Questions tagged [grammar-dikduk]
Questions about Hebrew grammar as related to Judaism.
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Why do we have "noten Lecha" in the first sentence of Ki Tavo and "noten Lach" in the second?
This question seems similar to the question about Modim for which there are four answers, but none of those answers fit here. In particular, the trope is the same on both phrases. This is clearly ...
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Is the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the kamatz "aw" or "uh"?
I have seen sources, for example the Artscroll transliterated siddur, that say that the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the kamatz vowel is "aw," as in the first syllable of "often," ...
user31444
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Why the use of אָחִֽי in 1 Melachim 13:30 וַיִּסְפְּד֥וּ עָלָ֖יו ה֥וֹי אָחִֽי
In 1 Melachim 13:30 it says:
And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And ...
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Dagesh in pe lefufah
If you were writing pointed text with a pe lefufah (or doubled/spiral pe, or pe kefulah) for pedagogical purposes, and the pe had a dagesh, would you write the dagesh inside the inner spiral, or ...
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Why is "the righteous" (Chavakuk 2:4) a reference to "Jeconiah the king"?
Why is "the righteous" (as in Chavakuk 2:4) in reference to "Jeconiah the king"?
The passage in question reads:
"but the righteous shall live by his faith." Chavakuk - ...
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Why does the Torah in Leviticus 21/23 use the word "Mikdoshay" in plural form?
אַ֣ךְ אֶל־הַפָּרֹ֜כֶת לֹ֣א יָבֹ֗א וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ לֹ֥א יִגַּ֖שׁ כִּֽי־מ֣וּם בּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֤א יְחַלֵּל֙ אֶת־מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃
but he shall not enter behind the curtain or ...
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What does מחיה מתים אתה mean?
In the Amidah, does מחיה מתים אתה mean "You revive the dead" or "You are a reviver of the dead"?
If it means the former, how does God presently revive the dead?
Please provide ...
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What is the grammatical meaning of ידות (Yados, "hands") as used to mean "one third" in Shas?
Ibn Ezra, in his commentary on Exodus 12:2, says the maximum length of a lunar month is 29 days, half of a day, and two "hands" of a day.
כ"ט יום וחצי ושני ידות שעה
Similar language ...
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Who teaches Tanakh?
I would like to study Tanakh in its entirety with a focus on dikduk, hebrew language, basic meaning/commentators, and possibly cantillation. I am not very self-motivated so I would prefer to join a ...
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What's the difference between "Hinchilanu" and "Hinchaltanu"?
The Kiddush for Friday night contains two verbs, Hinchilanu and Hinchaltanu, that seem to be on one Hebrew root and share the translation "has given us as a heritage."
I guess that there ...
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Siddur with stressed vowels
How can I know what vowel to put stress on?
For example in English we can show it in many ways e.g. exAmple
I checked Siddur Sim Shalom (Ashkenazi) and not sure if I see any marks in every word to ...
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When did the gematria for 16 become ט"ז as oppose to י-ו?
I've been going through some records (e.g. from the old Jewish cemetery in Worms, Germany) from the 1200's and 1300's, and I've noticed that the gematria for 16 is yud-vav, as opposed to tes-zayin.
...
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Why are these verbs in the past tense
If I understand the rules of the vav hahipuch properly, which reverses the tense of a word from past to future or vice-versa, where the accent is placed plays a big role.
For example, the word אהבת ...
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First Rashi on Vayikra 25:46
According to Rashi's first commentary on Vayikra 25:46, what would be the distinct meaning of the verse with "והנחלתם" vs. with "והתנחלתם"?
והתנחלתם אתם לבניכם means, you may hold ...
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Pausal form with a non-pausal cantillation mark
Someone pointed me to the following unusual verse (Malakhi 1:6):
בֵּ֛ן יְכַבֵּ֥ד אָ֖ב וְעֶ֣בֶד אֲדֹנָ֑יו וְאִם־אָ֣ב אָ֣נִי אַיֵּ֣ה כְבוֹדִ֡י וְאִם־אֲדוֹנִ֣ים אָנִי֩ אַיֵּ֨ה מֽוֹרָאִ֜י אָמַ֣ר ׀ ...
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Kamatz Katan Question
Can someone kindly confirm if שׁלוֹמָךְ and אַמָךְ have a kamatz katan in them? I do not believe they do, but I’m still working on my ability to spot the kamatz katan in some words.
I would pronounce ...
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What are the rules for the Kaph getting a dagesh at the end of the word?
