Shalshelet

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 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.

^ Jacobson, J.R. (2005). Chanting the Hebrew Bible (Student ed.). Jewish Publication Society. p. 60. ISBN 9780827610484. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ Kelley, P.H.; Mynatt, D.S.; Crawford, T.G. (1998). The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 147. ISBN 9780802843630. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ Wolfson, E.R. (1995). Circle in the Square: Studies in the Use of Gender in Kabbalistic Symbolism. State University of New York Press. p. 211. ISBN 9780791424056. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ Steinsaltz, R.A. (2007). Understanding the Tanya: Volume Three in the Definitive Commentary on a Classic Work of Kabbalah by the World's Foremost Authority. John Wiley & Sons. p. 302. ISBN 9780787988265. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ Samuel, G. (2007). The Kabbalah Handbook: A Concise Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts in Jewish Mysticism. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. pp. 2–327. ISBN 9781585425600. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ "Under Duress in VaYeshev: The Shalshelet | Jewish Boston Blogs". jewishboston.com. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
^ "On Not Trying to Be What You Are Not - Covenant & Conversation - Parsha". chabad.org. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[google-1] Jacobson, J.R. (2005). Chanting the Hebrew Bible (Student ed.). Jewish Publication Society. p. 60. ISBN 9780827610484. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[google2-2] Kelley, P.H.; Mynatt, D.S.; Crawford, T.G. (1998). The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: Introduction and Annotated Glossary. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 147. ISBN 9780802843630. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[google3-3] Wolfson, E.R. (1995). Circle in the Square: Studies in the Use of Gender in Kabbalistic Symbolism. State University of New York Press. p. 211. ISBN 9780791424056. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[google4-4] Steinsaltz, R.A. (2007). Understanding the Tanya: Volume Three in the Definitive Commentary on a Classic Work of Kabbalah by the World's Foremost Authority. John Wiley & Sons. p. 302. ISBN 9780787988265. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[google5-5] Samuel, G. (2007). The Kabbalah Handbook: A Concise Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts in Jewish Mysticism. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. pp. 2–327. ISBN 9781585425600. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[JewishBoston-6] "Under Duress in VaYeshev: The Shalshelet | Jewish Boston Blogs". jewishboston.com. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

[JonathanSacks-7] "On Not Trying to Be What You Are Not - Covenant & Conversation - Parsha". chabad.org. Retrieved 2015-04-08.

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