Questions tagged [shemos-sacred-names]
name of God printed in a way that may not be erased
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What was the reason why Jews specifically used the substitute Adonay/Kyrios for the Tetragrammaton?
God has one name. ‘’I am Yhwh and that is my name’’ (אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י Isaiah 42:8).
In the Hebrew Pentateuch the name of God was the Tetragrammaton (the four letter) ‘Yhwh’.
The Jews ...
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Why is the Shem Havaya pronounced as the Shem Adnut? [duplicate]
I was wondering why, after the true pronunciation of the Shem Havaya was lost, was it decided that the name be pronounced like the Shem Adnut - and not like any other one of Hashem's names? Why was ...
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6answers
902 views
Where is G-d's name in Megillat Esther?
In Megillat Esther, G-d’s Name is never explicitly mentioned, but what about implicitly? I was told that the Arizal (and perhaps the Vilna Gaon?) found many pesukim in which G-d’s Name is concealed. ...
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Must all discarded paper with God's name in Hebrew be buried in a genizah?
Discarded books and documents that contain the name of God in Hebrew must be buried in a genizah, and not burned or thrown in the trash.
But what if the name of God in Hebrew is in a Christian or ...
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1answer
116 views
Why do most Siddurs vowelize Gd’s name?
I’m noticing that in most siddurs, while you’re not meant to pronounce Gd’s name as it’s written, they vowelize the letters as if it’s meant to be said. Is this for kavannah? Why would we need vowels ...
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60 views
Why does Rashi change a claim of holiness made by his supposed source or switch sources midstream?
Follow up to this question about Bereishit 31:53.
A word from the "eloh" root is used 3 times in that pasuk. In the Artscroll, there is the word "chol" in the margins for 2 of them, which echoes ...
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1answer
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Bereishit 31:53 “chol”
In my Artscroll chumash, on Bereishit 31:53, there is an asterisk next to the two uses of "elohei" which refer to the "god" of Nachor and of "their fathers."
It looks like this
אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם *...
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How to say G-d's names, when reading psukim from targum?
There is prohibition to say G-d's names in vain. Ashkenazim have the practice not to say Hashem's name when reading a pasuk in the gemara or when reading a half pasuk. see here
What about reading ...
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1answer
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What are the halachot for programming shemot hakodesh?
What are the halachot for programming shemot hakodesh?
Must special care or actions be taken in a codebase which handles the names of HaShem?
Does a program written to generate shemot need to be ...
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1answer
51 views
Hashem Elokim in Torah
In the second chapter of Bereishit, God is referred to as "Hashem Elokim". As far as I know, this seems to be a rare phenomenon. (Note, it is pretty common to have 2 names of God next to each other ...
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1answer
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Is the English “YHWH” a valid equivalent to the Tetragrammaton?
What is the halachic stance on the Tetragrammaton transliterated into English as YHWH or Yawheh or Jehovah? Is it accurate to use the English letters YHWH as the Hebrew equivalent? We see this ...
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1answer
89 views
How do you pronounce the name אֱלוֹהַּ? [duplicate]
Is the word אֱלוֹהַּ pronounced as:
1) "Elo-ha" or
2) "Elo-ah"?
DonielF pointed out a similar question. It seems to me that that question was asking for the reasoning of how Patach Genuvah works. I ...
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2answers
196 views
What is ‘Atika Kadisha’?
In פתיחת אליהו it mentions the עתיקא קדישא, which literally means the Ancient Holy One. Is that a name of HaShem or referring to something else?
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“Penny Press” machines and erasing G-d's name [duplicate]
NOTE: while a bit similar to this question, they're not entirely the same. For example: this question is more of a "grama"/ indirect causation of erasing G-d's name (via pushing a button) vs. a person ...
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1answer
77 views
Is there a rule that non-Jews cannot mention the name of Hashem during prayers?
I have heard someone asking if he can mention the name of HKBH and then he said why is there such a rule that he can't... I never heard such a thing, here is his question:
"Should we not say the name ...
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0answers
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Which tetragrammaton is more sacred - written in modern Hebrew or paleo-Hebrew font?
