Chanting the Hebrew Bible

Joshua R. Jacobson is a professor of music and director of choral activities at Northeastern University, the founder and director of the Zamir Chorale of Boston, and a visiting professor and senior consultant in the School of Jewish Music at Hebrew College. He has guest-conducted and lectured throughout the United States, Europe, Israel, and Australia. Jacobson is the coauthor of Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire, vol. 4: Hebrew Texts.

• How to Use this BookTransliterations, Translations and Text SourcesChapter 1 CantillationThe Ritual Art of Chanting the Hebrew ScripturesThe Terminology of CantillationChironomyWhy Chant?The ScrollAmbiguity in the Consonantal TextThe Masoretic TextThe Rhythm of CantillationThe Pitches of CantillationEkphonetic NotationTranscriptions of the te‘amim InflectionResolving AmbiguityChapter 2.1 ParallelismCorresponding ParallelismParallel ActionsAnalogous ParallelismElliptical ParallelismChapter 2.2 The Primary Dichotomy: Siluk and Etnaḥta The Disjunctive Siluk Meteg The Disjunctive EtnaḥtaChantingDiagramming PhrasesParsingLevel One: Contiguous SegmentsException: Verses without Etnaḥta The Pausal FormWord OrderChapter 2.3 Level Two: Tippeḥa The Secondary Dichotomy: Tippeḥa Three Independent ClausesThe Simple SentenceThe Nominal ClauseChapter 2.4 ConjunctivesRecursive DichotomyDisjunctives and Conjunctives within a SegmentMerekha – The “Servant” of Siluk Merekha – The “Servant” of Tippeḥa Merekha Khefulah Munaḥ Conjunctives and Dagesh Kal The “Conjunctive Soft” FormChapter 2.5 SubstitutionsTippeḥa Substituting for a ConjunctiveOne-Word Clauses in Level OneTwo Te‘amim on a Long WordMayela and Siluk on a Single WordMayela and Etnaḥta on a Single WordMunaḥ and Etnaḥta on a Single WordMerekha and Tippeḥa on a Single WordTwo Munaḥs: A Double ConjunctiveChapter 2.6 Level Two: Zakef Stepping SegmentsStepping Segments and Nesting SegmentsThe Four Forms of Zakef Munaḥ-The Conjunctive Serving Zakef Katon A New ModelAnother UpgradeReview: Three Models of DichotomyReviewVerb in Second PositionThe Word לֵאמרֹThe Vocative CaseChapter 2.7 Level Two: SegolWhen Does Segol Appear?Munaḥ-The Conjunctive Serving Segol.Shalshelet as a Substitute for Segol Pasek The Seven Occurences of Shalshelet Rabbinic Exegesis of Shalshelet Chapter 2.8 TevirThe Disjunctive Tevir Examples of Tevir Relative Cadences: Tippeḥa and Tevir Upgrading: Tevir Substituting for Merekha The Conjunctives of Tevir: Darga and Merekha A New ModelVerb In Terminal PositionChapter 2.9 The Remote Conjunctives of Tevir Kadma And Munaḥ: The Secondary Conjunctives of Tevir Verb in the Middle - Part TwoSecondary AccentsMerekha Khefulah and Darga: Two Conjunctives before Tippeḥa More than One Remote ConjunctiveThree or More ConjunctivesChapter 2.10 Revia‘Upgrade: Tevir to Revia‘The Dichotomy of ListsRevia‘ AnalysisThree Level-Three “Stepping” SegmentsDarga-The Remote Conjunctive Of Revia‘Three Conjunctives before Revia‘Chapter 2.11 Pashta The Disjunctive Pashta Pashta and Kadma Yetiv-A Substitute for Pashta Munaḥ Upgraded to Pashta or Yetiv The Meteg as LengthenerSubstitutions and the Conjunctive-Rafeh RuleVerses with No ConjunctivesThe Conjunctives of Pashta-Mahpakh and Merekha Derivation of the Name “Mahpakh”Mahpakh and Pashta on The Same WordMahpakh and Yetiv The Retracted Accent-Nasog Aḥor The Remote Conjunctives of Pashta-Kadma or Munaḥ The Third and Fourth Remote Conjunctives of PashtaRevia‘-The Initial Level-Three Disjunctive before Pashta Upgrading Pashta to Revia‘Chapter 2.12 Zarka Zarka The Conjunctives of Zarka Upgrading Munaḥ-Segol to Zarka-Segol Upgrading for Long WordsThe Remote Conjunctives of Zarka-Kadma or