Why the G-d?

Shalom/Hello,

We want to share G-d with the world, but firstly, I need to explain why you will see my wife and I leave the “o” out of G-d.

In the Jewish faith, it is not proper to use G-d’s real name unless in prayer. (Even then we do not say the 4 lettered name outside of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, which no longer stands.) However, even using one of G-d’s other names should be limited to holy purposes, and not in vain. That’s why we usually use " Hashem" meaning “The Name.” When G-d’s name is written on paper it creates potential problems, as it should be treated with holiness and not merely tossed in the garbage. For that reason we often write the name incomplete, such as G-d, in order to avoid that concern. Even then, if one writes words of Torah, without G-d’s name, it should also be treated properly.

Jews do not casually write any Name of G-d. This practice does not come from the commandment not to take the Lord's Name in vain, as many suppose. In Jewish thought, that commandment refers solely to oath-taking, and is a prohibition against swearing by G-d's Name falsely or frivolously (the word normally translated as "in vain" literally means "for falsehood").Judaism does not prohibit writing the Name of G-d per se; it prohibits only erasing or defacing a Name of G-d. However, observant Jews avoid writing any Name of G-d casually because of the risk that the written Name might later be defaced, obliterated or destroyed accidentally or by one who does not know better.

The commandment not to erase or deface the name of G-d comes from Deut. 12:3. In that passage, the people are commanded that when they take over the promised land, they should destroy all things related to the idolatrous religions of that region, and should utterly destroy the names of the local deities. Immediately afterwards, we are commanded not to do the same to our G-d. From this, the Rabbi's inferred that we are commanded not to destroy any holy thing, and not to erase or deface a Name of G-d.

It is worth noting that this prohibition against erasing or defacing Names of G-d applies only to Names that are written in some kind of permanent form, and recent rabbinical decisions have held that writing on a computer is not a permanent form, thus it is not a violation to type G-d's Name into a computer and then backspace over it or cut and paste it, or copy and delete files with G-d's Name in them. However, once you print the document out, it becomes a permanent form. That is why observant Jews avoid writing a Name of G-d on web sites like this one or in newsgroup messages: because there is a risk that someone else will print it out and deface it.

That explained, we would like all children of G-d to be part of our campaign in uniting His children, no matter what their colour, or religious denomination is. G-d Bless.

J