Whats happening on this site?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,

Any luck finding out what's happening here?

Shalom, sorry I did not get back to you sooner. How did you know that you were accepted as a member so fast. Read some posts and comment or ask questions on them. We are just getting started with the yeshiva. I hope to run an email campaign next week to get more Rabbis and students involved.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rabbi Mitterhoff,

Shalom, I got to know that I was accepted that fast because I came back to the site and saw my name on the list. Anyway I would like to thank you once again for accepting me here. As I stated before I am a returning Jew, I was away from my origins for more than 20 years, and I don't read Hebrew, however I have been going to shul on a regular basis for already a year, I am reading the Tanach and I have reached the Psalms (I am enchanted with them!!!). I have already read some serious things about the Kabballah and a lot of Martin Buber.
I have my first question for you which I have not seen any good answer yet: Why, in the scriptures, does G-d have so many different names? Elohim, Yahweh, Hashem, Adonai, to name some.

There are many sources on the powers of the Divine names. Here is a nice explanation taken from the Feldheims translation of "The way of G-d" from the Ramchal.

III. THE SOUL, etc. / 2. THEURGY [3 :2 :5]

God's Light is thus revealed to the [highest] angels to the extent that they can accept it. When they receive this Light, the higher angels transmit it to those below them, and the lower ones convey it to those under them until the entire sequence is completed.

God also desired to be called by a Name. Through this Name, His handiwork could be aware of Him and call Him, and also bring themselves close to Him by uttering it.

For His Glory, God specified the Unique Name, regarding which He said (Exodus 3:15), "This is My Name forever This is God's Name with respect to the Glory itself, to the extent that He desires to have a name.

God makes use of other Influences, however, and with respect to each of them, He also has various names.

God also decreed and ordained that when man would utter His Name, divine illumination and influence would be bestowed upon him. This is what God means when He says (Exodus 20:21 "In every place where I allow My name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you."

When a particular name of God is uttered and used to call upon Him, it will result in the emanation of an Influence associated with that Name The type of Influence transmitted will be that related to that particular name by God, by virtue of its mystery.

When a particular Influence is transmitted, it will necessarily give rise to the results ordained for it. Its particular effects will then spread through the entire sequence, from the beginning to the end, as discussed earlier.

This entire process, however, is circumscribed by the Highest Wisdom. God thus decreed that a Name should only transmit an Influence and have an effect when uttered under specific conditions within defined limits. Otherwise, it has no effect at all.

God arranged that some of the Influences motivated by the utterance of His names should have the power of suspending the limitations of nature with regard to the one making use of them. This particular individual can thereby bind himself to spiritual beings, and thus receive information and enlightenment.

This information may include things otherwise accessible to human reason. other things within this category, however, are the
various levels of Divine Inspiration (Ruach HaKodesh) and prophecy, which we shall discuss at length in the next chapter.

God decreed that inspiration and prophecy should be attained in this manner, namely, through the Names associated with God with respect to these Influences. This occurs when one repeats one of these Names mentally, utters it verbally, or combines it with other words, and at the same time fulfills all the other required conditions, which shall be discussed later." Unquote

For simple people like us, we should try to have kavana (intention)and a basic understanding of the words when we pray. We also have to be careful when we mention Hashem's names and know the tremendous power that resides there.

I thank you immensely for your answer; it is pure poetry, and extremely interesting. Would I be asking too much if I asked when and where is each name fitted for?
Speaking of Kavana I would also like too ask you the following: I do not know how to speak or read Hebrew which is very frustrating for me, and I precisely do not know the meaning of the words I pray in (although I am gradually managing to follow where the letters and words are when I am at Shul), I am sure my Kavanah is of the purest degree that I am able to produce from within me but the fact that I do not know Hebrew and that I have not followed our tradition for more than 20 years (and have sinned a lot), gives me the feeling that my prayer is belittled close to other members of our people who have not gone through the same paths I have gone through. How can I get rid of this feeling? In which way will I ever feel redeemed?
These are questions that have been haunting me and only a Rabbi could answer me, so I ask you to do the mitzvah of answering this to me. Many thanks.

Here is the law according to the Shuchan Aruch and the Misna Berurah for the practical application of saying the Names of Hashem:

Shuchan Aruch:
5: WHAT ONE SHOULD HAVE IN MIND WHEN /HE SAYS/ BLESSINGS 1 One should have in mind (1) the meaning of the words when /he says/ blessings. When one mentions the /Divine/ Name, he should have in mind the meaning /of the Name/ (2) as it is read, /referring/ to His Lordliness, /i.e., he should have in mind/ that He is the Lord of all /creation/. He should /also/ have in mind /the meaning of the Name/ as it is written, with /the letters/ Yod and hey /, etc., i.e./, (3) that He was, is and will /always/ be /in existence/. When one mentions /the word/ Elokim(God), he should have in mind that He is overpowering, omnipotent and almighty.

