An interesting point about the Hosha-Na practice:
We must remember that the time frame I am talking about is at a time where many had already refrained from speaking the name of God, so I use the idea of hinting in this argument about The Name. The practice of not speaking God’s name has been traced by some scholars to the 3rd and even 4th centuries.
Sara Yefet, in her book on the book of Chronicles, indicated that the replacement of יהוה with אלהים during this period, both in Chronicles and in the “Elohim Psalms” (which date to this time), is an indicator of a change in the peoples attitude. It is interesting that this practice predates any rabbis, but is usually attributed to rabbinic decries.
What is the “Hosh’anot”?
בכל יום מקיפין את המזבח פעם אחת ואומרים אנא ה’ הושיעה נא אנא ה’ הצליחה נא ר’ יהודה אומר אני והו הושיעה נאEvery day they went round the altar once, saying, “O Lord, save us, O Lord, make us prosper” (Psalms 118:25). Rabbi Judah says: “Ani vaho, save us.” (Babvli, Sukkah 45:a)
Hinting the name
This rendition could be an attempt to not write the name in full so not to desecrate the name in non-Biblical text. One may assume based on this, that והו is really יהו which is the name. Hence by saying Vaho we have a hint to 2nd temple times reading of the name which fits the name passed on to us by the Masoretes in the Aleppo codex.
It is important to point out that the reading of this Talmudic text and its vowels were passed on from generation to generation, making the vowels an oral and independent reading of the vowels used in the name. This argument can stand because the practice was never stopped and continued as an oral part of Jewish liturgy used by many, and was independent of the Masoretes. Hence I argue that this is another confirmation that the vowels used in the Aleppo codex are a clear Jewish tradition of how to read the name of God.
Originally Published: 5 October 2015
2 comments
Pat Turner
October 8, 2017 at 7:02 pmBased on the names of some of the prophets, such as Ishiyahu, Eliyahu, what if the vav functions as a vowel? what if it carries the “oo” sound, as in ‘who’? The Yod would be followed by a short “a” sound, the middle “H” would pair with the vav as a vowel, that is to say H OO … and the final H would be silent, as it often is …blending in at the end of the sound that precedes it ??
Yoel Halevi
October 16, 2017 at 7:48 pmThis is an interesting idea, but the silent H at the end is impossible. In 1st temple spelling you would write all consonants which are used. In this case either the H was sounded, or that it represented a vowel point.