Questions tagged [aleph-bet-letters]
Questions about the Hebrew letters, or aleph-bet.
216
questions
7
votes
0
answers
101
views
Source for the Beit Yosef's צ
In most forms of k'tav stam (Sephardi, Ari, Jeckisch, et c.) the righthand yud of the letter צ is reversed (see fig. 1). On the other hand, the Beit Yosef's צ uses a regular י shape in the righthand ...
- 12.9k
3
votes
1
answer
172
views
Direction & order of strokes when writing letters
When writing Torah scrolls, mezuzahs, or tefillin scrolls, is there any significance to the direction of the strokes of the pen for each letter? Or the order of the strokes for each letter?
IE: (If ...
- 31
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Who were the original users of Ktav Ashuri?
According to one opinion found in the Talmud Sanhedrin 22a ktav ashuri was brought up from the first exile, assumedly adopted from Babylonian sources.
Who exactly was using this alphabet? Do we have ...
- 81
1
vote
0
answers
693
views
Why are there so many Nikkudot? [closed]
1) Why does every vowel has more than one way to be written?
2) Does every nekkud has a slightly different pronunciation?
- 4,576
1
vote
0
answers
94
views
Implication of uncertain letters in the Torah
I learned that there are a number of uncertain letters in the written Torah
This article lists 12 (counts vary).
(1) Bereishit 4:13 "Mineso" (E&T w/o Vav) (2) Bereishit 7:11
"Ma'ayanos (E&...
- 1,083
0
votes
1
answer
108
views
yud ha'heh -official name
What is the official name of the yud in the heh, and tet in the tuf -
do we say simply yud ha'heh and tet ha'tuf (assuming tuf is vav with a roof, followed by backward-facing script-tet) ? Also, is ...
- 19
8
votes
1
answer
222
views
תעבנו, תעינו, תעתענו Why three things that begin with a ת?
The Vidui that is said during the days of Selichos, and on Yom Kippur, and by Nusach Sefard on days that Tachanun is recited, starts with Ashamnu and goes letter by letter through the Aleph Bais. At ...
- 139k
1
vote
1
answer
378
views
What do the letters of Teshuvah stand for?
I found online that Teshuvah stands for:
תמים תהיה עם ה' אלקיך
שויתי ה' לנגדי תמיד
ואהבת לרעך כמוך
בכל דרכיך דעהו
הצנע לכת עם אלוהיך
Is there any source for this?
- 6,845
6
votes
1
answer
285
views
Can Holiness Be Retroactively Withdrawn?
Without getting into the debate of Ashurith (Modern Hebrew) vs K'thav Ivri (Paleo Hebrew), let's just say for the sake of argument that Paleo Hebrew was the original Hebrew. It is known that the ...
- 10.5k
7
votes
2
answers
409
views
Are shin and cin considered different letters?
Halachically is ש a single letter with two pronunciations or are there 2 different letters in the Hebrew alphabet (shin and cin) which happen to be draw the same in the torah, have the same gematria ...
- 13.6k
2
votes
1
answer
748
views
What is the reason that the Torah uses a ן (final "Nun") at the end of 2nd person plural verbs?
Frequently, the Torah uses a final nun (ן) at the end of verbs. They seem to be 2nd person plural verbs. An example:
Deuteronomy 5:30:
בְּכָל־הַדֶּ֗רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֜ה יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם ...
- 70k
2
votes
2
answers
427
views
According to Chazal, does Beged Kefet matter?
The Hebrew alphabet has 22 written characters (plus 5 specialized characters for the ends of words - ם, ן, ץ ,ף, ך) generally assumed to be each originally associated with distinct sounds. The ...
- 17.7k
0
votes
1
answer
236
views
ד mi yodeya (the pronunciation)?
The gemara (Brachoth 13b) records that one is supposed to draw out the ד of "אחד" in the first verse of the Shema:
.תניא: סומכוס אומר: כל המאריך באחד מאריכין לו ימיו ושנותיו
אמר רב אחא בר ...
- 17.7k
2
votes
2
answers
982
views
Why does Orthodoxy hold that the Torah has not changed?
King David c. 1040–970 BCE, indeed any of the ancient Jewish kings, if presented with a modern Sefer Torah would not have been able to read it. The masoretic text we now have, written between the 7th ...
- 61
1
vote
1
answer
463
views
How many letters are there in Tanach? [duplicate]
Although I know how many letters there are in the five books of the Torah, 304,805, I do not know how many letters there are in Neviim and Kesuvim.
So, my question is, "How many letters are there in ...
- 3,342
2
votes
0
answers
178
views
ג (gimel) mi yodeya (the pronunciation)?
From a halachik perspective, what are the correct ways to pronounce the ג (gimel)? Are there variant traditions? Is there an academic/linguistic opinion on how it was most likely pronounced from the ...
