The universal hand motions a gabbai uses to give the baal kore silent corrections during Torah reading. One signal per trope, paired with the melody. A reference for anyone giving simanim, learning to give simanim, or training a baal kore.
During Torah reading, the gabbai stands next to the baal kore and watches the text. If the reader makes a mistake on a trope, the gabbai signals the correct trope with a discreet hand motion. The reader sees the motion, recognizes the trope, and corrects without anyone speaking out loud.
Hand motions are standardized within communities and vary slightly between traditions (Litvish, Hungarian, Sephardi, Yemenite). The signals below follow the Litvish / standard Ashkenazi convention. Variants are noted where they exist.
v1 illustrations. The diagrams below are best-effort visualizations of the standard motions, illustrative rather than authoritative. A baal koreh should audit them before this page is promoted as a reference. Short video clips replacing the illustrations are planned.