The
72 Names In Judaism, the name of G'd is representing the divine nature
and the relation between him and his people. To show the holiness of G'ds names
the scribes paused before copying them and used reverences to keep his true name
concealed. Various names of G'd in Judaism represent G'd as he is known and in
the attributes that are kown from him. The numerous names have been source
to many debates amongst scholars. G'ds most important name in Judasim is the Tetragrammaton-
four letter name(YHWH). It appears 6828 times in the Bible. In times when the
Temple was still standing the High Priest pronounced him on Yom Kipur. The
jewish Law requires that secondary rules are placed around the primary law, to
reduce the chance that the main law will be broken. As such, it is common Jewish
practice to restrict the use of the word Adonai to prayer only. In conversation,
many Jewish people will call G'd "Hashem". Adoshem was commonly used
until the mid twentieth century. It was discouraged by Rabbi David ha Levi Segal. He
said it was disrespectful to combine a name of G'd with an other word.
Adonai The
singular is Adoni- my Lord"and was given instead of YHWH in the 8th century.
Later it was mistakenly pronounced as Jehovah. Ehyeh
Asher Ehyeh In this name G'ds Potency for the immediate Future is
shown. It's interpretation is: "I will be because I will be". The four
letter name might come from the same root. El The
word El appears in other semitic languages. Often it is an element in proper names.
The use is for singular and plural- for other G'ds and for the G'd of Israel.
In hebrew names it is often the ending such as in f.e.Daniel, Michael. Sometimes
it attributes G'd such as in El Shaddai ( G'd Almighty) Elohim In
the Bible it is often used to also describe other G'ds of other religions. Even
though it ends with an ending that is commonly used for plural, it has a meaning
that is only singular. It expresses majesty and greatness
Elyon This
name occurs in combination with El, YHWH or Elohim. It's meaning is supreme. Shaddai
Shaddai was a city on the banks of Euphrates river. In the Bible it comes
from the Vision of Balaam coming from Shaddai along with El. According to the
second Book of Moses it was the name that was known to the three forefathers.
Some say it is connected to the hebrew word" Shadayim"- Breasts. "By
the Almighty [El Shaddai] who will bless you with blessings of heaven above, blessings
of the deep that lies beneath, blessings of the breasts (shadayim) and of the
womb (rechem)" Shalom - Peace It
is said in the Talmud that the name of G'd is Peace. Consequently it is said that
one is not allowed to greet someone in a dirty place." Shekhina Shekhina
is the Presence of G'd which is descended to the world. This term never appears
in the Bible. It is the only term that refers to a feminine gender. Yah The
name Yah is composed of the first letters of YHWH.
YHWH
Tzevaot/ Sabaoth
It means G'd of Hoasts. The original meaning
can be found in Samuel naming the" G'd of armies". Ha
Makom - the Place Used in the traditional expression of condolence.
Seven
names of G'd: 1. El 2. Elohim 3.
Adonai 4. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh 5. Four letter name 6. Shaddai 7. Zebaot
Lesser used names of G'd: Adir -
"Strong One". Adon Olam - "Master of the World" Avinu
Malkeinu - "Our Father, our King". Awinu Malkinu Boreh - "the
Creator".
Kabbalah: One of the most significant names is
the Ein Sof ( Infinite). The 42 lettered name is
containing combined names. The book Sefer Yetzirah explains that the creation
of the world was achieved by the manipulation of the sacred letters. According
to Jewish tradition, the sacredness of the divine names must be recognized by
the professional scribe who writes the Scriptures. Before writing any of the divine
names he prepares mentally to sanctify them. Once he begins a name he does not
stop until it is finished. He must not be interrupted while writing it, even to
greet a king. If an error is made in writing it, it may not be erased, but a line
must be drawn round it to show that it is canceled, and the whole page must be
put in a genizah (burial place for scripture).
Tradition of 7 Names The
scribe must be especially carful with these names: El, Elohim, Adonai, YHWH, Ehyeh-Asher-Ehyeh,
Shaddai.