Specifically, in Naso 6:25, VeChuNeKah while in the previous pasuk none of them have the dagesh as if often the case. I presume it has something to do with the dagesh chazek in the nun. How does ...
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Why use different adjectives in Devarim 9:1 and Devarim 9:14?
א שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתָּה עֹבֵר הַיּוֹם אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן, לָבֹא לָרֶשֶׁת גּוֹיִם גְּדֹלִים וַעֲצֻמִים מִמֶּךָּ--עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וּבְצֻרֹת, בַּשָּׁמָיִם
Deutoronomy 9:1
Hear, O Israel: thou art to ...
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How should I pronounce עם in עם הדומה לחמור?
I was surprised to hear a lecturer pronounce the word עם in the phrase עם הדומה לחמור with a חיריק. I know that all of my teachers pronounced it with a פתח. When I pointed out the גמרא at the end of ...
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Secondary stress after the main stress in פדנה
Rashi notes multiple times that the -ל prefix can be substituted by a ה- suffix like in Bereishit 28:2:
ק֥וּם לֵךְ֙ פַּדֶּ֣נָֽה אֲרָ֔ם בֵּ֥יתָה בְתוּאֵ֖ל אֲבִ֣י אִמֶּ֑ךָ וְקַח־לְךָ֤ מִשָּׁם֙ אִשָּׁ֔ה ...
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What is the proper voweling (Nikud) for Metatron?
I have seen many variations of this and wonder if anyone could tell me which is the most correct?
These variations include:
מֶטָטְרוֹן (Meṭāṭ'rōn)
מְטַטְרוֹן (Măṭaṭ'rōn)
מֵיטַטְרוֹן (Mēyṭaṭ'rōn)
...
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What is the difference between Almah vs. Ha-Almah?
My understanding is that adding "Ha-" at the beginning of a noun in Hebrew is the same as adding "The" to the beginning of a noun in English. In other words, it means you're ...
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'Anshei' vs 'B'nei'
Ezra 2 contains a big list of the size of different families. However, some of the verses (eg 16, 17, 18) introduce those they count as בני, and some of the verses (eg 22, 23, 27) introduce those they ...
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Daniel 9:12 k’ri-k’tiv
Do any commentators or other sources address the rationale of דבריו becoming דברו in Daniel 9:12? I’ve so far been unable to find any explanation for this.
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What is the difference between "גזרה רעה" "גזרה קשה"
Is there a difference between the concept of the Hebrew words of "גזרה רעה" an evil decree versus a "גזרה קשה" a difficult decree? See Machzor Rosh HaShana on the annulment of ...
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"Constantly and forever and ever" in Maariv davening
In Maariv prayer we say "אל חי וקים תמיד ימלוך עלינו לעולם ועד" in the first long Brachah.
I'm aware of the concept of the double לשון of לעולם ועד (i.e. forever and ever), but how does that ...
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Explanation of number shifts in the Tanach
In many places in Tanach, the grammatical number (plural or singular) shifts. One famous example has to do with the rocks that Yaakov put under his head. When he woke, the "rock" is referred ...
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Anachronisms in the torah?
Are there good answers to anachronisms in the torah?
I've been studying this subject for a while and I don't think a good answer for that an example would be Gen 14:14
And Abram heard that his ...
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Why is it אלו הן הלוקין rather than אלו הן הנלקין?
Looking for an explanation as to why the פעל form is used rather than נפעל. Instead of “These are the ones who hit” I would’ve expected it to be “these are the ones who are hit.” One thought would be ...
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Please translate Gemara - Aramaic word מקני
In בבא מציעא daf 33b, the very beginning of the Gemara on המפקיד. The Gemara says מקני ליה. The Artscroll English edition, vowelizes מקני as mak-nay. What are the precise possible translation(s) of ...
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Why is Aramaic "tlasah" used for wine in ketoret, where spices are counted in Hebrew "shlasha"?
In Talmud Keritot 6a, read in the siddur, it states,
קילופה שלשה וקנמון תשעה בורית כרשינה תשעה קבין יין קפריסין סאין תלתא קבין תלתא
Why is the Hebrew שלשה used for "three" (hin) in ...
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What is the difference between 'a minori ad majus' and 'a majori ad minus'
Good afternoon,
I'm attempting to understand the "Thirty-Two Rules of Elezer B. Jose Ha-Gelili" and have come to the 5th rule and have a question;
1. Summary of Problem
In reading the ...
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Why is there no דגש in the ת in the word "וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם"?
