Small question on Siddur

[Ivy]

I'm wondering why sometimes the name of God is notated yud-hey-vav-hey, and just yud-yud other times.

Also, the punctutation. Sometimes I see a diamond-shaped thing that looks like a period; sometimes I see two of them, one on top of the other, and this looks almost like a colon. Is the former like a comma, the latter like a period? Or a paragraph indent, what?

Thanks :-)

[HaNotsri]

Ivy,

In regards to your first question...the reason why Yud-Key-Vav-Key is spelled with just two Yuds is our of reverence and respect for the Divine Name. They don't want to ever allow a situation where the Divine Name could be erased. It's the same reason why no one speaks the shem hameforesh (the unutterable name) out loud anymore (mostly because we don't know how to say it as the Cohenim G'dolim knew how to say it in the Beis HaMikdosh). It's similar to the idea of when you read religious Jews writings and they spell God, G-d. Or in every day speech when they are referring to the Name, Yud-Key-Vav-Key they would say HaShem (you wouldn't say Adonai unless you were in prayer). Or even in writing you would spell Names of God, Elokim or Kel or something like that. It all has to do with respecting the Name of God so much so that we it in our print, writing, and everyday speech.

I think what you are referring to with the colon thing is a separation between verses in the middle of a line. The way it usually works with in Hebrew text scripture (and sometimes in siddurim)...they would have the verses numbers in Hebrew on the far right margin (on the right page) or the far left margin (on the left page)...instead of right next to the beginning of the verse in English bibles. In order for them to separate verses, they would use that semi-colon looking thing

[Ivy]

Hi Michael,

What I have is a Reformed Siddur (not necessarily by preference, I just found it at a used book sale), and they sometimes write it yud-yud, but other times yud-key-vav-key. They don't write it yud-yud all the time, and I was curious how they decide to write it first one way, then the other; is there any significance to that that you know of or maybe the whimsy of the translator?

The little diamond-shaped things that looked like periods (gotcha, with the colon ones), I'm wondering if you treat it like the end of a sentence when you see that.....though someone told me punctuation isn't used in Hebrew.....

[HaNotsri]

Any chance that you could scan me pages and send them to me? The diamond things would represent the end of a sentence (well more so a verse in Tan"kh). If I could see it, it would be easier.

[Talmidah]

Is it "Gates of Prayer"?

[Ivy]

It's the Union Prayer Book.


Any chance that you could scan me pages and send them to me? The diamond things would represent the end of a sentence (well more so a verse in Tan"kh). If I could see it, it would be easier.

I managed to scan one page and send it (with some difficulty, as I am no techno expert ;) ).....I'm sorry it had to come as an attachment, but my scan program kept giving errors when I tried to send it as an instant photo share and then my computer froze :doh: blah blah blah.

Anyway.......
In this prayer book, for instance, under the Morning Service for Shabbat, under the Reading of Scripture section, it says "O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord" (yud-key-vav-key); next, the Sh'ma (yud-key-vav-key); next, "Thine O Lord is the greatness" (yud-yud); next, "Praise ye the Lord to whom all praise is due" (yud-yud).

Ihaven't been able to discover a pattern entirely--the Sh'ma always has yud-key-vav-key, the V'ahavta and Amidah always have yud-yud. Different Psalms and different sections of prayer, however, seem to vary, though they use only one form per section, never both in the same section.

[HaNotsri]

Ivy,

I reviewed the page. My guess the reason yud-key-vav-key is spelled out in the siddur is simply because it is THE Jewish anthem pretty much declaring the Oneness of the Almighty. Because it is a significant verse or phrase. In regards to the little diamond things...yes, they are as I suspected. Simply puncuation points that were added to differentiate sentences. Usually, they're used to separate thoughts

[Ivy]

Ivy,

I reviewed the page. My guess the reason yud-key-vav-key is spelled out in the siddur is simply because it is THE Jewish anthem pretty much declaring the Oneness of the Almighty. Because it is a significant verse or phrase. In regards to the little diamond things...yes, they are as I suspected. Simply puncuation points that were added to differentiate sentences. Usually, they're used to separate thoughts

I thought perhaps it might be that. I noticed it seemed to occur in other places where the Scriptures were being directly quoted.

In the C-L prayerbook there was something curious at the end of the Sh'ma, where the daleth was enlarged and darker.....and the cantor would stress it when speaking......if I'm remembering correctly, someone told me that that means essentially, "we really mean it, God really is one."