Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
Parshat Vayak-hel/P'kudei

Column #19. 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. 

Last week, we began discussing the DAGESH KAL, the dot whose presence or absence in the six letters BET, GIMMEL, DALET, KAF, PEI, and TAV (collectively referred to as BEGED-KEFET) give each of them two different sounds, e.g. BET and VET, PEI and FEI. (Let's not now discuss the fact that some of the distinctions between the pronunciations of the dotted and undotted letters has been lost or distorted by various segments of the Jewish community. The rules remain, even if the letter sounds the same today with or without the DAGESH.) 

The general rule of DAGESH KAL is that we find one at the beginning of a word or after a SH'VA NACH. In SH'MA, V'DIBARTA (accent on the TA) BAM – The DALET has no DAGESH because it isn't at the beginning of the word and the SH'VA it follows is NA, not NACH. The TAV has a DAGESH KAL because it follows a SH'VA NACH (under the REISH). The BET of BAM has a DAGESH KAL because it is at the beginning of the word. The BET of V'DIBARTA has the other kind of DAGESH - DAGESH CHAZAK, which has its own rules, that will be the topic of a future column, IY"H.

(There are rare DAGESH KALs that exist in circumstances other than these two cases. E.g. VAYICHAD YITRO, the DALET has a DAGESH KAL at the end of the word, not following a SH'VA NACH.) 

A major exception to the BEGED-KEFET at the beginning of a word rule (that the letter will have its DAGESH KAL) is if the preceding word ends in an ALEF, HEI, VAV, or YUD — with certain conditions. The DAGESH KAL drops from the lead letter of the word. We use B'SAMIM (fragrant spices) at Havdala, but the BRACHA is BOREI MINEI V'SAMIM. The DAGESH drops from the BET, following a word that ends in a YUD. This week's sedra (the second of the pair) is called P'KUDEI, but we read EILEH F'KUDEI. The DAGESH drops from the PEI, because it follows a HEI at the end of the preceding word. 

(We're still reviewing from last week, and might not get to the new stuff until next week - sorry.) 

One condition of the ALEF-HEI-VAV-YUD at the end of the preceding word in order for it to cause a DAGESH KAL to drop from the first letter of the following word, is that it must be silent. ALEF always is. HEI sometimes has a MAPIK (that's the name for the HEI-dot, when it occurs), in which case we aspirate the HEI and hear it. In such case, the DAGESH does NOT drop from BEGED-KEFET that follows it. Half of the MINCHA offering of a new kohen is brought in the morning (and the other half towards evening), MACHATZITAH BABOKER. The first BET in BABOKER would have lost its DAGESH had the last letter of the previous word been a silent HEI. But this time, the HEI has a MAPIK and is sounded (with a puff of breath after saying TA), and the BET keeps its DAGESH. 

Similarly (sort of), a VAV can be silent (when it is holding a CHOLOM or SHURUK), in which case the DAGESH KAL following it will fall, YA-R'DU VIMTZOLOT (in the Song of the Sea), and sometimes it is sounded (as a V, really a W, but that's another issue), as in VAI-TZAV PAR'O, so the PEI in PAR'O keeps its DAGESH. 

YUD can be silent, as it is in the end of the word MINEI (mentioned above), or it can be sounded, as in the phrase KALUI BA-EISH (roasted in fire, said of the MINCHAT BIKURIM). The BET keeps its DAGESH. 

The most common condition for the dropping of the DAGESH KAL is that the two words have to be part of the same phrase. This will especially (but not only) be so when the two words are connected with a MAKAF (an upper hyphen). Then the two words actually behave like one long word and the DAGESH KAL drops out. We can even say that the letter isn't really at the beginning of a word. Right before we take our steps back from the Amida, we say Y'H-YU L'RATZON IMREI-FI... Not only does the word PI follow a word ending in a YUD, but it is linked to it. The DAGESH never had a chance! (so to speak). Beware, though, there are exceptions to this. 

Many times, though, the words are not THAT joined, but they are part of the same phrase and the DAGESH will also drop. Tzitzit are tied AL-KANFEI VIGDEICHEM, on the corners of your (four-cornered) garments. KANFEI and BIGDEICHEM are not joined by a MAKAF, but they are in the same phrase, and the BET loses its DAGESH. 

End of SHIRAT HAYAM - ...UV-NEI YIS-RA-EL HA-L'CHU VA-YABASHA B'TOCH HAYAM. "They walked on dry land" is a phrase so the DAGESH drops from the BET and we read VA-YABASHA. But "within the sea" is its own phrase and the BET of B'TOCH keeps its DAGESH, even though it follows a silent HEI. 

NA-SHAF-TA V'RUCHACHA - the dot dropped from the lead BET. But the previous letter is a TAV? Ah, a TAV with a KAMATZ at the end of a word behaves like it is followed by a silent HEI. So a TAV-KAMATZ, as well as a HEI-KAMATZ, CHAF(sofit)-KAMATZ and NUN(sofit)-KAMATZ, all cause a DAGESH KAL to drop in the word following them (sometimes, of course). UV'LECH-T'CHA VA-DERECH (in the SH'MA, twice). A Land whose stones are iron... ERETZ ASHER AVANEHA VARZEL... Dropped DAGESH after a HEI-KAMATZ, which is really like HEI-KAMATZ HEI. Back to SHIRAT HAYAM, Miriam's part - VATEITZENA (NUN sofit with a KAMATZ, behaves like NUN-KAMATZ HEI) CHOL-HANASHIM.