|
|
If God had a business card, what would it say?
God’s position might be “Creator of the Universe,” “Redeemer of Israel” or “Healer of the Sick,” or just “God.”
|
|
|
If “God” is God’s role, what is God’s name?
“Adonai,” “Holy Blessed One” or “Source of Life?”
Those are designations but not God’s proper name.
God’s proper name is Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei.
|
|
|
The Ineffable Name of which it is said, “Whose mysterious Name cannot be interpreted.”
Fortunately, “Unataneh Tokef” isn’t a legal text, because I would like to interpret that mysterious Name.
|
|
|
At the burning bush, God said to Moses,
“Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh – I Will Be What I Will Be…
Thus shall you say to the Israelites, ‘Ehyeh – I Will Be sent me to you.’”
|
|
|
God calls Godself “אהיה – I will be” in the first person, as the speaker
|
|
|
When Moses reports to the people
he switches to the third person “יהיה – He will be,”
for God is unseen.
|
|
|
The letter vav substitutes for the second yod, yielding the name as written,
Y-H-V-H.
|
|
|
This name is derived from the state of being verb Is-Was-Will be.
|
|
אפשר (לפחות ברמת הדרש) להבין את צורת השם הנכתב באות וא״ו כמאגד יחד את כל הזמנים הדקדוקיים,
כי ”מֵעוֹלָם עַד עוֹלָם אַתָּה אֵל.“
|
The spelling with a vav can be understood as bringing together all three tenses in Biblical Hebrew: future, present, and past,
because God is God for all time.
|
|
|
At the bush God spoke in the first person.
Moses spoke about God in the third person.
We approach God in the second person, “You” as if God were present.
|
|
|
Filled with awe by the mystery, we do not pronounce this name, but it is printed in our prayer book.
|
|
|
When praying quietly, try not to rush to say “Adonai” immediately.
Take a moment to wait in wonder, in the presence of God who Is-Was-Will be, who Speaks, is Present and is Unseen.
|
|
הוד והדר, שבת משפטים תשע״ח
|
|
כתפקיד אפשר לרשום: ”בורא עולם“ ”גואל ישראל“ ”רופא חולים“ או פשוט ”אלֹהים“.