Shalshelet
| shalshelet | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||
| cantillation | |||||||
| Sof passuk | ׃ | paseq | ׀ | ||||
| etnachta | ֑ | segol | ֒ | ||||
| shalshelet | ֓ | zaqef qatan | ֔ | ||||
| zaqef gadol | ֕ | tifcha | ֖ | ||||
| revia | ֗ | zarqa | ֘ | ||||
| pashta | ֙ | yetiv | ֚ | ||||
| tevir | ֛ | geresh | ֜ | ||||
| geresh muqdam | ֝ | gershayim | ֞ | ||||
| qarney para | ֟ | telisha gedola | ֠ | ||||
| pazer | ֡ | atnah hafukh | ֢ | ||||
| munach | ֣ | mahapakh | ֤ | ||||
| merkha | ֥ | merkha kefula | ֦ | ||||
| darga | ֧ | qadma | ֨ | ||||
| telisha qetana | ֩ | yerah ben yomo | ֪ | ||||
| ole | ֫ | iluy | ֬ | ||||
| dehi | ֭ | zinor | ֮ | ||||
|
|
|||||||
The Shalshelet (Hebrew: <templatestyles src="Script/styles_hebrew.css" />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. Words accented with the shalshelet mark only occur at the beginning of the verse.[2]
The Hebrew word שַׁלְשֶׁ֓לֶת translates into English as chain.[3] This shows the connection of the worlds[dubious ] 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 "VaYomar" (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 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
| Book | Number of appearances |
|---|---|
| Torah | 4[12] |
| Genesis | 3[12] |
| Exodus | 0[12] |
| Leviticus | 1[12] |
| Numbers | 0[12] |
| Deuteronomy | 0[12] |
| Nevi'im | 2[13] |
| Ketuvim | 1[13] |
The shalshelet note occurs a total of 6 times in Tanakh. They are: ויתמהמה Genesis 19:16, ויאמר Genesis 24:12, וימאן Genesis 29:8, וישחט Leviticus 8:23, ונבהלו Isaiah 13:8, ויאמר Amos 1:2, and ואמר-לה Ezra 5:15.
Melody
The Shalshelet has a melody similar to that of 3 Pazers. It has approximately 30 notes, though this number varies depending on the word on which it is used. File:ShalsheletMelody.jpg
External links
- Site providing audio recordings of the Shalshelet
- Mois Navon, "The Shalshelet: Mark Of Ambivelence", Jewish Thought, OU Publications, Vol.4, Num.1 (5755-6)
References
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- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 6
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 5
