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The paragraph after the ברכה (b'racha) of ציצת (tzitzis) ends with the expression " וְתַרְיַ"ג מִצְות הַתְּלוּיִם בָּהּ".

My question is why does the word "התלוים" start with "ה"? It appears like the "תלוים" is part of a definite noun phrase.

יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי. שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲשׁוּבָה מִצְוַת צִיצִית לְפָנֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ קִיַּמְתִּיהָ בְּכָל פְּרָטֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ וְכַוָּנותֶיהָ. וְתַרְיַ"ג מִצְות הַתְּלוּיִם בָּהּ. אָמֵן סֶלָה

("Da'at Sidur Ashk'naz")

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    Are you asking why תלויים is marked as definite whereas מצוות is not, a seeming mismatch? If so, you may want to clarify that in the question. If not, then what's the question, please?
    – msh210 ♦
    Oct 29, 2018 at 4:30

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To be clear, Hebrew is my mother tongue.

  1. ה is frequently used as ש (which) in Hebrew, meaning מצוות שתלויות etc. For example we say "הנותן ליעף כח", meaning "שנותן ליעף כח" because the original verse is without ה at all.

  2. Another reason is that in medieval (and Mishnaic) Hebrew this form is also frequent like שבת הגדול, and the contemporary proper Hebrew form would be definitely המצוות התלויות.
    BTW the fact that is does not align gender (should read מצוות התלויות) just proves it is a mistake.

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    שבת הגדול may be in the construct from - the shabbat of [haftarat] 'Hagadol' (לפני בוא יום ה' הגדול והנורא)
    – Joel K
    Oct 29, 2018 at 9:35
  • @JoelK BTW the fact that it does not align gender proves it's a mistake
    – Al Berko
    Oct 29, 2018 at 16:54
  • Are you talking about shabbat hagadol?
    – Joel K
    Oct 29, 2018 at 17:05
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    1. Do you have a source for this? I believe in various strata of Hebrew including modern that ה prefix on the second word is still the definite article in form and function. 2. I'm not sure what the context of the paragraph in the question is, but if the words preceding the word מצות comprise a number, couldn't that be a type of definite quantifier as well, obviating the need for the article?
    – WAF
    Oct 29, 2018 at 18:46
  • >>@JoelK BTW the fact that it does not align gender proves it's a mistake. >>Would a mistake in the siddur not be corrected over time?
    – Ben
    Oct 29, 2018 at 21:42

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