Katon Clause Continued and Completing Sukkat Shalom

Katon Clause Continued…
Today, we learned the rest of the Katon Clause. The Katon Clause is a longer clause, that includes a couple of unique things, including 2 sets of identical twins. Identical twins of course are symbols that look identical, however, like any real set of siblings, they might look the same but they have completely different personalities and functions.

Twin #1 – Pashta and Kadma
Last week we learned Pashta. It has some rules that make it unique:

Pashta
1. The symbol for Pashta is always on the very last letter of the word
2. Pashta is always followed by Katon or Munach Katon
3. Pashta is a separator; Pashta PAUSES
4. Pashta can also exist as a ‘double pashta’ such as the word B’veitecha in the 6th line of the V’ahavta.

Kadma
1. The symbol for Kadma can be on any letter, except the last letter
2. Kadma has a different melody than Pashta, it’s melody is a smaller interval
3. Kadma CONNECTS

To hear Kadma, and the rest of Katon: https://youtu.be/PtrgUMR252U

As part of explaining the differences between the identical twin symbols. We explored how each trope symbol can function as either a connector or a separator. Symbols that connect tell the person reading to keep going, to connect to the next word. Symbols that are separators tell the reader to take a breath, to pause, before continuing. Each and every symbol is either a connector or a separator. I have created a handy document to explain how the symbols function: Trope Curriculum – Trope Combinations and their Functions.

Twin #2 – Mahpach and Y’tiv
The second set of identical twins are Mahpach and Y’tiv. We learned about Mahpach last week.

Mahpach
1. Mahpach is always followed by Pashta
2. Mahpach is a connector

 

Y’tiv
1. The symbol for Y’tiv always comes before the word (to the right of the word)
2 . Y’tiv is always followed by Katon or Munach Katon
3. Y’tiv pauses, it’s a separator
To hear the Y’tiv clause: https://youtu.be/nktsMqTvX0o

Finally, we learned the last symbol in the Katon clause, called Zakef-Gadol. Zakef-Gadol occurs occasionally in Torah, and can exist all on it’s own. It acts like a mini-Katon clause. You can hear Zakef-Gadol here: https://youtu.be/QQw6fArAvfU. Zakef-Gadol, like Katon, is a separator, it pauses.

To demonstrate the rest of the Katon Clause, the students have been assigned this Flipgrid assignment Katon #2: https://flipgrid.com/0530947a

End of Sukkat Shalom, Start of Ometz Lev
Last Sunday, we concluded our unit in Sukkat Shalom. The Flipgrid challenge Week #5 (https://flipgrid.com/2b79a999) asks each student to think about all they have learned about this concept and to create a blessing about Sukkat Shalom to share with the class. I hope that every student will participate in this challenge! Moving forward, we will start our new unit called Ometz Lev on Sunday.

Please note, there is no Beit Midrash on Wednesday, November 25, or Sunday, November 29 for Thanksgiving Break. I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and be safe!

 

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