- 17.7k
4
votes
2
answers
188
views
ב (bet) mi yodeya (the pronunciation)?
What are the correct ways to pronounce the ב (bet)? Are there variant traditions? Is there an academic/linguistic opinion on how it was most likely pronounced from the time of the giving of the Torah ...
- 17.7k
1
vote
0
answers
89
views
א mi yodeya (the pronunciation)?
What is the correct way to pronounce the א (aleph)? Are there variant traditions? Is there an academic/linguistic opinion on how it was most likely pronounced from the time of the giving of the Torah ...
- 17.7k
3
votes
1
answer
501
views
Unexpected Dagesh in Reish
I learned that a rule of Dageshim is that gutteral letters (אהחע''ר) reject dageshim.
My question is why do we find 17 reishs (1 Samuel 1:6, 1 Samuel 10:24, 1 Samuel 17:25, 2 Kings 6:32, Jeremiah 39:...
- 3,342
5
votes
2
answers
592
views
The letter Dalet
The fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is "dalet" and not "daled." Why, then, do Ashkenazi Jews not pronounce it as "dales." I have heard an answer that "dales" sounds too much like "dalus", ...
- 597
2
votes
1
answer
320
views
Is a ש after a holam always a "shin" and never a "sin"?
In some siddurim that are printed in certain Hebrew fonts, you will find words such as משה (Moshe) or חשך (darkness) that do not print with two nekudot. The most explicit way to point these words ...
- 5,263
3
votes
2
answers
297
views
Broken פ- What's wrong with it?
In Mishnat Sofrim, the Chofetz Chaim discusses the correct forms of the letters as they should appear in sifrei sta"m. When he comes to thee letter פ in its medial form, he says that the current ...
- 12.9k
9
votes
1
answer
280
views
Rabbi Akiva and Ketarim
In Menachos the Gemara relates the Moshe asked Hashem about the meaning of the "crowns" on many Hebrew letters as written in the Torah. Hashem then gives the following response:
אמר לו, אדם אחד יש ...
- 2,461
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Did Rembrandt really get the 'mene, mene' inscription in his painting of Belshazzar's Feast wrong?
Forgive me if you feel this is not the best forum to ask this question on, but it seems the most apposite one out of those currently available.
The inscription that appears on the wall in Daniel 5:25 ...
- 268
1
vote
1
answer
770
views
The Yud and Hey in creation (Isaiah 26:4)
Isaiah (26:4) is usually translated: "Trust in G-d forever, for in Y-ah, [who is] G-d, is the everlasting rock." However, the prefix translated here as "in" can also mean "through" or "by"; and the ...
- 1,059
1
vote
0
answers
48
views
Is there a book that explains the large and small letters in the Torah? [duplicate]
I am seeking a book, in English, that lists and explains the reasons for the large and small letters in the Torah. (A similar question on this topic did not specify English and did not elicit any ...
- 7,926
2
votes
1
answer
153
views
How to pronounce the name שימי
There's an amora (or at least one) in the Bavli named שימי. I think I've always heard this pronounced with an initial letter sin. However, I saw recently that the Koren-Steinsaltz edition has a ...
- 73.5k
12
votes
6
answers
2k
views
Have any of you ever heard anyone pronouncing ayin as "ng"?
I have read that historically the letter ayin was pronounced by some Dutch, Portuguese, and Italian Jews as a velar nasal consonant (ng as in sing). Reference to this can be found here, here, and here....
- 5,263
5
votes
2
answers
183
views
Why can't someone who can read check the Sefer Torah?
In this question, i talk about if a Sefer Torah might have a misformed letter, a child who can recognize letters but not read is brought to say what letter it is.
If everything surrounding is covered ...
- 23k
8
votes
2
answers
972
views
Are the letters on a dreidel supposed to be in any particular order?
This is a little silly, but...
Should the letters on a dreidel be in order? Like, if you turned it right to left, should it go nun - gimel - hey - shin, because of "nes gadol haya sham"? Or are there ...
- 89
3
votes
3
answers
421
views
Wordplay concerning the Ayin and the Aleph in Gemara
I remember hearing about some interesting statements made about those that fail to distinguish pronunciation between the ayin and the aleph. An example was given in gemara about why such a distinction ...
- 1,564
5
votes
2
answers
362
views
What happens if a sefer torah might have a mistake?
If a sefer torah has a definite mistake, it cannot be used, and the reading must be done again from a kosher torah. (SA OC 143:4)
But what if it only might have a mistake? For example, if it's ...
- 23k
1
vote
1
answer
101
views
Writing the name of Hashem [duplicate]
When writing sheim Hashem, why do people replace one letter with a kuf/ as in קל, יקוק, ה', צבקות, שקי etc.?
