Questions tagged [shemos-sacred-names]
name of God printed in a way that may not be erased
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According to the Halakhah, does stating that HaShem does not exist constitute a curse or a profanation of God's name?
I am an Italian ben Noach.
According to Rambam (Mishneh Torah-Avodat Kokhavim 2: 7;Hilchot Melachim 9:3):
a Jew commits the crime of blasphemy if he curses HaShem using God's unique name or one of ...
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What is the earliest use of Ein Sof as a marker of Hashem?
I was looking at the modern Hebrew word אינסוף (infinite, overwhelming) and wondered about how it was used in earlier times. The gemara has many instances of the words אין סוף but they all seem to be ...
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In what circumstances does the Tetragrammaton occur in non-Biblical literature?
I've tried to ask a very general question in the title, but I'll begin with the specific circumstance that gave rise to my question.
I was looking at the Maxwell House Haggadah and noticed this prayer ...
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Is it acceptable to utter a verbatim quotation that uses the name of G-d?
If two words have the same meaning, then they refer to the same thing.
Linguists (and especially philosophers of language) distinguish between using a word and mentioning a word. If I say 'Fido come ...
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Where is the source of Yeshu (ימח שמו) hearing the Shem Hashem from the Kohen Gadol?
There is a Sefer "תם ומועד" which reportedly says that Yeshu (ימח שמו) was able to perform miracles because he was in the Beis Hamikdash when the Kohen Gadol said the Shem HaMeforash, wrote ...
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What does the introduction of ה' אלהים change in the creation narrative?
The second chapter of Genesis makes consistent use of ה"א, instead of אלהים in the first chapter (see here).
The researchers famously attribute the discrepancy to different sources.
How is this ...
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Why doesn't Kaddish include Hashem's name?
Why doesn't Kaddish, a prayer for the sanctification of God's name, not include Hashem's name?
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Pronunciation of YHVH in the Pesel Micha story
The Minchas Shai on Shoftim 17:3 quotes the Gemara (Shevuos 35a) and Maseches Sofrim (4:6) regarding if the names יהוה and אלהים in the story of Micha's idol are holy or not. The Tanna Kama says that ...
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Did אָכִיש actually use Hashem?
וַיִּקְרָ֨א אָכִ֜ישׁ אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵ֠לָיו חַי־יְהוָ֞ה כִּי־יָשָׁ֣ר אַתָּ֗ה
(שמואל א 29:6)
This has the פְּלִשְׁתִּי swearing by Hashem.
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The earliest source that states the disappearance of the names of God in the Book of Ester
IIRC, Abraham Ibn Ezrah mentions in his interpretation of the Book of Ester that:
"והנה אין במגילה הזאת זכר ה', והיא מספרי הקודש?" (How come that God's name is not mentioned in the Book and ...
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List of all un-erasable names in Tanakh
There are certain words in Tanakh that refer to God (shemot or azkarot) that have special rules: they cannot be erased and they require special sanctification before a sofer writes them. These include ...
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Why the capital S?
When many write Hashem's name, they write it with the capital S. Why? And if one must capitalize a letter, why do we capitalize the S?
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Why is the final Heh in Ha'Shem's name different in K'thav Chabad/Alter-Rebbe?
Now I'm no Sofer by any means, although I do have a strong interest in the different Hebrew calligraphic traditions. All of which I find extremely beautiful in their own way.
While studying the style ...
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Does anyone permit writing Shir HaShirim on klaf from a non-kosher species?
A Torah, tefillin, mezuzah, and Esther scroll must be written on klaf that comes from a kosher species. See Shulchan Aruch OH 32:12 (and OH 691:1 and YD 271:1):
יהיה הקלף מעור בהמה חיה ועוף ידהטהורים
...
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Origin of the use of "G-d"
I'm wondering about the earliest uses of the abbreviation "G-d". Obviously, it's used as an extension to avoiding saying Hashem's name in vain, but was this practice common from the ...
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Is there an agreed upon number of names for Hashem or is there no clear answer?
I've read different sources which give different answers for how many names Hashem has.
I have read sources which define the 7 holy names which cannot be erased once written.
I have read sources ...
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Tehillim 110 - Hashem's place in it
In Psalm 110, posuk 1, there are two subjects spoken about -- the 4-letter name of Hashem (ad-o-niy) and the master (either David or Avraham depending on which of the commentators one accepts). But in ...
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Meaning of "You alone are YHWH"
אַתָּה־הוּא יְהוָה לְבַדֶּךָ ...׃ - You alone are YHWH... Nehemiah.9.6
YHWH is God's proper name as God openly testifies:
... וּשְׁמִי יְהוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם - but I did not make Myself known ...
