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HaShem (in Hebrew: השם) is a term that literally means “The Name”. It is used to avoid referring to the Name of GOD. It is also used to avoid writing the word YHWH (formed by the Hebrew letters yod hei vav hei), and with the word ADONAI which is used only in prayers, songs and when teaching a class of Torah.
It is common practice for Jewish culture to limit the use of Names referring to the CREATOR to a liturgical context. In a casual conversation some Jews, even when not speaking Hebrew, will call GOD HaShem (השם), which means “the Name” (cf. Leviticus 24, 11 and Deuteronomy 28, 58). In the same way, citing TaNaKh or prayers, some believers replace ADONAI with HaShem.
It is simply called so, therefore, to preserve the third commandment given by GOD to Moses, which warns against pronouncing the Holy Name in vain. That third commandment can be read in the Bible:
You will not take in vain the name of HaShem, your GOD, because GOD will not find it guilty of those who take in vain His Name
(Deuteronomy 5, 11)
This same commandment can also be observed in the text Exodus 20, 7.
Moreover, H’ (which indicates HaShém) is the way in which rabbinical Judaism affirms that the only Name that really identifies GOD is the one that does not even mention it, because it considers that nothing existing understands the reality of GOD. In many Hebrew texts translated into other languages the word “GOD” is not found in its entirety. For example in Spanish for the word “DIOS” they replace the “I” or the “O” with an oblique bar, or slash (“D\OS” or “DI\S”) so that the reader does not even think of the word “GOD” in vain, and in english (but also in other language like Italian with “D-O”) it is used to put a hyphen in the center of the word GOD (“G-D”) eliminating the letter “O”.
Other interpretations attribute to HaShem the meaning of “I am”, which is what the divinity would have answered to Moses when he asked his name in front of the burning bush on Mount Horeb.
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 90a) teaches the following: “He who pronounces the Divine Name has no part in the world to come.”
A popular expression that contains this phrase is Baruch HaShem, which means “Thank God” (literally, “Blessed be the Name”).
In the Jewish tradition by Maimonides
The more traditionalist Jews are very observant in their avoidance of pronouncing the name of GOD, and often not even spelled out in full (using the hyphen in the middle of the word D-O). They are therefore careful not to pronounce the names of GOD unless you are reading the Torah (Bible) or prayers.
This caution is based on the understanding of the third of the Ten Commandments, “Do not take His name in vain.” Although this verse is classically interpreted as referring to an oath using the name of GOD, the avoidance of taking the Name has traditionally been extended to all expression except prayer and Torah study. In the words of Maimonides, the great Jewish teacher we find:
It is not only a false oath that is forbidden. Instead, it is forbidden to mention even one of the names designated for GOD in vain, even if one does not take an oath. For the verse commands us, saying, “Fear the glorious and great name. “1 Included in fearing it is not mentioning it in vain.
Therefore, if because of a mistake someone mentions the Name in vain, he should immediately hasten to praise and glorify it, so that it has not been mentioned in vain. For example, every observant Jew should say, “Blessed be He for all eternity,” “He is great and extremely worthy of praise,” or the like, so that it has not been mentioned altogether in vain.
Conclusions
Even the prophets, in making known the name of GOD, make no mention of His true Name. Likewise, the psalmist regularly refers to praising GOD’s Name, extolling His wonderful deeds. However, if the psalmist means that we should praise GOD Himself, without mentioning His Name, why doesn’t He simply say “praise Him,” instead of constantly using the phrase “praise His Name”? This question is addressed by the great Chassidic teacher, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. In summary, he explains that praise, by definition, is the expression of some degree of appreciation, emotional or intellectual, for the greatness or beauty of the praised object. GOD’s greatness, however, completely transcends anything comprehensible to the human mind. Our praise of GOD arises from emotional or intellectual appreciation of His greatness, but only when He reveals Himself to us through His various manifestations, embodied and described in the various names by which the Torah calls Him. Hence the expression “Praise His Name” (HaShem).
References
- “What is Hashem?”.
- Greenbaum, Elisha. “Thank G-d!”. Chabad.org. Retrieved 15 February 2015.