Mishnah Berurah 5: WHAT ONE SHOULD HAVE IN MIND WHEN /HE SAYS/ BLESSINGS (1) The meaning of the words. This accords with what the Sages, of blessed memory, said [Berachos 47/a/], that one should not cast the blessing out of his mouth. Instead, one must have /the meaning/ in mind when he says /the blessing/ and should say the blessing at leisure. This is the wording of the S.Ch. in Sec. 46: “When one /makes a blessing over the/ washing of his hands or makes a blessing over fruit or over /the performance of/ a mitzvah, which is commonly uttered by everyone, he should apply his heart /to the blessing so that he says it/ for the sake of his Creator, Who was remarkably kind to him and gave him the fruit to enjoy and commanded him over /the performance of/ the mitzvah. He should not conduct himself like a person who acts out of habit and pronounces words with his mouth without contemplating them in his mind. For this behavior, the anger of the Lord flared up against His people and He sent to inform us through Yeshayah, 1 ” Because of the fact that this people has approached, with its mouth and its lips it has honored Me and its heart is far from Me.” See further /in the S.Ch./, the extensive /discussion/ of the gravity of the punishment for this.

1 Yeshayah 29:13.

As far as the other issue goes I will get back to you after Shabbos. Good Shabbos

Here is the first part of the famous Foundation of Return By Our Righteous Rabbi Yona Gerundi of the aprox. the 13th century. It is exactly on the subject which is bothering you and still speaks to our hearts today.

One should constantly learn this, especially on the eve of Rosh Hashana and ten days of Repentance

The Al-mighty sent us a message through His servants the prophets and through His servant, the prophet
Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:30, 31),

"Hashem the Al-mighty declares, "Return and repent from all your sins and let not transgression be a stumbling block for you. Throw off all the sins from yourselves which you have committed and create a new heart for yourselves and a new spirit, for why should you die?"

For a man who sinned intentionally or unintentionally and comes to find shelter beneath the wings of the Divine Presence and to enter into the paths of return: "I will educate and teach you the proper way in which you
shall go!" (Psalms 32:8).

On the day that you want to return you should throw off all the sins which you have committed and imagine that you are newly born today, without merit or guilt. Today is a new start for all your deeds. Today you should weigh all your actions, so that your path should not turn from the proper way. This path will lead you to total return, for you will imagine yourself as having thrown off the burden of intentional sins and the power of the unintentional sins which you did. Your thoughts will not confuse you, preventing you from returning by being ashamed of your sins and thinking,

"How can I have the audacity to return when I sinned and transgressed and did evil? I did this and I did that! I sinned once, twice, countless times and how can I stand before G-d? For like the shame of a thief caught red handed, I am mortified to stand before Him. How can I tread in His courts and guard His laws?"

You should not think this! For the self defeating side of nature crouches like a stinging insect at the opening of the heart and renews its attack every day, scouting and scrutinizing for ways to make you stumble and to pull your heart after bad counsel. Rather, you should realize the quality of the blessed Creator, "His hand is outstretched to receive those who want to return." Therefore, it is worthwhile to throw off your sins and create for yourself a new heart.

And so on the day of your purification, when your spirit offers you, as a servant to the Creator, you should pour out your plea before Him and say,

"Please Al-mighty, I have been sinning, I have been transgressing, I have been breaking your laws in such and such a way (specify the sins) from the day I came into this world until today. But now my heart has risen up and my spirit has volunteered to return to You in truth, with a good and total heart, with all my heart, all my soul and all my might. I will acknowledge my sins and leave my bad ways and throw off all my sins and create for myself a new heart and a new spirit, I will be diligent and careful in fearing You. And You, my L-rd, who opens Your arms to he who returns and helps those who want to purify themselves, open Your hand and accept me in total return before You and help me to become strong in G-d fearingness. And help me against the Enemy who battles me with cunning and desires that my soul cause my downfall. Do not let him gain any power over me. Keep him far away from my two hundred and forty eight limbs and cast him into the depths of the sea, and rebuke the Enemy so that he will not be able to stand at my side to lead me astray. Make me follow your laws and remove the heart of stone from within me, giving me a heart of flesh. Please my G-d, hear you servant's prayer and plea. Accept my returning and let no sin hold back my prayer and my returning. Let advocates be before Your throne, to testify on my behalf and recommend my prayer before Thee. And if by my great and heavy sin I have no one to recommend me before You, then bring me up yourself from below your Throne of Glory, accept my repentance, and do not send me away empty handed from before you. For You are the One who Hears Prayer." You should make this prayer your habit.

May Hashem bless a million times you for your Mitzvah! I will repeat this prayer and make it my habit, as well as continue on my path towards Him. I am reading the Psalms and soon I will be in the Book of Proverbs, the Tanach and the Torah has been a great healer for me, and hopefully Hashem will grant my heart of flesh back. Many thanks!