This week’s parasha, Va’etchanan, contains a second reading of the Ten Commandments. The third commandment is the prohibition to take the name of God in vain. Some people mistakenly believe that this means we are not allowed to ever pronounce the Tetragrammaton, יהוה, commonly transliterated as YHVH or YHWH. This is not true at all, though it is true that later in history the Sages instituted using other words to be used instead of the Tetragrammaton (such as “Adonai” or “Hashem”) so that people do not accidentally take the name of God in vain, or misuse this powerful name of God. Since the Tetragrammaton is so sacred, it was thought too holy to invoke on a regular basis. Today, no one invokes the proper name at all. It’s gone so far that many believe we have forgotten how to properly pronounce the name. This is false. How can we be God’s people if we don’t even know His name? Continue reading
Tag Archives: 12 Letter Name of God
The Letters of Creation (Video)
Why does the Hebrew alphabet begin with an Aleph? Why does the Torah begin with a letter Beit? What role did the divine Hebrew letters have in Creation? What is God’s “seal of truth”, and what is God’s “sceptre”? Why do we find pagan death cults in countries and cultures all over the world? And what is the missing “nun” verse in Psalm 145? Find out in this class as we unravel a fascinating ancient Midrash about the letters of the Hebrew alphabet presenting themselves before God at the start of Creation. Also: Did God really command Abraham to sacrifice his son, and did Abraham pass the test? What really happened with the Tree of Knowledge? And why does evil exist?
For a brief written summary, see here.
The summary chart at the end of the video:
Understanding Names of God #2: YHWH & Adonai
What is the proper pronunciation of YHWH, the Ineffable Name? What is the related “12-Letter Name of God” and the mystical “42-Letter Name of God”? Are they allowed to be verbalized? Why do we say “Adonai” in place of YHWH, and who was the first to do this? Plus: How do we deal with physical descriptions of God in Scripture? And what is so special about turning 35 years old?