Column #50. 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 get back to last week’s new look at the ALEF-BET next week, IY”H. For this issue, with 8 days of full Hallel ahead of us, let’s review some of the potential problem areas among that 6-Psalm between two brachot prayer.
In the opening bracha, as with all Birkot HaMitzva, many people pause in the wrong place. ASHER KID’SHANU B’MITZVOTAV <pause> V’TZIVANU whatever. The V’TZIVANU belongs with the end of the bracha. And he commanded us to recite the Hallel, etc.

Here’s another item that applies not only to Hallel, but to P’sukei D’Zimra and elsewhere. The problem is most evident with Hallel because of the fact that we frequently sing Hallel. This sometimes messes up phrasing. The word HALLELUYA ends four of the 6 chapters of T’hilim in Hallel. That word always stands alone after a pause. It is not part of the context of the p’sukim. Take as an example, the shortest perek in all of Tanach, T’hilim 117, HAL’LU ET HASHEM. Singing it often has it ending with VE’EMET HASHEM <pause> L’OLAM HALLELUYA. Wrong. Makes no sense that way. It’s VE’EMET HASHEM L’OLAM, And G-d is Truth forever <pause> Halleluya! And so with all the other p’rakim of T’hilim that end with Haleluya.

Here’s a suggestion. If you expect to be singing along with the Chazan for parts of Hallel, then let that be your first saying, rather than saying it silently and then repeating with the Chazan. If you already said a part and the Chazan starts to sing it, humming or LA-LA-LA-ing along is better than repeating.

Which brings us to the next point. An important one. One you should tell others about in shul. The four KI L’OLAM CHASDO lines and the four ANA HASHEM lines should be said responsively, NOT together with the Chazan. The way many shuls sing HAL’LU ET HASHEM often flows right into a communal singing of HODU. That is problematic. Here is the proper (preferred) way to say the KI L’OLAM CHASDO lines in a minyan.

Everybody was singing HAL’LU. Now the KAHAL remains quiet. Each person says the first line, HODU (accent MILRA, last syllable - HO-du is Turkey, the word here is ho-DU) to himself. Now the CHAZAN says it aloud (or sings it with the KAHAL listening or humming along, but not saying the words. When the CHAZAN finishes, the KAHAL answers him with HODU LASHEM KI TOV, KI L’OLAM CHASDO. Then we say YOMAR NA... quietly (and faster than the CHAZAN so we can properly answer his). CHAZAN says/sings YOMAR NA... and we answer HODU LASHEM... HODU is the answer to all four lines of the CHAZAN. We answer AFTER he says each line by himself, and we say the lines quietly to ourselves BEFORE he says them aloud.

When it comes to ANA HASHEM, that too should be CHAZAN first, then KAHAL for each of the four lines (that’s twice each for the two lines). No need to say anything quietly, because our response is the same as the line (unlike HODU where the response is different, for 3 of the 4 lines).
Other thing to note is that the word is ho-SHE-a, MIL’EIL accent (next-to-last syllable). But the other word is hatz-li-CHA, MILRA, last syllable. There’s more, but it will have to wait. <mtc>

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