Column #111. 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.

In last week's column, we were reviewing the NIKUD (vowelizing) of HEI HAYEDI'A, the HEI prefixed to a word that acts the same as the definitive article - THE.

The usual situation for this HEI is a PATACH under it and a DAGESH CHAZAK in the first letter of the word it is prefixing. Book, the book - SEFER and HASEFER. Notice not only the PATACH under the HEI, but the DAGESH CHAZAK in the SAMACH, as well. PATACH is a minor vowel and a letter with a PATACH usually shares a syllable with another letter with a SH'VA NACH or a letter with a DAGESH CHAZAK which sort of doubles the letter and closes off the previous syllable. In HaSefer, the syllables are technically HAS (which rhymes with Hebrew word for tax, MAS), SEI, and FER. There aren't really two SAMACHs, but the DAGESH CHAZAK allows the SAMACH to be shared by two syllables. Because there aren't two SAMACHs, the one that closes the first syllable and the one that is the second syllable blend into a stronger SAMACH sound.

When the first letter of the word already has a DAGESH, it is a DAGESH KAL in one of the six letters that get a DAGESH KAL. That DAGESH becomes CHAZAK and behaves as above.

There are five letters that do not take a DAGESH (CHAZAK), even when offered (so to speak). ALEF, HEI, CHET, AYIN, REISH. ALEF and REISH are the easiest, because their "behavior" is consistent. Because they do not accept a DAGESH, the PATACH under the HEI becomes a KAMATZ GADOL, which is a major vowel. Major vowels usually do stand on their own in a syllable.

B'REISHIT BARA... HASHAMAYIM... HA'ARETZ. HA'SHAMAYIM is the "normal" situation; the HEI keeps its minor vowel PATACH, because the SHIN took a DAGESH and can close off the syllable HASH. But in .HA'ARETZ, the ALEF won't help close the firstsyllable, so to speak, the HEI with a PATACH isn't "strong" enough to stand on its own, so the vowel under the HEI becomes a KAMATZ, which is strong enough to stand on its own.

In this week's sedra, we have ET HA'ROSH V'ET HA'PADER - The REISH won't take a DAGESH so the vowel under the HEI becomes a KAMATZ. The PEI's DAGESH KAL became a DAGESH CHAZAK and will close the first syllable HAP, so the PATACH under the HEI stays.

AYIN will usually behave like the ALEF and REISH, unless the AYIN has a KAMATZ under it and it (the AYIN with the KAMATZ) does not have the word's accent. (I know, it sounds confusing; just reread the sentence a few times). The city - HA'IR - the HEI's vowel is a KAMATZ (just like ALEF and REISH words), because the AYIN does not have a KAMATZ. HA'AM, the nation, also has a KAMATZ under the HEI, because the AYIN with the KAMATZ is accented - ha-AM.

But if the AYIN has a KAMATZ and is unaccented - smoke, ASHAN (accent on the SHAN), then the HEI HAYEDI'AA loses its PATACH and becomes a SEGOL (another minor vowel, by the way). The smoke is HE'ASHAN. Future, ATID, the future -HE'ATID.

Again, an unaccented AYIN with a KAMATZ, the HEI gets a SEGOL. All other AYINs (any other vowel, or even a KAMATZ if it is accented), behave like ALEF and REISH and switch the HEI's vowel to KAMATZ.
Words that begin with HEI also do different things to the HEI prefixed to them. HEI with a KAMATZ and the accent of the word, the HEI that precedes it gets a KAMATZ (just like the ALEF, REISH, and most AYINs).

Mountain, the mountain. HAR, HA'HAR
If the HEI with a KAMATZ does not have the accent of the word, then the HEI HAYEDI'A gets a SEGOL (as does the AYIN in a similar situation). HEI/KAMATZ, DALET/KAMATZ, REISH - ha-DAR. HEI before the word gets a SEGOL as in HAHOF V'HE'HADAR L'CHAI OLAMIM
All (almost all) other HEI words, the PATACH stays under the HEI HAYEDI'A, even though the HEI won't take a DAGESH. HA'HU, HA'HOLECH, HA'HI etc. HA'HOD - see previous paragraph. One exception - HA'HEIM.

CHET with a KAMATZ or CHATAF-KAMATZ (accented or not), the HEI HAYEDI'A gets a SEGOL. HE'CHACHAM, HE'CHADASHIM. CHET with anything else, the HEI keeps its PATACH. HACHODESH, HACHUT.
Next we come to two letters that can take a DAGESH, with a prefixed HEI HAYEDI'A, and sometimes do, but sometimes they don't.

If a word begins with a YUD with a SH'VA under it, then the YUD will (usually) not get a DAGESH when a HEI is prefixed. YUD with other vowels "behave normally". HAYELED, HAYAD, HAYOVEL. But HA'Y'RIAH - no DAGESH in the YUD. HA'Y'SHUA. No DAGESH. Exception to the exception - HA'Y'HUDI, has a DAGESH in the YUD.

We'll leave the MEM situation for next week (or the issue after - IY"H.)

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