[Avodah] Pronunciation of Va-ye-chi

[Zvi Lampel]

On Mon, Dec 28, 2009 at 14:42:3210, Micha Berger wrote:
 >... I don't know how "shema" can be
physically said in only one syllable. Perhaps you're referring to a
different diqduq concept that is only loosely translated as
"syllable"? What's the original?<

Actually, it's based on precisely your explanation that "...the "rules" 
for sheva were ...about rules for
open vs closed syllables....A sheva nach is
just indicating that a mid-word syllable (or a khaf sofis) is closing
a syllable."

Therefore, a consonant with a sheva na (as in the sheva under the shin 
if "Sh'ma Yisroel) is just indicating the opening of a syllable, and is 
not a complete syllable itself. (There's no "closing" of the syllable it 
began until the next vowel sound is closed by a consonant or the end of 
a long vowel sound.

I look at a Hebrew syllable as a sandwich--it starts with a consonant 
sound (a sound made by the lips, teeth or tongue, etc., forming a 
barrier), followed by a vowel sound (a sound initially shaped by, but 
not blocked by, the mouth's components). If the vowel sound is long 
(which means the mouth's components move into a more closing position), 
that ending of the long vowel serves to close the syllable. If the 
vowel  is short, a consonant closes the syllable.


 >As I noted in previous years, the maamar that "vayhi" (or "vayhi
biymei") introduced tzarah has a phonic resononance when you realize it
sounds like "Vai hi!<

Is this maamar the alleged Chazal that the grammatically correct 
pronunciation of vay'hi or vay'chi is with a sheva nach? I don't think 
that's a valid conclusion.

Zvi Lampel