Bension Kohen

Rabbi Bension Kohen or haKohen (Hebrew: בֶּנְצִיּוֹן הַכֹּהֵן; born in Djerba, Tunisia, died 1999 in Jerusalem) was a writer of literature on Hebrew grammarian and literature. He was the author of Sfath Emeth, a work on the pronunciation of the Hebrew alphabet. He lived in Jerusalem in close proximity to the Nablus Gate until his death in 1999.

Rabbi

Bension Kohen
Personal
Born
Djerba, Tunisia
Died1999
Jerusalem, Israel
ReligionJudaism
NationalityTunisian, Israeli
ResidenceJerusalem

Lineage

In the introduction to his work, Kohen provides a detailed lineage going back over a dozen generations of kohanim born at Djerba. Among his patrilineal ancestors are Rabbi Shaul HaKohen (d. 1848), himself an author of multiple works on Hebrew grammar. Citing a similar lineage table from "Heritage of Yehoyada HaKohen" (נוריש יהוידע הכהן), Kohen claims to trace the family back to Yitzchok HaKohen the Elder, who had emigrated from Israel to Djerba at the Second Temple Destruction.

Sfath Emeth

His flagship work, the Sfath Emeth, was first printed in Jerusalem in 1987,[1] and has since been praised by his contemporaries as well as halakhic authorities of various Orthodox communities. The work purports to present the authentic pronunciation of the 22 Hebrew letters based on Geonic literature and the work of Hebrew grammarians such as Rav Saadya Gaon, Rabbi Yitzchok Ben Shlomo Yisraeli and the Radak.

Table of pronunciation

Rabbi Kohen's research led him to produce a table of pronunciation. The table has been published (with minor variations than what is listed below) on page 150 of Sfath Emeth:

Hebrew letterIPASimilar-sounding Arabic letterSimilar English soundJewish community with correct pronunciationVarying pronunciation error
א - Alef[ʔ]اbuttonMost Jewish communitiesH
בּ - Beth[b]بBAll Jewish communitiesnone
ב - Veth[v]Non-existentVAshkenazim, Temanimבּ and פ
גּ - Gimmel (Degusha)[g]Non-existentGAshkenazim and Sefardimج (jīm)
ג - Gimmel[ɣ]غGh (French)Jewish communities of Arabic nationalityGimmel degusha
דּ - Daleth (Degusha)[d]دDAll communitiesnone
ד - Daleth[ð]ذtheTemanimDalet degusha
ה - Hey[h]هHAshkenazim, SefardimAlef
ו - Waw[w]وWTemanim, Iraqi JewsV
ז - Zayin[z]زZMost communities[ʒ] (soft J, like French Jean)
ח - Ḥeth[ħ]حNon-existentJewish communities of Arabic nationalityChof, Hey
ט - Teth[tˤ]طNon-existent (T, yet thicker)Jewish communities of Arabic nationalityTaw degusha
י - Yodh[j]يYAll Jewish communitiesnone
כּ - Kaph[k]كKAll Jewish communitiesnone
כ - Kaph (non degusha, spelled also Chof)[χ]خNon-existentAll communitiesnone
ל - Lamedh[l]لLAll Jewish communitiesnone
מ - Mem[m]مMAll Jewish communitiesnone
נ - Nun[n]نNAll Jewish communitiesnone
ס - Samech[s]سSAll Jewish communitiesnone
ע - Ayin[ʢ]عNon existentJewish communities of Arabic nationalityAlef, Gimmel non-degusha
פּ - Peh[p]Non existentPMost Jewish communitiesPeh (non-degusha), Beth
פ - Peh non-degusha[f]فFAll Jewish communitiesnone
צ - Ṣade[sˤ]صNon-existent (pronounced as a thicker-sounding S)Jewish communities of Arabic nationalitySamech, "Tz" sound
ק - Kof[q]قNon-existentIragi and North-African JewryKafh, Gimmel, Alef, Gimmel (non-degusha)
ר Resh[r]رNon-existentEastern-European and Asian JewryGimmel (Non-degusha), (American R)
שׁ Shin[ʃ]شShMost Jewish communitiesSamech
שׂ Sin[s]سSMost Jewish communitiesShin
תּ Taw[t]تTAll Jewish communitiesNone
ת Taw (non degusha)[θ]ثThIraqi and Yemenite Jewish communitiesSamech, Taw (degusha)

See also

References
  1. Lefkovits, Judah K. (2000). The Copper Scroll (3Q15), A Re-evaluation: A New Reading, Translation, and Commentary. Brill. p. 560.
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