The name of God in Judaism. Why can't it be spoken?

2024 Author: Miguel Ramacey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 06:11

In many religious world teachings, the main deity has a name. This name is sung in laudatory hymns, this name is used to turn to God in prayers. But in Judaism, things are quite different. In Judaism, God has no name.

A name is a self-name, a definition of an entity. And the essence of God cannot be understood. And even more so, it cannot be determined.

The name of God in Judaism

Judaism is the religion of the Jews, the name of which comes from the name of the son of the biblical patriarch Jacob (Israel) - Judah. There are many names of God in the Torah, but they are all fake.

The holy book of Judaism Tanakh includes the Torah of Scripture and the Prophets. For Christians, this collection is called the Old Testament. In "Shemot Rabba 3" (Exodus, chapter 3) it is said that the Almighty is sometimes called:

• God: when he judges his creations;
• Lord of Hosts: when going to war against those who attack;
• God Almighty: when he exacts for the sins of a person (Sabaoth);
• ha-Shem (the unpronounceable name of God in Judaism, consisting of 4 letters): when the World has mercy.

Hashem literally translates to"name". This is a euphemism that is used instead of the name Adonai and Elohim. Usually used outside of religious services or prayers.

Thus, all the names of the Almighty describe his deeds, but not himself. That is, his names mean only how, from which side he opens up to people.

Shem HaEtzem

Despite the fact that all the rabbis agree that one should not pronounce the name of God in vain, there is still one proper name of God in the holy books. Shem HaEtzem. But even this name does not define the essence of the Almighty. This is a four-letter name Yod-Key-Vav-Key (Eternal).

This name only indicates one of the qualities of the Almighty. Namely, that it exists from eternity and never changes. This name indicates a striking difference between the Almighty and his Creation. Any creation exists because it was his will, but he himself does not depend on anyone or anything, has always existed and will always exist.

Out of respect for this four-letter name, it is not pronounced the way it is spelled. Instead, the Jews call the Almighty Ada-noy (Lord). In Shemot Rabbah it is stated that the Jewish god will not leave unpunished the one who pronounces his name in vain. In addition, the ancient Jews could not allow the Gentiles to hear the name of their god, as it could be desecrated.

El, Shaddai and Shalom

The Jewish God has many names. For example, the oldest Semitic designation for God was the "name" El. Itcorresponds to Arabic El, Akkadian Il, Canaanite Il (El). The term most likely originated from the root yl or wl, which means "to be omnipotent". In the Canaanite pantheon, El is the head of all gods. In the Bible, El is often used as a common noun and is often preceded by a definite article, such as ha-El "this God". Sometimes some kind of epithet is added to El, for example: El Elion - the Most High or El Olam - the Eternal God. El Shaddai, or the simpler form Shaddai means "God Almighty".

The salutatory word "Shalom", which means "Peace", is one of the existing epithets of God. The Talmud states that the name of God is "Peace".

Fear on guard of faith

In addition to officially existing bans, there are also internal bans. After the Babylonian history, the Jews developed a superstitious fear, which is why the name of God is not pronounced in Hinduism. The Jews fear that by uttering his name, they may inadvertently offend him and incur the wrath of God.

The ancient Egyptians also influenced the formation of Jewish beliefs. In the mythology of the Egyptians, it is said that one who knows the name of a particular deity can influence him with the help of magical practices. The name of God in Judaism has been hidden since ancient times. However, the ban on pronunciation was not formed immediately. It has been building up over a long period of time. The Jews were very afraid that the Gentiles would hear the name of Jehovah and be able to harm them. From this fear was born the magical doctrine associated with the pronunciation of names. This is Kabbalah.

Famous philosophersof antiquity, Philo and Flavius argued that those who pronounce the name of Jehovah in vain and at the wrong time are worthy of death. It is strange that in those days Judea was under the rule of Rome and it would be illegal to carry out a death sentence.

The name of God and Kabbalah

There are 72 names of God in Kabbalah. These are 72 combinations of letters from the 14th chapter of Shemot Rabbah. 72 ways to become like a god. These combinations can affect reality.

Abracadabra some? Not really. And by the way, this expression from Hebrew and more precisely sounds like "Abra Kedabra", which means "I Create as I speak." But the true name of God in Judaism is not indicated even in Kabbalah.