The following divine names may not be erased,¹ viz. Alef-lamed,² (God). Alef-daleth,³ (Lord). Yod-he,⁴. Shaddai,⁵ Ẓeba’oth,⁶ ’Eheyeh ’asher ’Eheyeh.⁷ R. Jose says: Ẓeba’oth is a secular noun.⁸ R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: The Aguddah⁹ family, who were scribes in Jerusalem, used to erase Ẓeba’oth, because they treated it as a secular noun, as it is stated, Captains of hosts shall be appointed at the head of the people.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹ lit. ‘he who writes’. ² Pronounced ’El ³ The first two letters of the divine name Alef-daleth-nun-yod ⁴ The first half of the Tetragrammaton and also constituting a name of God, Yah ⁵ Almighty. ⁶ [Lord of] hosts. ⁷ ‘I am that I am’ (cf. Ex. 3, 14). ⁸ And may be erased. ⁹ [H reads חגירה in agreement with j. Meg. 71d.] ¹⁰ Deut. 20, 9. Here צבאית refers to the army of Israel.

If one writes Alef-lamed of the four letters [of Alef-lamed-waw-he]¹¹ or Yod-he of the four letters [of Yod-he-waw-he]¹² they may not be erased, because there are divine names corresponding to them.¹³ Shin-daleth of Shin-daleth-yod (Shaddai) or Ẓadi-beth-alef of Ẓadi-beth-alef-waw-taw (Ẓeba’oth) or Alef-he of Alef-he-yod-he (’Eheyeh) may be erased, because there are no divine names corresponding to them.

footnotes: ¹¹ Meaning ‘God of’. ¹² The Tetragrammaton. ¹³ אל and יה.

All prefixes and suffixes connected with a divine name may be erased. [Prefixes such as] in the Lord, like the Lord, to the Lord, and the Lord [represented respectively by the letters] beth, kaf, lamed, waw and suffixes such as our God, your God, their God [represented respectively by the letters] nun-waw, kaf-mem, he-mem and others of the same kind, may be erased. Some Sages say: The kaf-mem of ‘your [God]’¹⁴ must not be erased.

footnotes: ¹⁴ And so also all other suffixes (cf. Y.D. 276, §9), because the divine name which precedes the suffix imparts sanctity to it (N.Y.).

All ordinary nouns the letters of which are the same as those of a divine name may be erased.¹⁵ [For instance in] For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God,¹⁶ the first [divine name] is sacred and the second¹⁷ according to the Targum it means ‘as angels.’ is secular; in For the Lord your God, He is God of gods,¹⁸ the first¹⁹. is sacred and the second²⁰, signifying judges or princes. is secular.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Since they possess no sanctity ¹⁶ Gen. 3, 5. ¹⁷ as God; ¹⁸ Deut. 10, 17. ¹⁹ i.e. the first two, your God, He is God ²⁰ of gods

In Lord of lords,²¹ the first is sacred and the second is secular; in the God of Abraham²² it is sacred; in the God of Nahor²³ Nahor did not worship the true God. it is secular; in the God of their father²⁴ Terah (their father) was an idolater. it is secular. In Thou shalt not revile God²⁵ [the noun may bear] a sacred or secular meaning.²⁶ R. Simeon maintains that the noun is sacred.²⁷ In Forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God²⁸ the noun is secular;²⁹ in God’s camp³⁰ XXXII, 3. the noun is sacred.

footnotes: ²¹ Deut. 10, 17. ²² Gen. 31, 53. ²³ ibid.; ²⁴ ibid.; ²⁵ Ex. 22, 27. ²⁶ It may denote God or judges. ²⁷ V inserts ‘as it says’ within brackets, the words being redundant. [H omits and reads ‘Ishmael’ instead of ‘Simeon’.] ²⁸ Gen. 33, 10. ²⁹ Because it refers to an angel or prince. ³⁰ ibid.