In my previous question: tetragrammaton-in-paleo-hebrew-within-hebrew-text-of-tehilim, there is evidence that p.H font was considered more sacred, as the Holy Name was written in it as opposed to the ...
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Tetragrammaton in paleo-Hebrew within Hebrew text of Tehilim
Many scrolls were found (in Qumran?) depicting a regular Hebrew scripture text with the Holy name written in paleo-Hebrew (כתב עברי), like this one:
What Talmudic explanation fits these findings, if ...
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75 views
Does Hebrew allow for this conception of the pronunciation of the “Tetragammaton”?
Disclaimer: I know no Hebrew.
I'm trying to find out if the Hebrew argument that this article makes concerning the pronunciation of the divine Name is cogent or not. As an outsider they seem to know ...
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1answer
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Why are the number of blessings in the Amidah linked to Psalm 29?
The Gemoro in Berochos 28b asks about the 18 blessings in the Amidah:
גמ׳ הני שמונה עשרה כנגד מי
Corresponding to what were these eighteen blessings instituted?
The Gemoro offers three ...
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1answer
59 views
Extending the Leg of a Letter to Remove Sheimos
May one extend the letter Hey in God's name to turn it into a Kuf as a way of removing sheimos? My question is twofold:
1) Is there a problem of erasing God's name here, by taking a holy name of God ...
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22 views
Why no dot over the letter vav in the name of G-d in Genesis 2:4? [duplicate]
Reading Genesis 2:4, I noticed that the four-letter name of G-d does not have a dot over the letter "vav" as it usually has in other places in Tanakh. Why is that?
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Printing a once-off siddur that would require genizah
I have been asked to compile a booklet containing the Shacharit service for a special occasion. The printed booklets (currently 60 pages long, double-sided 2-per-page, so 15 pieces of paper each) will ...
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1answer
54 views
Elohim lower than YHWH?
The Zohar contains a reference to Elohim as lower than YHWH (vol. 1, 20a), but what does that mean? Could someone explain to me the plain meaning?
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54 views
The reverse name YHWH not for Adar?
As most of us know, each month has a combination of the holy name YHWH - that's 3 letters YHW times 4 places gives 12 combinations. It is intended to be kept in mind while saying the Brocho of Musaf ...
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1answer
62 views
Sources and digest about recycling “light” shaimos (e.g. newspaper divrei Torah)
Star-K advises on “shaimos”:
NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND TAPES
Newspapers and magazines which contain
secular information should not be put into shaimos as they degrade the
real shaimos ...
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0answers
38 views
אלהים vs האלהים - what's the difference?
Those (Elohim and Ha'Elohim) two are used in different places and both translated as "יי" - G-d. For example (Shmos 18):
"...אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל" - כָּל דִי ...
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1answer
51 views
Does laser printing “erase”?
Is there any halachical problem with laser printing of divre tora/sheimos?
Because the image of the to-be-printed page appears on the drum, and
transferring the toner on the paper hence "erases" ...
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1answer
161 views
What name did the Kohen Gadol Say?
On Yom Kippur, the kohen gadol, during the day's service, said a particular name of Hashem. I had always thought that he said the 4 letter name, but in shul, the rabbi mentioned that it was the 42 ...
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76 views
Why does the Tetragrammaton sometimes include the cholam vowel?
Why does the Tetragrammaton sometimes include the cholam vowel ?
The question isn't a duplicate of What are the reasons or rules for the different variations in vowels on the Tetragrammaton?
Because ...
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0answers
103 views
Sheimos-free versions of Tanach Online
There are many websites that provide the user with the text of Tanach (as well as various other Jewish sources). When printing sources, I like to avoid printing "Sheimos", or actual names of Hashem, ...
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3answers
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When was the name אדני first used instead of the name יקוק?
From this site we have a summary of the medrash:
As Yaakov nears his demise, the Torah tells us that he wanted to
reveal to his children what was to transpire at the end of days. After
Yaakov's ...
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3answers
81 views
Does Shalom/“peace” need Genizah?
It is known that Shalom is a name of Hashem, thus it is forbidden to say it as salutation in some places.
And also, to not write it in a letter, because the risk of the receiver throwing it to the bin....
