Published February 04, 2010
Sh’mot 20:12 is a very unusual pasuk in that it consists of 4 distinct parshiyot (all S’tumot). Specifically, we are talking about DIBROT (D’varim, commandments) 6, 7, 8, and 9. The ones prohibiting murder, adultery, kidnapping, and “bearing false witness”.
When the Aseret HaDibrot are read in the “lower cantillation”, Taamei HaTachton, this pasuk, these four commandments, are read as a single pasuk. Because of the differences in notes, there are slight differences in the way the words are pronounced.
These differences are actual in the Ashkenazic pronunciation, but not in the Israeli Hebrew pronunciation. Nonetheless, there are differences.
Taamei HaTachton (Ashkenazic): LO SIRTZACH LO SIN-AwF; LO SIG- NOV, SAANEH V’REI-ACHA EID SHAwKER.
Taamei HaElyon: LO (slight pause, and therefore the DAGESH goes back into the TAV) TIRTZAwCH. (The PATACH became a KAMATZ under the TZADI because rather than a TIPCHA, the TROP is now a SOF PASUK (of sorts). LO (pause) TIN- AwF. LO (pause) TIGNOV. LO SA- ANEH V’REI-ACHA EIN SHAwKER (the TAV stays without a DAGESH because the words LO and SAANEH are connected with a MAKAF. In the Israeli pronunciation, both forms sound the same.
© 2012 OU. All rights reserved.