Column #98. 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. Received several emails and notes about the BIZMAN/BAZMAN and LIZMAN/LAZMAN com- ments from last week's column. All claimed that only BAZMAN HAZAH and LAZMAN HAZEH (which most Siddurim have) is grammatically correct. I'm still looking into the issue, but with the Chafetz Chayim vs. grammar, I'm going with the CC until I can clarify the issue. More to come on this topic. Let's review some old topics. How old? Older than this column. Once upon a time, a long time ago, there was a brief run in Torah Tidbits called B.A.S.H. - break anti-halachic shul habits. That column and the sefer EIM L'MIKRA HASHALEIM combined to inspire this column, which is approaching its 100th entry. The first topic is not a Hallel topic per se, but it is on Hallel days that the topic shows itself in a very public way. We refer, again, to G-d's name in the end of the second chapter of Hallel. The Chazan, and often the congregation with him, sings out MILIFNEI ADON CHULI ARETZ, MILIFNEI... here it comes... ELOHA YAAKOV... That last phrase is supposed to mean "the G-d of Yaakov". Problem is, ELOHA is NOT one of G-d's names. It is mispronunciation of one of G-d's names. ALEF with a CHATAF-SEGOL, LAMED with a CHOLOM MALEI (that's the VAV with a dot over it), and HEI with a PATACH-G'NUVA. That means that the PATACH is sounded BEFORE the HEI, not after it. AHHHH, not HA. If you are not used to it, it takes practice. But it's worth it. We are talking about one of G-d's names. One of the seven names that cannot be erased. ELOKIM, ELOKAI - that's the name with the YUD after the HEI with a regular PATACH, so HA is correct, followed by the sound that the YUD adds. HAI. But ELO-AK. Not ELO-KA. To repeat, it DOES make a difference. ELOHA is not G-d's name. ELO-AHH is. Two more reminders about this word. It is MIL'EIL (accent on the next-to-the-last syllable). e-LO-ah, Not e-lo-AHHH (and certainly not eloKA). And, S'faradim pronounce words with a PATACH G'NUVA differently (from the way Ashkenazim do). This word would be e-LO-wah. Apple is ta-PU-wach. Wind/spirit is RU-wach. (Ashkenazi: ta-PU-ach and RU-ach.) Proper Yir'at HaShem requires saying His names correctly. (And a lot more, of course.) The other reminder is that HODU... KI L'OLAM CHASDO, YOMAR NA,
YOM'RU NA, and YO- M'RU NA are supposed to be said/sung responsively with the
Chazan, not together with him. It's okay to hum along with the Chazan, but he
says each pasuk and we respond with HODU LASHEM KI TOV, KI L'OLAM CHASDO. (and
we should say the upcoming Chazan pasuk quietly, before he does, so that we too
will be saying all of Hallel, not just responding. The GR"A says that on days we
say "Hallel with skipping", we can just respond to these four p'sukim; no need
to say each on our own.) And, one more old "anti-halachic shul habit" to break... This one is an always issue, but on Rosh CHodesh and even Chanuka, and certainly on Yamim Tovim, it comes to the fore. Close your eyes (not yet - wait until you read the next sentences) and picture the Chazan finishing Hallel on Shabbat Chanuka (just an example). ...MELECH M'HULAL BATISHBACHOT. When do you here the AMEN of the congregation come in? Simultaneous with the BACHOT? Wrong. Violation of the prohibition called AMEN CHATUFA. (You don't want to hear what is quoted in the name of Ben Azzai concerning a person who says an AMEN CHATUFA.) Just wait for the Chazan to complete the bracha (no matter how long he stretches it and no matter how good an invitation to come in earlier, his Chazanut is. A proper AMEN follows - follows - a bracha. This is a very ingrined problem in many shuls. The only way to beat it is to keep at doing the AMEN the right way, explain to others why they too should wait, and don't be discouraged with frustrated lack of results at convincing others. [The Parshat Mikeitz Homepage]
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