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0answers
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Do “Shaimot” need to be buried in a certain way or place? [duplicate]
Perhaps, I'm asking an overly trivial question. People in my neighborhood sometimes ask me where they can put their shaimot (holy writings that require burial.) I also see postings on my community's ...
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1answer
55 views
How can verses from the Torah be written on paper without the paper becoming sheimos?
I often find myself mindlessly doodling psukim from Tanach on paper (especially Tehillim). Is there any way I can do this without making the paper sheimos?
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Saying Hashem's name quickly in Hallel on Sukkos
During Hallel on Sukkos, we shake the lulav during the הודו לה' כי טוב and אנא ה' הושיעה נא. The standard practice I've seen is the one the Mishna Berurah describes there - one direction per word in ...
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1answer
63 views
When did the use of the substitute word “hashem” start being used? [duplicate]
How ancient is this substitute word? I am not asking for the age of the practice of avoiding the use of the tetragrammaton with Adonai, for example, but specifically the use of this term, hashem.
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2answers
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How does “Elokim” (“אלקים”) solve the problem?
Please seriously pardon my lack of Hebrew skills.
If "א-ל" is already a shem Hashem (to the point where in many contexts we might say or write "קל" - "Keyl"), how is it OK to leave the א-ל intact at ...
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1answer
73 views
Erasing the word “eloheinu”?
Can "eloheinu" (written in Hebrew letters) be erased, or is it considered mechikath hashem? I could only find prohibition of erasing "elohim", so I was wondering if this could be similar to writing "...
2
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1answer
103 views
List of places where Elokim is written as tetragrammaton
Can someone point me to a list of all places in Tanach where the tetragrammaton is pronounced as "Elokim" (as in, e.g., Yechezkel 28:25)? For some reason, my concordance does not list these under ...
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Question regarding the usage of two of G-d's names in Isaiah 55:7
Part of Yeshayahu 55:7 says:
וישוב אל ה וירחמהו ואל אל-הינו כי ירבה לסלוח
Loose translation - "He shall to return to Adonai and he will be merciful to him and to Eloheinu, for he is abundant to ...
3
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1answer
71 views
Not verbally spelling Hashem's names
Where do we find that it's forbidden to spell out Hashem's names?
For example, people will say Yud-Kay - replacing the Hay with a Kay.
Or Yud-Kay-Vov-Kay for the Tetragrammaton.
We know it's ...
2
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1answer
153 views
Isn't using God's name as stage name a blasphemy?
I just came to know there's a singer named Elohim
Isn't having God's name as stage name a blasphemy?
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2answers
179 views
Did you fulfill your obligation if you pronounced the Name of G-d differently from your custom?
Would you have fulfilled your obligation to recite a blessing if you pronounced the Name of G-d in a way that was against your custom? For example, if an Ashkenazi has the custom to say "Adonoy" and ...
2
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3answers
225 views
Why is the Tetragrammaton unutterable?
Why is it not allowed to pronounce God's four letter name ywvh? Is there a reason for this? Is it such a great taboo as to be unforgivable?
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2answers
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Can you pronounce Yehuda the way it is spelled?
I heard because there is HaShem's name in Yehuda that I should pronounce it more like "youda".
does anyone know a source for this practice?
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2answers
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BS"D in the bathroom
I noticed my shampoo says בס״ד on the bottle. Is having it in the bathroom, etc., a problem? (My guess is no, or else they wouldn't put it on there, but still.)
Related: Dr. Bronner's soap
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Is Covering G-d's Name Considered Erasure? [closed]
I'm just learning to read Hebrew, and I discovered that the text I use for Kriat Sh'ma al Hamitah contains G-d's tetragrammaton, yud kei vav kei. I'm afraid of accidentally using the Ineffable Name. ...
2
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0answers
107 views
Doubled up names of God - pronounce יהו-ה as Elokim
Many times in Tanach, God is referred to as יהו-ה or אדנ-י. Individually, each of these is read as Adonai. However, when those two different names are mentioned consecutively, the custom is to ...
2
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0answers
61 views
אדנ-י יהו-ה - Significance to these two names of God used together?
In many places in Tanach, God is referred to as אדנ-י יהו-ה.
For example: David's speech in Shmuel II, 7:18-29 includes seven such references.
What is the significance for God being addressed in ...
