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The ninth b'racha of the amida begins with the words

בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ ה' אֱ-לֹהֵינוּ
אֶת הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת
וְאֶת כָּל מִינֵי תְּבוּאָתָהּ לְטוֹבָה

where both את are vocalized with segol (three triangular dots).

I have heard multiple sh'lichei tzibur at a Lubavitch establishment pronounce the second "אֶת" as "eis" (or [eɪs]). So I consulted two of the most common Lubavitch-used sidurim, and indeed it was printed that way, contrary to every other paper sidur of various versions and traditions I've checked, which have them both as "es".

[Assuming the word is the accusative marker "את" and not the homonymous word for "with"] the vocalization might vary based on the following word if it is following the Biblical pattern of vocalization. If so, which of the rules of that system would make these two words come out differently?

Here are a pair provided by @paquda where the "את" is either connected to the next word by a "-" and "shortened" from its default state of "eis" to "es" or disconnected and left in its natural state of vocalization:

Joined:

כִּ֚י אֶת־כׇּל־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה הָאֱלֹהִ֛ים יָבִ֥א בְמִשְׁפָּ֖ט עַ֣ל כׇּל־נֶעְלָ֑ם אִם־ט֖וֹב וְאִם־רָֽע׃

Separate:

וַיִּבְרָ֣א אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־הַתַּנִּינִ֖ם הַגְּדֹלִ֑ים וְאֵ֣ת כׇּל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַֽחַיָּ֣ה ׀ הָֽרֹמֶ֡שֶׂת אֲשֶׁר֩ שָׁרְצ֨וּ הַמַּ֜יִם לְמִֽינֵהֶ֗ם וְאֵ֨ת כׇּל־ע֤וֹף כָּנָף֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃

Why does the second "את" have a tzeirei ([ei])?

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WAF
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  • Maybe it's along the same lines as zeicher/zecher in Ashrei. – ezra Dec 12 '18 at 05:28
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    Probably related to R' Shlomo Zalman Hanau, somehow. – Isaac Moses Dec 12 '18 at 05:42
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    In theory the segol-tzeirei distinction is based on whether there was a maqaf to join the את to the next word, or it got a taam on its own right. Since for prayer texts we don't have such traditions, it is hard to find a solid reason for a similar choice. – Kazi bácsi Dec 12 '18 at 06:19
  • @WAF Does my comment qualify for an answer? – Kazi bácsi Dec 12 '18 at 12:20
  • @Kazi I think not. Even given it's hard to come up with or prove such rules, this text is seemingly deliberately different from all the others and is almost certainly based on a made up rule by the above-mentioned R Hanau. That'll be the answer, even if his rule is wrong/new/different/not convincing. – Double AA Dec 12 '18 at 12:50
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    @ezra definitely not, that's just an old typo for a very specific local reason, not generalizable to other cases https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/73236/759 – Double AA Dec 12 '18 at 12:51
  • BTW Heidenheim wrote tzeirei in the morning prayer at אתה הוא ה' אלקינו (...) ואת כל אשר בם. I could never ever figure out his reason. Same for cholam and kamatz choices. – Kazi bácsi Dec 12 '18 at 13:10
  • I'm wondering if the vav added to ואת makes the word more likely to stand alone rather than be joined by a maqaf to the next word. E.g., שׁוֹמֵר יְהוָה אֶת כָּל אֹהֲבָיו וְאֵת כָּל הָרְשָׁעִים and וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ וְאֵת כָּל הַחַיָּה -- but wait, later in that same verse וְאֶת כָּל הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ -- never mind. – paquda Dec 12 '18 at 15:41
  • @Kazibácsi Even within Tanach, whether there's a makaf or not depends on the tune. https://www.sefaria.org/I_Chronicles.16.9?p2=Psalms.105.2 – Heshy Dec 12 '18 at 15:45
  • @Heshy Or the other way around? – Kazi bácsi Dec 12 '18 at 15:55
  • "But even if it were I would expect both "אֶת הַשָּׁנָה" and "אֶת כָּל" to behave the same." Why? – רבות מחשבות Dec 12 '18 at 20:09
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    @רבותמחשבות OK, good point. Maybe I assumed too strongly. They seem like similar enough phrases, but @ paquda's examples show that that is not enough to determine how they will behave on this particular variable. – WAF Dec 13 '18 at 14:28
  • @WAF I actually believe that it is the answer here. Look through any passuk in the Torah with many את in it, and you will notice similar phrases with different vowelization. – רבות מחשבות Dec 13 '18 at 15:14
  • It's still only half an answer @רבות since everyone else has "es" for both, so clearly someone is doing something deliberate. If you want to phrase it as why the difference between Nusachs instead of why the difference between es/eis in one Nusach, whatever. – Double AA Dec 13 '18 at 15:23
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    Shouldn't we start with a question about the magaf-segol vs. no maqaf-tzeirei choice in the Tanakh? – Kazi bácsi Dec 13 '18 at 18:44

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