Munaḥ Munaḥ Instead of Kadma Three Conjunctives before Zarka Four Conjunctives before Zarka Two Subdivisions under Segol Three Subdivisions under Segol Chapter 2.13 Level Four: Geresh Simple Verses and Complex VersesSubdividing a Level-Three SegmentGeresh and Double Geresh The Forms of Geresh Geresh without a ConjunctiveUpgrading for Long WordsThe Conjunctives of Geresh-Kadma and Munaḥ The Remote Conjunctive of Geresh-Telishah Ketanah Munaḥ-The Conjunctive before Telishah Ketanah To Geresh or Not to Geresh?The Geresh Segment In ContextChapter 2.14 Level Four: Legarmeh The Disjunctive Legarmeh Legarmeh or Geresh?The 2+1 Division and Exceptions to the RuleStepping Level-Four SegmentsThe Conjunctive of Legarmeh-Merekha Three or More Stepping SegmentsAnalysis of Complete VersesChapter 2.15 Level Four: Pazer The Distribution of Level-Four TerminatorsThe Disjunctive Pazer (Katan)The Conjunctive of Pazer-Munaḥ Level-Four SegmentsThree Stepping SegmentsThe Pazer Segment in ContextListsLevel FiveChapter 2.16 Level Four: Pazer Gadol The Disjunctive Pazer Gadol (Karney-Farah)The Conjunctive of Pazer Gadol-Galgal (Yeraḥ-Ben-Yomo)The Pazer Gadol Clause in ContextChapter 2.17 Telishah Gedolah The Disjunctive Telishah Gedolah Telishah Gedolah as a Substitute for Geresh Telishah Gedolah and Geresh on the Same WordTelishah Gedolah as a Substitute for Pazer Telishah Gedolah as a Level-Five TerminatorTelishah Gedolah as a Substitute for Telishah Ketanah The Telishah Gedolah Clause in ContextChapter 3 PronunciationThe Importance of Correct PronunciationHalakhic EvidenceThe Evolution of the Hebrew LanguageAn Official Hebrew DictionThe “Elevated” StyleAbout this GuideConsonant “Voicing”The Pronunciation of אThe Pronunciation of כ and חThe Pronunciation of רOther DifferencesRun-on WordsVowel LengthPure VowelsConsistent PronunciationDoubled ConsonantsBecoming Familiar with Dagesh Ḥazak Mappik The Function of Mappik The Sound of Mappik Shin and Sin Matres Lectionis- אִמּוֺת הַקְּרִיאָהSyllablesOpen SyllablesClosed SyllablesDagesh Kal The Conjunctive Soft FormConsonant Endingsכ Dagesh Ḥazak in בּ גּ דּ פּ תּVocal Sheva (Sheva Na‘)Intermediate Sheva (Sheva Meraḥef)Summary: Prefix ChartKamats FormsKamats before Deḥik Two Approaches to the Rules of PronunciationFurtive Pataḥ (Pataḥ Genuvah)וּ וֹ And as ConsonantsSome Words Are Not Pronounced as They Are WrittenSyllabic Stress: Millera‘ and Mille‘el Marking the AccentThe Secondary AccentSyllabic RhythmMakkef Vowel Length Reduction in Connected WordsSpecial Te‘amim for Contiguous AccentsRetraction נָסוֹג אֲחוֹרSecondary StressObservations on Secondary StressThe Euphonic Meteg מֶֽתֶג לְתִיקוּן הַקְּרִיאָהMeteg SummaryThe Pausal Form צוּרַת הַהֶפְסֵקVowel Changes in Pausal FormChange Of Stress in the Hiatus FormChange Of Stress in Vav ConversiveThe Directional (or “Locative”) Suffix ה׳ הַמְּגַמָּהSuffixes and Syllabic StressRare Words that Begin with Dagesh Ḥazak ( דְּחיִק )Pronunciation of the Conjunctive Dagesh The Vocalization of PrefixesThe Definite Article ה׳ הַיְדִיעָהכ Prepositional Prefixes בַּ לַThe Word מהThe Interrogative Prefix ה׳ הַשְּׁאֵלָהVav Conjunctive ו׳ הַחִבּוּרVav Conversive ו׳ הַהִפּוּךְThe Prepositional Prefixes ב כ לThe Prepositional Prefix מFormal Classical Pronunciation versus Colloquial Modern PronunciationGeneral Pronunciation ExercisesChapter 4 Canon And MasorahA History of the ScrollsThe Aniquity of CantillationWhere Do the Melodies Come From?The Chanting of ScriptureDid Tiberian Notation Represent an Ancient Tradition?The SeptuagintOther Ancient Greek ManuscriptsEvidence in the TalmudOther Systems of PunctuationThe Musical Realization of the Tiberian SystemThe Notation SystemsThe Tiberian CodicesThe