In addition to the unwritten vowels, there are other unwritten symbols that have been preserved along with the Nekudot. These are the Cantillations or Ta'amim. These symbols guide the trained reader in the proper music-like chanting of the words in the Torah. This can be heard at public readings of the Torah in most synagogues.

Because public readings of the Torah are read only from a hand written Torah scroll, only well trained readers who have memorized the Nekudot and the Ta'amim are qualified to perform the public readings.

Nekudot and Ta'amim as well as the entire Hebrew alphabet all have mystical significance in the Kaballah. Authentic printed Torah books or Hebrew Bibles contain both the Nekudot and the Ta'amim. There are about 2 dozen different Ta'amim and they each have a name.

The chart to the right lists some of the more common Ta'amim with their names , symbols. And placement.

Name  

Darga              

Tvir                 

Mercha           

Tipcha              

Gersha'im       

Revi'i                

   


        Symbol   

   
                                 Backward "z"        

Crescent with a dot     

Left facing crescent          

Right facing crescent         

Two crescents       

Dot                                  

Placement

below the word

below the word

below the word

below the word

above the word

above the word