Why "G-d" instead of "God"?

[psychoslice]

Actually, it's not a matter "getting around" our laws concerning the Sabbath. There is no prohibition against using toilet paper. The prohibition is on tearing ON THE SABBATH. So... If we tear it before hand, we just make it usable for the Sabbath.

And for the record... There is nothing sneaky about G-d vs. God. It is merely a difference of opinion. As you might have noticed, I have no problem spelling out God.

Yes I see, but maybe your not so orthodox ?.

 

[rosends]

I thought there was a text in Tanakh which says I am ______- the God of your fathers, and tell it to the others?

YHVH is put in that spot - which is the respectful form of not using the actual name.

*

there is a quote which says "eheye asher eheyeh" (I will be that which I will be" and moses is told to say "eheyeh sent me" but we don't view that as a personal name, just as an indicator of an aspect for people to relate to.

 

[JacobEzra.]

Actually, it's not a matter "getting around" our laws concerning the Sabbath. There is no prohibition against using toilet paper. The prohibition is on tearing ON THE SABBATH. So... If we tear it before hand, we just make it usable for the Sabbath.

And for the record... There is nothing sneaky about G-d vs. God. It is merely a difference of opinion. As you might have noticed, I have no problem spelling out God.

No, no, us Jews are always sneaking around, you know.

 

[psychoslice]

No, no, us Jews are always sneaking around, you know.

Yes a good sense of humour, I like that.

 

[Harmonious]

Yes I see, but maybe your not so orthodox ?.

I truly hope you aren't saying that Rav Yosef Soloveitchik, may the memory of a saintly man be blessed, wasn't "so Orthodox"? While I may not go out of my way to erase God when it appears just to prove a point, I see no reason not to understand and agree with the point, and move on.

 

[Harmonious]

Just in case someone forgot this post, I'm posting it again.

Strictly speaking, the prohibition only applies to writing in Hebrew.

There is a story told about Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik (z"l), the truth of which I do not know, that on the first day of teaching a new class he would intentionally write GOD on the blackboard and then just as intentionally erase it... to demonstrate to his students that this was not a problem.

Nevertheless, it has become a widespread Jewish convention to write "G-d".

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Here is one presentation of the not-understandable. Even the wiki explanation confuses me, and I have studied the source material...

Ein Sof - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yikes. I can see if I can find something similar? I cant understand a word.

 

[rosends]

Yikes. I can see if I can find something similar? I cant understand a word.

How about this
What Is G‑d? - The Not-thing - Essentials

 

[Unveiled Artist]

How about this
What Is G‑d? - The Not-thing - Essentials

I forgot months ago I looked up this link. Its easy to read but I never got confirmation if it is Jewish teaching. Take a look: Judaism 101: The Nature of G-d

 

[rosends]

I forgot months ago I looked up this link. Its easy to read but I never got confirmation if it is Jewish teaching. Take a look: Judaism 101: The Nature of G-d

Jewfaq is usually a pretty good site. That isn't a bad discussion of G-d.

 

[gsa]

Strictly speaking, the prohibition only applies to writing in Hebrew.

There is a story told about Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik (z"l), the truth of which I do not know, that on the first day of teaching a new class he would intentionally write GOD on the blackboard and then just as intentionally erase it... to demonstrate to his students that this was not a problem.

Nevertheless, it has become a widespread Jewish convention to write "G-d".

This post basically explains everything.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

The Name of G-d: Information about the importance of names in Jewish faith: Judaism 101: The Name of G-d

 

[Ingledsva]

there is a quote which says "eheye asher eheyeh" (I will be that which I will be" and moses is told to say "eheyeh sent me" but we don't view that as a personal name, just as an indicator of an aspect for people to relate to.

It sounds more like it is a name - or more accurately a tetragrammaton for the unspeakable name. So why use G-d?

Exo 6:2 And spoke Elohiym unto Moses, and said unto him, I am YHVH:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as The Almighty, and by My name YHVH have I not been known to them.

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of YHVH thy Elohiym, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHVH that healeth thee.

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of YHVH thy Elohiym in vain; for YHVH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

These are English translations of course, - but I looked them up in the Hebrew to make sure they were basically the same.

