R. David Kasher on Parashat BeHukkotai : The Purloined Letter
One of Rashi’s comments in this week’s parashah highlights the rabbinic tradition of interpreting a feature of Hebrew script known as “אותיות חסירות ויתרות” (otiot haseirot v’yeteirot), “missing and extra letters.” The Hebrew alphabet has no vowel letters, and in most Hebrew writing, the vowel notations (nekudot) are not included; we know how to pronounce words based on context and tradition. But certain vowels are sometimes “carried” by a silent letter, either a vav (ו) or a yod (י). In writing words with those vowels, common practice dictates whether they are written with the silent letter…
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