Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading

Towards Better Davening and Torah Reading
Misplaced Pauses (once more... at least)
EB writes: I would like to defend my position regarding ambiguous phrases in the Siddur. This, in face of YL’s comment (last issue of TT) that my suggestion to read such phrases without a pause is "really bad".
It is interesting, if not fortuitous, that this topic is discussed in the page of Daf Yomi this Shabbat (Devarim). In Masechet Yoma 52A, the Talmud states that there are five verses in the Torah containing a word whose meaning is ambiguous. For example, in the short verse (Sh'mot 25:34 and 37:20):
U'VA'MENORA ARBA'A GVI'IM MI'SHUKADIM KAFTOREHA UF'RACHEHA
it is unclear whether MI'SHUKADIM refers to GVI'IM or to KAFTOREHA UF'RACHEHA
The Ritva and Maharsha disagree whether the issue can be resolved by studying the notes (TROP).
One of the most outstanding poskim on the laws of K'ri'at haTorah - the Shaarei Efrayim - rules that due to the doubt one should read the ambiguous phrase without pausing. (see 2:15). In his words: , Hashem knows the true meaning.
If this is true in Torah where the traditional notes seem to resolve the ambiguity, all the more so in the Siddur where we have no way to discover the real meaning of the phrase.
I feel that my suggestion to read such phrases without a pause is really good.

[The Parshat D'varim Homepage]
[The TORAH tidbits Homepage] [How to use TORAH tidbits]
[About The OU/NCSY Israel Center] [About TORAH tidbits]
[www.ou.org]