*

 

[rosends]

It sounds more like it is a name - or more accurately a tetragrammaton for the unspeakable name. So why use G-d?

Exo 6:2 And spoke Elohiym unto Moses, and said unto him, I am YHVH:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as The Almighty, and by My name YHVH have I not been known to them.

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of YHVH thy Elohiym, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHVH that healeth thee.

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of YHVH thy Elohiym in vain; for YHVH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

These are English translations of course, - but I looked them up in the Hebrew to make sure they were basically the same.

*

It sounds like a name to you. To Jews, it isn't. It is a label to an aspect of G-d. And why use "G-d"? Some do it out of respect, some because they subscribe to a point of view that any word pointing to the divine has some specialness which should not be erased. I don't subscribe to any of those notions and I follow the convention of the thread I am on.

 

[Harmonious]

It sounds more like it is a name - or more accurately a tetragrammaton for the unspeakable name. So why use G-d?

Exo 6:2 And spoke Elohiym unto Moses, and said unto him, I am YHVH:
Exo 6:3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as The Almighty, and by My name YHVH have I not been known to them.

Exo 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of YHVH thy Elohiym, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am YHVH that healeth thee.

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of YHVH thy Elohiym in vain; for YHVH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

These are English translations of course, - but I looked them up in the Hebrew to make sure they were basically the same.

*

The meanings of the words and the ACTUAL words are very different. "I will be that I will be" is spelled very differently than the Tetragrammaton (which actually only means "four letter word"), which - I suppose - if you use your imagination, is a conglomeration of "will be, present, and was". The meanings are similar, as they both depict the concept of timelessness. Also, the YHVH name is also supposed to depict the concept of mercy, whereas Elohim (or, I should say, Elokim) depicts the concept of justice.

 

[Ingledsva]

It sounds like a name to you. To Jews, it isn't. It is a label to an aspect of G-d. And why use "G-d"? Some do it out of respect, some because they subscribe to a point of view that any word pointing to the divine has some specialness which should not be erased. I don't subscribe to any of those notions and I follow the convention of the thread I am on.

Why would he say - by my name "Lord" have I not been know to them.

Lord is not a name. And they definitely used the term of respect - Lord - before this.

*

 

[Ingledsva]

The meanings of the words and the ACTUAL words are very different. "I will be that I will be" is spelled very differently than the Tetragrammaton (which actually only means "four letter word"), which - I suppose - if you use your imagination, is a conglomeration of "will be, present, and was". The meanings are similar, as they both depict the concept of timelessness. Also, the YHVH name is also supposed to depict the concept of mercy, whereas Elohim (or, I should say, Elokim) depicts the concept of justice.

Except that I have read Jewish sites saying the Tetragrammaton - is the respectful way of writing God's name - without fully writing it. It replaces the full actual name.

Just as people here are saying is the reason God - is written G-d.

*

 

[Harmonious]

Why would he say - by my name "Lord" have I not been know to them.

Lord is not a name. And they definitely used the term of respect - Lord - before this.

*

Here is the thing you aren't quite getting. God used His REAL name. Jews do NOT do so. Instead of using God's ineffable name, in pronunciation (and what more or less has come out in translations) is that we use the Hebrew word "Lord" in place of it.

I can assure you that when God spoke to Moses, He didn't say "My name Lord."

 

[Harmonious]

Except that I have read Jewish sites saying the Tetragrammaton - is the respectful way of writing God's name - without fully writing it. It replaces the full actual name.

Just as people here are saying is the reason God - is written G-d.

*

The word Tetragrammaton, yes. But the actual four letters, no.

 

[rosends]

Why would he say - by my name "Lord" have I not been know to them.

Lord is not a name. And they definitely used the term of respect - Lord - before this.

*

To understand what this verse means, you should study the precise Hebrew -- here is the explanation from about 1000 years ago:

It is not written here לֹא הוֹדַעְךְתִּי, “but My Name YHWH I did not make known to them,” but לֹא נוֹדַעְךְתִּי, “I did not become known.” [I.e.,] I was not recognized by them with My attribute of keeping faith, by dint of which My name is called YHWH, [which means that I am] faithful to verify My words, for I made promises to them, but I did not fulfill [them while they were alive].