- 6,845
3
votes
1
answer
121
views
Why does the Machzor Rabba sometimes have an א at the bottom of the page?
My Machzor Rabba, nusach Ashkenaz, sometimes prints a dot, and sometimes an א at the bottom of the page. Anyone know why?
I've included pictures of a double page with two dots, one with two alephs, ...
- 23k
12
votes
3
answers
390
views
י-ו as a name of Hashem
Sometimes the letters י-ו seem to serve as a name of Hashem. For example, many authors replace י-ו with טז in a numbering system, presumably so as to not write Hashem's name, similar to replacing י-ה ...
- 58.3k
4
votes
2
answers
330
views
Are there any letters that do not have a distinct pronunciation?
Are there any two letters which do not have a distinction between their pronunciation in any tradition of pronunciation? To ask the inverse, is there at least one tradition of pronunciation for each ...
- 58.3k
4
votes
1
answer
397
views
Using Zephaniah 3:8 as a pangram
Would usage of Zephaniah 3:8 solely as a pangram – it being the only option with both finals and cantillation – constitute shemos, and therefore require genizah?
לָכֵ֤ן חַכּוּ־לִי֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה ...
- 6,676
1
vote
3
answers
1k
views
How many Chapters are in the Mishneh Torah?
This question addresses how many halachos there are in Mishneh Torah.
How many chapters are in Mishenh Torah? There is a program to do a chapter of Rambam a day and I am interested to know in how many ...
- 3,210
0
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Talmud Statistics
How many letters are in the Talmud?*
How many words are in the Talmud?
How many dafim are in the Talmud?
How many tractates are in the Talmud?
How many letters, words, and dafim are in every ...
- 3,210
9
votes
3
answers
17k
views
How many words are there in Tanach?
How many letters are in the Torah?
How many words are in the Torah?
How many verses are in the Torah?
How many chapters are in the Torah?
How many letters, words, verses, and chapters are in every ...
- 3,210
12
votes
3
answers
941
views
What is the reason for "stretched" letters in the Torah?
I noticed that in many Sifrei Torah, Sofrim prefer to "stretch" certain letters. It seems that these letters are stretched to end a line if there wouldn't be enough space to start a new word. That's ...
- 70k
2
votes
1
answer
500
views
Which letters can be exchanged in a gematria/notarikon?
So, for instance, the rabbis would sometimes count hei (ה) as if it were chet (ח) (as in, yShabbat 7:2). Are there other letters that you are allowed to switch when computing a gematria or deriving a ...
4
votes
1
answer
182
views
Source for the order of the aleph-beis?
What is the source for the Hebrew alphabet being in the order that it is? Meaning I realize that there are perhaps several sources that Aleph is the first letter, beis is the second etc, but is there ...
5
votes
2
answers
551
views
Is a Sfardi ש incorrect according to this Gemara?
In Masechet Shabbat 104a, it talks about the shapes of the letters, and meaning behind it. One thing it says is:
ומאי טעמא שיקרא אחדא כרעיה קאי ואמת מלבן לבוניה?
And what is the reason that [...
- 23k
1
vote
2
answers
99
views
What are some examples of chazal making a midrash about the way a letter looks?
So, for instance, one could say that the nekudot over the word "kissed" in the verse in which Esau kissed Jacob suggest that Esau tried to bite Jacob because the line of dots looks like bite marks. ...
9
votes
1
answer
307
views
If the "Nun" preceding Bamidbar (Num) 10:35 is not upside down, is the Torah still kosher?
While reading last week's parsha, I noticed that the letter "nun" immediately preceding the verse Vayehi B'nso'ah ha'aron Bamidbar 10:35 was written as regular nun (tagin on top) rather than upside ...
- 70k
2
votes
1
answer
188
views
Jewish headstone abbreviation
What does פ"נ on a Jewish headstone stand for? I have seen it on many stones, seems to be a common occurrence.
user5092
19
votes
3
answers
758
views
Why does almost every pasuk in Megillat Ruth start with a vav?
Every single pasuk except 8 in megillat Ruth starts with the letter vav. Is there any reason for this or is it just a quirk of how it was written? If there is a reason, what about the 8 pesukim which ...
1
vote
0
answers
549
views
Why is the name of the first Hebrew letter also the word for 1000?
I find it interesting the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet is "Aleph", which shares the letters and is pronounced nearly identically to the word for one thousand - "Eleph".
Why might this be?
...
- 1,346
6
votes
2
answers
292
views
Is a Torah that does NOT have the (rabbati) large and small letters (keti'ah) still kosher?
I have a Torah in my shul that does not have any large or small letters where required (e.g. - the 1st letter in the Torah, "Breishit", is written larger than the rest.) Is this Torah still considered ...
- 70k