On Sunday, April 9, 2006 I was asked the following question:

Why in Jewish writings is God not spelled but put as G-D ?

This was my response:

It is inappropriate, in Judaism, to "correctly" write G-D's name in any of its forms. The reason being, it is said, that by inadvertently uttering the "secret" and "real" form of G-d's name, it will bring about the end of the universe as it exists.

YHVH, Hashem/The name, Elohkim, etc. and "G-D" are utilized as a fence against mistakenly causing the end of time.

We do not know if such an error might actually bring about the end nor do we know that it wouldn't. When in doubt (almost always) err on the side of caution.

If you have questions about a personal matter, or jewish practices and customs, you can submit them to me by e-mail. I answer all queries directly, or through this column, when the question is informative to our community.

Thank you for your kind attention and this opportunity to share with you,
Rabbi Dan S. Wiko
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