[Mesorah] Sh'wa nokh and no‘, long and short vowels.

[Mandel, Seth]

I apologize for not responding to several questions about this, but it  is not really my fault. I was under the weather for two days and not mentally able to concentrate. In addition, addressing a question like "does the absence of something prove that it does not exist" is philosophically difficult, and so the proofs that long and short vowels and their effect on sh'wa require much more sophisticated discussion of the evidence.  Just saying "no one before the Qimchis talked about them" is not a sufficient proof.

The proof has to come from an analysis of all the evidence, including many factors that most Jews, including those who study "diqduq" are unaware of.

There are enough of these proofs to show that their theory is incorrect.  But I shall have to give the evidence one piece at a time to explain the facts.

So bear with me, please. You should not say "because Seth Mandel says so." I want you to understand the evidence and draw your own conclusions, just as I want the people who attend my shiur to hear the evidence and draw their own conclusions, and not to say,  "R. Mandel says..."

So the first thing is the fact that does not prove anything: no one before the Qimchi's mentions the idea that there are long and short vowels and that they have anything to do with a sh'wa.

 But they did know about sh'was that are pronounced and others that are silent. See what the Rambam says, and see what he does not say (Hil. Qiryas Sh'ma 2:9):


  כיצד מדקדק, ייזהר שלא ירפה החזק ולא יחזק הרפה, ולא יניד הנח, ולא יניח הנד. לפיכך צריך ליתן ריוח, בין כל שתי אותות הדומות שאחת מהן סוף תיבה והאחרת תחלת תיבה הסמוכה לה

So he knows about the pronunciation of dagesh, and the knows of different types of sh'wa.  But he does not use the term "sh'wa na‘" that was used by others, including the Qimchis, but "nad." And he does not mention anything about being

מאריך הקצר ומקצר הארוך

Although this is suggestive, it is still in the category of lo ra'inu einu ra'ayah, that the absence of something does not prove that it does not exist. That requires a deeper examination of the evidence.


Rabbi Dr. Seth Mandel
Rabbinic Coordinator
The Orthodox Union

Voice (212) 613-8330     Fax (212) 613-0718     e-mail mandels at ou.org
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