[HANASHIR:12274] Re: question on words. one word, actually.

[Freedabet <Freedabet...>]

But, according to the logic of this issue, if Adonai and Eloheinu have become 
'actual names of God' then we shouldn't use them even in a bracha or service 
context, right?  And, how and when did 'God' become an 'actual name of God'?

The 'grandmother's picture' analogy is flawed, because no one with good 
intentions would step on Grandmother's picture.  I would propose as a better 
analogy spitting on Grandmother's picture.  If you spit on it and leave it, 
it's bad. If you spit on it in order to clean it with a rag, that's good.  
And some will say, 'do not spit' even if you do it in order to clean the 
picture.

Moadim l'simcha

Michael

-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Friday, 20-Sep-02 11:56 PM
> 
> From: sholom (at) aishdas(dot)org       \ Internet:    (sholom (at) 
> aishdas(dot)org)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
> 
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:12261] Re: question on words. one word, actually.
> 
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> > 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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