When we hear the Torah Reading in synagogue, we immediately understand that this is not a regular reading: the Torah Reader (BA'AL KORE) not just reads the words, he sings them! A Torah Reader sings the words and phrases with special tone, which he learned from tradition.

In ancient times, even when the Temple existed, a tradition of reading Bible verses was transferred from generation to generation orally, by teachers (MELAMDIM) who taught the kids babies to read the whole Bible. When the children were returning for teacher reading from the book, he teaches them with melody hints of the next word by special gestures with his hands, where every gesture has her own melody.

BA'ALEY HAMESORA, determined special signs that their shape reminds the hand movement of MELAMED when teaching kids babies reading, and listed them under the words or above the words so the learner knew how to sing that word. These signs are Cantillation (Ta'amey Hamikra).

Purpose Of Cantillation Marks

Cantillation marks (also known as "taamey ha-miqra") are diacritic symbols annotating the Hebrew Bible text for the purpose of cantillation. They can serve three different purposes:

1. Determine the correct intonation of the word ("MILEL - above" or "MILRA - below"). And according to the location of the point usually (except for four marks *).

2. Punctuate the verses for reading and understanding the right way, as detailed below.

3. Playing the words.

Ta'amey Hamikra divided into two groups: servants marks and stop marks. Each cantillation mark belongs to a class indicating its dividing power.

Servants' marks - This is the connection point in the word that indicates in which it will go with the next word.

Stop marks - This is the indicator for a break point in a word where it appears.

Note that Stop mark can appear for itself with no servant marks, while servant mark will be always before stop mark, or several servants marks.

The Hierarchy of Distinctive Marks

As described above, the cantillation marks belong to different groups describing their dividing power. These groups carry the titles of rulers: a qeysar (Caesar, emperor) terminates an entire Bible verse and "reigns" it; a melekh (king) divides the realm of an emperor and reigns the first half which it terminates while the other half is still under the reign of the emperor. Likewise, analogous rules apply to the lower ranks of rulers: a mishne (duke) divides the realm of a king and reigns the first half which it terminates; a shalish (officer) divides the realm of a duke and reigns the first half which it terminates. Lowest in rank is a mesharet (servant), that is, a conjunctive mark. Only the term for a distinctive mark in general, mafsiq (divider), does not fit into this imagery of rulers. Class Cantillation Marks Qeysar Sof-Pasuk, Atnakh Melekh Segolta, Shalshelet, Zakef-Katon, Zakef-Gadol, Tarkha Mishne Revia, Zarqa, Pashta, Yetiv, Tevir Shalish Pazer-Gadol, Talsha, Geresh, Sheney-Gereshin, Paseq, Tarsa, Karney-Para

Note that, all videos presented on the site, a group of words marked in blue at any given moment, brings together sections of verse between two stop marks (mafsiqim).