Aleppo CodexOther Ancient CodicesChapter and VersePrinted BiblesThe Soferim and the Consonantal TextMasoretic Annotations and ListsChapter 5.1 The Te‘amim DisjunctivesConjunctivesOther SignsRemote ConjunctivesInvariablesUpgrading in a Two-Word DomainUpgrading in the Presence of Long WordsSubstitutions for Musical ConsiderationsFrequency ChartRepeating Te‘amim The Hierarchy of the Te‛amim The Twenty-One Books and the Three BooksThe Poetic Books: Psalms, Proverbs and JobChapter 5.2 Two Te‘amim on a Single WordPrimary and Secondary AccentsMeteg The Euphonic Meteg Double ConjunctivesDouble DisjunctivesDoubled InvariablesPostpositivesPrepositivesHigh and Low Accents: Two TraditionsThe DecalogueThe Saga Of ReubenChapter 5.3 TroubleshootingCommonly Confused Te‘amim Errors in RhythmCommonly Mispronounced ConsonantsCommonly Mispronounced VowelsIncorrect Syllabic StressBiblical Hebrew and Contemporary HebrewThe Last WordChapter 5.4 Parsing The Hebrew BibleSome DefinitionsOverview-The Steps Involved in ParsingIdentify the VerbsParallelism-Pairs of ClausesThe Verbless (Nominal) ClauseCoordinated VerbsMore than Two Independent ClausesThe Subordinate ClauseDowngrading the Time StampInverted DowngradeQuotationsLinked Word PairsInconsistency of StyleConstruct ( סְמִיכוּת ) Followed by a Linked PairParticlesOther WordsThe Word לֵאמרֹListsEmphatic WordsThe Verb and its ComplementsPuzzling PunctuationThe Limits of PredictabilityChapter 5.5 The Pedagogy of CantillationThe Cantillation ClassApplying the Paradigm to the Student’s PortionFlash CardsDictationListening ActivitiesTeaching InflectionApplying the Melodies to Familiar WordsReinforcing the PatternsSuggestions for Self-StudyPreparing to Read from a ScrollChapter 6.1 Interpreting the Te‘amim Music of the PeopleThe Liquid Tradition Becomes FrozenOne Tradition among ManyMusic Serves the TextTranscription of the Te‘amim Rhythmic NotationPitch NotationThe Names of the Te‘amim Syllabic StressImprovisationSmoothingRedistributionCompensationPick-Up Pitch AdjustmentThe Rhythm of CantillationReading Complete PhrasesHigh and Low Te‘amim Chapter 6.2 TorahHistorical Development of the Public ReadingContemporary Practices in Traditional SynagoguesThe Cycle of ReadingsThe Combined Pericope פרשה מחוברתThe Division of the PericopeExtra AliyotThe Number of OlimThe Number of VersesThe Maftir Simḥat Torah CustomsProcedures Related to the Torah ReadingThe Correct Reading of the TorahQualifications for the Ba‘al Keri’ah Correcting An Error In The ReadingA Defect in the ScrollTokheḥot Remembering AmalekTa‘amey Ha-‘Elyon Other Special CustomsThe Melodies of the Cantillation MotifsThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsThe Zakef SegmentThe Tevir SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol/Shalshelet SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentTelishah Gedolah Pazer Munaḥ Galgal Pazer-Gadol The Final CadenceSpecial MelodiesAkdamut Millin Chanting the Torah BlessingsThe Kaddish Summary of the Te‘amim The Scale of the Torah CantillationThe Te‘amim according to Abraham BinderChapter 6.3 Haftarah Contemporary Traditional PracticeHistorical Development of the Haftarah CustomsEtymologyHaftarah ChartThe Melodies of the Cantillation MotifsThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsThe Zakef SegmentThe Tevir SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentOther SegmentsThe Final CadenceModulations to the Lamentation ModeBlessingsYatsiv Pitgam Summary of the Te‘amim Chapter 6.4 The Festival Megillot: Song Of Songs, Ruth, and EcclesiastesThe Contemporary Practicea nd its RootsThe Song of SongsRuthEcclesiastesThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsMerekha