[HANASHIR:12261] Re: question on words. one word, actually.

[sholom <sholom...>]

> I have an issue with what is the meaning of taking the Name in vain? If
> I feel that every time I'm singing a song with G!d's name in it, I'm
> trying to connect my self to G!d, then it shouldn't be a problem to use
> one of Gd's names.


I am *no* expert!  Still, I heard a talk on this.  The speaker said that
you should say G-d's name only with kavanah -- and this is even more so
when you are not quoting a verse, praising HaShem, or actually davening or
making a bracha.  (Of course, one _should_ have kavana when davening, but
we know that's not always true, and, if in retrospect, if one does not
have kavanah, it is generally OK).

In the speaker's opinion, one does not usually have the proper kavanah
when one is singing -- one might be loving the tune or the song but is
often not thinking that s/he is praising HaShem at that moment.


Being a musician (well, I get paid for being one -- whether I _am_ one is
a different question!) I thought that there was more kavana than the
speaker seemed to indicate.  But even if that is all fine and good -- it
is rare that, say, when one is leading a song, or teaching a song, that
everyone in the audience has that kavanah.  In other words, the _singer_
might be sincerely trying to connect to G-d, but it's possible that most
of the others are just trying to sing (or learn) a song.

(And, again, this is separate and apart from the bacha l'vatalah issue).


Hope this helps inform the discussion!


-- Sholom


P.S.  On a side issue -- for those who say they don't understand if Ad-nai
is already a substitute word, what's wrong with saying it.  There actually
is a deep spiritual explanation for this, which, if asked, I can discuss
next week.  But a more surface way of looking at it is this way:  most
people I know would not knowingly step on a picture of their grandmother.

But why not?  It's just a "representation"!  It's just a piece of paper!


The answer, obviously, is that the "peice of paper" is so closely
identified with the grandmother that to step on it is _akin_ to insulting
the grandmother.  I think it's similar to "Ad-nai".  In fact, "Ad-nai",
like "Elokeinu" has become (or, had become -- before the time of the
Talmud) an actual name of G-d.




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