All the names [signifying God] mentioned in connection with Abraham are sacred, except one which is secular, viz. where it is stated, And he said: My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight.¹ XVIII, 3. My lord was addressed to the leader of the three angels. Others say that it is sacred.³¹ was addressed to God. In And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander³² XX, 13. the name is secular.³³ R. Ḥanina the brother³⁴, I, p. 385.] of R. Joshua maintains that it is sacred [since the verse means] that, had it not been for God,³⁵ they³⁶ would long ago have caused me to wander.³⁷ (the wicked men) caused me to wander, God of my father’s house was with me (to help me). [For various interpretations of the verse, cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, LII, §11 (Sonc. ed., I, p. 457).]

footnotes: ¹ (30a) ibid. ³¹ My Lord ³² ibid. ³³ So GRA. By ‘God’ is meant princes or rulers who were the cause of Abraham’s wanderings. ³⁴ [He reads ‘nephew’ in agreement with Shebu. 33b (Sonc. ed., p. 205). The correct form of the name is Ḥananiah, Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten ³⁵ Who protected him. ³⁶ The wicked rulers. ³⁷ The verse will accordingly bear the following interpretation: And it came to pass, when they

All [divine] names mentioned in connection with Lot are secular³⁸ except the last, viz. And Lot said unto them: Oh, not so my Lord.³⁹, and then his petition to God begins, My Lord, behold, etc. [So the Targum and Shebu. 35b (Sonc. ed., pp. 205f).] All [divine] names mentioned in the story of Micah⁴⁰ are secular. R. Jose says: When they begin with Yod-he⁴¹ they are sacred, but when with Alef-lamed⁴² they are secular except in the phrase the house of God was in Shiloh.⁴³ XVIII, 31. All the [divine] names which occur in the story of Naboth are sacred except in the sentence Naboth did curse god⁴⁴. and king.⁴⁵ All the [divine] names which occur in the narrative of Gibeah of Benjamin⁴⁶ 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]⁴⁷ and not fulfil?’⁴⁸ 21, 25). R. Joshua replied, ‘The Omnipresent promises and fulfils’.⁴⁹ XX, 28). [37a]

footnotes: ³⁸ There is only one secular name in the Lot passages. The Tetragrammaton, which is of course sacred, occurs twice. The word ‘all’ is not intended to be taken literally (cf. N.Y.). ³⁹ Gen. 19, 18. Lot’s address to the angels is taken to end at not so ⁴⁰ Judg. 17f. ⁴¹ The Tetragrammaton. ⁴² The word for ‘God’. ⁴³ ibid. ⁴⁴ Referring to one of the strange gods introduced by Jezebel. E.V. God ⁴⁵ 1 Kings 21, 13. ⁴⁶ Judg. 20f. ⁴⁷ According to Judg. 20, 18, 23 God told Israel to wage war against Benjamin, which implied that they would be victorious. ⁴⁸ Israel was defeated on both occasions (ibid. ⁴⁹ The Israelites did not appreciate that on the first two occasions God only told them that they may go to war but promised no victory. Only on the third occasion were they assured that Benjamin would be delivered into their hands (ibid.

In I will tell [’El] of the decree⁵⁰ the word ’El⁵¹ is sacred;⁵² but the Sages maintain that it is secular.⁵³. In ’el God in Ẓion⁵⁴ the first is secular⁵⁵ meaning before (E.V.). and the second is sacred. In When he should go ’el God in judgment⁵⁶ the first is secular and the second [’Elohim] is sacred. In the case of Immanuel⁵⁷ and Immanu’el⁵⁸ VIII, 8. the first is secular⁵⁹ and the second⁶⁰ is sacred. The first must not be divided⁶¹ but the second is divided.⁶²

footnotes: ⁵⁰ Ps. 2, 7. ⁵¹ Heb. אל with a difference of vowels may mean ‘God’ or ‘to’. ⁵² The sense of the text being ‘I will tell God of the decree’. ⁵³ The text means, as in E.V., I will tell of the decree ⁵⁴ Ps. 84, 8. ⁵⁵ ’El ⁵⁶ Job 34, 23. ⁵⁷ Isa. 7, 14. ⁵⁸ ibid. ⁵⁹ Being the name of a child. ⁶⁰ Meaning ‘God is with us’. ⁶¹ Into two words, since it forms a single name. ⁶² Because it consists of two separate words, עמנו (with us) אל (God). The reading adopted here is that of H and N.Y.

