Ibn Caspi on the "calling" of Yehuda

Summary: Once again, Ibn Caspi interprets the trup, which informs us of meaning. This time the revii on Yehuda of Yehuda ata yoducha achecha. Also, a clarification of what Ibn Caspi means when referring to the gaaya -- namely, a zakef gadol, which is a disjunctive accent.

Post: Nothing radical here. However, it fits in to earlier posts about Ibn Caspi and trup, and it is a special interest of mine how various meforshim harness trup in their interpretations.

From Yaakov's blessings to his sons:

Ibn Caspi writes:


ח) יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך. יהודה הוא קריאה והוא הנושא
ולכן היה בו רביע, וזה כמו אחותינו את היי לאלפי (כ"ד ס׳), ושמו
על אחותינו געיא והוא הנושא.

He is right that this is a calling (the Vocative?), as well as the subject. And Wickes indeed says that the Subject or the Vocative at the beginning of a clause would be divided off first.

But he compares it also to another pasuk, in Bereishit 24:60, which is the second of the two pesukim below:



And the first is Bereishit 47:8. In both of these cases, in his commentary on each verse, Ibn Caspi refers to the gaaya -- on achoteinu, and on kama. (I discuss it a bit here.) Thus, his word for zakef gadol is gaaya. And in each case, the purpose the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah had in separating off the word was to show that it was a keriah.