[Avodah] Amen

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, March 22, 2007 7:14 pm, Rn Chana Luntz wrote:
: [I]t is also the halacha that one should not answer an amen which is
: "chatufa" (missing the aleph) or "katufa" (missing the nun) - see s'if
: 10 there [OCh 124]. These latter halachas would seem to emphasise that it is
: important the the amen is articulated clearly, and therefore is by no
: means silent.

It would also imply that there is a problem to not pronouncing one's alef.

And (noting this is the SA) even Sepharadim usually skip them.

The alef sound exists in English (with thanks to RSBelsky for pointing it
out). Try pronouncing the word "button", not with the real /t/, but as it
usually comes out -- /bu'on/. That consonant in the middle of the word is a
fair approximation of an alef.

Another case is the consonant used by Long Islanders (NY) then they start the
second word. It comes out almost "Lawn Guyland" because the G slides right
into an ayin opening the word "Island".

I have a feeling, though, that for Ashkenazim "chatufah" is really defined by
missing the qamatz.

Tir'u baTov!
-mi

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
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