Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Commentary for Kiddushin 141:10

אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן שם בן ארבע אותיות חכמים מוסרין אותו לתלמידיהן פעם אחת בשבוע ואמרי לה פעמים בשבוע אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא כמאן דאמר פעם אחת בשבוע דכתיב (שמות ג, טו) זה שמי לעולם לעלם כתיב רבא סבר למידרשיה בפירקא א"ל ההוא סבא לעלם כתיב

Raba thought to lecture upon it at the public sessions. Said a certain old man to him, It is written, le'allem [to be kept secret]. R'Abina opposed [two verses]: It is written: 'this is my mame'; but it is also written: 'and this is my memorial'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. This implies that he gave him two names. One, His real Name, and the other, by which He was to be generally designated.');"><sup>24</sup></span> - The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am not called as I am written: I am written with yod he, but I am read, alef daleth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Tetragrammaton is yod he waw he; but it is read adonai _ alef dateth nun yod.');"><sup>25</sup></span>

Daf Shevui to Kiddushin

God’s name, the “Tetragrammaton” has a certain pronunciation that is known only to the very few. The sages know how it is pronounced, but they transmit it only once or twice every seven years. R. Nahman b. Yitzchak connects this with a midrash on the way the world “le’olam” is spelled, without the vav. Pronounced a different way, the meaning could be “to conceal.” God’s name is meant to be concealed.
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