Column #110. 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.

Quite often, people contact us about where to get the sefer that this column is based on. It so happens that Manny’s (a.k.a. Ohr HaTzafon) in Me’a She’arim has several copies of the book. So if you want to own Ein LaMikra HaShaleim, get it there while supplies last.

In last week’s column, we discussed how putting a pause or a comma in the wrong place can lead to a distortion of the meaning of the text in the Torah - or at least to a confusion and possible misunderstanding. The specific issue concerned the requirement of having the Para Aduma Potion spinkled on a person who is T’MEI MEIT on the third day AND the seventh day of his counting of the period of TUM’A, and then following the seventh day (and after Mikve) the person becomes TAHOR. The structure and wording of the pasuk (Bamidbar 19:12) lends itself to being misread, and requires a little juggling (not really the right word) to come out right. Commentaries point out the possible misunderstanding from the first part of the pasuk, but point to the second half of the pasuk that is less prone to misreading. The point in last week’s TBDATR was that the TAAMIM (TROP) help avoid the misreading - if one knows how to handle the pausing-TAAMIM properly.

Anyway, all this is besides the point for now. The reason I bring it up this week is to publicly apologize for the harsh words of criticism towards a translation (which wasn’t identified in last week’s column, yet the translator himself recognized that I was talking about his translation). After reading the translator’s letter, I realized that my character- izations were improper. We have spoken by phone and I hope my apologies then and now are both accepted. I still believe that the translation is potentially misleading, but the second half of the pasuk was quite unambiguous and accurate.

And the points about the reading of the TAAMIM were the main intent of the piece last week, and they still stand as a reminder towards more careful Torah reading.

A TTreader has asked for clarification about the HEI HAYEDI’A before words with a MEM. We’ll try, but let’s get there slowly. Be patient.
HEI HAYEDI’A is the HEI at the beginning of a word that means THE. Definite article. Shulchan - table. HaShulchan - the table. So far, so good.
[Part of this discussion, which we’ll save for later, will be the HEI HASH’EILA, the questioning HEI. Later.]

Generally, a HEI HAYEDI’A is voweled with a PATACH - HA - and will also be responsible for putting a DAGESH CHAZAK in the first letter of the word that the HEI is in front of. Generally.

Shabbat. ,MEKASDEISH HASHABBAT - He Who sanctifies THE SHABBAT. Notice that the SHIN of Shabbat has a DAGESH (dot) in it when the HEI is prefixed to the word. The effect of a DAGESH CHAZAK in the SHIN in pronunciation of the word is an emphasis of the letter. Graphically, it’s the difference between shabbat and haSHSHabbat. Actually, the DAGESH in the BET is CHAZAK too, so the word is haSHSHaBBat. Most people do not say a letter with a DAGESH CHAZAK any different from the letter without the DAGESH. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t an issue.

Anyway, if the first letter of the word already has a DAGESH KAL (one of the letters BET, GIMEL, DALET, KAF, PEI, TAV), then the prefixed HEI HAYEDI’A changes the DAGESH to CHAZAK. You won’t see the difference in print, as both DAGESHes look the same, and you probably won’t hear a difference either, but it should sound a little different (as mentioned above). kadur - ball. haKKadur - the ball.

Next week, IY”H, we’ll continue with the letters that don’t take DAGESHes. <to be continued>

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