Pazer (Hebrew: פָּזֵר) is a cantillation mark found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books of the Hebrew Bible. The pazer is generally followed by a Telisha ketana or gedola; on rare occasions when it is followed by another Pazer.
The Pazer is used to prolong a word significantly during the reading.[1] This places strong emphasis on the meaning of the particular word.[2]
The Hebrew word Hebrew: rtl=yes|פָּזֵר translates into English as distribute or disseminate. This relates to the high number of notes in its melody. In a mystical interpretation, it shows the distribution of divinity.[3]
Book | Number of appearances | |
---|---|---|
Torah | 154[4] | |
Genesis | 29 | |
Exodus | 29 | |
Leviticus | 27 | |
Numbers | 36 | |
Deuteronomy | 33 | |
Nevi'im | 177[5] | |
Ketuvim | 284 |