"Ich werde dasein, als der ich dasein werde"

Mosche sprach zu Gott: Da komme ich denn zu den Söhnen Jissraels, ich spreche zu ihnen: Der Gott eurer Väter schickt mich zu euch, sie werden zu mir sprechen: Was ists um seinen Namen? - was spreche ich dann zu ihnen? Gott sprach zu Mosche: Ich werde dasein, als der ich dasein werde. Und er sprach: So sollst du zu den Söhnen Jissraels sprechen: ICH BIN DA schickt mich zu euch. Und weiter sprach Gott zu Mosche: So sollst du zu den Söhnen Jissraels sprechen: ER, der Gott eurer Väter, der Gott Abrahams, der Gott Jizchaks, der Gott Jaakobs, schickt mich zu euch. Das ist mein Name in Weltzeit, das mein Gedenken, Geschlecht für Geschlecht.

(Buber/Rosenzweig)

R. Nachman bar Yitzhak said: this world is not like the next. In this world, the Name is written with yud and hey, but pronounced with alef and dalet; in the next world, it will be both written and pronounced with yud and hey. Rava thought about teaching this matter at the study session, but an old man said: "It is written עלם (hidden)". R. Avina pointed at the contradiction, reading "This is my name which is hidden, this is my memorial in every generation." Yet the Holy One said: Not as I am written am I called. I am written with yud and hey, but pronounced with alef and dalet.

(1) All Jews have a share in the World to Come, as it says, (Isaiah 60:21), “Thy people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.” These have no share in the World to Come: One who says that [the belief of] resurrection of the dead is not from the Torah, [one who says that] that the Torah is not from Heaven, and one who denigrates the Torah. Rabbi Akiva says: also one who reads outside books, and one who whispers [an incantation] over a wound, saying, (Exodus 15:26) “I will bring none of these diseases upon thee that I brought upon the Egyptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Abba Shaul says, also one who utters the Divine Name as it is spelled.

It is forbidden to say G-d's name in vain, and everyone who says G-d's name in vain transgresses a positive commandment... This is an aspect of the fear of G-d, that one should not mention His great Name except by way of praise or blessing whenever required, or when learning Torah. One should be fearful and one's entire body tremble when mentioning the Name, but one should not say it (G-d forbid), in vain; And this applies not only to the special Name but to all the names specially referring to Him - not just in Hebrew, but even in any language it is forbidden. One who curses a neighbour or himself by using the Name, or by one of His attributes, such as the Holy One, may He be blessed; ''the Great''; ''the Mighty,''; ''the Revered,'' ; ''the Faithful,'' ; ''the Glorious,'' ; ''the Strong,'' and ''the Steadfast,'' ... in any language, is liable to be whipped. Due to our many sins, most people are not careful and say in Ashkenazic, Gott soll ihm strafen etc. and by doing so transgress a prohibition of the Torah. If one curses without mentioning the Name or one of the attributes, or if the curse can be inferred from the contents of the words, for example when one says: ''May that man not be blessed by G-d,'' and the like, even though one is not liable to lashes, nevertheless, it is a forbidden act. It is likewise forbidden to write the Name in a letter, in any language. Many people make a mistake with His name and write it in Ashkenazic, or they write the word Adieu, which is in the French language and means ''with G-d;'' this is definitely forbidden, since after some time, this letter will arrive to the garbage, and this matter causes poverty in Israel. ... When one wants to mention the Name, one should say the word Hashem, and not as many mistakenly say: Adoshem, for this is undignified when referring to Heaven.