Uttering and Writing God’s Name
With Awe and Trembling
Rabbi Wildman urges the reader to follow the advice of the Arizal’s siddur, cited by the Chayei Adam (5:1), namely that a person should be overcome by awe and tremble upon uttering God’s Name. This doesn’t only refer to the tetragrammaton (God’s “four-letter” Name: YHVH), it refers to any Name that refers to Him and that we may not erase (like kEil, Elokim, etc.).
A story is recounted from Yesod v’Shoresh Ha’Avodah (Alexander ben Moshe Süsskind of Grodno, 18th century) in which the author of Zera Yitzchak (Rav Yitzchak ben Avraham, AKA Rav Yitzchak HaGer, 18th century) collapsed. While unconscious, he heard a Heavenly voice saying, “Make way for a righteous person who has died!” He was welcomed into the Heavenly court with great honor and asked if he observed what was written in the Torah. He replied that he did and was asked who would corroborate that statement for him. His claim was confirmed by all the angels created by the mitzvos he had performed.
He was then asked if he observed the Oral Law. He again replied in the affirmative and his words were again confirmed by angels.
Next, he was asked if he was careful not to pronounce God’s Name unnecessarily. At this, Rav Yitzchak was silent. He was asked again and he continued to maintain his silence. It was subsequently discovered that he had uttered God’s Name in prayer many times without the proper concentration. Despite his greatness, he could not escape the consequences of this lapse. [Siman 95]
The Arizal therefore advises one how to avoid such a fate: that a person should tremble all over with awe every time he has occasion to mention God’s Name. This may be a bit much to expect of the average person but one should at least try to do as the Sages recommend, i.e., not to toss off our brachos with haste (Brachos 47a). Rashi explains that doing so makes it appear as if brachos are a burden that a person wants to get rid of. Rabbeinu Asher (the Rosh, 13th-14th century) adds that we should recite our brachos calmly and with great concentration. [Siman 96]
Using God’s Name in Vain
Even if we don’t reach the optimum levels of awe for God’s Name, we must at least be careful not to pronounce it needlessly. One who does so is deserving of excommunication. Chayei Adam (5:1) says that this is true even of one who speaks of God using the common, secular vernacular (i.e., God, Gott, Dieu, Dios, etc.). It’s all the more severe to write God’s Name – in any language – in a letter that will be thrown away. This shows disrespect for God’s Name. [Siman 97]
There are many who write God’s Name in their correspondence, using their native language. This is a mistake because such letters ultimately end up in the trash. When God’s Name is found in such a state of disgrace, it brings poverty upon the Jewish people. We should therefore strive to end this practice. (Readers should consult their own rabbis for practical guidance in this matter.)
Rabbi Wildman now cites a work called Urim v’Tumim, presumably referring to the work by that name authored by Rav Yonasan Eibeschutz (17th-18th century), which is on Shulchan Aruch, and not the one by Meir ben Yitzchak Arama (15th-16th century), which is a Bible commentary. There it says that if one feels the need to mention God in conversation, He should do so using the substitution “Hashem” (literally “the Name”) and not “Adoshem,” as was discussed in our previous installment. [Siman 98]
Cursing With (and Without) God’s Name
People should be aware that if one curses himself or another person using God’s Name of its equivalent in any other language, he is deserving of the penalty of lashes. This is so even if one uses a non-Jewish name for God, as per the Tur (CM 27:1). If one person curses another without using God’s Name or a functional equivalent, or if one implies a curse such as by saying, “May this person not be blessed by God,” he is not subject to lashes, though doing so is still prohibited. Unfortunately, many people are not careful in this matter and do say things like, “May God punish him,” which is a Biblical prohibition deserving of lashes. [Siman 99]
The Letters of God’s Name
It is well-known that the Tetragrammaton, made up of the Hebrew letters yud, hei, vav and hei, may not be pronounced as written. Rather, it is to be pronounced “Adonai.” What’s less well-known is what the Maharasha writes (Avodah Zara 18a), that one may not even mention the letters yud and hei together (though one may do so with an interruption between them, such as “yud and hei”). One is permitted to pronounce the Name spelled out by yud and hei when one reaches it in Scripture or in prayer. [Siman 100]
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