Sunday, 24 May 2015

Do Jews believe that God's name is "God"?


I have recently asked a question about taking God's name in vain. And I have been told that swearing is taking his name in vain. So in teachings I see it mentioned G-d or Gcd. Showing to me a resistance of even saying the word "God". Why is this necessary? For when I say "God" I most likely am not swearing an oath. Do Jews believe that God's name is "God"?



Answer




The name is supposed to capture the essence of a thing. Since we have no way whatsoever to comprehend God, the names of Him we find in the torah are just representative of His mode of conduct, how He relates towards us. So, to answer your question. Strictly speaking - No. because He does not have a name since we cannot represent as He truly is.


Here's a relevant quote from the chovos halevavos shaar yichud ch.10 (see there for much more)



Since it is impossible to form a representation of Him with the intellect or picture Him with the imagination, we find that Scripture ascribes most of its praises to the "name" of G-d, as written: "And they shall bless Your glorious Name" (Nehemiah 9:5), and "that you may fear this glorious and revered Name" (Devarim 28:58), and "Let them praise Your Name, great and revered" (Tehilim 99:3), and "and of My Name he was afraid" (Malachi 2:5), and "But unto you that fear My Name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings" (Malachi 3:20), and "Sing unto G-d, sing praises to His Name, extol Him that rides upon the skies, whose Name is the L-ORD" (Tehilim 68:5).


All this is in order to honor and exalt His glorious essence because, besides clarifying that He exists, it is impossible for us to clarify in our minds anything about His Being except for His great Name.


But as for His glorious essence and His true nature - there is no picture or likeness that we can grasp in our minds. Therefore, His Name is frequently changed in the torah and likewise in the books of the prophets.


Because we cannot understand anything about Him except for His Name and that He exists. His glorious Name is also associated with heaven and earth and the Spirits, as Abraham said: "And I will make you swear by the L-ord, the G-d of heaven and the G-d of the earth" (Bereishis 24:3), and Yonah said: " I fear the L-ord, the G-d of heaven" (1:9), and Moshe said: "the G-d of the spirit of all flesh" (Bamidbar 27:16). And the verse proclaims: "Behold, I am the L-ord, the G-d of all flesh" (Yirmiya 32:27).



and the Tov Halevanon Commentary there:




(Tov Halevanon: His name is changed in the torah) such as the name "Yud-Hey-Vuv-Hey" which teaches that He was, is, and always will be. Or the name "Adon-ay" which teaches that He is master over the creations, or the name "Elo-him" - that He is powerful and all-capable, or the name "Sha-day" - that He is "meshaded" the marachos. The verse adds "of heaven and earth" to teach that we do not completely understand His true Name but rather we see Him according to what we understand through His existence and deeds)



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