Shalshelet Explained
The Shalshelet (Hebrew: שַלְשֶלֶת) is a cantillation mark found in the Torah. It is one of the rarest used, occurring just four times in the entire Torah,[1] in Genesis 19:16, 24:12, and 39:8, and in Leviticus 8:23. The four words accented with the shalshelet mark all occur at the beginning of the verse.[2]
The Hebrew word Hebrew: rtl=yes|שַׁלְשֶׁ֓לֶת translates into English as chain.[3] Kabbalistic authors have held that this shows the connection of the worlds by the links of a chain.[4] [5] The symbolism of the Shalshelet is that the subject of the story is wrestling with his inner demons and is undergoing some hesitation in his actions.[6] [7]
It is rendered musically by a long and elaborate string of notes, giving a strong emphasis to the word on which it occurs.
Purpose
The Shalshelet mark is said to be used for various purposes:
- In Genesis 19:16, it is used on the word "VaYitmah'maH" (and he lingered), when Lot is lingering in Sodom as it is marked for destruction, to show Lot's uncertainty.[8] [9]
- In Genesis 24:12, it is used on the word "Vayomer" (and he said), when Abraham's servant is trying to find a woman to marry Abraham's son Isaac, to indicate the hesitation the servant shows.[10]
- In Genesis 39:8, it is used on the word "VaY'maen" (and he refused), during Joseph's attempted seduction by Potiphar's wife, to indicate Joseph's struggle against temptation.[11]
- In Leviticus 8:23, the Shalshelet is used on the word "Vayishchat" (and he slaughtered), because Moses was slaughtering an animal in preparation for the anointment of his brother and nephews as priests, a position he coveted for himself. He is therefore sad he was not given this honor.[6]
Grammatically it is equivalent to segolta, but is never preceded by a conjunctive accent or a disjunctive of a lower class. It is thus related to segolta in the same way as Zakef gadol is related to zakef katan, or Yetiv to Pashta.
Total occurrences
The shalshelet note occurs a total of 7 times in Tanakh outside of the Sifrei Emet. They are:
[14]
Additionally, the note occurs 39 times in Psalms, Proverbs, and Job.
Melody
The Shalshelet has a melody similar to that of 3 Pazers. According to Chabad tradition, it is equivalent to 2 Pazers and one Tlisha Gedolah. Rabbi Stolik of Chabad Caltech disputes this "Chabad" tradition.It is approximately 30 notes, though this number varies depending on the word on which it is used.
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Chanting the Hebrew Bible. Jacobson, J.R.. 2005. Jewish Publication Society. 9780827610484. 60. 2015-04-08. Student .
- Book: The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. Kelley, P.H.. Mynatt, D.S.. Crawford, T.G.. 1998. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 9780802843630. 147. 2015-04-08.
- Book: Circle in the Square: Studies in the Use of Gender in Kabbalistic Symbolism. Wolfson, E.R.. 1995. State University of New York Press. 9780791424056. 211. 2015-04-08.
- Book: Understanding the Tanya: Volume Three in the Definitive Commentary on a Classic Work of Kabbalah by the World's Foremost Authority. Steinsaltz, R.A.. 2007. John Wiley & Sons. 9780787988265. 302. 2015-04-08.
- Book: The Kabbalah Handbook: A Concise Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts in Jewish Mysticism. Samuel, G.. 2007. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. 9781585425600. registration. 2–327. 2015-04-08.
- Web site: Under Duress in VaYeshev: The Shalshelet | Jewish Boston Blogs. jewishboston.com. 2015-04-08.
- Web site: On Not Trying to Be What You Are Not - Covenant & Conversation - Parsha. chabad.org. 2015-04-08.
- Book: The Jewish Religion: A Companion. Jacobs, L.. 1995. Oxford University Press. 9780198264637. 65. 2015-04-08.
- Book: The Women's Torah Commentary: New Insights from Women Rabbis on the 54 Weekly Torah Portions. Goldstein, E.. 2008. Jewish Lights Publishing. 9781580233705. 64. 2015-04-08.
- Book: A Taste of Torah: An Introduction to Thirteen Challenging Bible Stories. Isaacs, R.H.. 2006. URJ Press. 9780807408131. 73. 2015-04-08.
- Book: Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History. Telushkin, J.. 1991. HarperCollins. 9780688085063. 24. 2015-04-08.
- Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 6
- Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 5
- Weisberg, David. “The Rare Accents of the Twenty-One Books.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 56, no. 4, ser. 2, 1966, p. 320
