Telisha (Hebrew: תְּלִישָא) is a cantillation mark found in the Torah, Haftarah, and other books of the Hebrew Bible. There are two versions of the Telisha: Telisha ketana (תְּלִישָא קְטַנָּה) and Telisha gedola (תְּלִישָא גְּדוֹלָה), the latter of which has a longer melody. The Telisha trope can occur independently or can follow a Pazer or one of several other trope sounds. The Telisha ketana must be followed by a Kadma.[1]

The Hebrew word תְּלִישָא translates into English as detached. This is because they are never linked to the following note as a single phrase. קְטַנָּה refers to little (the shorter note) and גְדוֹלָה to great (the longer note).

The Telisha gedola can be found in the Torah 266 times.[2] The Telisha ketana occurs 451 times.[3]

Total occurrences

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Book Telisha
ketana
Telisha
gedola
Torah 451[3] 266[3]
   Genesis 92[3] 51[3]
   Exodus 87[3] 42[3]
   Leviticus 71[3] 56[3]
   Numbers 88[3] 50[3]
   Deuteronomy 113[3] 67[3]
Nevi'im 413[4] 238[4]
Ketuvim 350[4] 335[4]

Melody

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While the names "Telisha Ketana" and "Telisha Gedola" are 6 syllables each, they are usually applied to words with far fewer syllables, often just one. In one-syllable words, only the notes leading to and from the peak are included. In multiple-syllable words, the additional syllables are recited at the level of the first note leading to the peak.

Telisha Ketana

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Telisha Gedola

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References

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  1. ^ A compendious grammar of the Hebrew language By G. F. R. Weidemann, page 49
  2. ^ Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 241
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 6
  4. ^ a b c d Concordance of the Hebrew accents in the Hebrew Bible: Concordance ..., Volume 1 By James D. Price, page 5