Ado-noy and Elokim are regular words in Hebrew that have regular meaning ("lords" and "powers"). Why do we treat them as holy words when used in reference to God? They seem the same as any other description (like Rachum -- merciful) which is not considered a holy word.
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@larry909 Are you sure that Ado-noy (with a kamatz on the nun rather than a patach) is ever used to refer to anything other than G-d?– Joel KAug 27, 2020 at 7:17
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@JoelK could be you're right. But what about Elokim?– larry909Aug 27, 2020 at 7:19
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@larry909 According to Maimonides it is a homonym: sefaria.org/Guide_for_the_Perplexed%2C_Part_1.2?lang=en– Joel KAug 27, 2020 at 8:46
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@JoelK sefaria.org/Ibn_Ezra_on_Genesis.19.18.1– Double AA ♦Aug 27, 2020 at 14:16
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@DoubleAA Although Rambam paskens not that way... and that there are instances of YKVK which are hol.– Joel KAug 27, 2020 at 14:46
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1 Answer
Anything that refers to God is "treated as holy". But the two examples you cite are used in prayer, and we feel the need to mark the difference between a fleeting reference in a normal conversation and a direct address in prayer. So we tweak the words when used in conversation.
answered Aug 28, 2020 at 3:04
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