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: Messianic Age
Parasha Deep Dive: Va’etchanan
In this conversation on parashat Va’etchanan, Shlomo Godsi of Alshech Academy and I take a deeper look at the Ten Commandments and the Shema, explore prophecies of the “End of Days”, outline the true borders of Israel, discuss the power of prayer, why monotheism is so important to the world, and what it really means to be the “chosen people”.
Understanding Chabad, Part 2
How and why did a messianic movement develop around the Lubavitcher Rebbe? Could he have been Mashiach? What are the hidden beliefs of Lubavitchers about the Rebbe, and some of the lesser-known secret practices of the community? Plus: the true mystical and messianic meaning behind the Rebbe’s tefillin campaign, and an exploration of tefillin conspiracy theories and “Chabad tunnels”.