Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio

This week, we’re looking at a double note! It resembles a combination of two other notes—the kadma (which we have already met) and the zakeif katon (which we will meet in a few weeks). But ours, metigah-zakeif, is really its own note, with its own sound. The second part looks like a colon and it goes on the last and main syllable. The first part looks like an arc going up to the left and it appears a few syllables earlier.

Sometimes, this combination appears on one word, like this:

But sometimes, a metigah-zakeif appears on two words joined together. In fact, there is one chapter in the Torah where the most of these appear in a row. It’s here in our parashah! Check out this phrase, which appears over and over again:

This phrase is talking about who was in charge of each of the tribes as they prepared to march. And the metigah-zakeif sounds like a trumpet flourish, just like you would expect from a marching band. So listen up for this pattern and imagine yourself parading through the desert!

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