First Blessing 17: God’s Name Part One
Think of some words for seeing or sight. Observe. Image. See. Picture. Glance. Stare. Perception. Can you tell that all these words are related? Can you even sense that they are all speaking of one quality? Is there a common root? – No. If someone who didn’t speak English knew only one of these words, would you be able to explain to him the difference between each one of these other words? In sign language, though, all these words are related. The only other language where all these words are related is Hebrew. Now take the word for existence, or to be. The name YHVH combines the separate words in Hebrew, which mean ‘God is,’ ‘God was,’ and ‘God always will be.’ Each has the same letters. All these states of being are related. Hebrew does that. Although we pronounce it adonai, this name for God is focusing on the definition of God that God exists. And in the same breath, you are saying that God is infinite without any limitations.