Column #70. Contents of this weekly column are (mostly) 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.

The number of the column was wrong last week; we are back on track now.
Brachot for mitzvot have a standard formula with which we are quite familiar. Many times in this column, I project my own mistakes and “I never realized that!” kind of experiences on some (many?) TT readers. If you react with an “I knew that” or a “That’s obvious” on anything that appears in TBDATR, then please accept my apologies for stating the obvious. Except it isn’t obvious to everyone.

...ASHER KI-D’SHANU B’MITZVOTAV, He Who has sanctified us with His mitzvot. I’m sure I always used to say the second work of this phrase K’DISHANU, as if there was a SH’VA under the KUF and a CHIRIK under the DALET. I’m not sure if there is a different meaning to this mispronunciation, or it just isn’t a real word, but the fact is that there is a CHIRIK under the KUF and a SH’VA NA under the DALET - which has a DAGESH CHAZAK in it. That means that the first syllable is pronounced KID, and the DALET sound is stretched a little an fused to the second syllable - D’SHA, which gets the accent, and then NU. The word is MIL’EIL (accented on the next to the last syllable.

The other thing to watch out for (which seems common among many people) is the phrasing. This three-word phrase should stay together and the next word, V’TZIVANU, should not be con- nected to them. A lot of people say ASHER KID’-SHANU B”MITZVOTAV V’TZIVANU and then pause while they are trying to remember the ending they are supposed to be saying.

First of all, one is supposed to know and have in mind the ending of the bracha before beginning it. We should not say brachot as if they are a form which we will fill in with the ending when we get there. The word V’TZIVANU, and He commanded us... belongs to the ending of the bracha. V’TZI- VA-NU AL S’FIRAT HA-OMER. ...V’TZIVANU AL N’TILAT YADAYIM. ...V’TZIVANU L’HADLIK NER SHEL YOM TOV. Etc.

Side point. Not really a side point to the topic of Brachot, but a side point as far as proper grammar, pausing, accenting, etc. is concerned. A bracha for a mitzva should be completed before the mitzva is performed. On Leil Yom Tov, assuming that you will say the bracha before lighting, then don’t start lighting while you are finishing the bracha. Wait until you finish the bracha (including SHE’HE’CHE’YANU), and then begin lighting. (Of course, for Shabbat candles, women light first and then say the bracha, so this point doesn’t apply there.)

For N’TILAT YADAYIM, one should strive to complete the bracha BEFORE the hands are completely dry. In this case, the bracha is said while we dry our hands, but it is an error to finish drying the hands before finishing the bracha.

While we’re on the subject... On Shabbat, HaMotzi should be finished before one cuts the challah. The custom of scrastching the challah with the knife or at least passing the knife over the challa in a “pretend” cut, is a token way of starting the cut (but not really) before the bracha.

And after the bracha, the HaMotzi sayer should take his first bite (and swallow) as soon as possible. This means NOT waiting until the challah is cut up for all people at the table. Cut a generous chunk that will serve everyone, then cut or tear a piece from that to start eating, and then cut up the challah for the others. <mtc>

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