Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Yigal Levin" <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Shoshanna Walker" <rosewalk AT concentric.net>
> What does Jewish tradition have to say about the meaning of the divine
name?
>
> It doesn't.  It doesn't seek a meaning, because it is G-d's Name.
>
> It, as other names, are used in the Torah, to let us know which
> aspect of G-d is at play.
>
> Only the Kabbalists analyze this NAME, to derive that each letter
> stands for one of the Sephirot (Chochma, Bina, Tiferet and Malchut,
> if I remember correctly), and that one can learn from this Name how
> they interrelate, ie; when and how Divine energy flows from G-d to us.
>
> Shoshanna

Not quite true, Shoshanna. Look at the introduction to almost any Sephardic
siddur (prayer book). They usually explain what aspect of the Divine should
be in one's mind (what "kavanah" one sould have), depeding on the dots
attached to the Name: master of the world, forgiving, merciful, all-knowing
etc.

Yigal