues, we found that TT #491 contained a review of Shul Etiquette, which wasn’t meant to be part of the TBD&TR column, but it really belongs to it. So this week’s column is really #39, but we’ll hold off on renumbering for the time being.

And here is an update on LA-SECHVI. Although we have not yet received an answer from the ACADEMIYA L’LASHON HA’IVRIT, TT reader DL has received an answer to query to them about the same word.

This might not be the final word (pun intended) on the issue, but here it is, for now.

Ayelet Bezalel, Scientific Secretary of the Academy replied: Although Minchat Shai on Iyov 38:36 brings evidence of a single text with the accent MILRA (on the last syllable), all Biblical manuscripts that we have today show that the word is MIL’EIL (next to the last syllable). Hence, as this is the only Biblical source for the word SECHVI, it should be pronounced MIL’EIL in Modern Hebrew as well (meaning, in addition to the reading of the pasuk in Iyov and in the first bracha of Birkot HaShachar), and dictionaries such as Even-Shushan who put the accent MILRA are mistaken (as is RINAT YISRAEL).

Conclusion (to date) is a-SHER na-TAN la-SECH- vi vi-NA...
Side point on SECHVI: The word, as we mentioned weeks ago, has two meanings - rooster and human intellect (or heart). The word GEVER also has two meanings: man and rooster. Interesting, no?

Here are some more “warnings” of common davening mispronunciations. We’re still in P’sukei D’Zimra.

In ASHREI, CHANUN V’RACHUM, the NUN in CHANUN is DAGESHed and therefore stressed. chaNNNun. This becomes important, because CHANUN without a DAGESH in the NUN has a different meaning. With the DAGESH (which the NUN has in this pasuk), the word describes G-d as Merciful or Compassionate. CHANUN without the DAGESH is a description of one who is the recipient of someone else’s mercy. It might appear trifling to talk about the emphasis of a DAGESH CHAZAK. So many of us don’t pay attention to them in our pronunciation of Hebrew. But listen carefully to a BAAL T’FILA or BAAL KOREI who does say the DAGESH properly. It is such a pleasure to hear it. And in the case of CHANUN, it astually makes a difference in meaning. So it isn’t so trifling after all.
Still in ASHREI, KAROV HASHEM L’CHOL KO- R’AV, not KORAV, and not even KOR’AV. In other words, the REISH is voweled with a SH’VA NA and belongs to the syllable after it, not to the first syllable KO.

More... R’TZON Y’REI-AV... V’SHAV-A-TAM, not V’SHAVATAM. In general, there are many examples of letters with a SHVA NACH followed by an ALEF or AYIN with a vowel. Since the SH’VA NACH is silent and the ALEF (and for some of us, the AYIN too) is silent also, we (some of us) tend to drop the silent SH’VA and ALEF (or AYIN) - what’s not to drop? - and the word gets mispronounced as a result. We need to read our davening (and Torah) more carefully.

Earlier in ASHREI we find ZECHER or ZEICHER (RAV TU-V’CHA...) There is a dispute as to which is correct (of those who pronounce the SEGOL and TZEIREI differently). More on this to come.

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