Bension Kohen


Rabbi Bension Kohen or haKohen was a writer of literature on Hebrew grammar and literature. He was the author of Sfath Emeth, a work on the pronunciation of the Hebrew alphabet.

Lineage

In the introduction to his work, Kohen provides a purported lineage going back over a dozen generations of kohanim born at Djerba. Among his claimed patrilineal ancestors are Rabbi , himself an author of multiple works on Hebrew grammar. Citing a similar lineage table from Heritage of Yehoyada HaKohen, Kohen claims to trace the family back to Yitzchak HaKohen the Elder, who had emigrated from Israel to Djerba at the Second Temple Destruction.

Sfath Emeth

Kohen's flagship work, the Sfath Emeth, was first printed in Jerusalem in 1987. 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 on page 150 of Sfath Emeth:
Hebrew letterIPASimilar-sounding Arabic letterSimilar English soundJewish community with correct pronunciationVarying pronunciation error
א - AlefاbuttonMost Jewish communitiesH
בּ - BethبBAll Jewish communitiesnone
ב - VethNon-existentVAshkenazim, Temanimבּ and פ
גּ - Gimmel Non-existentGAshkenazim and Sefardimج
ג - GimmelغGh Jewish communities of Arabic nationalityGimmel degusha
דּ - Daleth دDAll communitiesnone
ד - DalethذtheTemanimDalet degusha
ה - HeyهHAshkenazim, SefardimAlef
ו - WawوWTemanim, Iraqi JewsV
ז - ZayinزZMost communities
ח - ḤethحNon-existentJewish communities of Arabic nationalityChof, Hey
ט - TethطNon-existent Jewish communities of Arabic nationalityTaw degusha
י - YodhيYAll Jewish communitiesnone
כּ - KaphكKAll Jewish communitiesnone
כ - Kaph خNon-existentAll communitiesnone
ל - LamedhلLAll Jewish communitiesnone
מ - MemمMAll Jewish communitiesnone
נ - NunنNAll Jewish communitiesnone
ס - SamechسSAll Jewish communitiesnone
ע - AyinعNon existentJewish communities of Arabic nationalityAlef, Gimmel non-degusha
פּ - PehNon existentPMost Jewish communitiesPeh, Beth
פ - Peh non-degushaفFAll Jewish communitiesnone
צ - ṢadeصNon-existent Jewish communities of Arabic nationalitySamech, "Tz" sound
ק - KofقNon-existentIragi and North-African JewryKafh, Gimmel, Alef, Gimmel
ר ReshرNon-existentEastern-European and Asian JewryGimmel,
שׁ ShinشShMost Jewish communitiesSamech
שׂ SinسSMost Jewish communitiesShin
תּ TawتTAll Jewish communities-
ת Taw ثThIraqi and Yemenite Jewish communitiesSamech, Taw