א"ל רבא אי הכי בשמים ובארץ נמי במי שהשמים והארץ שלו קאמר
Our Sages taught: If he wrote alef lamed of Elohim, yod he of the Tetragrammaton, they may not be erased;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Although he had not yet finished the words, because the first two letters also constitute a Name: . cmw stw sa');"><sup>2</sup></span> shin daleth of Shaddai, alef daleth of Adonai, zadi beth of Zebaoth, they may be erased.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because are not Names. [So Rashi; but MS.M. and R. Han. (v. Tosaf. a.l.) include Alef Daleth in the first group, i.e., among the st vh kt Names that may not be erased, the reason being that as well as and were commonly used as abbreviations for a Divine name, which sa cm was not the case with and which out of reference for the Divine Name were never used as abbreviations, the former two letters spelling a sa cm 'demon' () , the latter, a 'great lizard') . V. Lauterbach, J.Z American Academy for Jewish Research, Proceedings, 1930-1931, pp. 43ff.]');"><sup>3</sup></span> R'Jose said: The whole word Zebaoth may be erased, because Zebaoth refers only to Israel, as it is said: And I will bring forth My hosts, My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. VII, 4.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
Tractate Soferim
All [divine] names mentioned in connection with Lot are secular except the last, viz. And Lot said unto them: Oh, not so my Lord. All [divine] names mentioned in the story of Micah are secular. R. Jose says: When they begin with Yod-he they are sacred, but when with Alef-lamed they are secular except in the phrase the house of God was in Shiloh. All the [divine] names which occur in the story of Naboth are sacred except in the sentence Naboth did curse god and king. All the [divine] names which occur in the narrative of Gibeah of Benjamin are secular according to R. Eliezer, but R. Joshua says: They are sacred. R. Eliezer said to him, ‘Is it possible that the Omnipresent would promise [victory] and not fulfil?’ R. Joshua replied, ‘The Omnipresent promises and fulfils’. [37a]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Tractate Soferim
All [divine] names mentioned in connection with Lot are secular except the last, viz. And Lot said unto them: Oh, not so my Lord. All [divine] names mentioned in the story of Micah are secular. R. Jose says: When they begin with Yod-he they are sacred, but when with Alef-lamed they are secular except in the phrase the house of God was in Shiloh. All the [divine] names which occur in the story of Naboth are sacred except in the sentence Naboth did curse god and king. All the [divine] names which occur in the narrative of Gibeah of Benjamin are secular according to R. Eliezer, but R. Joshua says: They are sacred. R. Eliezer said to him, ‘Is it possible that the Omnipresent would promise [victory] and not fulfil?’ R. Joshua replied, ‘The Omnipresent promises and fulfils’. [37a]
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
