Gd

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Gd (alternatives: G "d , G-d , G! Dt , G + dt ) is an avoidant spelling for the word God in Judaism , which aims to avoid bringing the name of God YHWH into a form in which it can be stained or destroyed.The spelling is relatively recent.

meaning

In the third commandment of the Torah (in Christianity the “five books of Moses”, Greek: Pentateuch ) it says: “You shall not abuse the name of the Lord your God; for the Lord does not leave him unpunished who misuses his name. ”( Ex 20.7  EU ). That is why obsolete writings in which the name of God appears are not thrown away, but kept in a geniza .

In a strict sense, this view relates to God's proper name, which appears in liturgical scriptures as the Tetragrammaton ( YHWH ). The holiness of the word “God”, on the other hand, is controversial because, according to Jewish theology , this is not God's proper name, but a generic name . God himself expresses this wish in Exodus 3.14 EU : "Then God said to Moses: 'I am who I am.' Then he said: 'So you shall say to the children of Israel: I am who has sent me to you'. "Here God does not want to make himself comparable to the gods of other peoples, but describes in the following the relationship to his people ( Lord , YHWH). The general rabbinical opinion therefore assumes that the word “God” is not to be regarded as holy in any other language except Hebrew . It is therefore not imperative to use this form.

Nevertheless, out of religious respect , the spelling of Gd is followed by many (and most Orthodox ) Jews as a minhag (custom) also in profane texts (books, magazines, computer printouts and online etc.) because these are generally not in a geniza " to be burried.

pronunciation

Gd is usually pronounced in full / gɔt /, or the word is paraphrased as Adonai or HaSchem when reading aloud like YHWH .

Correspondence in other languages

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Alfred J. Kolatch: Understanding the Jewish World. Cape. 16.9, p. 346
  2. Sabbatai ha-Kohen, called “Chess” (1621–1662): Yoreh De'ah, 179: 11; Israël Meir Kagan , called "Chofetz Chaim" (1838–1933): Mishnah Berura , 85:10
  3. Chaim Eisenberg: Experiences of a Rabbi. P. 10