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.

We’ll continue with the ALEF-BET soon, but first - a slightly expanded look at something raised in last week’s column.

We referred to the first word of the last paragraph of Birkat HaMazon. YUD with a SH’VA NA, REISH without a vowel at all, and an ALEF with a SHURUK (that’s the VAV with a dot in its middle). This word is a little tricky.

It’s really not the REISH that has no vowel. The SHURUK goes with the REISH. The ALEF between them has no vowel. An ALEF without a vowel (and this can happen in different cases with HEI, VAV, and YUD also) is called a NACH NISTAR and does not take part (so to speak) in the pronunciation of the word. Let’s step back to an easier example. ROSH, head, is spelled REISH with a CHOLAM (CHASEIR) - that’s the dot above and to the left of the letter, then the “invisible” ALEF, then a SHIN. Pull the ALEF out of the word and it is still pronounced ROSH. Put the ALEF back (because it belongs there) and the pronunciation does not change. RISHON, from the same root, is the same. The ALEF in the word is a NACH NISTAR.

Now back to benching. Y’RU. That’s it. It’s a single syllable with the YUD-SH’VA prefixed to the RU. REISH (ALEF which doesn’t affect the pronunciation at all) SHURUK. RU. Y’RU.

Oldest son of Yaakov Avinu. R’U-VEIN. That’s a REISH with a SH’VA, followed by an ALEF with a SHURUK. R’ and U (as the oo in food), R’U. The last syllable is VEIN. R’U-VEIN. This ALEF is regular, NOT a NACH NISTAR.

But look what happens when the Torah refers to the Reuvenite family.
The family is mentioned 18 times in Tanach, always with a prefixing letter or two. HA- (the), or LA- (to the), V’LA- (and to the), V’HA- (and the). In all cases, there is no SH’VA under the REISH. That means that the REISH “commandeers” the SHURUK that was the ALEF’s and leaves the ALEF as a NACH NISTAR, which doesn’t contribute to the pronouncing of the word.

The Reuvenites is HA-RU-VEI-NI (D’varim 26:7, for example). Not HA-R’UVEINI and not HAR-UVEINI - each of these two pronunciations give some sound to the ALEF. There is not supposed to be any sound from the ALEF. Unlike the parent name R’UVEIN, where we do have a sound from the ALEF - namely, ALEF-SHURUK, U (oo as in food), in HA-RU-VEI-NI and LA-RU-VEI-NI, etc. the ALEF does not contribute to the sound of the word.

Does this change the meaning of the word? No. Don’t worry that much. But regulars of this column already know that it isn’t just about changing the meaning of words. That’s where it all started, by the way. With v’di-bar-TA as opposed to v’di-BAR- ta. But we’ve grown since then. This column is about polishing up our pronunciation of the Holy Language of our Torah and prayers. It’s about appreciating the fine points of the language. And putting them into practice. Listen, next time you hear Havdala from someone else, and see if he says V’SAMIM or B’SAMIM. Whereas the latter is the more common pronunciation, the former is correct. BOREI MINEI V’SAMIM.
Speaking of davening, here’s an example of the ALEF-NISTAR in Kabbalat Shabbat. (Of course, this comes from Tanach - specifically, T’hilim, but we are more familiar with it as part of davening.) Moshe v’Aharon b’chohanav... (in the second HaShem Malach... Ps. 99) KORIM EL HASHEM... - not KO-R’IM. The REISH has the CHIRIK and the ALEF is vowel-less, an ALEF NISTAR.

Here’s one more example (there are others); this one really got me. Category - names that end in YUD-ALEF- LAMED. P’ni’el, Magdi’el, Malki’el, Uzi’el, Puti’el, Sh’lumi’el, Gamli’el, Pag-i’el, Tzuri- ‘el, Gadi’el, Ami’el, Nachli’el, Asri’el, Chani’el, Pal- ti’el — that’s the list from the Torah, people and places among them. The rest of Tanach has many more. All of the above names, and all but one of the names from the rest of Tanach, have the same pronunciation at the end of the name. Some rhyme of the ee in feed (NI, DI, KI, ZI, TI, MI, LI, RI) followed by EIL, that’s ALEF with a TZEREI and a LAMED.

One exception. DANIEL, whose name is correctly pronounced DA-NI-YEIL. Not DA-NI-EIL. DANI- YEIL. The YUD has a DAGESH CHAZAK in it and a TZEREI under it, and the ALEF is vowel-less.

That’s as good a note as any to finish this week’s column and say <mtc>

[4] YA-EFET (yud-ayin-fei-tav) - Fly to or from the States (or elsewhere) lately and find that your body is operating in a different time zone from the one you are in? You say you have jet lag? Even if you were talking Hebrew, you might use the term “jet lag” in a Hebrew sentence. But now you know how to say it in Hebrew — YA-EFET. - from The Academiya L’Lashon HaIvrit

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