Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00050)

In message <950305002719_39602154@aol.com> theos-l@vnet.net
writes:

Liesel writes:

> I'm not a Hebrew scholar, but I know about a few things Jewish,
> that being my heritage.
>
> Just like Sarah, I have been told too that Yahweh is not the real
> name of God, but that it is somehow hidden in YHWH.

Verily, but it ain't "Yeheshua" or similar - it is the mystery of
Being Itself - the Eternal Unity: Hear O Israel! YHWH your G_d,
YHWH is One (Achd - Unity) (From the Shema).

> Alan, the Hebrew-English Lexicon you consult was written by
> Christian scholars.  I'd think that one compiled by Jews would be
> more accurate & to the point.

The New Bantam-Megiddo Heb/English Dictionary has only YH: God.
It may be that A Jewish source would offer a different view than
the Christian [surprise?].  I quote from the Soncino Press
(second edition) of the Pentateuch and Haftorahs, firstly from
the Preface:

" 'Accept the true from whatever source it come,' is sound
Rabbinic doctrine - even if it be from the pages of a devout
Christian expositor or of an iconoclastic Bible scholar, Jewish
or non-Jewish."

Secondly from Exodus 3:15 [note] "_the LORD_.  This is the
translation of the Divine Name written in the four Hebrew letters
Y H W H and always pronounced 'Adonay.' ...  This Divine Name of
four letters - the Tetragrammaton - comes from the same Heb.
root (_hayah_) as _Ehyeh_; viz.  'to be.'"

This - if you like - _Chumesh_ was edited by Dr.  J.H.Hertz,
C.H., late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire.  Date given in
original Preface as Lag-be-Omer, 5696, or 10 May 1937.  Jewish
enough? :-).

> Same thing goes for the King James Version of the Bible.  We in
> America have a number of newer translations of the Bible, some by
> Christians, some by Jews, because the King James Bible was
> translated from the Greek, not from the original Hebrew, & is not
> considered to be very accurate any more.  Sorry 'bout that.

The KJV translation of the Bible has long been discredited, even
among Christian scholars.  I _never_ use it, preferring either
the Revised Standard Version (originally pub.  1945, where the
'O.T.' is translated from the Hebrew Masoretic text (10th
Century) or the more recent New Revised Standard Version, which
is more faithful to the original Greek in the NT section.  For
example, it is from this edition (having also checked with the
Greek received text) that I took the quote from Jesus, "Whoever
has ears to hear, Listen!" instead of the patriarchal "He who has
ears" version when writing my article "I'm alright, Jill" posted
some while back in favor of gender inclusive language.  The Greek
agrees with the NRSV.

> I myself own a very beautiful 5 Books of Moses, translated by
> Rabbi Arieh Kaplan.  It has Hebrew on 1 side & English on the
> other.  Kaplan was modern enough to have drawings, & a great
> plethora of footnotes, in which he explains what the different
> passages could possibly mean besides the meaning he gave it.  He
> died in an accident about 10 years ago, while still in his 40ies,
> otherwise he would probably have gotten around to translating the
> entire Old Testament.  I'd think a Jewish man who grew up with
> English & Hebrew as his languages, passed down from a long
> succession of Jews, would be a most accurate translator of the
> Bible.  But there are any number of other modern Bible
> translations, & they all try to be more true to the original than
> the King James version, venerable as it is.

As you may gather, I at least own the Soncino Pentateuch &
Haftorahs, which like the work you mention has extensive
footnotes - so much so that they take up more room then the
Hebrew text, which is given on the same page.

> Sorry to have to tell ya, old bean, but...

..  but I already knew! :-).  I also have my own battered copy of
_Likutei Amarim-Tanya_ [bilingual edition] published by "Kehot"
Publication Society, 770, Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213.
Mine is a 1981 edition.  It is the definitive work for modern
Jewish Chassidism from their own Press.  It treats of all the
Kabbalist doctrines of the four worlds, ten Sephiroth, etc., etc.
and is largely based upon these doctrines - these guys are Jewish
Kabbalists!

While I haven't actually asked them, I think you would find that
modern Hebrew scholars such as Prof.  Geza Vermes (Oxford, and a
practising Jew) and Prof.  Jacob Neusner (Formerly Brown
University RI - I think he has moved now) would also agree on the
basics relating to YHWH.  Prof.  Neusner was kind enough to send
me a complimentary copy of his translation of _Pirke Avot_ which
is really something else! [Rossell Books, Dallas, Texas, 1984].
Lib.  of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data:

Mishah. Avot.

Torah from our sages.  (This is the official title of the book)
ISBN 0-940646-36-6.

The quote which opens my "The Nazarenes" is taken from this book.

Sorry to have to tell ya, old gel, but I done my homework ...

Shalom,

Alan.