Column #103. 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. As we've done often lately, we will look into the sedra of the week at words that are flagged in EIM LAMASORET (part of Eim LaMikra HaShaleim) for special attention. But don't see the comments as applying only to Parshat Bo, or even to Torah reading in general; the lessons and reminders are helpful in davening as well. Take a look in perek 10, p'sukim 16 and 17. After the utter
devastation of the locust, Par'o quickly summons Moshe and Aharon and announces
to them that he has sinned against G-d... and them. I have sinned is CHATATI,
with the accent on the next to the last syllable (MIL'EIL). cha-TA-ti. Note also
that the TET does nothave a DAGESH in it. In the next pasuk, Par'o asks that his
sin be forgiven... My sin is CHATATI. Looks the same, except that the accent is
MILRA, on the last syllable. cha-ta-TI. And the TET has a DAGESH. In Ashkenazis
pronunciation, by the way, the words also sound a bit different, because one has
a KAMATZ under theCHET and the other one has a PATACH under the CHET. CHAWTAWSI
(I have sinned) and CHATAWSI (my sin). The accents are still MIL'EIL and MILRA
respectively. ...VAYOCHAL ET KOL EISEV HA'ARETZ V'ET KOL PRI H'ETZ ASHER HOTIR HA'BARAD A while ago, we mentioned that TRUP (rhymes with CUP, Taamei HaMikra, Torah notes) divide into two categories: M'SHARTIM, which lead their word directly into the following word without a pause (except for the very short pause between words), and MAFSIKIM, notes that call for a pause before continuing with the followingword. Furthermore, MAFSIKIM come in types, from the longish pause following an ETNACHTA or SOF PASUK (roughly a semicolon and a period (full stop, for British readers), to progressively shorter pauses. The piece of the pasuk illustrates different kinds of pauses, based on TRUP, and reflecting the intended meaning of the pasuk. First word VAYOCHAL has a AZLA-GEIREISH which is a very short pause (called a SHALISH, it is one of the MAFSIKIM with the shortest pause after it). And they ate (referring to the swarm of locust). Next, ET-KOL-EISEV HAARETZ, all the grass of the land, HAARETZ has a R'VI'I. The way we "sing" it, it sounds like itshould get a long pause, but it doesn't. R'VI'I is one of the MISHNIM, and gets a short pause after it. (Marginally more than SHALISHIM, but less of a pause than M'LACHIM and KEISARIM.) V'EIT KOL-PRI HA'EITZ, and all the fruit of the trees. HA'EITZ has a ZAKEIF KATON, which is a MELECH. It gets a longer pause than theR'VI'I. If done well, the different lengths of pauses join the two phrases, "all the grass of the ground" and "all the fruit of the tree", so that they can both be applied to the next phrase, ASHER HOTIR HABARAD, that the hail left over. Follow? That the hail left over goes for both the grass and the fruit. If the pausesare not well done, the pasuk reads, And they ate all the grass of the land -and- the fruit of the tree that the hail left over. It's such a tiny point, but it's beautiful. If you like this sort of thing. (As readers of TBDATR are supposed to.) Let's look at one more word from the sedra, which has two topics to remind us of, and is also a mitzva among the 20 in Parshat Bo. 13:8 - And you shall tell (your child...) V'HI'GADITA. The first syllable is V'HI with part of the GIMEL because there is a DAGESH in it. The next syllable is GAD and the SH'VA under the DALET is NACH and has no vowel sound at all. The final syllable is TA and that's the syllable with the accent. The word hi-GAD-ta became MILRA because the VAV at the beginning of the word is a VAV HAHIPUCH (a.k.a. VAV HAM'HAPECHET), which switches the tense from past (you told) to future or command (you shall tell). The tense-flip is accompanied in most cases (but not all) by a move of the accent from MIL'EIL to MILRA. With the DALET followed by a TAV, we have a tendency to say ...GA-D'-TA, making the SH'A under the DALET a NA. It's a NACH and it should be said like a NACH. v'higgad-TA. Perek 13 has a few more of these tense-flipped words: v'a-vad-TA (13:5), v'sha-mar-TA (13:9), v'ha-a'var-TA (13:12), v'a-mar-TA (13:14). Re- member, meaning changes, so it's important. [The Parshat Bo Homepage]
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