Q&A: Intention When Saying the Names of God
Intention When Saying the Names of God
Question
Hi Rabbi, what do you think about the obligation to have specific intention when saying the names of God: Adnut — Master of all; the Tetragrammaton — He was, is, and will be, Master of all; Elohim — powerful, possessing ability and all powers. Is this obligatory, and in your opinion is this really the meaning of those names?
Answer
From the plain reading of the halakhic decisors, it appears that there is an obligation to have this intention every time one says a divine name. But some have argued that this applies only in blessings and in the recitation of the Shema.
This is the meaning these names have received in Jewish law, and that is what matters. The meaning of words is what the public understands them to mean.
Discussion on Answer
I accidentally sent this on the wrong question.
Hello Rabbi, why aren’t there arguments?
An argument, for example: Christianity also admits that Judaism was established as true, so if they want to claim that Christianity is true, they would need to explain strong arguments, which is apparently almost impossible because the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is open to interpretation.