[In the verses] And it came to pass when they⁶³. caused me to wander, God, etc.,⁶⁴ and Which god⁶⁵. is like unto Thee⁶⁶ the first⁶⁷ in Micah 7, 18. are sacred and the second⁶⁸ in Gen. and Thee in Micah. are secular. [The divine name in] Samaria shall bear her guilt, for she hath rebelled against her God⁶⁹ is sacred. R. Nathan says: [In the phrase] in the house of his God⁷⁰ IX, 8. it is sacred. In therefore turn thou to thy God⁷¹ XII, 7. it is sacred. In God standeth in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges⁷² He judgeth⁷³ it is used as sacred⁷⁴. and secular.⁷⁵ In God delivereth me to⁷⁶ the ungodly⁷⁷ the first is sacred and the second⁷⁸ in the sense of ‘to’. is secular. In For hath any said unto God: I have borne⁷⁹ XXXIV, 31. the first [’el] is secular and the second sacred. R. Eleazar the son of R. Jose the Galilean said:⁸⁰ [In the verses] And let my cry have no⁸¹, the same consonants as for the name of God. resting-place;⁸² It is in the power⁸³ (’el) equals the divine name. *of my hand; And there shall be nought in the power of thy hand;*⁸⁴ *When it is in the power of thy hand;*⁸⁵ Unto death,⁸⁶ II, 18; unto is ’el in Heb. all [the words whose consonants are the same as those for God] are secular. In God hath given command to speed me⁸⁷ it is sacred. In Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me⁸⁸ it is sacred according to R. Jose b. Judah. In O God, the proud are risen up against me⁸⁹ it is sacred but the reader must pause in reading [after God]:⁹⁰ might erroneously be taken as qualifying God. God, the proud are risen up against me. [The terms] merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in lovingkindness, king, kings, exalted, great, Most High, righteous and upright, pious, perfect, mighty, may be erased.⁹¹ He who curses himself or his neighbour by [any of] these⁹² incurs guilt. [If he curses] heathens or the dead no guilt⁹³ is incurred. [If he curses] a judge or a prince he incurs twofold guilt;⁹⁴ according to others he incurs threefold guilt for cursing a prince.⁹⁵ If a person curses his father or mother with the Tetragrammaton⁹⁶ he is liable to the penalty of stoning,⁹⁷ but if only with the attributes he is liable to a warning.⁹⁸

footnotes: ⁶³ Foreign princes or rulers. E.V. God ⁶⁴ Gen. 20, 13. Cf. Rule 6 above. ⁶⁵ E.V. who is a God ⁶⁶ Micah 7, 18. ⁶⁷ The pronoun ‘they’ in Gen. 20, 13 and god ⁶⁸ God ⁶⁹ Hos. 14, 1. ⁷⁰ ibid. ⁷¹ ibid. ⁷² The Heb. has the divine name. ⁷³ Ps. 82, 1. ⁷⁴ In God standeth ⁷⁵ In the sense of ‘judges’. ⁷⁶ Heb. אל (to) which has the same consonants as the word for ‘God’. ⁷⁷ Job 16, 11. ⁷⁸ ’el ⁷⁹ ibid. ⁸⁰ So M. V and H read ‘and R. Eleazar … said’. ⁸¹ Heb. ’al ⁸² Job 16, 18. ⁸³ Gen. 31, 29. The Heb. for power ⁸⁴ Deut. 28, 32. ⁸⁵ Prov. 3, 27. ⁸⁶ ibid. ⁸⁷ 2 Chron. 35, 21. ⁸⁸ ibid. ⁸⁹ Ps. 86, 14. ⁹⁰ In the absence of the pause, the adjective proud ⁹¹ Although attributed to God, they do not possess the sanctity of the divine name. ⁹² Using any of these attributes instead of the divine name. ⁹³ So M and N.Y. V and H read ‘guilty of one [offence]’. ⁹⁴ Since a judge or prince must not be cursed as any other person, and as men holding offices of responsibility. ⁹⁵ The two mentioned in the preceding note, and a third because the Heb. word for ‘judge’ in the text is identical with the divine name. ⁹⁶ lit. ‘the distinguished name’. ⁹⁷ Cf. Lev. 24, 14. Stoning is one of the major penalties imposed by a court. ⁹⁸ i.e. he is guilty of transgressing a negative commandment, the penalty of which is scourging with thirty-nine stripes.