FYI The Shem HaMeforash - Explicit Name of G-d The Shem Hameforash (explicit Name of G-d) was pronounced in accordance with its spelling ONLY in the Temple not outside its precincts (Sotah 38). This is confirmed in Midrash Tehillim (Psalms 87) where Rabbi Chiya son of Idi asks the rhetorical question of why the exalted Name of G-d could be pronounced only inside the Holy Temple whereas outside we have to content ourselves with referring to G-d in a more oblique fashion, using substitute names? He pointed to Tehillim 87:3 where the sons of Korach say: glorious things are spoken of You, O city of G-d, selah. Rabbi Chiya interpreted this line to mean that the glorious Name of G-d may be spoken only in the Temple. In the provinces, i.e., the city of G-d, He may be referred to only by means of substitutes. Chazal (Eruvin 18) add that ever since the destruction of the Temple, pronouns substitute for His real Name. Mankind was meant to use only the two first letters of the tetragram, i.e. the letters Y-H. They base this on Tehillim 150:6. The meaning of this verse is that while the Temple is standing not all souls would praise G-d by using the same Names for Him. Inside the Temple His real Name would be used whereas outside people would have to be content with using substitutes. Once the Temple had been destroyed every soul was reduced to the same common denominator of having to praise G-d by invoking only His substitute names. They may use only half His Name, I.e. the letters Y-H. Eruvin 18: (R. Yirmeyah ben Elazar): After the Churban (destruction of the Temple), it suffices for the world to use two letters [of the Name, to praise or bless] - Kol haNeshamah Tehalel Kah Halelukah. (His four letter Name may be pronounced as written only for Birkat Kohanim in the Mikdash - Priestly Blessing in the Temple) I it obvious that the Name was not commonly used among the general public because it commonizes the holy and makes it possible for the Name to be used improperly and be profaned. In fact, Chazal say that pronouncing the Name is one of the six things that will revoke a person’s share in the World to Come! All Israel has a share in the World to Come, as it is said: “Your people are all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, My handiwork, in which to take pride.” But the following have no share in the World to Come: He who says that there is no resurrection of the dead, and [he who says] that the Torah is not from Heaven, and an apikorot [translated variously as Epicurean, atheist, unbeliever, or heretic]. R. Akiva says: Also one who reads the heretical books or who whispers a charm over a wound and says, “I will put none of the diseases upon you, which I have put upon the Egyptians, for I am HaShem that heals you.” Abba Shaul says: Also he that utters the divine Name according to its letters. (Sanhedrin 90a; Mishnah Chapter 10:1) The Shem Hameforash is so holy that Chazal were even cautious about its use in the Temple. Our Rabbis taught: In the year in which Simeon the Righteous died, he foretold them that he would die. They said: Whence do you know that? He replied: On every Yom Kippur an old man, dressed in white, wrapped in white, would join me, entering [the Holy of Holies] and leaving [it] with me, but today I was joined by an old man, dressed in black, wrapped in black, who entered, but did not leave, with me. After the festival [of Sukkot] he was sick for seven days and [then] died. His brethren the priests forbore to mention the Ineffable Name in pronouncing the [priestly] blessing. The commentary on this passage from the Schottenstein Edition of Talmud Bavli states: “Menachot 109b. Tosaf Sotah 38a suggests that the Ineffable Name could be pronounced only when there was some indication that the Shechinah rested on the Sanctuary. When Simeon the Righteous died, with many indications that such glory was no more enjoyed, his brethren no more dared utter the Ineffable Name.” Chazal did, however, state that the pronunciation of the Shem Hameforash would return in the World to Come, when the universe is restored to its proper state of holiness as in Gan Eden: “And His Name will be One” [Zecharya 14:9] — is His Name not One even on this world? [This verse means to say the following:] The World to Come is unlike this world. In this world, [the Holy Name] is written one way, yet it is pronounced another way, but in the World to Come, the Name will be pronounced the way that it is written. (Pesachim 50a) Therefore, the Shem HaMeforash is to be read Ad-nai in prayer and as HaShem outside of prayer. When It occurs in conjunction with the Name Ad-nai, then it is read as Elokim. Even when the Kohen would pronounce the Name of G-d during the daily Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) in the Temple, the Shem HaMeforash was vocalized with the vowel points of the Name Ad-nai. It was on Yom Kippur that the Kohen Gadol would pronounce the Shem HaMeforash with its only vowel points.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 17:36:19 +0000
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