<div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">OC 61 deals with the requirement for proper pronunciation of krias shema, but unless I am missing something there appears to be an absence of any discussion of the need to put the accent on the proper syllable (as indicated by the masoretic text).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In some cases, accents can change the meaning significantly, for example:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">-"veahavTA" (you shall love Hashem) versus "veaHAVta" (you loved Hashem);<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:
Arial">-"veshinanTAM" levanecha (you shall teach your sons) versus "veshiNANtam" (you taught your sons) <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">-"vedibarTA" bam (you shall speak in them) versus "vediBARta" bam (you spoke in them).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">OC 61:23 sounds like it might deal with accents, (“not to make weak sounds strong or strong sounds weak”) but the commentators that I have seen say it refers to making sure to pronounce letters with or without a dagesh where it makes a difference (based on its source in Rambam). It seems that the whole of siman 61 dealing with pronunciation issues does not deal with the issue of accents. This omission seems strange, since accents
are (a) clearly part of the masoretic text, and (b) significantly affect the meaning in some cases. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Can anyone provide an authoritative source for the obligation to put the accent on the proper syllable? <o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kol tuv,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Michael Orr, Toronto</SPAN></div> <div><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New
Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A href="mailto:michaelorr@rogers.com">michaelorr@rogers.com</A> </SPAN></div>