Yuku free message boards

This the page from
www.jewfaq.org/name.htm




Pronouncing the Name of God
Nothing in the Torah prohibits a person from pronouncing the Name of God. Indeed, it is evident from scripture that God's Name was pronounced routinely. Many common Hebrew names contain "Yah" or "Yahu," part of God's four-letter Name. The Name was pronounced as part of daily services in the Temple.

The Mishnah confirms that there was no prohibition against pronouncing The Name in ancient times. In fact, the Mishnah recommends using God's Name as a routine greeting to a fellow Jew. Berakhot 9:5. However, by the time of the Talmud, it was the custom to use substitute Names for God. Some rabbis asserted that a person who pronounces YHVH according to its letters (instead of using a substitute) has no place in the World to Come, and should be put to death. Instead of pronouncing the four-letter Name, we usually substitute the Name "Adonai," or simply say "Ha-Shem" (lit. The Name).

Although the prohibition on pronunciation applies only to the four-letter Name, Jews customarily do not pronounce any of God's many Names except in prayer or study. The usual practice is to substitute letters or syllables, so that Adonai becomes Adoshem or Ha-Shem, Elohaynu and Elohim become Elokaynu and Elokim, etc.

With the Temple destroyed and the prohibition on pronouncing The Name outside of the Temple, pronunciation of the Name fell into disuse. Scholars passed down knowledge of the correct pronunciation of YHVH for many generations, but eventually the correct pronunciation was lost, and we no longer know it with any certainty. We do not know what vowels were used, or even whether the Vav in the Name was a vowel or a consonant. See Hebrew Alphabet for more information about the difficulties in pronouncing Hebrew. Some religious scholars suggest that the Name was pronounced "Yahweh," but others do not find this pronunciation particularly persuasive.

Some people render the four-letter Name as "Jehovah," but this pronunciation is particularly unlikely. The word "Jehovah" comes from the fact that ancient Jewish texts used to put the vowels of the Name "Adonai" (the usual substitute for YHVH) under the consonants of YHVH to remind people not to pronounce YHVH as written. A sixteenth century German Christian scribe, while transliterating the Bible into Latin for the Pope, wrote the Name out as it appeared in his texts, with the consonants of YHVH and the vowels of Adonai, and came up with the word JeHoVaH, and the name stuck.


I prefer this From a Orthadox View.



Names of God:
What are God's different names? Why is He called by them?

Answer:
The Bible uses many different names for God. Each has its own significance and is used to convey different concepts. The following are the most commonly used names with some brief explanation.

The Tetragrammaton - This is the "personal" name of God. The only place it may ever be pronounced is in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem during certain prayers by the Kohanim. Otherwise we are never permitted to pronounce this name. The significance of this name is discussed at great length in many places. The simplest explanation is that the name is a contraction of the words, "was, is and will be". In general this name is understood in Biblical contexts to indicate the Divine attribute of mercy (as opposed to justice). One explanation for this is because we are taught that mercy is the most fundamental of God's attributes.

Elohim - This name is not to be pronounced except during prayer or while reading Biblical verses, otherwise the word "Elokim" is substituted. It literally means "gods" or "powerful ones". (Many of God's names are in the plural sense, similar to the "majestic sense", the royal "we".) The term "elohim" is also used in other contexts to refer to beings other than God, such as angels, human judges, or foreign gods ("elohim acherim" - "other gods"). In such contexts one should pronounce the word properly. This name is closely related with the names Elo'ah, Elohei, and El (these too should not be pronounced). In the Bible this name generally indicates the Divine attribute of Justice.

Adonoy - "My Lords". This name is generally used in prayer as a substitute for the Tetragrammaton. This name can be understood as representing the personal relationship between God and the individual.

Also out of all of God Names all are male except one " Shechina " The Presance of God on earth.