I am told that a בגדכפת letter takes a דגש following a closed syllable (examples of this: נִשְׁבַּ֧ע, בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ and לְנֶגְדְּכֶם֙) (i.e. ends with the letter and not the vowel), so why do words ...
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When does the rule of אתא מרחוק apply?
I was told that there is a rule that if a word has the stress מלעיל (i.e. not on the last syllable), then the first letter of the next word should have a dagesh. I can not find anywhere where this ...
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How is a "ד" without a דגש קל pronounced? [duplicate]
According to many books I have read, a דגש קל can only be present in the letters ב, ג, ד, כ, פ and ת. The Ashkenazi מסורה for pronunciations of the letters ג and ד without a דגש קל has been lost. I ...
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Grammar question in prayer
Why in the prayer:
יי עז לעמו יתן , יי יברך את-עמו בשלום
is the word יברך followed by את,? Both יברך & יתן are forms of a verb. Does anyone have any sources that address this grammar sentence ...
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When discussing the avoida of the 'bchoros', first-born, is the correct term 'bchoros' or 'bchorim'?
I think I've seen it written as 'bchoros' but since they are male shouldn't it be 'bchorim'?
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Why does Naomi talk in masculine form to her daughters-in-law?
In Rus 1:8, Naomi is telling her two daughters-in-law that they should return to their homes.
וַתֹּ֤אמֶר נָעֳמִי֙ לִשְׁתֵּ֣י כַלֹּתֶ֔יהָ לֵ֣כְנָה שֹּׁ֔בְנָה אִשָּׁ֖ה לְבֵ֣ית אִמָּ֑הּ יעשה [יַ֣עַשׂ] ...
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Which part of Hebrew or textual grammar tells the reader to add to the verb in question the word "habitually"?
Which part of Hebrew or textual grammar tells the reader to add to the verb in question the word "habitually"?
For example, Exodus 21:36 (Parashat Bo), Chabad translates the verb in question ...
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ולא תתורו: kadma veazla or azla-geresh?
In the third parashah of Shema' (maftir from P' Shelach) we have a divergence of cantillation on the words ולא תתורו. In R' Wolf Heidenheim (see Koren for a contempary example) these words are ...
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2
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Is וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם in Shema with Shva Na or Shva Nach
My daughter goes to a chabad school (nusach ari?) and has been taught in class that וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם in the shema (end of first paragraph) is with a shvah na on the כְ. She also says it has the asterisk ...
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2
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Rosh Hashanah vs Rosh Chodesh
The beginning of the Jewish year is referred to as Rosh Hashanah.
The beginning of the Jewish month is called Rosh Chodesh.
How come Rosh Hashanah has a "hey" (ה) in it, while Rosh Chodesh ...
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The grammatical nature of וָאִמָּלְטָה in the context of Job 1:15. How exactly did the only surviving servant "slip away"?
In Job 1:15, we read that the Sabeans fell upon and took Job's cattle and she-asses. Then they killed the young men, or servants, of Job, by the sword. Only one of these servants got away, and it is ...
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Using meteg to mark non-ultimate accented syllables
The common practice in current prayer books is to use a meteg to mark the stressed syllable in non-biblical texts if it's not the last one. The earliest edition using this method I have found is R' ...
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Malbim’s grammatical argument in Parashat Tzav
Can someone help me to understand the grammatical/ interpretive point that the Malbim is making in his commentary to Leviticus 6:21 (the entries numbered 67 and 68 on Sefaria)?
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When do you say אֶת, and when do you say אֵת? [duplicate]
How can one determine when the word "את" is pronounced with a t'zayray and when it is pronounced with a se'gol?
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1
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Why are some Lameds with a flat top?
In many places in the siddur there are Lameds with a flat top, and there are some with a straight top. For example in the last הללוקה the word בצלצלי, the first lamed is with a straight top, and the ...
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Leniency in pronunciation while reading the Megillah (Iggeres)
I've heard that we are more lenient in regards to krias haMigglah than to krias haTorah (in regards to pronunciation), since the Migglah refers the itself as an Iggeres (letter). If this so, to what ...
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לָ vs. לַ vs. לְ and וָ vs. וַ vs. וְ
What are the differences in meaning between the prefix of the letter ל (lamed), when different vowels are used [i.e. לַ (patach), לָ (kumatz) and לְ (shva)]? What about variants of the usage of the ...
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1
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What does "Bechozek Yad Hotzianu" mean?
At the end of Parshas Bo, we see the concept of "BeChozek Yad Hotzianu" 4 times, twice in connection with mitzvas t'fillin.
What does "Bechozek Yad Hotzianu" really mean and what ...
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