Siluk Etnaḥta Tippeḥa The Tevir SegmentThe Zakef SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentGereshayim Telishah Gedolah Pazer The Final CadenceBlessingsSummary of the Te‘amim Chapter 6.5 EstherThe Contemporary Practice and its RootsThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsTippeḥa The Tevir SegmentThe Zakef SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentTelishah Gedolah Pazer Munaḥ Galgal Pazer-Gadol The Final CadenceThe Invitational CadenceLamentation VersesExceptional VersesBlessingsShoshannat Ya‘akov Summary of the Te’amim The Scale of the Te‘amim The Axes of the Te‘amim Chapter 6.6 Lamentations (Ekhah)StructureLiturgical UseLamentations Motifs in other ReadingsChanting Chapter ThreeThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsTippeḥa The Tevir SegmentThe Zakef SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentOtherFinal CadencesSummary of the Te‘amim The Scale of the CantillationChapter 6.7 Torah for the High Holiday Morning ServiceThe Siluk and Etnaḥta SegmentsTippeḥa The Tevir SegmentThe Zakef SegmentThe Pashta/Yetiv SegmentThe Segol SegmentThe Revia‘ SegmentThe Legarmeh SegmentThe Geresh SegmentTelishah Gedolah Pazer The Final CadenceChanting the BlessingsKaddish Summary of the Te‘amim The Scale of the Te‘amim Chapter 7.1 Comparison ChartChapter 7.2 The Ideal ReaderChapter 7.3 Guide to the ReadingsGenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomySpecial Torah ReadingsSimḥat TorahPublic Fast DaysRosh Ḥodesh ShavuotHigh HolidaysHaftarot Genesis - Haftarot Exodus - Haftarot Leviticus - Haftarot Numbers - Haftarot Deuteronomy - Haftarot Special Haftarot RuthSong of SongsEcclesiastes (Kohelet)LamentationsEstherChapter 7.4 GlossaryBibliographyIndex

"The improvements and additions to the text, the new Index and enlarged Bibliography, the clear fonts and visual presentation, and the added charts make this book a 'must-have' for the regular use of everyone who chants and teaches trop."-Neil Schwartz, Journal of Synagogue Music “Jacobson has delivered an indispensable teaching tool that, quite unusually, is a genuinely fascinating read. . . . Even those who consider themselves experts will learn a lot from this book. . . . Jacobson consistently provides a wealth of interesting historical material to make this a great reference book.”-Susan Miron, The Forward “An authoritative, exhaustively detailed survey of the history, structure, performance, and inculcation of the trope.”-Stuart Schoffman, Jerusalem Report“Monumental in scope and richly detailed, this revised edition of Chanting the Hebrew Bible-enriched by a week-by-week guide to the Torah, haftarah, and megillot readings, and a comprehensive index-is an invaluable contribution to the study and practice of biblical cantillation. Jacobson’s work of impressive scholarship is simultaneously an accessible and engaging practical resource.”-Rabbi Jeffrey A. Summit, author of Singing God’s Words: The Performance of Biblical Chant in Contemporary Judaism “This encyclopedic volume is a ‘must-have’ for all serious students of cantillation-and for anyone who wants to learn how to chant Hebrew texts and understand the whys of the cantillation systems.”-Nancy Abramson, cantor and director of the H. L. Miller Cantorial School at Jewish Theological Seminary“The cantillation of Hebrew scripture is an indispensable portal to its authentic interpretation, and Jacobson has extraordinary command of this material. Students and scholars, beginners and experts-everyone who treasures this foundational form of biblical learning has much cause for celebration.”-Richard Cohn, cantor and director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion