Correct Niqqud for ואטהר in Sefira Nusach

Question

Context: In the Ashkenaz / Sefard (and possibly others) Nuschaos of Sefira, there is a prayer starting with the words "Ribbono Shel Olam [רבונו של עולם]" that is said. Towards the end of this prayer there is the phrase ואטהר ואתקדש בקדשה של מעלה...

What I'm confused about is the pronunciation of the word ואטהר. I have always pronounced the word (as it's printed in just about every Siddur I know) with a Segol under the Aleph. However, someone recently told me that he pronounces the word as if there is a Chiriq under the aleph. To make sure, I asked him to double-check and he confirmed - it is printed this way in his Siddur.

So: Is there some source for this difference? Is it a printer error? Have you ever seen this difference? What's going on here?

Answer 1

Could be it's a difference of whether the word is considered to be active/reflexive ("I will purify [myself]") or passive ("I will be purified"). If the former, then it takes a segol, as with words like אֶנָּחֵם (Isaiah 1:24); if the latter, chirik, like אִקָּרֶה (Num. 23:15) or וְאִנָּעֵר (Judg. 16:20).

Answer 2

To answer yydl's question, as I commented on a previous answer, I believe that the only difference is in the structure of the word and that the two choices have no differences in meaning. As to the answer of which one to say, I have no idea which way is the "right way" but there are many things that can be checked to see if there is consistency in the siddurim being used. First, check all the proofs that Alex used according to the same publisher. Second, you can check the verse in Psalms 51:9.

As a side note, it seems that there is no ת in the ואטהר because it is an irregular verb. Really it should be ואתטהר like ואתקדש because it is a מתפעל. However, interestingly enough, I found a piece from שבט שמעון on page .טו in the version that I found (פרשת בראשית) in which he writes the word ואתטהר when talking about the groom telling the bride that he will become purified through her.