Column #97. 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.

Review: Chanuka lighting brachot and...
Remember to pause slightly between each BARUCH and ATA, so it doesn't come out as BARU CHATA or BARUCHATA. Similarly, pause slightly between MELECH and HA-OLAM so it doesn't sound like CHA-OLAM.

KIDD'SHANU. The DALET is DAGESHed and is emphasized, and belongs to the first syllable KID, as well as the second syllable D'SHA. Watch out not to say K'DI-SHA-NU. (Don't know how many people mess this one up, but I did for a long time, so I'm sharing...) Accent MIL'EIL, on the SHA syllable.
B'MITZVOTAV pause V'TZIVANU (no pause) L'HADLIK...

Some say NER SHEL CHANUKA. This is the text from the Gemara and many Poskim. Shulchan Aruch, Vilna Gaon, and others say: NER CHANUKA. Maharshal says to combine the SHEL and CHANUKA into a single word: SHE-L'CHA- NU-KA. Mishna B'rura's concluding remark is that "the world is not MAKPID one way or the other."

Not that the following should influence someone to change the way he/she says the bracha, but it is an interesting point in favor of NER CHANUKA.
A candle (NER) gives light, warmth, and a usable flame. When candles are lit in honor of Shabbat to light up one's home on Friday night, the candle is a NER SHEL SHABBAT. But Chanuka candles are different. They are not "regular" candles, because they may not be used for any of the normal candle functions. They are holy and can only be seen. Better than calling them candles of Chanuka, we can call them Chanuka Candles, NER CHANUKA.

Second bracha: she-a-SA (accent on last syllable) ni-SIM (also MILRA). (Mentioned here because some people tend to MIL'EIL both these words.)
BAYAMIM HAHEIM BIZMAN (not the more common BAZMAN) HAZEH.
First night: V'KIY'MANU. The YUD has a DAGESH and makes the KI syllable stronger and gives a Y sound to Y'MANU. In other words, the YUD is both vowel and consonant. Not V'KI-MANU, but V'KI-Y'MANU. Subtle difference, but there.

On the other hand, the next word is V'HI-GI-ANU, where the YUD after the GIMEL belongs to the CHIRIK under the GIMEL and does not give a Y sound to the next syllable.

Most people say the next word LAZMAN. According to the Mishna B'rura (and others), it is LIZMAN. CHIRIK under the LAMED, not a PATACH.
Similarly, in HaNeirot Halalu, there is a BAYAMIM HAHEIM BIZMAN HAZEH.

The BIZ-BAZ, LIZ-LAZ issue is not a crucial, but it fits the "fine-tuning" goal of this column.

And, similarly, again, in the opening part of AL HANISIM, another BIZMAN HAZEH. (SOme siddurim that have BIZ at the other places, have BAZ for AL HANISIM; the siddur according to the GR"A (Vilna Gaon) has BIZ all the way through.

Also in AL HANISIM: RAV-ta et ri-VAM. It is tempting for some of us Ashkenazim to fall into a rhythm trap and say everything in this part of AL HANISIM with MIL'EIL accents. RAVta et RIvam, DANta et DInam, etc. But that's not the way it should be. RAVta... DANta... naKAMta... maSAR- ta... - all MIL'EIL. riVAM, diNAM, nikma-TAM, gi- boRIM... all MILRA.

Here's an old one. O-S'KEI TORATECHA. Not the more tempting OS-KEI. The correct pronunciation - if we can break our bad habits - is O (that's the first syllable), S'KEI. BTW, the Mishna B'rura says V'AL HANISIM, rather than AL.Chanuka Sameiach

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