From: dkhaikin@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dmitry Khaikin)
Subject: Re: God's Hyphen (Re: Mezuzah question)
Keywords: Even if they *do* say Jehovah!
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 04:21:31 GMT

In article <1992Dec24.220311.25021@netcom.com> solovay@netcom.com (Andrew Solovay) writes:
>In article <1992Dec24.190029.10687@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu> dkhaikin@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dmitry Khaikin) writes:
>>In article <199212241456.AA10219@yfn.ysu.edu> <aa324@yfn.ysu.edu (Marlene Miller)> writes:
>>>Baruch ata adonai elohainu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav
>>>v'tzivanu likboa mezuzah.
>>>
>>>Blessed art Thou, Lord our G-d, King of the universe who has sanctified
>>>us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a mezuzah.
>>>
>>
>>Listen, I was going to complain about what you just did (and I am!), but
>>in the world would you want to write the G-d's Name and then write '-'
>>in the English translation. I assume that you just don't know the rules
>>then. So, assuming that I ask you not to write G-d's name anymore.
>
>Touchy, aren't we? I don't know if I should speak for Ms. Miller,
>but her practice seemed natural and appropriate to me. Mr. Cohen
>might well say the bracha just as it's written; if she used the
>accepted mutilation of God's names, there's a real chance that
>Mr. Cohen (or someone else reading this) might actually *say*
>"Baruch atah hashem, elokainu....[sic]". Under these
>circumstances, I think all authorities would agree that one ought
>to write the words as they would be said. On the other hand, Mr.
>Cohen would probably not say the English bracha when putting up
>the mezuzah, and if he did, he'd certainly know that "G-d" is
>pronounced "god", so there isn't a problem.

Well, I agree, but there are alternatives like: 'A-d-o-n-a-i'. So, it
could have been writen differently.

>
>Besides which, I don't believe there is a "rule", or law, that
>one has to treat the names of God with the same respect when they
>are written with non-Hebrew (and non-Aramaic) letters.
>Accordingly, one need not use the hyphen or change the spelling
>when writing them. I believe this applies even to permanent
>media, like paper and ink; kal v'chomer one needn't worry about
>it with an EPosting. Yes, changing the spelling is an appropriate
>and pious practice, but it's not a "rule". In this case, there is
>a strong reason to override that practice.
>

For the last comment - I already showed an alternative to what was
written. 
As for the Name, well, is your name different if you write it in
some other language? No, it is not. But again it is just an opinion.
Another thing is that you can look at it as just pixels making an image
and not really being written. Well, it is an opinion again. I would not
complitelly agree though. For example, if you write His Name on a board
using a piece of chock, there is no possible way to connect all the
particles of chock, so, one might think that it could be ok too. Well,
maybe it is. But I think, what is important here is what you see and you
see G-d's name spelled out. It is just a modern way to write. 
In any case, I think we should try to respect the Name as much as
possible. There would not be any problem if it was written
'A-d-o-n-a-i'. 

>Disclaimer: All of this is IMNRO (In My Non-Rabbinic Opinion). I
>invite correction if I made factual errors.
>-- 
>Andrew Solovay    
>                "I know that, in America and under capitalism,
>                 I am the freest woman in history."
>                                --- Camille Paglia

CHappy Chanukkahhhhh,
Dima
-- 
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  "A word is worth one coin; silence is worth two."_____ The Talmud.
  "Silence is good everywhere, except in connection with Torah."____ The Zohar.
  dkhaikin@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu  ( Dmitry Khaikin, Columbus Ohio )
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish