Author Topic: What Name of G-d did they use?  (Read 2456 times)

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Offline wonga66

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What Name of G-d did they use?
« on: June 24, 2010, 09:45:10 AM »
In Temple times the Shem Havaya was only allowed to pronounced by the Cohen Gadol once a year.

My question is:

What Name of G-d did Adam Harishon use when speaking to Him ie did he pronounce the Shem Havaya?

What Name of G-d did the Am Yisrael use for G-d before the 1st Temple?

The Gemara says that whoever pronounce the Shem Havaya as it is written loses his Olam Haba.

When did it become the Halacha/Minhag to use the Name "A-d-o-n-a-i" for Havaya?

Offline muman613

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Re: What Name of G-d did they use?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2010, 09:52:07 AM »
Off the top of my head, if I remember correctly, in Beresheit Hashem is referred to by the name Elokim {the name denoting Din/Justice} and only later is he known by the name Yud-Kay-Vav-Kay the name of Divine Mercy.

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http://www.jewishmag.com/8mag/worlds/worlds1.htm
An interesting side association with the above is that, according to Genesis, the universe, seen and unseen, was created by G-d with the Divine Name Hashem, a pluralized title meaning 'Master over all forces' (The first verse in the Torah reads, 'In the beginning, Elookim created the heavens and the earth'). As the great medieval commentator Nachmanides (1194-1270) writes: "Elokim is the Master over all forces of creation. For the word itself is a compound construction. 'El' means Ruling or Master Power, and 'Him' [like the Hebrew 'Hema', 'these'] alludes to all the forces [i.e. laws and constants that He uses to run His universe]. 'Elokim' thus 'Master Power over all forces'. Kabbalistically, Elokim denotes an 'impersonal' aspect of G-d's supervision over the universe, one that expresses only the outermost qualities of the Creator. Elokim is also known as the 'left hand of G-d' representing the concept of justice and law. Interestingly, in Hebrew numerology (or Gematria), the numerical value of the letters of the word Elokim add up to 86, which is the same number as for HaTeva, the word denoting 'Nature' and/or 'Laws of Nature'.

Hashem, the four-lettered Name of G-d (also known as the Tetragrammaton), as given in the Torah, denotes a level as far removed from Elokim as the highest Heavens are from us lowly mortals on Earth. No person is ever permitted to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, due to its sacred nature, always substituting the appellation HaShem, 'The Name' - other than in formal prayer, when the title a*d*o*n*a*i is used. The power behind The Name is associated to the 'right hand of G-d' and thus the quality of mercy and compassion that overrides strict justice, including, on occasion, the laws of Nature. This Tetragrammaton power is believed to be manifested within our physical realm in the form of the Torah.


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http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/638043/jewish/Why-is-Gd-Called-Elokim.htm

Question

I understand that the Tetragrammaton is the G‑d's true name. So why is G‑d also referred to in the Torah as "Elokim"? Isn't one name enough?

Response

When Abraham started off, people understood that there is one original G‑d who is the essence of being. This is what we refer to with the four-letter name, the Tetragrammaton, whose code name in Kabbalah is "Havaya." That name can only be written in singular form. In fact, it is basically a conjugation of the verb "to be."

They knew of this concept of Havaya, but they considered it far too lofty an idea, seemingly inaccessible and irrelevant to their lives. Instead, they connected to the many forces of nature. They called these "Elokim"—meaning, "mighty forces."

Abraham came along and said, "You guys got it all wrong. Havaya is Elokim! It's all one! He is the essence of being and He is all the forces of nature in one big package!"

That's why, as the Biblical commentator Baal HaTurim points out, the Hebrew letters in the name Elokim have the same gematria (numerical value) as "haTeva"—which means the natural order.

For more on the relation of these two names of G‑d, see Shaar HaYichud V'ha-Emunah by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. You can find that here.

http://www.aish.com/48931667.html

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FOUR-LETTER NAME

The Tetragrammaton is called G-d's "proper name" (Shem HaMeforash). Although G-d Himself is absolutely unknowable and unnameable, the Tetragrammaton is His highest emanation in creation. It is therefore considered most sacred, and is never pronounced as it is written, even in prayer. We are taught that one who pronounces the Tetragrammaton disrespectfully is worthy of death and has no portion in the World to Come. According to tradition, whenever the Tetragrammaton is written yud-Kay-vov-Kay, it is read a*d*o*n*a*i. However, when it occurs in conjunction with the name a*d*o*n*a*i , it is read Elokim.

The only place where the Tetragrammaton was ever pronounced as it is written was in the Temple in Jerusalem, as the Torah states a number of times, "G-d your Lord will appoint a place to link His Name there" (Deut. 12:5, 12:11, 12:21). It was pronounced daily in the priestly blessing in the Temple, as well as ten times during the Yom Kippur service in the public confessions.

In the daily priestly blessing, the Tetragrammaton was vocalized with the vowel points associated with the name Hashem. In the Yom Kippur service, on the other hand, the High Priest would pronounce the Tetragrammaton with its own unique vowel points.

Whenever the Tetragrammaton was pronounced in the Holy Temple, all present would respond, "Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom for ever and ever," as we find, "[Israel] shall bless Your glorious Name, though You Yourself are exalted above all blessing and praise" (Nehemiah 9:5).

On Yom Kippur, those standing closest to the High Priest would prostrate themselves in awe and reverence as the transcendent name of G-d was pronounced. In commemoration of this, we also prostrate ourselves when the High Priest's confessions are recalled during the Musaf Service of Yom Kippur. According to tradition, one of the ten miracles that occurred regularly in the First Temple was that all present had enough space to bow, even though they stood tightly packed together during the service.

Originally, the Tetragrammaton was used by all the priests in their blessing. However, there is a tradition that after Shimon HaTzaddik died in 3470 (291 B.C.E.), its use was discontinued, since the Divine Presence (Shechina) was no longer manifest in the Temple and the other priests felt themselves unworthy. However, as long as the Temple stood, it was used by the High Priest in the Yom Kippur service. Still, it was pronounced in such a low voice that it was drowned out by the singing of the other priests in order that it not be learned by the unworthy.

As a sign of reverence, the Tetragrammaton was mentioned as infrequently as possible. Therefore, during this period, its precise pronunciation and significance was taught only to the worthiest students just once every seven years.

Some authorities maintain that it is forbidden to pronounce the spelling of the Tetragrammaton just as it is forbidden to pronounce the name itself. When spelling the name out therefore, we change the letter Heh to Keh, and read Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2010, 10:17:27 AM by muman613 »
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline Kahane-Was-Right BT

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Re: What Name of G-d did they use?
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2010, 10:06:49 AM »
In Temple times the Shem Havaya was only allowed to pronounced by the Cohen Gadol once a year.

My question is:

What Name of G-d did Adam Harishon use when speaking to Him ie did he pronounce the Shem Havaya?

What Name of G-d did the Am Yisrael use for G-d before the 1st Temple?

The Gemara says that whoever pronounce the Shem Havaya as it is written loses his Olam Haba.

When did it become the Halacha/Minhag to use the Name "A-d-o-n-a-i" for Havaya?

Good questions.  I don't know.

Worth asking about, let me see what I can find.   I see Muman has already cited some things too.