Column #80. 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. AFTER last week’s TT was finished, at least three readers reminded me of the “other” haftara for Shabbat Nachamu pronunciation pitfall. So it didn’t get into Torah Tidbits, but I was able to show the person who had Maftir in my shul the two things to watch out for. And I was able to tell him about them BEFORE he read the haftara, rather than shouting out a correction B’SHA’AT MA’ASEH, in situ. The first word was GE, rather than GEI. That one was in TT, not only last week, but in a few columns in the recent past. The one we missed is in Yeshayahu 40:12. ...V’CHAL BASHALISH AFAR HA’ARETZ... Here’s the story. The word KOL, KAF/CHOLAM- LAMED, means ALL. When the word is part of a phrase, linked to the following word, the CHOLAM changes to a KAMATZ KATAN. Which means that the word is still KOL, or KAWL. But not KAL. Of course, for those who pronounce their Hebrew in Ashkenazis, there is no distinction between a KAMATZ KATAN and a KAMATZ GADOL. The both sound like the AW in AWL. But in the S’faradit pronunciation, a KAMATZ GADOL is A, like the O of HOT and the KAMATZ KATAN is close to a CHOLAM, or at least like the Ashkenazis KAMATZ. Add a VAV before KOL and you get V’CHOL. The DAGESH (dot) drops out of the KAF and it becomes a CHAF. V’CHOL or V’CHOL. And all. CHOLAM CHASEIR (that’s the dot without the VAV) or KAMATZ. Just about the same pronunciation. And that brings us to Yeshayahu 40:12. The word is V’CHAL. The KAMATZ under the CHAF is a KAMATZ GADOL. So the word is pronounced in S’faradit differently from almost all other V’CHOLs. The haftara book in my shul actually points out this unusual pronunciation, so the unsuspecting haftara-reader shouldn’t misread it. However, it must be pointed out that this is not a real exception to the rule. This V’CHAL does not mean AND ALL. It’s from a different word. The phrase means, and to measure (or contain) the dust of the earth in a SHALISH (possibly a dry measure or perhaps the large pinch between thumb and middle (third, hence the name) finger). Which leads us to a real exception - possibly the only one - to the pronunciation of KAF/KAMATZ - LAMED, when it means ALL. T’hilim 35:10. KAL ATZMOTAI TOMARNA HASHEM MI CHAMO- CHA. All my bones will say: G-d, who is like you?! We wrote about this one many months ago, but I still don’t have any suggestions as to why this is an exception. It just is. KAL. Not KOL. Remember - in Ashkenazis, it doesn’t sound any different from all other KAWLs. In S’faradit, it is different. Aside from being in T’hilim, the pasuk is said as part of NISHMAT on Shabbat morning, so it does make a difference to us on a weekly basis, not just when we read through all of T’hilim. Another note about this pasuk: it is the source (or at least one of the sources) of SHUCKELING (spelling?), swaying during davening. That is how all of one’s bones can join one’s mouth and heart in proclaiming G-d’s uniqueness. [The Parshat Eikev Homepage]
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