Just do it! ... again

As we have discussed in פרשיות מקץ and ויגש, it is of utmost importance that the word עֲשׂוּ is pronounced with the חטף-פתח and not a קמץ which would change the word from a command to a past tense verb. The same is true, of course, in this week's פרשה in ט"ז:ו.

בעלי קריאה I have heard in the past are very careful to get this right. I also heard extra emphasis put on the פתח in תַלִּינוּ in פסוק י"א. It occurred to me that if mispronounced with a קמץ, the meaning would change there too from the root of תלונה, complaint, to לינה, sleeping.

I know the critics will probably jump on this and say that the דגש would disappear if it were קמץ and therefore it does not change the meaning. However, I have stated my opinion on this before. For a בעל קריאה who is actually careful with the דגש, perhaps that is a valid point. However, for the large majority who are not, the vowel is clearly the more dominant indicator.

A Wise Correction

ל"ה:כ"ה

וְכׇל־אִשָּׁה חַכְמַת־לֵב בְּיָדֶיהָ

ל"ה:ל"ה

מִלֵּא אֹתָם חׇכְמַת־לֵב

The word conglomerate highlighted in the above two פסוקים looks to be almost identical. However, the vowel underneath the ח is very crucial and amounts to change in meaning which I would say is definitely correctable - if you can catch it. The second instance - a term that is found often in these פרשיות - is a noun meaning wisdom (or wise-heartedness, to be a bit more precise.) The first, however, is an adjective, essentially the feminine version of חכם לב. This might be difficult to discern, depending on the degree to which the בעל קריאה accurately discerns between a פתח and קמץ. I know this came up recently - I just can't remember if I caught it or missed it.

I suppose a case could be made that if the first one is pronounced incorrectly, it still has the same basic meaning - a wise-hearted woman vs. a woman of wise-heartedness - and would be okay if not corrected.

Leave us alone!

I have a new name for this - the Sneaky פתח.

When בני ישראל are faced with the ominous situation of having a sea on one side, and an invading Egyptian army on the other, some pretty harsh words are hurled in משה's direction. Among them is the statement, "הֲלֹא זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בְמִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר חֲדַל מִמֶּנּוּ וְנַעַבְדָה אֶת מִצְרָיִם" - this is what we told you in Egypt, "Leave us alone..." Special attention must be given to the word חֲדַל. In its correct form, it is the second-person imperative. However, if it is simply mispronounced חָדַל, it changes to the third-person past tense. A very subtle difference but a very serious change in meaning.

Better Not Butcher This One

There are two very similar words that appear in the passages dealing with the קרבן פסח but they must certainly be differentiated and depending on how well a בעל קריאה enunciates his vowels, it might be difficult to discern:

י"ב:ו וְשָׁחֲט֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ כֹּ֛ל קְהַ֥ל עֲדַֽת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בֵּ֥ין הָעַרְבָּֽיִם

This form is third-person plural future (via ו"יו ההיפוך), I.e. "they shall slaughter it."

י"ב:כ"א וְשַׁחֲט֥וּ הַפָּֽסַח

This is a second-person imperative command, I.e. "you, slaughter it!"

Just do it!

(מ"ב:י"ח)

זֹאת עֲשׂוּ וִחְיוּ

It is of utmost importance that the word עשו be pronounced properly and not עָשׂוּ . The word is meant to be a command but if improperly pronounced, it is a past tense verb. Basically, it is supposed to be "do," not "did."

This is one of those examples which can really be tough to call depending on the בעל קריאה. I have heard some who literally do not differentiate between a קמץ and a פתח. There isn't really much you can do in such a case. For those who do differentiate properly, it is important to keep on eye on constructs like these. This is hardly a unique case. Later in the פרשה we have מַלֵּא אֶת אַמְתְּחֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֹכֶל מ"ד:א, as well as וְאַתֶּם עֲלוּ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-אֲבִיכֶם מ"ד:י"ז at the very end. And in next week's פרשה as well: אֱמֹר אֶל אַחֶיךָ זֹאת עֲשׂוּ and וְאַתָּה צֻוֵּיתָה זֹאת עֲשׂוּ.

En garde!

Please post additional examples in the comments. If you point to the פסוק, I can insert the Hebrew.

Complete it.

לבן commands מַלֵּא שְׁבֻעַ זֹאת, complete this week. If it is simply mispronounced מָלֵא (with a קמץ instead of a פתח) that would completely change the meaning of the word from the imperative verb "complete" to the adjective, complete. If the בעל קריאה is one who discerns well between פתח and קמץ - and they should - this should definitely be corrected.

I am not an expert on the דגש but I know someone will correct me if I'm wrong but there probably is no דגש in the adjective version of the word so that is another differentiation (if applicable) to watch out for.