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Hanukkah Glass Menorah Drip Tray with Brachos on it
Would it be mutar to place the menorah on a Hanukkah Glass Menorah Drip Tray https://www.amazon.com/Rite-Lite-Tempered-Glass-Menorah/dp/B00PBFBUOO even if the drip tray has brachos on it, or would ...
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The four letter name vs. Ado-nai
In hundreds of verses (such as Psalms 51:17 אֲ֭דֹ-נָי שְׂפָתַ֣י תִּפְתָּ֑ח וּ֝פִ֗י יַגִּ֥יד תְּהִלָּתֶֽךָ׃) God is named with the word Ado-nai seemingly referring to the same pronunciation and meaning ...
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Why are abbreviations/omitted letters acceptable when naming the deity?
I am not Jewish, just curious.
I understand that, by the the third of the Ten Commandments, “You shall not take His name in vain.”
I also understand that followers of the Jewish religion should be ...
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Why is the name of mercy YHWH is mentioned exclusively in the story of Sodom?
The name YHWH is associated with mercy whereas the name Elokim is associated with justice (Refer to Rashi on Devarim 3:24 quoting the Sifrei here).
I noticed that the name of YHWH is used exclusively ...
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Non-Jews pronouncing shemot kodashim defined by chumra?
I recently made a brachah on a mandarin. An acquaintance, who's not Jewish, responded enthusiastically to hearing the name of G-d that begins with "Ad...", and proceeded to wax poetic on it, ...
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Can you say HaShem's name if you are only saying a partial pasuk?
In a question I recently asked here, I was asking about a practice I read (but cannot remember) where the siddur had half of Tehillim 19:9 after putting on tzitzit. It got me thinking: is one allowed ...
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Did people use the Shem hameforash during the time of the First Temple? [duplicate]
Many people (especially the kings of Judah) seemed to use the suffix 'yahu' in their names, which seems to be related to the actual four-letter name. Are there any sources on this? Did the Neviim of ...
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Burying sheimos is a segula for a pandemic?
Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, rav of the Agudah of Park Heights in Baltimore, gave a eulogy last week for the last two years of sheimos which they were burying, and mentioned that it is a segulah for a ...
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Why are descriptive 'names' of God holy?
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 ...
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May one say G-d's name before washing netilat yadayim?
May one say the word "G-d" or "Hashem" before washing his hands in the morning? For example, to say daily affirmations before getting out of bed.
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Erasing His Name
This is just a hypothetical question, but if someone would write the name of HaShem down in the sand, and the waves of the sea would erase it, would that be considered as erasing His name (because we ...
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Why did Jews stop saying RaḤmana
At the times of the Mishna and Gemara, one of the more commonly used names to refer to God among Jews was RaḤmana, literally the Merciful. It seems like this was widely used as Hashem is today. When ...
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Which of Hashem's name is the name upon whom Israel is called?
We read the following (from Chabad Website) in Divrei Hayamim II 7:14:
וְיִכָּֽנְע֨וּ עַמִּ֜י אֲשֶׁ֧ר נִֽקְרָא־שְׁמִ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם וְיִֽתְפַּֽלְלוּ֙ וִֽיבַקְשׁ֣וּ פָנַ֔י וְיָשֻׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֣ם ...
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What is the origin of the "divine name" of דיקרנוסא
I noticed this kabbalistic holy name "דיקרנוסא" mentioned in the Amidah of a Edot haMizrach siddur in the extra supplications, and apparently it is not allowed to be pronounced. It sounds like it is ...
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G-ds name online [duplicate]
On a google doc during an assignment with friends who do not understand the intricacies of Judaism, someone wrote g-d's names pronunciation, I did not realize what I was doing and deleted it, was this ...
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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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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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HaShem's Name After The Letters of ו / כ / ל / ב
Not sure if this was asked before...
Statement: When the letters of ו / כ / ל / ב , (which spells the word “and Kalayv”) come in front the names of HaShem of: אֲ-דֹנָי / אֱ-לֹהֵי / אֱ-...
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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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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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Targum of Shem HaShem
Why do we find that there is no differentiation in targum between the The four letter Shem HaShem and Elokeinu; they are both translated as Yud Yud?
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Ehyeh as the name of Hashem
In Shmot 3:13, Moshe asks for a name to transmit to the people and Hashem says (in 3:14) to tell the people "ehyeh asher ehyeh" as the name. He cements this by saying "tell them ehyeh sent me".
From ...
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Difference between רבון and אדון
In the Beracha of Elohai, we refer to God using a number of different descriptives. Towards the end, we give thanks to God as:
רִבּוֹן כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, אֲדוֹן כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת.
What are some ...
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Should we never begin a sentence with God's name?
The Talmud (Nedarim 10b) says: Do not say "l'Hashem korban" but rather "korban l'Hashem" to avoid [possibly] saying God's name in vain.
Presumably, the fear is that you could collapse and die right ...
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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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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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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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